Visitor Information - Gold Coast

Gold Coast Visitor Information

For all those people visiting this site from other parts of Australia and around the World we have tried to gather some information that may assist you to get more out of the site.

For a collection of links to other web sites on the Gold Coast, Queensland and Australia please refer to the Interesting Links page.

However the pick of these links to help you know a little bit more about our area :-

• The Gold Coast
• Australia Online Travel
• About Australia
  
• Guide to Australia

• Gold Coast Hotel Price Comparisons

Nerang and Gold Coast Information and Attractions

• Introduction
• Climate
• Boundaries and Regions
• Shopping
• Transport
• Golfing on the Gold Coast
  
• The Hinterland
  
• Gold Coast History
  
• The Beaches and The Surf
  
• Theme Parks and Tourist Spots
  

Introduction

Few places in Australia capture as much national and international interest as the Gold Coast. The city is configured in a linear nature following the beaches from Paradise Point in the North to Coolangatta in the South which is nearly 100km long. This strip is very thin with most of the population condensed within minutes to the fantastic Gold Coast Beaches. Nerang is one of the western suburbs of the Gold Coast and is located only 12 minutes drive from the beach and acts as a gateway to the cool and lush hinterland ranges of Mount Tamborine, Beechmont and Springbrook.

According to historians, aboriginals from as far north as Marlborough trekked to the Gold Coast to attend tribal ceremonies, fish and collect subtropical fruit. Captain Cook discovered Point Danger on the Gold Coast/Tweed border in 1770. Early settlers on the Gold Coast included timber getters, farmers and holiday makers. In 1933, the pioneer, Jim Cavill, changed the name of Elston to Surfers Paradise and Australia's most famous beach resort was born.

Expansion of the Gold Coast has been nothing short of phenomenal since it came to national exposure as a holiday resort in the 50's. The majority of the homes having been built in the last 10 to 15 years, the Gold Coast property primarily consists of modern brick and tile homes.

The Gold Coast is currently the sixth largest urban centre in Australia, second only to the 5 mainland state capitals. Strong population growth between 1990/1994 led to an increase in construction and housing sales. Since 1994 activity has levelled off, although still accounting for a large proportion of residential construction in South East Queensland.

It was only about 10 years ago that a drive between Brisbane to the Gold Coast would bring very very few glimpses of man made buildings. Nowadays it is a challenge to find any greenery at all with the Expressway being the main focus along with the newly completed railway.

Climate

Because of its location right on the sea the Gold Coast climate is generally cooler in winter and warmer in summer than that of the state capital. The Gold Coast is a sunbelt region with temperatures ranging between 17°c and 27°c at 3:00 PM, 360 days of the year. Interesting to note that around the world "sunbelt" regions include many of the worlds top holiday destinations including Miami Florida, Hawaii, French Riviera, and the Italian Riviera.

Boundaries and Regions

The Gold Coast City stretches from Beenleigh in the north through to the Tweed River in the south with the greatest area of development being the "Pacific Coastal Strip" which incorporates the Gold Coast beaches. The majority of suburbs, schools and smaller shopping districts are located between the coast and the Pacific Highway which is 7 kilometres inland. Rural areas dominate west of the Pacific Highway.

Quality of life has always been the key factor in attracting people to the Gold Coast. The area offers world class beaches, pristine state forests and national parks, clean rivers, clean air, a subtropical climate, golf courses, and entertainment facilities including Jupiters Casino and three major theme parks. There are also a number of annual cultural and sporting events which attract a large number of visitors to the region.

The Gold Coast can be divided into 4 main regions. The central region comprises the suburbs from Burleigh Heads to Main Beach and out to Carrara and includes the township of Robina. The northern region stretches from Southport to Beenleigh and includes Arundel, Runaway Bay and Sanctuary Cove. The southern section incorporates the area from Palm Beach to Coolangatta. The Hinterland region comprises the area west of a north/south line through Nerang.

In addition, key regional centres at Beenleigh, Robina and Southport are being designed for a population of 200,000/250,000. These centres will offer a multitude of community facilities, hospitals, shopping centres and cultural and civic centres and will act as a permanent base for residents who work within the Gold Coast City.

