Yeah definately check out family friendly accomodation too, because they often have deals with passes to certain parks (like if you stayed at Sea World Nara Resort...) And most of the resorts down there do have buses to theme parks as one of their perks.

The buses down the Gold Coast are pretty good, its easy to hop on a bus at the airport and go north, its a fair trip though at least an hour by bus, so expect that.

Food, everything can get up there when you eat at the parks but there are shops on the coast & if you stay at a self-contained apartment you can byo food to the parks & save heaps of $$.