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The "Golf Coast"With over 40 golf courses on the gold coast itself, including championship designs by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman and Peter Thompson and around 150 other courses within a two hour drive, it is no surprise that the Gold Coast is often considered to be the golfing paradise of the southern hemisphere.
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Sand, Surf and Fun Surfers Paradise is the most famous of the Cold Coast's 35 patrolled beaches. But the region's 44-mile (70km) coastline offers a huge variety of beaches to suit all tastes from sun seekers to action seekers - the experienced body surfers, surfboard riders, calm water enthusiasts, sailboard riders as well as those just wanting to work on their tan. Endless beaches from active family spots to secluded stretches of golden sands like those found on South Stradbroke Island all bask in 300 days of sunshine a year and all are washed by the warm, sparkling waters of the Pacific Ocean. A strong beach culture is evident with locals of all ages flocking to their favourite swimming beach on weekends and after work. Regular surf life saving carnivals are staged throughout the Cold Coast and can be enjoyed by visitors. Dive in to a huge line-up of water sports on Australia's Gold Coast including parasailing, jet skiing, water skiing, windsurfing, ocean diving, big game fishing or sailing. As well as surf beaches the Gold Coast offers enormous expanses of protected calm waters, rivers, canals and lakes ideal for lunch and dinner cruises, houseboat holidays, a water taxi ride, tall ship cruises, adventures aboard seaplanes and jet boats as well as superb waterfront dining.
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Attractions and Excitement The Gold Coast is Australia's entertainment capital, offering an enormous range of sights and attractions to delight visitors of all ages. From theme parks and wildlife sanctuaries to adventure sports, day tours and cruises, the holiday options are almost endless. The Gold Coast is home to Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World, Dreamworld, Wet'n'Wild Water Park and other award-winning theme parks which each provide a great day of entertainment. Wildlife parks like Currumbin Sanctuary offer the chance to get close to unique Australian animals including koalas and to hand-feed kangaroos and brilliantly coloured wild birds. As well as self-drive, touring options include 4x4 safaris, mountain biking, helicopter flights, open cockpit flights and Harley Davidson rides.
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Australia's Education CapitalWell known as a place for fun and holidays, the Gold Coast has also established itself as a centre of excellence for education and training and growing numbers of students are finding it an ideal physical and social climate in which to study. Renowned for its prestigious schools, colleges and universities, it attracts students from around the world who find Gold Coast society sophisticated, clean, secure and multicultural - attributes which provide the perfect learning environment for students of all ages and backgrounds. The Gold Coast has three universities - one of which is Australia's first private university. It also has numerous private colleges, several campuses of Technical and Further Education (TAFE), as well as an excellent selection of public and private primary and secondary schools. In fact, the Gold Coast has become famous for its choice of private secondary colleges and has more private colleges per capita than any other part of Australia.
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The Gold Coast's Best Kept Secret Just a 30-minute drive from this waterfront playground lies the magnificent green wilderness known as the Gold Coast Hinterland. Well signposted roads cut steep paths to the lush subtropical rainforests 1,000 metres above sea level. The air is cool and crisp and options for day tours abound. The hinterland is the perfect place to enjoy adventure sports like bushwalking, abseiling, hang gliding, horse riding, hot-air ballooning and 4x4 safaris. More leisurely pursuits include bird watching, shopping in quaint art and craft galleries, relaxing over freshly-brewed coffee and tea plus home-made cakes or exploring country craft markets, tropical fruit plantations or a local winery. Typical Aussie farm experiences can be found in the hinterland with themed attractions showcasing the fine art of boomerang throwing or sheep shearing as well as perfecting a traditional refreshment of billy tea and damper. Photography enthusiasts all enjoy the chance to capture on film some of Australia's rare and magnificent wildlife, spectacular waterfalls, rock pools, ancient Antarctic beech trees, wildflowers and colourful local Australians offering traditional country hospitality. Hinterland accommodation includes rainforest guest-houses, camping grounds and intimate hotels and resorts. All offer a warm welcome, friendly hospitality and excellent home cooking, while some feature spectacular views back towards the magnificent coastline.
