Touring the Australian Gold Coast
The City of Gold Coast is located in the southeast corner of the
Australian State of Queensland. It is one of the top ten most populated
cities in the country, with over half a million residents. The City of
Gold Coast is one that is booming with industry and culture. The true
origin of the name of the Gold Coast is still debated by experts and
historians to this day, but one thing that is not questioned is the
beauty of the region and the plethora of activities which both foreign
tourists and native Australians can enjoy with the whole family.
The region that is today known as Gold Coast was of little interest to European explorers and settlers until the early 1800s. It was not until the early 1900s, almost a hundred years after it was initially settled, that residents and visitors began to notice the potential for the Gold Coast to turn into a profitable tourist destination. Tourism ignited as a prime industry in the area after the Surfer's Paradise Hotel was established in 1925 by Jim Cavill. The area began to further develop at a rapid pace in the mid 1970s when real estate developers established dominance in local politics, which led to numerous high rise buildings being erected and the construction of a major international airport.
Gold Coast's climate is officially described as sub tropical, with summer temperatures reaching the mid sixties to mid eighties Fahrenheit and winter temperatures dropping to the high forties to high sixties Fahrenheit. What this means to the traveler is that temperatures are generally comfortable all year round. This is a plus to those seeking a budget vacation because it allows tourists to travel during off peak travel times and still experience the same enjoyment as those who travel to the location during the summer. This is an additional plus to travelers who have had trouble finding a good enough excuse for digging out their favorite Hawaiian print shirt from that pile in the back of the closet.
The city itself is located along more than forty miles of beach which has become the main identity of the Gold Coast. Gold Coast locals take their beaches very seriously, and they are very proud of their beautiful coast line. To the Australian's, their beaches are more than where the sand meets the water. australian beaches hold a kind of historical and cultural pride. The beaches have created jobs and revenue for the island nation through the millions of dollars which tourism has brought to it. With beaches being central to life in Australia, and with the entire country being surrounded by beach on all sides, beach safety is also an important subject for government leaders on all levels. The City of Gold Coast employees Australia's largest lifesaving service which has the mission of keeping people safe while promoting surf and ocean safety. Several other beach safety, management, and preservation initiatives exist in the area to keep the beaches enjoyable for everyone. Examples of such initiatives include the Gold Coast Shoreline Management Plan and the Shark Control Plan. Efforts of these plans have proven to have an impact in preventing or reversing damage to the region and harm to patrons. Severe beach erosion brought on by a multitude of cyclones around the region since the 1960s has been dealt with through a variety of engineering projects in the works since the 1970s recommended after a special commission studied the problem. As for the Shark Control Program, it exists to prevent shark attacks, and it has been successful in areas of protected beaches, waterways and canals, since the late 1950s. Nets and bait are used to trap sharks and keep them away from swimmers, but when the sharks do come within eyesight of swimmers, lifeguards are trained and required to alert all swimmers and clear them from the water if they perceive a safety risk.
Tourists will find the Gold Coast a convenient location because of the Gold Coast Airport minutes from the downtown city. In fact, if you're travelling light and want to save the money of a cab ride, you could walk to one of the many surrounding hotels that are still close to the water fronts and night life. The close proximity of hotels to the airport is also convenient if travelling with children who just endeared one of the longest plane rides of their little lives.
The Gold Coast has it all. From bar hopping night life junkies, to honeymooning newlyweds, to veteran married couples looking to rekindle the flames, to parents looking to do something nice with the family, every type of visitor to the Gold Coast will find just what it is that they are looking for. The Gold Coast offers the freedom of a balance between city excursions, beach blanket surf trips, and outdoor hiking trails.