The Gold Coast

The Gold Coast

Three hundred days of sunshine a year and an average temperature of 24°C (75°F) ensure the popularity of the Gold Coast, the most developed tourist destination in Australia, with plenty of amusement complexes and resorts. Christmas, Easter, and December through the last week of January are peak seasons. An hour south of Brisbane, the Gold Coast stretches some 70 km (43 mi) from Labrador in the north to Coolangatta-Tweed Heads in the south, and has now sprawled as far inland as Nerang. It has 35 patrolled beaches and 446 km (277 mi) of canals and tidal rivers, nine times the length of the canals of Venice.

Coomera & Oxenford

The biggest draw of these two northern Gold Coast suburbs are the family-oriented theme parks -- Dreamworld, Warner Bros. Movie World, and Wet 'n' Wild. The large complexes have many attractions and each takes about a day for a leisurely visit.

Hope Island

This isn't your average island with swaying palm trees and white-sand beaches. Like several Gold Coast islands, it is actually a mile or two inland, and is circled by the Coomera River and a series of canals. The island's main attraction is Sanctuary Cove Resort, the first gated tourism and residential precinct in Australia. Frank Sinatra, Peter Allen, and Whitney Houston sang at the complex's lavish opening in 1988, an event that placed it squarely on the map. The resort has a marina full of luxury launches and yachts, two golf courses, a swanky hotel, beautiful condos, and upscale restaurants, nightclubs, and shops. Beyond the gates of Sanctuary Cove there are also a handful of other hotels and a shopping center.

Hope Island is accessed by car via bridges from both the west side (the towns of Oxenford and Coomera) and the eastern, coastal side (from Paradise Point, Hollywell, and Runaway Bay). Route 4, also known as the Oxenford-Southport Road, begins in Oxenford at Pacific Highway's Exit 57 and travels through Hope Island on its way to the coast.

South Stradbroke Island

White-sand beaches, diverse flora and fauna, and a peaceful interior draw visitors to South Stradbroke Island, which is just 22 km (12 mi) long and 2 km (1 mi) wide. The island and its northern neighbor (North Stradbroke Island) were once connected, but in 1896 a fierce storm separated them at a narrow neck called Jumpinpin. Unlike its northern namesake, South "Straddie" is less populated and does not have a public ferry service. It's a good spot for fishing and boating.

You can get to the island by taking one of the boat services operated by the three island resorts. Couran Cove Island Resort (1800/268726) operates three return trips a day leaving Hope Harbour terminal at 10:30, 2, and 6, and returning at noon, 3, and 7.

Southport & Main Beach

South of Southport, look for the turnoff to the Spit, a natural peninsula that stretches 4 km (2 1/2 mi) north, almost to the tip of South Stradbroke Island. Sea World Drive runs the full length of the Spit, from Mariner's Cove (a popular covered area with affordable restaurants and fast-food outlets) to a nature reserve. This narrow peninsula is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east and the calm waters of the Broadwater (a long lagoon) to the west. Two of the Gold Coast's best hotels face each other across Sea World Drive and are connected to Marina Mirage, the most elegant shopping precinct on the Gold Coast. Farther up the road is Sea World itself, Australia's largest marine theme park.

Surfers Paradise

Before the Gold Coast existed as a tourism entity, there was Surfers Paradise, a long, 3-km (2-mi) stretch of beach and great surf. Though Surfers has been overrun with a glut of high-rises all jammed into a few square miles, it's still a vibrant beachside town that draws a mix of Japanese travelers, planeloads of Aussie teenagers invading the area during "schoolies" week in November, surfies who live nearby or drive up the coast from the south, or families enjoying all the school-holiday fun. Bare-chested swimmers walk past designer stores on their way to the beach, towels slung casually over their shoulders; locals on roller skates glide down the beachfront promenade; and bronzed lifeguards (called lifesavers in Australia) park their patrol vans right on the sand.

The heart of Surfers is bordered by Elkhorn and Cavill avenues, the beachfront Esplanade, and Surfers Paradise Boulevard. Here you'll find an array of souvenir shops, restaurants and bars, fun parlors such as the Wax Museum and the Infinity futuristic maze, and hair-raising attractions like rocket bungee. You'll also find upscale stores like Prada and Gucci steps away from outlet stores advertising "nothing over A$20." By day, office workers and visitors lunch along Cavill Avenue; at night the young and the boisterous (and the tourists) fill the bars and parlors.

Locals and more discerning visitors prefer the refinement of Broadbeach, to the south, or the upmarket residential area set around the canals of the Nerang River, west of the hub of Surfers Paradise. You'll find a smattering of classy apartment hotels and a handful of fun bars and restaurants in these areas.

Broadbeach

With clean beaches, great cafés, and trendy nightspots, Broadbeach is one of the most popular areas on the Gold Coast, especially with the locals. It's home to Pacific Fair, one of Australia's leading shopping centers, and is also a good base for visiting the wildlife parks south of town.