Australia is well known for its beaches, and there’s no better place than the Gold Coast of Australia to surf, swim and get plenty of sand between your toes. ‘Surfers Paradise’ is set in the heart of the Gold Coast and is located on the ‘Main beach’ waterfront. You may choose to get into the water for a surfing lesson; onto the water for deep sea fishing or whale watching; stay on dry land for world class golf or to treat the kids to a day out at one of the many theme parks and attractions, or rise above it on a balloon flight or by taking in the expansive scene from the 74th floor balcony of ‘Q1 Tower’ (the highest external balconies in Australia, 217 meters above ground!).

Stretching 35km (22mi) north from Coolangatta at Queensland's southern border, the Gold Coast is the most aggressively developed stretch of land in Australia. High-rise condominiums, restaurants, theme parks and airport-sized shopping malls line the shore, enticing fun-seekers to consume and party.

Queensland seasons are more a case of hot and wet or cool and dry than of summer and winter. November/December to April/May is the wetter, hotter half of the year, while the real wet season, particularly affecting northern coastal areas, is January to March. This is also the season for cyclones and, if one hits, the Bruce Hwy can be blocked by the ensuing floods. In the south, Brisbane and Rockhampton get about 450mm (17in) of rain between January and March, and temperatures in Brisbane rarely drop below 20°C (68°F). Queensland doesn't really experience 'cold weather', except inland or upland at night from about May to September. Inland, of course, there's a lot less rain than near the coast.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Tel: (07) 5534 1266 (info)
There are three wildlife sanctuaries in the Burleigh Heads area. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is an excellent spot to see Australian native animals, including tree kangaroos, koalas, emus, wombats and other cute fuzzies. They're joined daily by flocks of brilliantly coloured rainbow lorikeets, which take great delight in eating out of your hand.
Web: www.currumbin-sanctuary.org.au

Sea World
Tel: (07) 5588 2205 (info)
A huge aquatic theme park, Sea World has loads of animal performances, including twice-daily dolphin shows, sea-lion shows, shark-feeding, and the real crowd-pleasers - two celebrity resident polar bears, Hudson and Nelson. You'll have to set a schedule though - the waterslides and rollercoasters are agonizingly addictive.
Web: www.seaworld.com.au

Springbrook National Park
Tel: (07) 5533 5147
Springbrook national park is perched atop a 900m (2952ft) high plateau, which, like the rest of the McPherson Range, is a remnant of the huge volcano that once centered on Mt Warning in NSW. The park's vegetation is both a cool-temperate rainforest and eucalypt forest, with gorges, cliffs, forests and waterfalls, numerous walking tracks and several picnic areas.

Based at Coolangatta, the Gold Coast airport is serviced by Qantas, Virgin Blue and Jetstar. Gold Coast Tourist Shuttle operates door-to-door transfers from Coolangatta airport to most Gold Coast accommodations. It also offers a 'Freedom Pass' which includes return transfers to your accommodation plus unlimited theme park transfers and unlimited Surfside Buslines travel for three days

Citytrain services link Brisbane to Helensvale station, Nerang station and Robina station roughly every half hour. Surfside Buslines runs regular shuttles from the train stations down to Surfers and beyond, as well as the theme parks. Coachtrans operates a shuttle between Coolangatta and Brisbane, with 18 stops along the way, including Wet 'n' Wild, Movie World and Dreamworld. It also operates the Airporter service from Brisbane airport to Surfers Paradise or direct to your Gold Coast accommodation. Surfside Buslines runs a frequent service up and down the Gold Coast Highway from Coolangatta. You can buy individual fares or get an Ezy Pass for a day's, or a week's, unlimited travel.

GMT/UTC +10 (Eastern Standard Time)

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+61

Official: English

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