Gold Coast Travel

The Gold Coast is an extensive coastal city (actually, a conurbation of cities, towns and suburbs) in the southeast corner of the state of Queensland in Australia, located between the state capital of Brisbane to the north and the New South Wales state border to the south.

Now combined into what amounts to the 6th largest city in Australia (500,000 inhabitants), the Gold Coast has long been a high profile tourist destination for Australians and overseas travelers alike. The name of the chief constituent city of the region, Surfers Paradise, says it all...

The Gold Coast was once an informal name for the stretch of coastal towns from Surfers Paradise in the north to the state border with New South Wales in the south. With a warm climate and miles of beaches, the towns have grown rapidly, especially with migrating southern retirees. The merged towns are now suburbs of the City of Gold Coast, and the city has also stretched out to take in more areas to the north and west.

The northern end (especially Surfers Paradise to Broadbeach) is more commercialized, with plenty of action for backpackers and "schoolies" (school leavers celebrating the end of exams). The southern end still caters mainly to families holidaying from the colder southern states. Away from the coast, the western side, called the "hinterland", consists of mountain ranges covered with rainforest, much of it national park.

Things to See at the Gold Coast

• Gold Coast Beaches - There are 40 km of beaches to see and almost all are patrolled by volunteer and professional lifesavers. Greenmount beach in Coolangatta offers the most spectacular scenery and views up the coast and across to the famous Snapper Rocks surfing break, home of the Quiksilver Pro. Tallebudgeera Creek is a popular swimming lagoon with families, Burleigh Heads and Kirra are home to world-renowned waves and Surfers Paradise is home to backpackers, beach volleyball, and countless tourists.
• Gold Coast Hinterland  often referred to as "the green behind the gold" (a reference to Australia's national colours - green and gold), the Gold Coast Hinterland is home to three national parks, numerous mountains, creeks, waterfalls valleys, and natural rock formations.
•  Sea World  — first opened in 1958, moving to its present site in 1971, Sea World is the oldest, but also one of the best established theme parks in Australia.
• Dream World  — traditional theme park with popular tiger zoo and the home of the Australian Big Brother House.
• Warner Bros. Movie World  — movie-themed park with theatres and Warner Bros. themed rides.
•  Wet'n'Wild — water theme park with slides, wave pool, and 'dive-in movies' at night.
• Australian Outback Spectacular - New Epic Outback Show, complete with stampeding cattle, wild horses and an Australian Dinner.
• WhiteWater World New Water Park opened on December 8 2006.

• Byron Bay is only an hour's drive south
• Lamington National Park is half an hour's drive west

Events and Festivals at the Gold Coast

• Gold Coast Australia Day Celebrations in January - The Gold Coast Australia Day Celebrations is an annual event highlighting Australia’s heritage, identity and cultural diversity. The event is the Gold Coast’s biggest free one day event.
• Wintersun Festival - The Wintersun Festival is Australia’s largest annual Nostalgia Festival. Running for ten days in early June, the event brings the border towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads alive. The Festival features the music, cars, dance and lifestyle of the 1950’s and 60’s.
• A La Carte in the Park - A huge array of delicious food in Anzac Park at the Broadwater Parklands. An annual event and fun day out for the whole family. Restauraters from around the Gold Coast serve up affordable plates to satisfy all tastes.A La Carte in the Park
• Lexmark Indy 300 - IndyEvery October Surfers Paradise comes alive for four days and four nights for the Indy Carnival. Champion cars speed in excess of 300 kilometres per hour, stunt shows and support racing excite the crowd and the SEA FM airshow dazzles the sky. Don't forget the fun of the Streets of Surfers Paradise Carnivale each year.
• Film Fantastic Festival in October - Join in the celebration of the fantasy film genre with screenings, events, educationals, awards and star appearances at Gold Coast City Annual Film Festival.
• Schoolies - A week of safe celebrations on the Gold Coast every November for school leavers. Coordinated activities are hosted in the heart of Surfers Paradise including concerts. Volunteers annually take part to ensure a safe but fun time is had by all. Stay tuned to the Schoolies website for more information.