Ed,
While I agree with Mike that it's easily Thomson's best work in Australia I can't agree that it's the pick of the bunch in the area. Perhaps on the Gold Coast but not in SEQ.
I'll state my bias now as a member, but I'd rate Robina Woods as a better course than Hope Island, Hope Island has suffered with a change of grass that has taken away some of the interesting shots in recent years. The Gold Coast has about 10 tracks that will all charge $100 AU and be worth $20 at the most, I'd skip it for sure unless of course you'd like to visit me in Brisbane.
The best course in the region is likely to be Brookwater, but there is also a private course called Indooroopilly which has East and West. Their composite course is superb but is rarely played due to the routing ruling out any decent use for the remaining 18 holes. Royal QLD is currently undergoing renovation and redesign by Mike and I've nominated for membership there as a result, hopefully he doesn't let me down!
Having said all that, if your trip is purely for golfing purposes I'd give QLD a wide berth, if you're actually on a holiday and would like to see some beautiful scenery QLD is a must.
To be honest I don't think there's a course in QLD that I'd have in the Top 30 in Australia. Brookwater and Indooroopilly Composite perhaps could knock on the door.
PS: Mike is being modest - I had my first game at Ranfurlie 3 weeks ago and it's superb. Perhaps 8th in Melbourne if I include Kingston Heath above it which I haven't played.