Dec/090
Australia’s Unique Gold Coast
The easternmost portion of Australia's coastline is an area of abundant natural wonders and attractions, with many of the top-rated beaches on the continent, and worldwide, too. The Gold Coast surely stands out as one of the most frequented and spectacular places to visit on the eastern edge of Australia, and anywhere in the country at that. For many different, worthy reasons the whole Gold Coast area stands out as an alluring destination spot.
Located on the southeastern coastal strip of the state of Queensland, the Gold Coast is a short drive south of the capital city of Brisbane. Gold Coast City itself is the largest non-capital city in Australia, and the tourism industry is booming at an extraordinary rate in this swanky and hip town.
The area blends the extremes of urban, modern life on the one hand and pristine ecological settings on the other hand like no other place on the planet. The most developed portion of Gold Coast City, sitting right on the waterfront on a sand bar, is brimming with high-rises and all of the luxuries and comforts of modern life; then, the areas farther inland as well as the beaches farther from downtown, including the rainforest area in the Gold Coast hinterland, provide the ideal sanctuary for nature lovers, picnickers, and just about anybody looking to get away from the bustle of life in the center.
A truly remarkable quality of this area is its winding grid of man-made canals and waterways, which were built as a way to ease development in what was historically a low-lying marshy area. In their totality, these canals stretch out over a distance that is over nine times longer than the world-famous canals of Venice, which is a fair amount of waterways when you think about it. One of the benefits of this feautre has been that lots of properties are located on the waterfront even if they are not right on the beach, and this has helped boost the Gold Coast's allure.
The excellent surfing conditions to be found in the Gold Coast are perhaps its biggest claim to fame: at the national and global level, the surf breaks here are prized like few others. At spots like Kirra, Burleigh Heads or Surfers Paradise there is just about always going to be a perfect wave right about to break not far from shore, at almost any time of the year.
In keeping with the strong beach culture of the Gold Coast, there is a wonderfully efficient and excellently equipped Shark Control Program in place that has helped keep coastal swimmers free of shark attacks for a very long time indeed, at over fifty years by now. These vigilant eyes help keep locals and tourists happy and relaxed, just the way anybody should feel on a nice vacation.
The local landmarks in the Gold Coast include the Q1 tower, which provides the second-tallest observation spot in the southern hemisphere (approximately 230 meters, or 754 feet high), and Lamington National Park, listed by the UN as a World Heritage Site. It goes without saying that every inch of beach along the Gold Coast is a landmark unto itself
In sum, this is a place with a little something for everybody, and a whole lot more, too! Apparently the 10 million annual tourists that visit the Gold Coast think that way as well, with many of them being Australians themselves...real evidence that this destination is one you can't afford to miss out on.
A member of a proven surf travel network, Gold Coast Surfboards are the organisation to talk to for surfboard rentals and other surf travel products