The Gold Coast is a large city along the coast in the southeast corner of the state of Queensland in Australia. The year-round warm weather, theme parks and many beaches just south of Brisbane have made it a popular destination with travellers. Surfers Paradise forms the glitzy hub of tourist activity. Each year thousands of Australian students complete their secondary education by indulging in Schoolies Week by travelling to the Gold Coast for a week of partying.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Other districts include: Mermaid Beach and Miami – Largely low-rise residential suburbs with motels and restaurants along the highway. Palm Beach – Largely residential area.
The Gold Coast is a large urban area with a population of 720,000, the largest non-state capital in Australia. Most visitors perceive the Gold Coast as a long thin strip of modern high-rise buildings next to seemingly endless beaches, although the city itself extends far inland to the hills of the Scenic Rim. Surfers Paradise, towards the northern end, is the main hub of the leisure activity. There is a huge choice of hotels, restaurants, tourist shops and tourist experiences to be found. The city is developing itself as a work-hub for large corporations that want to offer their employees a better work-life balance away from the capital cities.
Translink is responsible for all trains, buses, ferries and trams in South East Queensland and regional urban buses. The website and app can be used to plan a journey, including full navigation and real time updates. Apple Maps and Google Maps provide a similar experience. A 50-cent flat fare applies to any journey, regardless of mode or distance, with a limit of 3 transfers. The only exception is an Airtrain journey to or from Brisbane Airport which costs $22.30 (June 2025), with a 15% discount for booking online. Refer to the website for other discounted fares.
There are over 52 km of ocean beaches maintained by the local council. In addition to this there are (largely un-patrolled) ocean beaches in the Tweed Shire of Northern NSW and numerous waterway beaches. List of beaches (north to south): The Gold Coast also has numerous beaches in calmer, more protected water away from the surf, ideal for families with small children. Promoted as "the green behind the gold", the Gold Coast Hinterland refers to the mountainous area between the Gold Coast and the Scenic Rim region. It is home to national parks, mountain resorts, waterfalls, reservoirs, scenic drives and lookouts, wineries, and rock formations.
The Gold Coast region is big on theme parks. During peak season expect them all to be quite busy. Before you go, investigate ticket discounts for combined travel and entry, multi-park and multi-day passes. Members of Australian motoring associations can purchase discounted tickets from them before you travel. A short list of attractions and admission prices: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: koalas, kangaroos, birds, snakes, crocodiles. Admission $40–50. Sea World: Marine park with rides, sharks, dolphins, penguins, polar bears. Admission $50–80. Warner Bros. Movie World: Movie-themed rides and photo opportunities with famous characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
The back arcades of Surfers Paradise have dozens of cheap Japanese and Korean "lunchbox" style restaurants and the quality is usually excellent, not to mention the price (less than $15 for a large main meal). A variety of quick eats is available in the mall off Cavill Avenue. A highlight for vegetarians is Govinda's Veg-O-Rama in the mall. There is a very well priced sushi train one street north of Cavill Ave called Sushi in Paradise (2 Elkhorn Ave.) Tedder Avenue in Main Beach and the Broadbeach area have the largest concentration of restaurants and cafés with food ranging from gourmet seafood to pub fare. Expect to pay $20–50 for a main meal.
Try a local surf club for a cheap beer with a great view, you'll find one or two in every beachside suburb of the Gold Coast. They're generally right in front of the beach their members patrol and serve deliciously affordable food and drinks. The fish doesn't actually get much fresher. Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise offer the biggest choice of bars, clubs, and cafes, and you can order almost anything you can dream up. Further south, Kirra Surf Lifesaving Club, Coolangatta Surf Lifesaving Club, Tweed Heads & Coolangatta Surf Lifesaving Club and Rainbow Bay Surf Lifesaving Club have spectacular decks, good food and entertainment and friendly welcomes.
Almost all beaches between the Gold Coast Seaway and Coolangatta are patrolled by volunteer and professional lifesavers. The patrolled areas are marked by red and yellow flags. Signs on the beaches will show you the closest patrolled beaches at any particular time of year. Always swim between the flags. The flags have been lined up with the safest parts of the beach and are patrolled by lifesavers. If you do get into trouble or feel yourself being pulled out of your depth by a "rip", don't try to swim against the water. Swim parallel to the beach and raise your hand to attract the attention of a lifesaver.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Gold Coast typically sees ~21°C daytime highs and 9 rainy days.
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