21 month old & Gold Coast Holiday..Help!

We took DS to the US when he was 23 months and found motels with a fridge, microwave and swimming pools made all the difference. We did the zoos and theme parks mostly because we wanted to go and for his older sister. He probably would have been too young to appreciate anything much apart from the zoos and Seaworld though.

Apartments are good value at the Gold Coast and at least you know you'll have cooking and probably laundry facilities in your room. We took our buggy rather than the stroller because he could lie down in it and sleep (we were away for three weeks) or use it as a highchair and even rock him to sleep in it the first 1-2 nights while he was getting to used to new surroundings. We didn't take/hire a portacot as we were on the move most nights so he slept on a little mattress on the floor with his own sleeping bag. I would say a portacot would be essential though if you are staying in one place.

If you go to a theme park and want to go on the rides find out about baby switch or child switch. This is when one parent stays with the child while the other rides then you switch but go straight to the start of the line. All the theme parks in the US do this and I understand Gold Coast do too. You aren't meant to take your own food into the theme parks but they are usually flexible about toddlers/babies. You can always say she has food allergies.

One thing that was essential was a harness/reigns so he could run around and we keep tabs on him. We borrowed a monkey backpack one which looked really cute and we could detach the tail (strap) so it was just a backpack.

Hi Madiandme

We stayed at broadbeach when we went to the gold coast in 2008 at the South Pacific Plaza Apartments Broadbeach Apartments

Lovely area to stay and really central, there was a plaza shopping centre with lots of restaurants below so that it was no hassle to go and have a meal.

We hired a vehicle which all the apartments usually have a parking garage underneath. But the bus services on the gold coast are really good and regular and also are really really cheap.

We took teenagers with us so went to some parks that you might not with a toddler. But Seaworld would be good, and I think Movieworld with a toddler would be ok. We also went to a fabulous animal park called Currumbin Wildlife Sanctury Wildlife Park the kids loved this park, and I also thought it was fabulous.

As far as food went we took picnics with us into every park so that kept our costs down. There are markets around that are great to go to and pick up cheap clothes etc.

Ummm I'll add more if I think of anything else, hth's

I borrowed mine but understand you can buy them from Kiwibaby or Baby city, I think about $30-$40.

Currumbin Wildlife Park is great. I took DD there about five years ago. We both loved it.

Thanks everyone!!