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Special Events and SportsAustralia's Gold Coast hosts major sporting and special events throughout the year. Spectacular scenery provides the perfect backdrop for major events and exciting spectator sports like IndyCar racing, surf life saving carnivals, horse racing, gruelling Iron Man events, yacht classics, marathons, triathlons and boat festivals. The region's 40 championship golf courses, many designed by international golfing greats, are the scene of major tournaments. Experienced golf tour operators can ensure visitors experience a range of courses at extremely reasonable rates.
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Shopping There is a host of unexpected surprises waiting for serious shoppers on the Gold Coast. From high fashion boutiques, sophisticated specially stores and duty-free shops to fun arcades and open-air markets, the Gold Coast has something for every budget. Three of Australia's largest shopping complexes are found on the Gold Coast and will take days to explore. There is a profusion of cafes and restaurants dotted among boutiques, jewellery stores, departments stores, resort fashion outlets featuring local designers and international labels, plus regional arts and crafts and valuable antiques. Shops are open sevens days a week and major sales months when visitors can pick up some excellent bargains are January, May and October.
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Where to Stay Accommodation choices abound so a good starting point is to define what kind of holiday is needed. For visitors wanting a whirlwind experience including non-stop entertainment, shopping and nightlife, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach at the northern end of the Gold Coast are ideal options. For those seeking a quiet escape there are smaller coastal communities to the south like Burleigh Heads and Coolangatta that are the perfect place to relax and revive. But no matter where visitors choose to stay, the Gold Coast offers quality rooms at value-for-money prices. International hotels and resorts provide luxury standards of accommodation as well as a range of facilities from giant swimming lagoons, golf courses, tennis courts and gymnasiums to restaurants, night-clubs and shopping boutiques. Fully serviced luxury apartment buildings, with the added bonus of amenities such as kitchens, laundries and a choice of one, two or three bedrooms, also offer sophisticated recreational facilities for families of all ages. Apartments with magnificent views of the ocean or mountainous hinterland are readily available, with interiors are furnished to a high standard. The region has a choice of modem, comfortable motels, youth and backpacker hostels plus caravan parks and camping grounds. With more than 38,000 rooms (55,000 beds) available, it is easy to find quality accommodation for short or long-term stays to suit any budget. Over the next five years the room supply is set to surge with some of Australia's largest and most luxurious hotels already planned for prime sites along the coastal strip.
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Dining OutDining on the Gold Coast means feasting in any number of breathtaking settings including waterfront restaurants, award-winning wildlife parks and theme parks, under the stars or amid ancient rainforests. With more than 500 restaurants, the Gold Coast is able to offer all the world's great food styles including unique contemporary Australian cuisine. But seafood is the local specially and creative chefs combine prawns, crabs, lobster and fish with locally grown tropical fruits, salads and herbs. Local native ingredients known as 'bush tucker' like lemon aspen and bush tomatoes have sharp flavours and are blended with traditional dishes of fish, meat and the freshest of farm produce. Eating well on the Gold Coast comes easy without an expensive price tag. Throughout the region there are bistros, cafes, tea houses and country pubs where a diversity of cuisine can be enjoyed for a moderate price. And a warm year-round climate offers the chance to enjoy alfresco dining while a lively cafe scene enables visitors to meet and relax with the locals.
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When the Sun Goes Down Whether it's a canal cruise, stage show, nightclub or dinner theatre, the Cold Coast's talent and performances are among the best in Australia. There are also evening 4x4 tours and the chance to spotlight native animals or see glow-worms in unique rainforest settings. Twenty-four hour casino action, relaxing cocktail bars, live music in local pubs and clubs - the excitement never stops.
[Material on this page reprinted courtesy of Gold Coast Tourism Bureau] |
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