Boat Gold Coast editor Roselle Tenefrancia points us to some of the places to experience canal shopping on the Gold Coast – a must-do activity in a city of water.
Navigate towards the jetty. Hop off. Secure the ropes. Take your shopping bag. And off you go for retail therapy. Isn’t that an ideal picture of a life in a city of waterways?
That dreamy picture is a reality on the Gold Coast with many centres offering boaties easy access for shopping and dining.
Aside from the marinas with adjacent shopping centres, there are also shopping centres on the Gold Coast that are lesser known to be directly accessible by water. Whether one is out to conduct a comprehensive shopping activity, or simply to have a relaxed and spontaneous stop while cruising, the following centres offer the boaties a wider opportunity for more accessible shopping.
Pacific Fair
The iconic Pacific Fair in Broadbeach can be accessed from the Nerang River via the canals of Broadbeach Waters. The centre is anchored by a four-level Myer department store, as well as Kmart, Target and Coles and Woolworths and more than 170 specialty stores and services. Pacific Fair have 420 shops, restaurants and entertainment destinations under one roof.
There are currently two berthing jetties that can accommodate up to eight small or two large vessels. The berthing is free to the public. There is no time limit for berthing, as long as it is within the centre’s operating hours.
*Pacific Fair is along the Broadbeach Waters canal between the Hooker Blvd and the Pacific Fair Dr bridges.
Runaway Bay Centre
In the northern area of the Gold Coast, the Runaway Bay Centre is accessible from The Broadwater through the canal entry towards Biggera Waters. The centre has two floating pontoons on the Boardwalk Canal, outside the food court. The berths can accommodate 11 vessels for free, for a maximum of three hours.
With supermarkets, food court, discount department stores, specialty shops and services, it offers a convenient and local shopping experience. It is estimated an average of 450 visits per month, with that increasing in April to approximately 700 and also increasing in November and December to approximately 1000 each month. The postcode of 4216 has the second biggest boat ownership in Queensland.
*Runaway Bay Centre is accessible from the Broadwater through the canal entry between the Shearwater Esplanade and Anglers Esplanade, past the Bayview St. bridge, in Runaway Bay.
Capri on Via Roma
The upmarket Capri on Via Roma, in the Isle of Capri, is a waterfront shopping and dining destination in Surfers Paradise. The trendy restaurants, cafes, specialty shops and services make up the market hall that is directly accessible from its jetties. The size of the centre allows for a very relaxed and easy-going ambience. The waterfront al fresco dining area also offers an unrestricted view of the water.
The centre has a berthing capacity of a maximum of eight vessels. Vessels may stay for up to 3 hours at no charge.
Often customers will come by boat to have lunch at our restaurants or do some shopping, according to Capri on Via Roma management. “To journey by boat to Capri on Via Roma simply enhances the entire shopping, dining and travel experience, while making the most of what the Gold Coast has to offer.”
*Capri on Via Roma is accessible from the Nerang River in Surfers Paradise, via the canal north of the Via Roma bridge, on the west-southwest of the river.
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Centres with berthing options have their added value to the Gold Coast shopping and dining experience. “The Gold Coast is well known for its canals and boating lifestyle. What better way to do your shopping than by boat. No traffic snarls and no trying to find a car park.”
Gold Coasters and visitors should be able to enjoy the waterways in many ways. “It’s all about leisure and lifestyle. We are lucky to have abundant waterways and picture perfect weather. The Gold Coast is a holiday and leisure destination. Being able to arrive by boat for retail therapy or dining is quintessentially Gold Coast.”
