Or if you do, budget about 3 hours to get there from anywhere on the gold coast. More if you think it will be a popular event. They clog up all the surrounding streets with pointless traffic jams that go no-where. They have dozens of employees standing guard blocking off a lot of streets, and no-one directing the traffic or telling bewildered drivers where to go. A corflute sign or two could have done the job of 20 staff. You have to park a long distance from the stadium then walk through open fields and empty carparks to get to it. Emails to their main contact bounce.

I went to Game 2 at the State of Origin in the year 2004. I went up to the stadium and was in my seat within 15 minutes. What sort of problems did you have?

UnSubRocky wrote on Jun 9^th, 2024 at 3:25pm:

I went to Game 2 at the State of Origin in the year 2004. I went up to the stadium and was in my seat within 15 minutes. What sort of problems did you have?

Half hour delay on the freeway. 1 hour traffic jam from the freeway to close to the stadium. The last 20 minutes of this traffic jam ended in a dead end and people were being turned around. Except they kind of just stopped to try to figure out what was going on because there was a single old man directing them. He positioned himself so that he had to walk across the path of the traffic into a two lane roundabout in order to talk to one driver, then back to safety. So he would wait until the whole thing ground to a halt again and it was safe to walk out, talk to one driver for about 30 seconds, and then the people immediately behind that driver who saw this mostly followed that driver and hoped for the best. Then I was off off to look for a shopping centre to park in. Then a long walk back to the stadium through open fields and empty car parks.

I have no idea how they managed to hold a state of origin there without complete chaos. The stadium was only about one quarter full when I went.

The traffic jam was holding up the main east-west road past the stadium to the freeway. They should get a fine for causing a pointless traffic jam on it. It was entirely preventable. One or two corflute signs earlier on telling people to go straight ahead and look for a park instead of turning off towards the stadium probably would have fixed it.

I had another look at the setup they have. The stadium is mostly surrounded by undeveloped land, but does not have any parking of it's own. As far as road access goes is kind of stuck down the end of a residential area with few access roads, with access cut on most sides by water. They do have some park and ride things set up, but those busses were stuck in the same traffic jam that I was. Even though the busses were stationary 90% of the time, with crowds of pedestrians walking past, I think the people inside were trapped and they would not let them out.

Even worse - the traffic jam completely cut off Robina hospital and most of the suburb it was in. I was eyeing off a parking structure that must have been at the back of the hospital, but I'm pretty sure they had every access to it closed off.

This stadium had everything going for it in principle - a freeway with lots of exits, plenty of space on the west side, and even on the east, but for some reason they decided to tuck it away in a difficult to access corner and not include any onsite parking. The theme parks are just north of it, and they have enormous carparks. Seeing as those parks start emptying mid afternoon, and are not as popular in winter, they could have even figured out some deal to put the stadium in there and get a second use out of all that parking. Halfway between dreamworld and westfield coomera would have given it existing parking on both sides that is designed to handle high volumes, with coomera train station within walking distance. They would have been able to use it for concerts as well without the problem of it being surrounded by residential areas and a hospital.

Robina has a train station 10m walk to the stadium.
They should do integrated rail tickets with any event and heavily advertise certain that access roads will be residents only during the time of the event.

Traffic jam on the freeway has been part and parcel of gold Coast commuters lives for over a decade and it has nothing to do with cbus or any events.  Mudgeraba to palm Beach becomes a carpark most peak hour times. I moved to the gc about 18yrs ago and they were working on that stretch of the m1. I moved away about a year and a half ago and they're still working on it.

Gordon wrote on Jun 9^th, 2024 at 5:43pm:

Robina has a train station 10m walk to the stadium. They should do integrated rail tickets with any event and heavily advertise certain that access roads will be residents only during the time of the event.

The train would be a good option. Probably better than a bus. But then what station do I drive to and will it have the same issue with no parking available? Public transport the whole way is not an option for me. And it would still be a bit of a mission to get there.

freediver wrote on Jun 9^th, 2024 at 5:53pm:

Gordon wrote on Jun 9th, 2024 at 5:43pm: Robina has a train station 10m walk to the stadium. They should do integrated rail tickets with any event and heavily advertise certain that access roads will be residents only during the time of the event. The train would be a good option. Probably better than a bus. But then what station do I drive to and will it have the same issue with no parking available? Public transport the whole way is not an option for me. And it would still be a bit of a mission to get there.

Any station from Brisbane to the gc will work. There's only one line and all the trains from Brisbane stop at varsity Lakes

freediver wrote on Jun 9^th, 2024 at 5:53pm:

Gordon wrote on Jun 9th, 2024 at 5:43pm: Robina has a train station 10m walk to the stadium. They should do integrated rail tickets with any event and heavily advertise certain that access roads will be residents only during the time of the event. The train would be a good option. Probably better than a bus. But then what station do I drive to and will it have the same issue with no parking available? Public transport the whole way is not an option for me. And it would still be a bit of a mission to get there.

