Gold Coast Holidays - Fantastic Holiday Bargains To Gold Coast

SUN & SURF ALL YEAR ROUND

Year-round sunshine, world-class surfing & endless summer fun on a long spectacular beach backed by a glittering strip of high-rise hotels, theme parks & non-stop action, with nine times more canals than Venice & a lush hinterland of rainforests & waterfalls.

GOLD COAST IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR….

……pleasure-seekers who want fun in the sun, terrific surfing and civilised, wide sandy beaches as far as the eye can see, with activities and entertainments which are both natural or man-made, relaxed or revving…

THE SCENERY

The pristine beach is the star on the Gold Coast. It’s a wide, soft creamy sand playground which stretches for about 70 km in the South East corner of Queensland, between the state capital, Brisbane to the North and the New South Wales border to the South. The Gold Coast is actually an elongated seaside city, whose many districts include the tourist hub of Surfer’s Paradise towards the Northern end, with its broad and busy beach fronting a skyline of multi-storey hotel and apartment blocks.

Tan-seekers/sunburn-avoiders should note that the shadows from these soaring tower blocks shade the sand from mid-afternoon. The gateway to the Gold Coast is the Southernmost town of Coolangatta, from where the shoreline is lined with holiday resorts and surfing beaches stretching North to the suburb of Main Beach, and beyond to Stradbroke Island. But there is life beyond the seemingly endless beach….

The Gold Coast also has 40 golf courses and six major theme parks with thrill rides to test your scream capacity. Away from the coast the scenery moves from commercial urban to ruggedly rural, with mountain ranges covered in rainforest and a hinterland of 100,000 hectares of nature reserve with fabulous waterfalls and hiking trails. The World Heritage listed Lamington National Park has many rare and threatened trees, including 2000 year old Antarctic beech trees. The once swampy land between this hinterland and the developed coastal strip has been converted into over 400 km of man-made canals – nine times more than Venice. Estates of upmarket homes have been built on these waterfronts which weave through the Gold Coast, creating a unique and charming landscape.

THE VIBE

The Gold Coast is famous for fun – in fact that’s one of this elongated city’s official mottos, and It’s swiftly becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in Australia. There’s plenty to amuse and entertain, and the entire coastline is geared towards fun in the sun, with the brash pleasuredome of Surfers Paradise at the heart of the party action. It attracts a wide cross section of people - surf dudes, Speedo posers, happy families and noisy schoolies all flock here to let their hair down and, vast as it is, the beach can get crowded, particularly during the school vacations.

The people-watching gets even better on Friday evenings, when a market stretches almost the full length of the promenade area. Not all of the 60 kms of spectacular beaches are suitable for lazy, leisure swimming, although the pounding waves are paradise for surfers. Families looking for fewer bright lights and calmer waters (in every sense) tend to kick back in more laid-back Rainbow (Coolangatta), Tallebudgera, or stylishly glam Broadbeach, which also has two of the coasts major shopping centres. Meanwhile swell-seekers take their boards to Snapper Rocks, Kirra and Currumbin Alley, which are known as the best surf waves in Australia.

THINGS TO DO ON THE GOLD COAST

QDeck, Surfers Paradise : The glass-enclosed observation deck on the 77th floor of the world’s tallest residential building offers spectacular 360-degree views of the coastline and inland canals. On a clear day the panorama stretches North to Brisbane and South to Byron Bay.
Tamborine Mountain Rainforest Skywalk : Get a dramatic – but safe - bird’s eye view of the rainforest with an hour’s stroll along 300m of bridge above the treetops, and a 40m skywalk soaring 30m over the valley below. Stunning views and scenic rest areas, 50 mins from Surfers Paradise.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary : Good opportunities for close-up encounters with Australian animals : koalas, ‘roos, emu, platypus, possum, and the chance to watch through a glass wall into the hospital and see some of the injured animals brought in for rehabilitation being treated. A huge park, but a little train saves the strain…

EATING OUT ON THE GOLD COAST

There are 500 restaurants on the Gold Coast, with everything from cheap and cheerful Asian ‘lunchbox’ style eateries in the backstreets of Surfers Paradise, to super fresh fish restaurants around Broadwater’s marinas. For the most choice, head for the Broadbeach area and Tedder Avenue in Main Beach, where you’ll find fine dining, pub grub and everything inbetween.

Champagne Brasserie, Broadbeach : First class French cuisine in an unassuming, tucked-away setting, with an extensive wine list, a cosy, non-touristy atmosphere and reasonable prices.
Allure on Currumbin : A classy little gem, with a menu which leaves foodies spoilt for choice. A stylish décor, which is understated but elegant, and matched by a chic ambience.
Elephant Rock Café, Currumbin : Overlooking the pristine white beach with spectacular ocean views – particularly from the open-fronted first floor – trendy, chic Elephant Rock is open from 7am for breakfast, and continues to fill tums with innovative ‘Modern Australian’ seafood and seasonal creations through the day and evening.

THE WAY THERE

The Gold Coast has its own international airport 3kms West of Coolangatta, and 25kms South of Surfers Paradise,with a runway that straddles the Queensland and NSW border. So, bizarrely, each side has a different time zone during the summer. From there, a shuttle bus service links the airport to the main bus routes between Tweed Heads and Surfers Paradise. Alternatively, visitors can fly into Brisbane airport, which is 60-90 minutes away from the centre of the Gold Coast. A train goes direct from Brisbane Airport to Nerang, which is 8km from Surfers Paradise. Electric CityTrains also run from Brisbane to Helensvale (60 mins), Robina (1 hr 20 mins) and Nerang (60-70 mins). There are also various much slower bus and coach services linking Brisbane to many spots along the Gold Coast.

Distance from airport: 30 mins from Surfers Paradise; 5 mins from Coolangatta.

THE WAY AROUND

To really maximise the sight-seeing possibilities, a car is the best way to explore the Gold Coast. Since the 60s, parking regulations in Surfers Paradise have been a bit softened by the use of tanned, gold bikini-clad ‘meter maids’, who pop coins in the meter for you if your stay has expired, and leave a calling card under the wipers. There are also plenty of readily available busses and taxis for visiting attractions along the coast.