Australia’s Gold Coast is a diverse city, offering action packed days and fun filled nights to over 10 million visitors each year. Families, couples, business delegates and solo travellers will all find an experience to suit their needs and budget, as the Gold Coast serves up more attractions and venues than any other destination in the southern hemisphere. Get into the Gold Coast’s easy living lifestyle with 70 kilometres of sun, sand and surf at your doorstep plus 100,000 hectares of world heritage listed rainforest just a short drive away.
Australian Dollar (AUD) $1 = 100 cents
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Lifeline: 13 11 14
The Gold Coast Bulletin
The Gold Coast Sun
Gold Coast Mail
537,900
Surfers Paradise Visitor Information Centre
2 Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise
+61 7 5538 4419
Open Monday to Friday 8.30 am - 5 pm, Saturday 9am - 6pm, Sunday 9am - 4pm
The City
This is where it happens. Excitement beckons at every corner and there is action to be had on every wave along the 70 km of white sand beaches. The region is the theme park capital of Australia offering plenty of hours (or even days) of fun and entertainment. If adrenaline is your thing try Dreamworld’s Giant Drop, if you fancy kissing a seal, head to Seaworld and get a smooch on the cheek, pretend to be a Hollywood star at Movieworld or fling yourself down tubes of gushing water for relief from the Queensland heat at Wet’n’Wild. Surfers Paradise in the north has round-the-clock entertainment with glitz, glamour and heaps of nightclubs and shops. Coolangatta and Tweed Heads in the south have some of Australia’s best breaks and the area is increasingly becoming more popular with surfers. The Gold Coast is whatever you want it to be.
Do & See
No matter if you spend one week or three weeks here - you will not get bored! The Gold Coast has more to offer than the lovely beach, best surfing and great places for a good night out. Visit for example the fun amusement parks, interactive museums or Tamborine Mountain.
Warner Brothers Movie World
Holoverse
iFly
Surfing and Kite-surfing
Infinity
Burleigh Head National Park
The SkyPoint Observation Deck
Kayaking at South Stradbroke Island
Tamborine Mountain
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Theme Parks
Broadwater Parklands
Gold Coast Skydive
Gold Coast Cruises
Paradise Jet Boating
Dining
The multicultural nature of the Gold Coast has led to the delicious and successful food and wine industry, cultivating everything from soft-shell crabs and goat cheese to locally bred Wagyu beef and award-winning boutique wines. The Gold Coast has attracted prominent restaurateurs and operators from the southern capitals and around the world to progress this dynamic region. This has ensured locations such as Main Beach, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Coolangatta and the Hinterland to remain highly regarded for their delectable choice of dining options. Similarly, beachside cafes, snack bars and budget priced eateries are in abundance to ensure a taste to suit every style.
Melbas
Surf Club Kurrawa
Kirra Sports Club
Ginger Indian Gourmet
Fables Restaurant
Donto Sapporo
The Cuban
Dracula's Cabaret Restaurant
La Porchetta
Moo Moo The Wine Bar And Grill
Cafes
With the laid back atmosphere on the Gold Coast you have many places to choose from when you are in the mood for coffee, juice or something a bit sweeter. Here you will find everything from great coffee shop chains to small privately owned cafés.
Elephant Rock Café
The Coffee Club
Le Cafe Gourmand
Mandala & Co.
Cardamom Pod
Elk Espresso
Bars & Nightlife
That ambience of true bustling seaside culture, contrasted by a groovy night time buzz makes the Gold Coast a distinctively active area and a true party destination. Of course a sampling of the all-night entertainment will ensure an experience to remember.
The area Surfers Paradise has a delightful range of evening activities. Broadbeach also has an expanding mall area which provides a 24-hour epicentre of activity. It is here you will find the iconic Conrad Jupiters Casino and its range of cabaret shows, gambling facilities and newly established bars and restaurants.
Seventy7 Café + Bar
D'arcy Arms
Surfers Paradise RSL Club
Platinum Nightclub
Cocktails Nightclub
Elsewhere
SinCity Nightclub
Shopping
With some of Australia’s largest retail centres and most stylish fashion precincts, even grocery shopping on the Gold Coast is an enticing prospect. Browse the generous complexes, take a shopping tour, peruse the boutiques, wander through the piazzas and pay particular attention to the factory outlet precincts. This grand assortment of Gold Coast retail experiences will surely satisfy every taste in fashion. Among the host of opportunities available to willing travellers are several key shopping precincts that are an essential feature of the Gold Coast retail trail and all within easy reach.
Carrara Markets
Robina Town Centre
Pacific Fair
Harbour Town
The Oasis Shopping Centre
Miami Marketta
Chevron Renaissance Shopping Centre
Paradise Centre Surfers Paradise
Spirit Of Australia Gallery
Roxy
Essential Information
Airport
Gold Coast Airport is located at Coolangatta, 22 kilometres south of Surfers Paradise. Gold Coast Airport has a transport and information desk right outside international arrivals.
www.goldcoastairport.com.au
The Gold Coast Tourist Shuttle meets all flights and takes passengers to Surfers Paradise. You can buy tickets in advance online.
www.surfside.com.au
You can save considerably, though, if you use the free Airport Link shuttle out to the Gold Coast Highway where you can catch bus 700, 760 or 765 into Surfers Paradise or to Coolangatta. Buses go several times an hour all day and night.
Taxis are also available immediately outside the terminal.
Address: Eastern Avenue Bilinga, Gold Coast
Email: info@gcal.com.au
Phone: +617 5589 1100
Website: www.goldcoastairport.com.au
Passport/Visa
Unless you are a New Zealand citizen granted visa exemption on arrival (in most cases), you will need to obtain a visa prior to visiting Australia. Citizens of all European Union countries, as well as Andorra, Norway, Iceland, San Marino, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Vatican City are eligible for an eVisitor visa, which can be applied for online. For citizens of the United States, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, South Korea and Malaysia, the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) entry permit is available, which can be applied for online and grants holders the right to enter Australia an ulimited amount of times for stays of no longer than 3 months per visit.
Citizens of all other world countries (with the exception of Somalia) are also able to apply for a visitor visa online. For more information, visit the official website of the Australian government's department of home affairs: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/lega/lega/form/immi-faqs/what-visa-do-i-need-to-visit-australia
Best Time To Visit
If you travel between April and May, you will be able to enjoy warm weather and the lowest chance of rainfall. This is also the most affordable time to visit as there are no school holidays. Another plus is that you will avoid tourists and holiday crowds.
Public Transport
The Gold Coast has a range of public transport options including trains and buses. The local bus operator is Surfside Buslines, which provides regular services and a network covering most locations. Weekly tickets for unlimited travelling with busses are available. The company also provides shuttle busses between the theme parks.
Citytrain operates a rail line in the hinterland that connects to the Brisbane suburban rail network. The main stations on the Gold Coast are Coomera, Nerang and Robina.
www.citytrain.com.au
Ferries and water taxis connect islands and canal estates.
Gold Coast Ferries
+61 4 1171 1274
www.goldcoastferries.com.au
Taxi
Gold Coast Water Taxis
+61 4 03 58 78 04
Regent Taxis
+61 13 10 08
www.regenttaxis.com.au
Post
There a multiple Post offices located on the Gold Coast, you can find one of them in the Centro shopping centre.
Address: Cavill Avenue Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast
Phone: +61 4 13 13 18
Pharmacy
Surfers Paradise Day and Night Pharmacy is located here:
Address: 14/3221 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Gold Coast
Phone: +61 7 5592 1321
Telephone
Country code: +61
Area code: 07
Electricity
240 V / 50 Hz