Each individual station may be busier than usual but won't be a major chock point like the end destination. I'm guessing you could park 5m walk from the average station in GC or Brisbane.

Do they include integrated tickets as Sydney does with just about all staduims/events?

Gordon wrote on Jun 9^th, 2024 at 5:57pm:

Do they include integrated tickets as Sydney does with just about all staduims/events?

Yeah I think they have something like that.

freediver wrote on Jun 9^th, 2024 at 5:58pm:

Gordon wrote on Jun 9th, 2024 at 5:57pm: Do they include integrated tickets as Sydney does with just about all staduims/events? Yeah I think they have something like that.

All public transport is free in the 4 hrs before and after an event as long as you have your event tickets

The gold coast bulletin is advising people not to try to use Nerang station as they are unlikely to get a park.

Footy fans using park’n’ride service left with no where to park at Nerang station

https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/footy-fans-using-parknride-service-left-with-no-where-to-park-at-nerang-station/news-story/a75495ec2fe960fa32c323f16f3c11f7

IT is advertised as a “park’n’ride” for footy fans, but the service leaving Nerang railway station doesn’t guarantee a park.

freediver wrote on Jun 9^th, 2024 at 4:25pm:

I have no idea how they managed to hold a state of origin there without complete chaos. The stadium was only about one quarter full when I went.

We had over 50,000 people at the game. The announcers said that, at the time, it was a record attendance. I went with a friend to drive in to the city. Then we caught a train in to the city. I met up with another friend at the stadium. We got our tickets scanned and we were seated within 15 minutes.

I don't know how your situation could have been worse, because Cbus stadium is only a 35,000 seated stadium. I watche a car accident on my way out of the stadium. That would have held up traffic for a while. But, they would have resolved that in 10 minutes.

freediver wrote on Jun 9^th, 2024 at 6:04pm:

The gold coast bulletin is advising people not to try to use Nerang station as they are unlikely to get a park. Footy fans using park’n’ride service left with no where to park at Nerang station https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/footy-fans-using-parknride-service-left-with-no-where-to-park-at-nerang-station/news-story/a75495ec2fe960fa32c323f16f3c11f7 IT is advertised as a “park’n’ride” for footy fans, but the service leaving Nerang railway station doesn’t guarantee a park.

So don't park at Nerang.  That carpark is full at the best of times. I suspect you're travelling from up north,  so your best bet would be to park at helensvale. 

UnSubRocky wrote on Jun 9^th, 2024 at 6:13pm:

freediver wrote on Jun 9th, 2024 at 4:25pm: I have no idea how they managed to hold a state of origin there without complete chaos. The stadium was only about one quarter full when I went. We had over 50,000 people at the game. The announcers said that, at the time, it was a record attendance. I went with a friend to drive in to the city. Then we caught a train in to the city. I met up with another friend at the stadium. We got our tickets scanned and we were seated within 15 minutes. I don't know how your situation could have been worse, because Cbus stadium is only a 35,000 seated stadium. I watche a car accident on my way out of the stadium. That would have held up traffic for a while. But, they would have resolved that in 10 minutes.

Were you talking about a different stadium? 50000?

freediver wrote on Jun 9^th, 2024 at 6:35pm:

UnSubRocky wrote on Jun 9th, 2024 at 6:13pm: freediver wrote on Jun 9th, 2024 at 4:25pm: I have no idea how they managed to hold a state of origin there without complete chaos. The stadium was only about one quarter full when I went. We had over 50,000 people at the game. The announcers said that, at the time, it was a record attendance. I went with a friend to drive in to the city. Then we caught a train in to the city. I met up with another friend at the stadium. We got our tickets scanned and we were seated within 15 minutes. I don't know how your situation could have been worse, because Cbus stadium is only a 35,000 seated stadium. I watche a car accident on my way out of the stadium. That would have held up traffic for a while. But, they would have resolved that in 10 minutes. Were you talking about a different stadium? 50000?

Cbus stadium is where they held the 2018 Commonwealth Games. 35,000 people capacity. Suncorp Stadium has a capacity of over 50,000 people. Surely, with the growth of the Gold Coast in the last 20 years, they would have accounted for the traffic problems. Take a train the next time you need to go to the stadium.

One other thing - they had signs on the freeway advising people to use the park and ride, and to take exit 79. That is the exit I took, and I hit the traffic jam as soon as I was off the freeway.

freediver wrote on Jun 10^th, 2024 at 8:25am:

One other thing - they had signs on the freeway advising people to use the park and ride, and to take exit 79. That is the exit I took, and I hit the traffic jam as soon as I was off the freeway.

Why did you not get a train from any station in Brisbane to the Gold Coast?