Gold
Coast has it all
By Tony Walsh
A combination of golden beaches, a green
mountain hinterland and the most varied theme attractions
in Australia, make Queensland's Gold Coast the nation's most
popular holiday playground.
 Sixty-five
kilometres south east of Brisbane is a tourist mecca - the
Gold Coast. The region's 42km coastline stretches from Southport
to Coolangatta and basks in more than 300 days of sunshine
each year.
Each year, more than four million visitors flock to the Gold
Coast for their holidays, making the Gold Coast the most popular
tourism region in the state.
This can be attributed to the depth and variety of the tourism
products to experience and enjoy. The Gold Coast is a combination
of nature's best and a range of theme attractions and events.
Beaches
Surfing beaches with such alluring names as Palm Beach, Rainbow
Bay, Mermaid Beach and Surfers Paradise offer soft golden
sand, rolling waves and the perfect setting for a walk along
the shoreline at sunset. The clean, uncrowded beaches may
be the main thing visitors are looking for in a holiday and
the Gold Coast has them all in abundance. Enjoy and relax.
Theme Parks
Nestled behind the sand dunes at the northern end of the
Gold Coast is Sea World; the nation's most comprehensive marine
zoological park. It gives visitors a unique entertainment
and educational window to the underwater world, as well as
the best daily exhibition of stunt water skiing on a lake
that occupies almost one-third of the 24.6 hectare park. The
new Shark Bay, which opened in April 2004, gives visitors
the chance to view tiger sharks (as well as others) from the
underwater viewing chamber. For an additional cost, visitors
can scuba dive with the sharks.
Other attractions at Sea World include the seal and dolphin
presentations that keep both children and adults on the edge
of their seats as these beautiful marine creatures go through
a series of complicated and entertaining jumps, flips and
rolls. Australia's only polar bears are housed at Sea World
where they delight visitors with their energetic and playful
behaviour. Large underwater viewing chambers make it easy
for guests to see the four bears in the naturalistic and stimulating
environment. Sea World also has a water park and a series
of exciting rides such as the Corkscrew Roller Coaster and
Bermuda Triangle.
There are two other major theme attractions on the Gold Coast:
Warner Bros. Movie World and Dreamworld. The entry price covers
all rides and attractions within each complex.
At Warner Bros. Movieworld, guests can watch real movies
being made and enjoy a variety of stunt shows. Rides such
as the Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster, the Lethal Weapon and the
Wild West Falls Adventure Ride, make it a day to remember.
Enter through the impressive gates of Dreamworld and a day
of excitement awaits you at every turn. See movies in the
IMAX cinema, cuddle koalas, see rare gold and white bengal
tigers on Tiger Island, ride the rapids in a hollowed-out
log, or climb aboard the thrilling Tower of Terror or the
Giant Drop.
Dining
The Gold Coast has more restaurants per square kilometre
than anywhere else in Australia.
A mix of cultures and influences has turned the Gold Coast
into a culinary masterpiece, and with over 500 restaurants
to choose from, the delights of dining out is now an integral
part of the holiday scene.
Shopping
For the avid shopper, the Gold Coast is an experience of
a lifetime perfectly supplied with an amazing array of shopping
resorts, innovative boutiques and shopping villages. Cruise
boats meander north from the centre of Surfers Paradise along
sheltered waterways to Sanctuary Cove. Here the waterfront
marine village has shops selling the best of Australian designer
labels and creative handicrafts.
Water taxis depart from the wharf at the river-end of Cavill
Ave in Surfers Paradise and travel through the residential
canal estates to Queensland's largest shopping centre, Pacific
Fair. This centre is laid out in a village style, devoid of
cars. There is also the Robina Town Centre; an extravaganza
of department stores and scores of speciality shops.
Evening entertainment
Across the road from Pacific Fair is the exciting Hotel Conrad
and Jupiters Casino. Open 24 hours a day with first class
dining and entertainment facilities, the casino is a very
pleasant venue to win or lose and offers the opportunity to
try the gambling game peculiar to Australia - Two Up. The
complex, which never closes, comprises nine bars, six restaurants,
a live international stage show, nightclub, and an English
pub.