Shopping

There are three major retail centres within the Gold Coast region. Pacific Fair, located at Broadbeach, has 6 major department stores, 260 specialty shops, cinemas, cafes and bars. Robina shopping centre has over 200 specialty shops, weekend markets, cinemas, bars and cafes. Harbourtown located at Biggera Waters near Arundel, has 14 state of the art cinemas, outdoor restaurants, a supermarket, super pharmacy and a car park with enough parking for 3,000 vehicles. Other retail centres include Australia Fair (220 stores, cinemas) at Southport, Runaway Bay, The Pines at Elanora (105 stores) and Tweed Mall.

High technology industries are promising areas of future economic development for the Gold Coast. Industries such as film and multimedia, information technology and biotechnology are being encouraged by the local and state government to locate in the Gold Coast area. Infrastructure developments which are providing a foundation for these industries include upgraded rail and road links to Brisbane city, airport and port and the establishment of 2 universities (Bond University and Griffith University). These industries have the potential to add significantly to the economic base in the region.

Transport

The transport infrastructure for the Gold Coast area has undergone many changes in the last 5 years and there are still more on the drawing board.

The Gold Coast rail link carries 50,000 people per week and cuts the journey time from Nerang to Brisbane to 65 minutes. Regular bus services link stations along the rail link to the surrounding communities.

The Gold Coast City Transport Plan proposes an extension of the Gold Coast rail link from Robina to Coolangatta, light rail or busway technology to link coastal centres with the Gold Coast railway and busway technology to link Labrador to Coolangatta, Helensvale to Southport and Nerang to Broadbeach.

The first part of the Transport Plan is the Helensvale/Southport/Broadbeach/Nerang rail link which is scheduled for construction during 2000/2011 at a cost $410 million. The rail link is predicted to carry 3,500 people per hour during peak periods.

Other future transport projects include the extension of the Gold Coast Railway to Coolangatta and the construction of a new road corridor to Byron Bay which will connect with the upgraded Pacific Highway.

The Gold Coast runs a number of  sister city relationships with other cities from around the world

Golfing on the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is a golfing mecca with a huge collection of Golf Courses dotting the city. You can play on the low cost budget 9 hole courses from around $7.00 for 9 holes or you can go to one of the top courses for around $75.00 for 18 holes.

Budget Courses

Major Courses 

Major and International Courses

The Hinterland - The Green Behind The Gold

With more than 150kms of walking trails through out National Parks, the Gold Coast is a perfect haven for nature lovers and bushwalking. 

The three main National Parks in the area are :-

Gold Coast History

The Gold Coast area was primarily a thriving timber industry areas as loggers sort after the prized cedar wood. The wood was tied into rafts and floated down the rivers to meet the ocean going sailing ships. These ships were able to berth as far up the rivers as Nerang and Oxenford in those days. Loggers Edmund Harper and William Duncan are credited as being the first home owners in Surfers Paradise in their hut opposite what is now Wharf Road.

As time went on areas of the Gold Coast became sugar cane fields and farms. A by-product of the sugar was the rum
industry. Oyster farming and fishing were developed in the Broadwater area.

James Cavill built the Surfers Paradise Hotel in an area that in 1933  was named Surfers Paradise. Since these times the Gold Coast has retained it's position as a tourist venue. The major growth in population has occurred since the 1950's. During the 1960's and 70's large canal developments and residential sub-divisions have spread the Coast's boundaries.  In 1995 the Gold Coast City area has become the seventh largest city in Australia. It is considered to be the fastest growing region in Australia.

More Gold Coast History can be found here.

The Beaches and The Surf

World - renowned for their beauty and fine surfing conditions, the beaches of the Gold Coast is its biggest attraction and feature in countless advertising and promotional media for the Gold Coast, Queensland and Australia. You will even find a picture of a Gold Coast lifesaver on a London cab.

Happily we can say that if you swim between the flags our "Wonderful Bronzed Aussie Lifesavers" will be watching out for your safety at all times. Over 80 years without a drowning in a flagged area is a remarkable testimony to the service provided by the Lifesavers on the 57 kilometres of beach stretches from Rainbow Bay to South Stradbroke Island. , During summer, there are 35 flagged beaches open from 7.30am until 6.30pm. The Gold Coast City Council patrols more beaches than any other local authority in Australia, utilising helicopters, boats, jet skis and watercraft in its rescue operations, making it an ideal destination for families. When swimming on our beaches always swim between the flags at the designated Lifesaving Clubs. The sea may look inviting but the rips and tows have taken lives.

Theme Parks and Tourist Spots

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