Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is the small coastal area in Queensland; it is located between Brisbane and the New South Wales border.

In 1770 Point Danger and Mt Warning was discovered and named by Captain Cook. The first accurate map of the Gold Coast was produced in 1842 by the English-born surveyor Robert Dixon. At the time of the mapping Queensland was not a state but was still part of New South Wales.

Gold Coast has an almost limitless list of things to do and activities. Choose from relaxation, Australian animal encounters, cultural experiences, food and wine tours, art and culture, nightlife or just plain fun and adrenalin.

Surfing in the Gold CoastThe Gold Coast offers fabulous beaches stretching for around 35km, and is a very popular tourist spot hosting fabulous beaches, fantastic nightlife, great surf and a sub tropical climate with an average of 330 days of sunshine each year.

The Gold Coast is also home to the famous Surfers Paradise and a number of well known theme parks, as well as a wide range of adventure activities including bungee jumping, para-sailing, and water skiing. The Gold Coast also hosts the Gold Coast SuperGP during October. A wide range of race cars fill the streets of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, with plenty of action and entertainment for the whole family.

Carrara MarketsIf you'd prefer a quieter and more relaxing sport then visit one of the 36 Championship Golf Courses along the Gold Coast.

There are also a number of art and craft markets held throughout the Gold Coast, with the Gold Coast Flea Markets and the popular Carrara Markets held every Saturday and Sunday.

The Gold Coast also offers some fabulous scenery for you to explore and plenty of wildlife. So if all of the excitement of the coast is too much for you then head to the glorious Hinterland of the Gold Coast.

There are some fabulous walking trails around the McPherson Range which follows the New South Wales border where it joins the Great Dividing Range.

Gold Coast BeachesJust as you cross the New South Wales border from Tweed Heads you enter its twin town Coolangatta. Coolangatta is one of the older resorts within the Gold Coast area and is similar to Surfers Paradise, although on a smaller scale. You can get great views of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads from Point Danger.

Burleigh Heads Beach.North of Coolangatta you pass several small resorts and beaches, including Bilinga, Currumbin, Palm Beach and Tugun before you reach Burleigh Heads.

The resorts all offer plenty of places to stay, as well as a number of shopping and eating areas.

The surf around this area is fantastic with many staged pro-events held here. From Kirra Point the views are also amazing, giving you another reason to visit. Currumbin also offers great views, along the attractive rocky headlands.

Pacific Fair Shopping Centre.Continuing north you pass Miami, Mermaid Beach and Nobby Beach, before you get to Broadbeach. Many of these beaches are quieter than along the rest of the Gold Coast and so are great if you want to relax. Broadbeach is where you will find the popular Pacific Fair Shopping Centre.

Also at Broadbeach is The Star Gold Coast which is the local Casino, which is open 24 hours a day. The casino features restaurants, bars, accommodation and entertainment along with the usual casino facilities.

If you do intend going here, remember that thongs aren't acceptable footwear, and T-shirts should have sleeves.

Southport.Just north of Broadbeach is the extremely busy Surfers Paradise, where you must stop along your journey to or from Brisbane. Just north of Surfers is the stylish Main Beach and the quieter Southport which is a good place to stay if you want to see the action, but not be in the middle of it.

Sea World, Gold CoastThe area north of here is where you will find the theme parks, including, Dreamworld, Movie World, and Wet 'n' Wild, Sea World is in Main Beach.

Dreamworld is a theme park offering fantastic rides and rollercoasters, and plenty of fun.

Riding a Dolphin at Sea WorldMovie World is like Hollywood's Warner Brothers Film Studio, and is also known as 'Hollywood on the Gold Coast'.

Sea World offers a number of rides, as well as animal performances. Wet 'n' Wild is a fun water park, with plenty of different slides to choose from.

Gold Coast is one of the most popular destinations for tourists in Australia because of its sunny weather and its exciting experiences and attractions.

TransLink's bus, train and tram network can connect you to places all over the Gold Coast. The integrated network on the Gold Coast includes the G:link trams, Surfside buslines and Queensland Rail. Visit translink.com.au or call 13 12 30 for information or to plan your journey. TransLink's integrated tickets are a great way to get around. Travel on bus, train or tram with go card or grab a Gold Coast go explore for bus and tram travel.

For those of you who enjoyed the Commonwealth Games you may like to go on a Borobi hunt. Borobi, the Blue Koala from the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games can be found in various outfits. Here are the current locations on the Gold Coast;

  • Swimming: Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Southport.
  • Weightlifting: Broadwater Parklands, Southport.
  • Surfer: Surfers Paradise Esplanade.
  • Lifeguard: Narrowneck
  • Tuxedo: Home of the Arts (HOTA), Evandale Parkland.
  • Netball: Kurrawa Park, Broadbeach.
  • Lawn bowls: Jellurgal Centre, Burleigh.
  • Lifeguard: Gold Coast Airport.


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