You can fill a whole day on the Broadwater without spending a cent. From Bayview Beach Holiday Apartments we can point you to five genuinely free spots within about fifteen minutes: the daily Labrador pelican feed, two foreshore parks, the Rockpools water play area, and a wild coastal walk out to The Spit.
The Broadwater foreshore right outside our door
The easiest free thing on this list is the one you can reach in slippers. The Broadwater foreshore runs straight past us at Biggera Waters, so you step out, cross Marine Parade, and you are on flat, sheltered water. Guests keep mentioning the early mornings here, when the water goes glassy and the pelicans drift past before the day warms up. What is free: the foreshore path, the grassed picnic spots and the swimming. Best time is dawn or late afternoon. There are shaded benches and a public toilet block within a short stroll, and the path doubles as a gentle cycling route south.
Where can you feed pelicans on the Gold Coast?
The daily pelican feed at Charis Seafoods is the Broadwater’s best free show, and it happens at 1.30pm every day of the year. Charis sits at 371 Marine Parade, Labrador, about 3.5km south of us, roughly an eight minute drive or a long foreshore walk. Close to a hundred wild pelicans glide in and crowd the water’s edge for the fish scraps, and staff often hand children a fish or two to feed them. What is free: watching, and the foreshore tables. Get there by 1.15pm for a front-row spot. Most guests pair it with fish and chips from the Charis counter, eaten right there on the grass.
Is Harley Park’s swimming lagoon free?
Yes, and it is one of the best family stops on the Broadwater. Harley Park sits at 376 Marine Parade, Labrador, right beside Charis Seafoods, so it pairs perfectly with the pelican feed. The park wraps around Ian Dipple Lagoon, a calm netted swimming lagoon, and there are two shaded playgrounds, a flying fox and a ninja-style course. What is free: the lagoon, the playgrounds and six public barbecues, one with boiling water and power points at each station. Best time is mid morning before the barbecues fill up. Bring your own snags, because the free barbecues are the reason so many local families spend a whole Saturday here.
What are the Rockpools at Broadwater Parklands?
The Rockpools is a free water play area at Broadwater Parklands in Southport, about a ten to twelve minute drive south of us. Shallow creek beds fill and empty through the day with fountains, waterfalls and spouting water animals, so it feels like a natural rockpool without the tides. What is free: the water play, the parkland, the playgrounds and the barbecues. In winter it opens 9am to 3pm, with longer hours in the warmer months. Lifeguards are on duty and there are shaded seats, toilets and change rooms, plus a cafe a short walk away. It gets busy on weekends, so a weekday morning is calmest.
Federation Walk: a wilder free coastal reserve
For a free walk with a bit more wild in it, Federation Walk Coastal Reserve runs along The Spit, about a fifteen to twenty minute drive from us via Southport and Main Beach. It is a 3.5km flat sand and gravel path threading through coastal bushland out towards the Gold Coast Seaway, where you can watch boats run the bar. What is free: the walk, and the signposted car park at the northern end near Sea World, which also has toilets, water bubblers and shaded picnic tables. Best time is early, before the sun climbs. Wear enclosed shoes and take water, because there are long shadeless stretches near the Seaway tip.
Questions guests ask us
What time is the pelican feeding at Charis Seafoods?
The pelicans are fed every single day at 1.30pm on the foreshore at Charis Seafoods, 371 Marine Parade, Labrador, about 3.5km south of us. It runs for roughly half an hour. Arrive by 1.15pm for a clear spot near the water, and it is completely free to watch.
Is the pelican feed really free?
Yes. Watching the daily 1.30pm feed at Charis Seafoods costs nothing, and parking along the Labrador foreshore is free too. The only money you might spend is on fish and chips from the Charis counter, which most guests grab and eat at the foreshore tables while the pelicans gather.
Are the Rockpools at Broadwater Parklands free to use?
Yes. The Rockpools water play area at Broadwater Parklands in Southport is free, with no entry fee and free parking. In winter it opens 9am to 3pm. Lifeguards are on duty, there are shaded seats, toilets and change rooms, and a cafe is a short walk away.
Can you swim in the Broadwater near Biggera Waters?
Yes. The Broadwater is calm, flat and sheltered, which makes it gentler than the open surf beaches. Ian Dipple Lagoon at Harley Park in Labrador is a popular netted swimming spot, and the foreshore near us is a favourite for a paddle. Always keep young children within arm’s reach.
Is there free parking along the Broadwater foreshore?
Yes. Street and car park parking along Marine Parade through Biggera Waters, Labrador and Southport is free, including at Harley Park, Broadwater Parklands and the Federation Walk car park at The Spit. That is a big part of why a Broadwater day out stays genuinely low cost.
The best part of all this is how close it sits to home base. Everything here is a short walk or a quick drive from us, so you can build a whole day around the 1.30pm pelican feed and still be back for an afternoon swim. If the free Broadwater days sell you on the area, take a look at our waterfront apartments and browse more things to do near Biggera Waters. When you are ready, check our latest direct booking deals and stay steps from the Broadwater foreshore.
Image credit: Ozdingo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)