There are dinner cruises on the Nerang River, a theme theatre
restaurant called Draculas (which features a Gothic comedy),
dinner shows and nightclubs in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach
that all provide a reason to go out and party in the evening
on the Gold Coast.
Nature's best
If a change from the bright lights of shopping or the casino
is desired, then tourists can hire a car or take an organised
coach trip to the 'green behind the gold' in the mountains
and valleys of the Gold Coast hinterland. Seek out the soft
illumination of the glow worms at the Natural Arch or unpack
a picnic beside a towering waterfall at Springbrook. Sunlover
Holidays has gathered the best local tour operators to offer
a range of informative and eco-tourism based tours to unlock
this special part of the region. Towering waterfalls, crystal
clear mountain streams, perhaps a picnic in a World Heritage
Listed Rainforest - the choice is endless and is sure to please.
Other attractions
Located in South Tweed Heads, the Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural
Centre offers the opportunity to learn about local Aboriginal
customs via detailed exhibits and video presentations. The
Centre houses a display showing all aspects of Aboriginal
lifestyle in the north coast of NSW. There are conducted tours
which include a dance display and bush tucker talk. The centre
also includes an Aboriginal trail which encompasses a walk
along the adjoining mangrove area.
If the surf is flat there are plenty of other water-based
adventure activities to indulge in. Cable Ski World at Runaway
Bay offers the chance to go water skiing without the boat,
while a cruise to South Stradbroke Island Resort, Couran Cove,
or to Sanctuary Cove allows visitors to take in the beauty
of the Southport Broadwater.
Back on land but with your feet not completely planted on
the ground, why not try a motorcycle tour by Harley Davidson,
or a Quad Challenge which takes in a wild mountain bike ride,
a power boat ride, a helicopter flight and a choice of bungee-jump,
para-sailing or jet-ski.
Arts
The Gold Coast Arts Centre on Bundall Road in Surfers Paradise
is the largest regional arts and entertainment complex in
Australia. The art gallery is open Monday - Friday 10am to
5pm, and weekends 11am to 5pm. The complex also includes a
theatre that hosts a number of major productions each year.
There is also a cinema, restaurant, and function/community
rooms.
Sanctuary Cove's waterfront Marine Shopping Village has a
number of world-renowned artists in residence. Visitors can
browse through galleries or take a more interactive role at
the Jabiou Gallery of fine Arts which offers visitors a unique
chance to work with some of the artists.
The Marina Mirage shopping complex on the Spit at Southport
merges the arts and shopping into one experience. Dress and
fashion boutiques are alongside world-renowned art galleries.
These include the large Schubert Gallery which deals in a
broad variety of all Australian talent.
A 30-minute drive from the Gold Coast will find you at Tamborine
Mountain; a rainforest oasis nestled high on the range. It
has attracted a community of interesting artists and their
work captures the beauty of the area. Their artwork features
an interesting blend of colour, texture and shape, and includes
ceramics, designer silks, sculpture, painting and leather
work. Visitors are invited to enter this community through
the Gallery Walk located on Long Road, Eagle Heights. There
is also a popular community market that is held from morning
to afternoon on the second Sunday of each month.
Markets
The Gold Coast is renowned for quality markets staged regularly
throughout the region. Markets are held as follows:
Surfers Paradise beachfront - every Friday evening
Broadbeach - first and third Sunday
Burleigh - last Sunday
Coolangatta - every second Sunday
Tamborine Mountain - second Sunday
Canungra country market - first Sunday
Paradise Point Art and Craft Market - fourth Sunday
The original and biggest market on the Gold Coast is held
each weekend at Carrara.
Accommodation
Accommodation on the Gold Coast ranges from backpacker hostels
and camping reserves to self-contained apartments and five-star
international hotels. If golf is to be the main recreational
activity, then stay right on the course at one of the fully
integrated golf resorts such as the Royal Pines or Sanctuary
Cove.
As the marketing slogan of the Gold Coast proudly boasts
- this is the Coast with Most!
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