Visit Byron and the Gold Coast

Morning
Once you’ve landed at Gold Coast Airport, it’s a 45‑minute drive south to the coastal town of Byron Bay, where you’ll check in to the Elements of Byron beachside resort. Set on 22 hectares (54 acres) on the shores of Belongil Beach, this exclusive retreat offers 103 freestanding villas and a range of unique event spaces.  Join a walking tour with Explore Byron Bay. Led by Arakwal Bundjalung woman, Delta Kay learn of First Nation's people in the area, native medicines and sample bush tucker and tea. Drive 10 minutes to the charming hinterland Fig Tree Restaurant for a bespoke long lunch created with fresh produce from the restaurant garden and locally sourced meat and seafood. Enjoy drinks and canapes on the lawn before dining in the modern “Queenslander” where 90 guests can be seated for lunch.

Afternoon
Encourage creative thinking, confidence and team spirit with the Corporate Art program at Byron Bay Art Studio. Led by artist and motivational speaker Irena Kirpichnikova, this three-hour session allows your team members to create their own masterpieces, which they can then take home. The studio caters for groups of between 10 and more than 100.

Evening
Host a welcome dinner tonight at Beach Byron Bay, a restaurant with uninterrupted views of the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy a menu of contemporary seafood dishes matched with Australian wines. After you’ve finished dinner, take a 10-minute walk along the waterfront to the iconic Beach Hotel for a nightcap and live music.

Morning
Enjoy breakfast at the Azure Bar & Grill, overlooking the resort pool, then head to the beach for a three-hour sea kayaking tour with Go Sea Kayak. You may even get to paddle alongside some of the 100 bottlenose dolphins that call the Cape Byron Marine Park home. From June to November, keep an eye out for humpback whales as they migrate along the coast. 

Afternoon
Return to Elements of Byron for a casual poolside lunch on the Banksia Terrace, which can host 100 people for a seated lunch or 150 for a cocktail function. Next, it’s time to saddle up for a 90-minute ride with Zephyr Horses, meandering through the forest and along the beach. 

Evening
As night falls, you can enjoy pre-dinner drinks around the fire pit on the beach, before sitting down for a degustation menu matched with Australian wines in the Azure Bar and Grill Dining Room.

Morning
Begin your day with a yoga session on the beach at sunrise, before breakfast at the Azure Bar and Grill. Board a Rotorwing Helicopter for a one-hour scenic flight to O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, taking a lap above the Cape Byron Bay Lighthouse and along the coast before cruising over the hinterland. Located in the Lamington National Park, this idyllic retreat has 48 eco-friendly villas. 

Afternoon
Host a relaxed lunch at  O’Reilly’s Mountain Cafe where guests can enjoy the views over the Scenic Rim. Then, it’s time for a treatment at the Lost World Spa. After your massage or facial, visit the steam room or take a dip in the infinity pool.

Evening
For a memorable evening in the rainforest, transfer by 4WD to the Moonlight Crag Lookout on the edge of the escarpment, where you can sip drinks as the sun sets over the mountain ranges. Next, take your seat for a degustation dinner under the stars. While walking back to the hotel with your team, look out for possums, glow worms and other nocturnal creatures that call the forest home. End the evening by gathering around the fire pit at Corroboree Ring to hear stories from the Aboriginal Dreamtime.

Morning
Travel 45 minutes by road to Canungra Valley Vineyards, where you can try traditional grape stomping before enjoying a wine tasting and picnic breakfast by the creek. From here, it’s a 50-minute drive to Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.

Afternoon
Lunch today is at one of the Gold Coast’s top restaurants, Rick Shores, which boasts an enviable position on the beachfront at Burleigh Heads. The sun-drenched 140-seat eatery offers a contemporary Asian menu that’s designed to share, so ask the kitchen to create a bespoke banquet for your group. After lunch, travel 15 minutes by road to Pacific Fair at Broadbeach for a personalised shopping experience and consultation with a stylist. Once you’ve shopped for luxury labels and local designs, jump onto the back of a Harley-Davidson for a thrilling 15-minute ride to Rhapsody Resort, where you can enjoy a cocktail and 270-degree views from the rooftop on level 41.  

Evening
Tonight’s dinner is at Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise, a five-minute drive south. This sophisticated private dining room can accommodate up to 18 people and offers a choice of 15 degustation menus and 500 wines. If your team fancies a nightcap, stop by the Social House at Voco Hotel, before checking in to the Palazzo Versace hotel, which is a 15‑minute drive north. This lavish resort offers 200 guest rooms and 72 condominiums decorated with Versace furnishings.

Morning
Embrace the warm weather with an alfresco breakfast served in the gold cabanas that surround Palazzo Versace’s 65-metre (213-feet) swimming pool. Or book the Imperial Suite for a private brunch in a luxurious setting, with views over the pool and the Gold Coast Broadwater. For an action-packed morning in Surfers Paradise, visit iFLY Gold Coast for an indoor skydiving session. Follow this with the 90-minute SkyPoint Climb, which takes you 270 metres (886 feet) above sea level to the top of the Q1 building, the second-highest public vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Afternoon
After your climb, refuel with lunch at SkyPoint Bistro + Bar on the SkyPoint Observation Deck. Next, travel to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, a 30-minute drive south, where your team can get up close with koalas, hand feed kangaroos, tackle the Tree Top Challenge course or cruise over the crocodile enclosure on a zip line. 

Evening
Host a gala dinner at Kurrawa Terrace for your last night on the Gold Coast. Overlooking the waves at Broadbeach, this unique space – which can seat up to 120 people – offers a blank canvas for your event. Start with barefoot drinks on the sand before sitting down to a meal in a custom marquee.