Driving is Aussie is great, the roads up the Gold Coast aren't too busy and they drive on the proper side of the road so it's well worth hiring a car and visiting Noosa under two hours north. It's a lovely little affluent beachside resort.
A similar distance south is Byron Bay which is another beach resort worth visiting. It's a popular tourist spot, chilled out hippie vibe in some places but also some great places to eat and drink.
Brisbane is a nice and clean city with a nice city centre park and manmade riverside beach and restaurants, but getting out to the coast is where it's at.