Gold Coast, QLDSpoil yourself with surf, sea, shopping and serious fun
Queensland's Gold Coast is all about having a good time. There's an irresistible buzz about the Gold Coast, a 35-kilometre strip of beaches running north from the New South Wales-Queensland border. All the elements are here - a warm climate, great beaches, shopping, nightlife and the glitzy allure of Surfers Paradise. And if you throw in a huge variety of theme parks - well, you've got yourself a holiday. If your ideal holiday includes shopping, you'll find major centres at Main Beach, Southport, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Bundall, Burleigh Heads, Robina, Tweed and Coolangatta. If you're a bargain shopper, head to the factory outlet stores in Harbour Town and Surfers Paradise. And if you like browsing at the markets, try the Friday evening markets in Surfers Paradise, the weekend markets at Carrara or the lantern-lit market in Broadbeach, which runs from September until May. For many, Surfers Paradise is the main attraction of the Gold Coast. Holiday makers of all ages and budgets follow the distinctive high-rise skyline in search of sea, surf and fun. After dark, music pulsates from the many bars and nightclubs in Surfers, and the buzz ramps up even more during major events like the Indy 300. You'll also find a humming nightlife in major centres like Broadbeach and Coolangatta. Your tastebuds will delight in the excellent food at Surfers Paradise's many alfresco dining restaurants as well as in the other popular dining precints at Main Beach, the Spit, Chevron Island, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, and Coolangatta. The area’s excellent food and wine reflects both the multiculturalism and the excellent local produce of the Gold Coast, and you'll find a wide variety of Australian and international cuisine to choose from. Theme park fans flock to the Gold Coast for the thrills and spills of Sea World, Dreamworld, Movie World and Wet 'n' Wild. Sea World, just north of Surfers Paradise, isn't just a water park with stomach-churning rides; there's also a zoo, a marine education centre and a research and rescue centre. Just to ensure your holiday is soaked with fun, Wet 'n' Wild has 15 different water rides and Whitewater World, which opened in December 2006, is the Gold Coast's newest water-themed park. Dreamworld has all the exhilarating thrill rides you would expect, including the Claw, Tower of Terror, Giant Drop, Cyclone, and the Wipeout, reputedly some of the tallest and fastest rides in the world. And you'll see a star-studded lineup of rides, stunts and shows at Warner Bros Movie World. Shrek fans will love the special effects of the Shrek 4D Adventure, and thrill-seekers will get more than their share of kicks on the Superman Escape, a heart-stopping rollercoaster ride with plenty of theatrics. But apart from a few die-hard theme park fans, most of us want some relaxation with our holiday. Head for the Hinterland region, a half-hour drive from the beaches, and you'll find yourself in the midst of wineries, local food producers and health retreats. Gold Coast rainforests are alive with native flora and fauna, and there are kilometres of walking tracks to explore, particularly in the Hinterland. Along the coast, keep an eye out for dolphins at play. Along the sunny coastline, watersports fans can hit the Gold Coast Broadwater in a tall ship, speedboat or jet ski, or surf at one of the many great surf beaches. Wherever you go, day or night, the message is always the same: on the Gold Coast, people are serious about having fun. Photos from Gold Coast
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