Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast

This is why we come to the Gold Coast, miles of beach and sunny weather. It's been good to stroll around in my flip flops, cargo shorts, and a T shirt, my basic summer attire. I had a bit of a shock coming back from a Prague summer to a cold Australian winter. Now, it's good to get back to what I normally wear for six months of the year.

You might notice that it's easy to get a spot on the beach, but you should swim between the flags where lifeguards keep vigil.

Although Australia has heaps of great beaches, at this time of year, sub tropical QLD has the warmer weather, so many of us fly up to the Goldcoast. I'm not sure whether it's the equivalent of 'Spring Break' or not, but in December school leavers flock up here for the end of year to party.

The Great Barier reef is even further to the North, and you would you have to catch another jet. Australia is a huge country. If you followed my driving trip to the 'Red Centre' or Ayers Rock, you would appreciate how big it is. Most Australians live near the South East Coast between Brisbane and Melbourne. The further inland you go the less and less people you find that's because the centre of Australia is covered by great deserts.

Anyway, as you would expect you can surf at Surfers Paradise, and many people learn to surf at the many surf schools on the beach.

Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is Australia's sixth largest city, and one of the fastest growing. Its just under a 100 km from Brisbane the capital of the State of Queensland.

I flew in from Sydney to Gold Coast Airport a few nights ago. You can also fly direct to the Gold Coast on international flights now. Generally you can get a flight from Sydney from anywhere between $50 and $100. It's only an hour flight. As you can see it's famous for it's long beaches and sunshine.

I'm staying in one of the islands behind the main beach, Surfers Paradise, quieter, but still only five minutes walk to the beach. Most tourists stay at one of the many hotels or high rise apartments.

Because of how dollar due to the Mining Boom many Australians have been holidaying overseas, but with the end of the Mining Boom the dollar is slowly returning to normal and I expect more Australians to return to the Gold Coast.

Apart from the beaches, superb weather, there are many theme parks, not as big as you find in America, but good entertainment nevertheless. The pick for me is probably Sea World, which is also the closest.

In 1925, Brisbane hotelier Jim Cavill opened the Surfers Paradise Hotel. He also opened a zoo next to it. This is why the main drag is called Cavill Avenue. This was the beginning of what would become Surfers Paradise. Out of little things, big things grow. 

Next trip to the Gold Coast, Australia

I arrived back in Sydney to weeks of cold weather,  and rain, which is very un-Sydney like. Winters are generally not that bad. I'm counting the days to Mid Semester break to fly to the Gold Coast in Queensland to get some sun on the beach. Only two and a half weeks to go.

Seriously though, winter in Sydney is not bad at all, for one thing it doesn't snow, except occasionally in the Blue Mountains in the far west of Sydney. We are blessed with long summers of warm weather, beach weather.