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Summer on Fern Street, with room for everyone’s plans

Share a 180-square-metre Marriner apartment over the 2026–27 school holidays. This summer planner covers public holidays, New Year and the different ways a family or group can spend a day between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

One person wants to be on the sand before breakfast. Another has brought a book. Someone is hoping for a day out in Surfers, and the children would like a swim whenever there is a spare half-hour. A shared holiday works better when the apartment has room for those plans to coexist.

Marriner Views has 180 square metres in each apartment and two apartments on every floor. There are separate bedrooms, a dining area and two bathrooms. Northcliffe Beach is across the road, 50 metres away. For a group spending several summer days together, the attraction is as much the easy afternoon at home as the outing everyone agrees to do.

Get the people and the apartment right

Start with the sleeping arrangements. The Superior Two-Bedroom accommodates up to six; either three-bedroom option accommodates up to seven, with a rollaway for the seventh guest. The first-floor three-bedroom overlooks the pool. The Three-Bedroom Ocean View is on level 19. Check the category and booking information for the outlook you are choosing, since a particular allocation cannot simply be assumed.

Summer comfort needs an honest conversation too. Marriner’s apartments have fans and a cross-breeze layout, with no air-conditioning. There is an outdoor saltwater pool heated to 26°C, plus a spa, sauna and steam room. If you need daytime rest during the week, read the construction disclosure and FAQs before booking. Adjacent weekday works can affect that part of the stay.

Put the shared dates on one calendar

Queensland’s state-school break is 12 December 2026 to 26 January 2027: Term 4 finishes on 11 December and students return on 27 January. Confirm your own school’s dates against the 2026 calendar and 2027 calendar.

These Queensland public holidays affect the summer plan:

Date Holiday
24 December, 6 pm–midnight Christmas Eve, part day
25 December Christmas Day
26 and 28 December Boxing Day and additional holiday
1 January New Year’s Day
26 January Australia Day

New Year’s Eve and Monday 25 January are not public holidays. Agree on leave and travel days before assuming the whole group can stay equally long. A few people may be coming for the Christmas weekend while others are free well into January.

An ordinary day can go in several directions

Send the beach party across the road with towels. BMD Northcliffe Surf Club is 350 metres from the building when a meal out suits, while SkyPoint is 950 metres away for those heading towards Surfers. Cavill Avenue is 1.5 km away and Kurrawa Beach is 1.9 km south. Those are separate destinations, not interchangeable descriptions of the nearby Broadbeach boundary.

The person staying home still has a balcony, living room and kitchen. Use the full-size fridge for the day’s groceries and the dishwasher for the shared meal afterwards. There is a covered BBQ area downstairs, and the apartment laundry can deal with beach clothes while dinner is happening.

For a day with a fixed start, leave time for getting ready and the journey. Florida Gardens tram station is 750 metres from Marriner. Translink can help with the rest of the route. Sharing one car works best when its driver and passengers agree on a return plan too.

Give the big nights their own decision

Our Christmas article covers November carols and the December announcements. For New Year’s Eve, wait for the current city programme before choosing a fireworks location or time. An ocean outlook alone does not establish a view of a particular display.

January’s Magic Millions Carnival and national futsal championships can give a longer stay a reason to leave the beach for a day. Keep some unscheduled time either side, especially when only part of the group is attending.

Explore the apartment layouts and compare the group’s dates. Quiet hours are 9 pm to 7 am; after a shared dinner, there can still be an early night for whoever wants one.