Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is Queensland’s second most populous city, with Brisbane being the most populous. It is also Australia’s most populous non-capital city. The Gold Coast is famous for its warm, sub-tropical climate; high-rise apartment buildings; popular surfing beaches; rainforest located west of the city; active night-life, and its broad range of tourist attractions.

Q1 is the world’s tallest residential tower. It is also Australia’s only observation deck close to the beach. This point is a good option for tourists at the start of their visit to the Gold Coast. The best time to visit is during the day. At Q1 tourists can observe the long coastline that stretches over a long distance. Gold Coast is also famous for its theme parks. The five most popular theme park destinations are Dreamworld, Sea World, Movie World, Wet ‘n’ Wild and Whitewater World. All these places have a large variety of places and activities that keep tourists entertained all day.

Tourists can also visit the Gold Coast’s hot-air ballooning facilities. Riding on a hot-air balloon is expensive but the experience is worth every cent. The views of the city on a hot-air balloon are unforgettable. There are also numerous activities that will add thrills to a visitor’s time in the Gold Coast. Visitors can go jet-skiing and jet-boating; bungy jumping; helicopter tours; go-karting; scuba diving; deep-sea fishing; off-road trips on a 4-wheel-drive car, and the list goes on.

In between fast-paced activities tourists can relax and recharge on Gold Coast’s spa treatment centres. The Q1 has an award-winning resort and spa. Many top-class hotels in the city also have good quality spas. Away from the fast-paced area of the city you can relax at O’Reilly’s Lost World Spa in the Gold Coast Hinterland and the Couran Cove Island Resort & Day Spa on South Stradbroke Island.

As was previously mentioned the Gold Coast Hinterland is a good place to take time away from the quick pace of the city. This area has winery trails. Tourists can also sample homemade cheese and local alcoholic drinks. There is also the option of going on a rainforest walk on Tamborine Mountain for those seeking a bit of adventure.

For the sports-minded the Gold Coast is also famous for its sports events. The city has several franchises in Australia’s domestic sports competitions. There is the Titans in the National Rugby League (NRL); Gold Coast United in the A-League; the Blaze in the National Basketball League (NBL), and in 2011 the city will have a club competing in the Australian Football League (AFL).