Broadwater Tourist Park

Broadwater Tourist Park is a large waterfront holiday park in Southport, positioned between Marine Parade and the Broadwater. It suits travellers who want a choice of caravan and camping surfaces, family facilities and direct access to the water without giving up easy transport into the central Gold Coast.

The park's scale matters when choosing a site. There are more than 300 numbered positions across a long waterfront layout, and the experience near Loders Creek can be quite different from a site closer to Marine Parade. Start with the official park map, then match the category to your equipment rather than booking on the view alone.

Getting there and checking in#

Address: 169 Marine Parade, Southport QLD 4215

The official park overview places Australia Fair Shopping Centre about 1km away, Sea World about 4km away and Surfers Paradise about 5km south. Broadwater Parklands is next door, and the waterfront walking and cycling paths extend well beyond the park.

Powered sites check in from 11am, powered ensuite sites from 12pm, and check-out is 10am. Contact reception before travelling if you will arrive after office hours; the current terms do not allow arrivals after 8:30pm. One vehicle is included per site, and extra vehicles or boat trailers need approval because parking is limited.

Choosing a site#

Broadwater has several categories, each with meaningful setup differences:

• Powered grass sites suit tents, campervans and camper trailers and include power and sullage.
• Powered slab sites add a concrete slab and accept a range of equipment sizes.
• Premium powered sites sit closer to the Broadwater and may be grass or slab; record your surface preference in the check-in details.
• Waterview powered sites use slabs or synthetic turf and are for vans, not tents or camper trailers. Sand and screw pegs cannot be used on synthetic turf.
• Waterfront powered sites 213 and 214 overlook Loders Creek. They are intended for caravans or motorhomes under 7.9m overall; camper trailers must be arranged by phone and tents are not accepted.
• Powered ensuite sites pair a slab with a private shower, toilet and vanity. The operator says larger vans are capacity-limited and asks guests with equipment over 9m to call.

Measure the complete rig, including drawbar, rear attachments, bike racks and slide-outs. The operator allocates sites using those dimensions and may cancel if incorrect details leave no safe alternative. Vans must be positioned with the drawbar facing the internal road.

Facilities and waterfront access#

Published facilities include two seasonally heated swimming pools, two camp kitchens, barbecues, amenities and coin laundries, a recreation room, tennis court, fenced playground and bouncing pillow. There is also a chemical dump point, kiosk, boat wash and fish-cleaning tables. The accessible and parents' bathrooms are in the southern amenity block and require a reception key.

The park has its own ramp on Loders Creek at the northern end. A separate public ramp is shown outside the boundary, which helps explain why this end of the park attracts boating activity. Keep boats, trailers and the tow vehicle within the booked footprint or arrange other parking before arrival.

There is no park Wi-Fi. The guest information page says most areas have excellent mobile coverage and 5G. Some positions may detect the City of Gold Coast's free SurfNetwork, but its speed and availability are outside the park's control.

Pets, generators and open fires are not permitted. Quiet time is 9pm–8am. Swimming pools operate to posted hours, and children under 12 must be supervised in park facilities.

What campers say#

Recurring themes across recent Tripadvisor reviews, other public Tripadvisor feedback and Google excerpts on the official park page add useful context:

• Waterfront outlooks, the two pools and direct access to long cycle paths are the most consistent reasons guests recommend the park.
• Clean amenities and helpful reception staff recur across independent and operator-displayed reviews.
• Site manoeuvring and parking can feel tight even when the allocated pad fits the caravan. Arriving in daylight and supplying exact dimensions makes setup easier.
• The large, central park can feel busy rather than secluded. Older reviews also report traffic or nearby construction noise on some positions, so light sleepers should ask which area best suits them.
• Paying extra for a premium or waterview category changes the position and outlook, but does not guarantee complete privacy or silence.

These are traveller-reported patterns, not guarantees about cleanliness, noise, views or a particular site allocation.

Booking and cancellation terms#

Book through the official booking portal. Broadwater requires the first night's deposit when booking. Balance due dates differ from the other City parks for Easter, September and Christmas school holidays, so use the dates in your confirmation.

Written off-peak cancellations made within 28 days forfeit the deposit. In peak periods, the charge is 25% of the total booking from 40–29 days, 50% from 28–15 days, and no refund at 14 days or less. Minimum stays and dynamic rates vary by date.

Can't get a booking?#

Broadwater's categories are not interchangeable: a reopened tent site will not help a large caravan seeking an ensuite, and some waterfront positions have strict equipment limits. If the right category is sold out, set up a free CampWatch alert and we'll text when matching availability returns. No app, no account — just your phone number.

Campground details were checked against Gold Coast Tourist Parks' official park, site, guest-information, map and terms pages, plus public traveller reviews, on 1 September 2026.