The Gold Coast, located in southeastern Queensland, is one of Australia’s leading holiday parks. With 70 kilometers of sun-drenched beaches, World Heritage-listed rainforests, theme parks, shops, and nightlife, it is a stylish, world-class vacation destination. In fact, the Gold Coast has been identified as one of the world’s most desirable places to live based on political, social, health, personal safety, economic, and environmental factors.
The Costa Dorada is located in the subtropical region of the southern hemisphere and enjoys warmth and sunshine throughout the year. Australian seasons are opposite to those of the northern hemisphere: the average temperature in summer is 25 degrees Celsius and in winter, it is around 15 degrees Celsius. You can expect more than 300 days of sunshine each year, with the rainy season from December to March when the northwestern monsoons move south from Asia bringing heavy rains.
Your flight will most likely land at Brisbane International Airport, which is a 45-minute drive north of the heart of the Gold Coast. Alternatively, if your Australian vacation started in, say, Sydney or Melbourne, you can choose to fly into the Gold Coast Airport in Coolangatta, which is approximately 35 minutes south of Surfers Paradise, considered by anyone to be the epicenter of the Gold Coast. . Both airports have tourist information booths and car rental companies represented in their terminals.
All foreigners, except New Zealanders, require visas for all visits to Australia. Citizens of some countries can obtain an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), which is a tourist or business visa valid for stays of up to three months. These ETAs are available online and through travel agencies when you book your flight to Australia. If you request your ETA through your agent, there is generally no fee for requesting it directly.
Accommodations – With all types of accommodations, from upscale 5-star hotels to farm stays and from sunny beachside cabins to sun-dappled bed and breakfast properties, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. A visit to http://www.gold-coast.net and a click on “accommodation” will show you a variety of hotel options, including location and cost, that you can search and compare. Most visitors are located in the center of Surfer’s Paradise, however if you prefer a quieter and less noisy location, you might consider an apartment overlooking the canals at Runaway Bay or an inland retreat at Mount Tamborine, where the rainbow parrots will greet you every morning.
Drive: Australia drives on the ‘left’. Foreign visitors who are used to driving on the ‘right’ should be careful until they get used to it; roundabouts can be especially tricky. Your travel agent will be able to inform you if your current driver’s license is valid in Australia. Please check this several weeks before departure to give yourself time to apply for an international driver’s license if necessary. Australia has a well-maintained road and motorway system where speeding, driving under the influence, driving while operating a mobile phone, and not wearing a seat belt are not tolerated. If required, most car rental companies will provide you with child safety seats and these are also required by law.
Sightseeing and Activities – Once you’ve settled into your Gold Coast accommodation, you’ll want to plan what to see and do. If you are traveling with children, theme parks will be high on your agenda. The Gold Coast Ships are four major theme parks; Dreamworld, Movie World, Sea World and Wet and Wild. Our family’s favorite is Dreamworld because it has something for all ages (including a water park) and is home to the Australian version of the popular Big Brother TV show.
There are also a couple of wildlife parks on the coast that offer great educational talks at regular intervals throughout the day and make a great outing. At David Fleays Wildlife Park and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, you can get up close to snakes and raptors, hug a koala, and feed kangaroos. In both parks there are cafes, picnic areas and games where families can rest and play in the shade.
When visiting the Gold Coast, you’ll also want to head to the beach, where you can attend a life-saving carnival, join a surf class, or just swim and build sand castles. Some of the most popular beaches are Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, and Currumbin. There is also a sheltered, very family-friendly beach at Paradise Point that includes a beachfront park, barbecues, picnic tables, plenty of shade, play areas, and some great take-out spots within a stone’s throw.
Unfortunately, one of the most common causes of tourist death in Australia is found on its glorious beaches. Every year, large numbers of tourists (and sometimes locals too) drown on its shores. Australian beaches, particularly the long stretches common on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, have extremely strong rips and pulls that most people cannot detect or handle. Never swim on beaches that are not guarded by lifeguards. Look for the yellow and red life-saving flags and swim between them to stay safe and in sight of the local lifeguard.
With nine times more waterways and canals than Venice, get ready for many kinds of water fun on the coast with sunset cruises, sailing, jet ski rides, and fishing excursions.
For a contrasting experience, head inland and visit beautiful inland areas like Tamborine Mountain or experience the rural lifestyle in rural towns like Beaudesert. The Gold Coast has some of Australia’s most diverse flora and fauna regions, with World Heritage-listed rainforests found near the New South Wales border, where you can walk among ancient Antarctic beeches, view spectacular waterfalls from Springbrook or head to the cool. from Lamington National Park.
For golfers, there are more than 40 championship golf courses in the region. Three hundred days of sunshine a year means golf can be on your vacation schedule regardless of the season and you can play at magnificent sites designed by Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus.
For golfing widows and widowers, shopping centers abound on the Gold Coast with some of the largest shopping precincts in Australia. Visit the Pacific Fair, Marina Mirage, Harbor Town or Runaway Bay Shopping Center on the waterfront or head inland to explore arts and crafts stores, farmers markets and art galleries.
Dinner: At the end of a hard day of shopping or sightseeing, choose from over 500 restaurants and feast on fresh seafood or authentic ethnic cuisine, from Italian to Japanese and from Thai to Chinese.
With an easy day trip from the coastal areas, you can enjoy locally made wines on the Gold Coast Wine Trail, which begins in the Oxenford suburb and winds west towards Mount Tamborine. Many wineries offer gourmet food, cheeses, feature live jazz bands, and other types of live entertainment, such as poetry readings and classical quartets.
When it comes to entertainment, the Gold Coast is exciting. There are events like the annual Indy car race in October, horse races, carnivals, tackle events, and marathons. Alternatively, you can go to the movies, see a live music or theme show, go to a nightclub, or visit Jupiter’s Casino. Families can head to Surfers Paradise, where free movies are shown regularly on a giant screen perched on the beach. People bring their own chairs and towels and when the sun goes down, the double list of movies for the whole family begins.
Overexposure to the sun in Australian latitudes is responsible for many cases of sunburn, heatstroke and heat exhaustion each year. In the long term, premature aging and skin cancer are also at risk. Even in the colder southern areas, the proximity to the hole in the ozone layer means that the risk of sunburn is much higher than in the northern hemisphere. Fair-skinned people are at special risk and it is advisable to use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30+. Sunny Australia has a simple message for the traveler: “Slip, bump, slap!” Put on a shirt, put on sunscreen, and put on a hat!
Australia as a whole enchants its visitors. From the friendly attitude of its people, to the impressive blue of its skies, it is a place like no other, with animals and landscapes that you will not find anywhere else on earth and an unmatched diversity of people, flavors, aromas and views.
This vast island-continent has a relatively small urbanized population of just 20 million people. By contrast, the UK is home to some 60 million people and is 30 times smaller than Australia. Australians are also a culturally diverse nation where multiculturalism is not only tolerated, but accepted. Approximately 5.6 million people have immigrated to Australia since World War II, which is a large percentage of the population, in fact more than a quarter of the current population was born abroad.
People from all walks of life come to the Gold Coast to work, live, play and study – the lifestyle is laid back, the people are friendly, and if you are like us, you will return from your Gold Coast vacation and apply for migration. Australian. ! We have lived it for the last six years and now we call it home …
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