The Gold Coast is one of the top tourist destinations on earth.
Here is some information on this fabulous region:
There are more than eighty suburbs that make up the Gold Coast, with some of the most well-known being Surfers Paradise, Burleigh, Southport, Mermaid Beach and Currumbin. Many place-names are Aboriginal, and it is interesting to discover what they mean. For example, Tallebudgera is derived from ‘talle’ meaning ‘fish’ and ‘budgerie’ meaning good, obviously meaning that there are good fish stocks there.
Captain James Cook was perhaps the first European to navigate the south-east coast of Queensland, which local Aboriginal people call ‘Kurrungal’, a name derived from their word for ‘endless supplies of timber’.
Population throughout the region grew from 1823, however it was in 1875 that Southport wasestablished, and upper-class people from Brisbane began to go there to enjoy their holidays.
Tourism in the region grew once the Surfers Paradise Hotel was built in 1925. The hotel experienced several transformations, and eventually it became an apartment building.
The region was first called the ‘Gold Coast’ in the 1940s, when real estate speculators started to name it that, and the name was made official in 1958, when local government designated the Gold Coast to be the area between Coolangatta to Southport.
The population kept on growing rapidly from 1981 when the Gold Coast airport was finished, and by 2007 it became the largest non-capital city in Australia, and is also the country’s sixth largest city. Although the population fluctuates daily, almost 600,000 people call the Gold Coast home.
Activities and things to see in the Gold Coast
There are many things to do and see while visiting the Gold Coast. The region is home to a number of theme parks, such as Dream World, Wet’n'Wild, Movie World and Sea World. These three are located within 30 minutes from each other, and are fairly close to Surfers Paradise.
At Sea World you can enjoy seeing dolphins, sharks and much more, in addition to having the opportunity to swim, relax, slide and go on water-based rides, whereas Movie World, also known as Warner Brothers is the perfect place for movie-lovers with families. There are numerous movie-themed rides, and also performers who dress up as movie characters such as Scooby Doo, Batman, and many others, and who will be happy to have a photo taken with you.
Wet’n'Wild is a water themed park located next to Warner Bros., and is open all year round. With 17 water slides and 4 pools, you can have peace-of-mind that this is a safe place for the whole family to visit.
The Gold Coast is known for its gorgeous beaches, so no trip would be complete without walking along one of the many beaches. One of the best places to swim at is Burleigh. With calm water conditions on most days, there is also great surfing at Burleigh Heads at the south of the beach.
Burleigh Heads itself is a beautiful, lush native bushland, which offers two walking tracks, one a short distance and the other taking in the whole headland, with views that are stunning, stretching from Tweed Heads to the south, all the way to Surfers Paradise.
Those who enjoy hiking and walking can also go to Tamborine Mountain, which has beautiful scenery and a wide range of wildlife.
There are12 tracks which vary in length but are not difficult, so people who enjoy easy bushwalking will enjoy it here. There are wildlife sanctuaries, plus numerous other walking tracks:
Springbrook is located in the Gold Coast hinterland, where you can see native wildlife and ancient Antarctic beech trees. Purlingbrook Falls and other wonderful waterfalls can be found within Springbrook. Visitors can also enjoy swimming in the Waringa Pool or go at night and visit the cave and see glow-worms.
For a truly amazing experience you can visit the Q1 building in Surfers Paradise. It is the tallest building in Australia and the fifth tallest residential tower in the world. With more than 77 levels, you will see distant views of the beach, and can see from Brisbane to Byron Bay as well as far out in the Gold Coast Hinterland.
Jupiter’s Casino is located just south of Surfers Paradise, with more than 1,000 slot machines and over 70 table games for guests to play. Guests can even spend a few nights there in well-appointed hotel rooms equipped with amenities such as flat screen TVs.
Couples and singles alike will enjoy the nightlife the Gold Coast offers.
With many nightclubs situated in Surfers Paradise, there are also many other bars, clubs, theatres and restaurants located throughout the area.
If you are after adult fun the Gold Coast can offer this link and male stripper brisbane. The Gold Coast has it all, beaches, wildlife, nightlife, city life and so much more.