The most common religious affiliations reported were none (31.8%), Catholic (20.7%), Anglican (16.2%), and Uniting Church (3.9%).[43]. Other major roads include Reedy Creek Road, Nerang–Broadbeach Road, Robina Parkway and Southport–Burleigh Road. Subscription television service Foxtel is also available.


The Gold Coast Highway services the coastal suburbs of the Gold Coast, including Surfers Paradise, Southport, and Burleigh Heads. The demonym for the Gold Coast is Gold Coaster. National surfing magazine Australia's Surfing Life is published in the Gold Coast suburb of Burleigh Heads by Morrison Media. The Gold Coast Institute of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) has five campuses at Southport, Ridgeway (Ashmore), Benowa, Coomera and Coolangatta. Bleach* has attracted more than 470,000 people since its inaugural year in 2012.

Your guide to all the places to see while on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. It towers over the Surfers Paradise skyline, with the observation deck 230 metres (755 feet) high, and the spire extending nearly another hundred metres up. Follow this guide for parental bliss AND kiddy heaven. [23], The area boomed in the 1980s as a leading tourist destination. The Queensland Department of Primary Industries carries out the Queensland Shark Control Program (SCP) to protect swimmers from sharks. City of Gold Coast also sources water from Wivenhoe Dam, west of Brisbane for northern suburbs when the Hinze Dam, at one-tenth of Wivenhoe's capacity, becomes low. [8][9], The Gold Coast was originally known as the South Coast (because it was south of Brisbane). There's the beach of course, they don't charge you to use that, in fact in most places they don't even charge you to park on the waterfront, but if you're looking for a budget holiday, there's plenty of free stuff to do on the Gold Coast. Important rainforest pollinating and seed-dispersing Black flying foxes (Pteropus alecto) are found in the area and may be heard foraging at night. Only one Labor MP has ever represented a significant portion of the Gold Coast at the federal level since 1949; the three Gold Coast divisions have only returned Liberals since 1984. [22] The area was proclaimed a city less than one year later on 16 May 1959. Of the plantation pine forests that were planted in the 1950s and 1960s, when commercial forest planting for tax minimisation was encouraged by the Commonwealth government, tiny remnants remain.[27]. Reforms of the way in which the water industry is structured have been announced by the State Government, with transfer of ownership and management of water services from local government to the state occurring in 2008–09. Extreme temperatures recorded at Gold Coast Seaway have ranged from 0.6 °C (33 °F) on 18 June 2018 to 40.5 °C (105 °F) on 22 February 2005, although the city rarely experiences temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) in summer or below 5 °C (41 °F) in winter. Early each year the Gold Coast hosts one leg of the ASP World Tour of surfing, where some of the worlds best surfers compete in the Quiksilver Pro at Coolangatta. [53] It is Australia's 5th most visited destination by international tourists.[54]. The car is the dominant mode of transport in the Gold Coast, with over 70% of people using it as their sole mode of travelling to work. Of the main metropolitan and regional commercial networks: There are numerous commercial, ABC and community stations broadcasting along the Gold Coast. The seats they hold are: Bonney, Broadwater, Burleigh, Coomera, Currumbin, Gaven, Mermaid Beach, Mudgeeraba, Southport, Surfers Paradise and Theodore.

Labor has historically only done well around Labrador and Coolangatta. The Gold Coast area has numerous golf links, including Hope Island, Sanctuary Cove and The Glades. There are plans to relocate and build a state-of-the-art new racetrack at Palm Meadows which will incorporate the Magic Million sale with facilities for up to 4000 horses.
Coolangatta is a twin city with Tweed Heads located directly across the NSW border. The Gold Coast has more than 70km of fantastic beaches, and Surfers Paradise is home to the 'best beach in the world'.

Residential canals were first built in the Gold Coast in the 1950s and construction continues.

A sand pumping operation on the Spit pipes sand under the Seaway to continue this natural process. A 206 km2 (80 sq mi) section of the mountain range is protected by Lamington National Park and has been listed as a World Heritage area in recognition of its "outstanding geological features displayed around shield volcanic craters and the high number of rare and threatened rainforest species". [25], The Gold Coast hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Chinatown, Gold Coast, located in Southport, hosts the annual citywide Lunar New Year festival as well as regular monthly events. There is also a subsidiary Magistrates Court, located at the southern suburb of Coolangatta.

The event is often criticised nationally and locally for its portrayal of drinking and acts of violence, however every effort by the Queensland Police Service and State Government to ensure all school leavers have a good time are put into place, including locals volunteering by walking the streets and keeping an eye out for those in need of assistance. [43], The most commonly nominated ancestries were English (29.3%), Australian (22.5%), Irish (8.2%), Scottish (7.5%), and German (3.6%). Since the opening of what was then the world's highest residential tower in 2005 (it is now the fifth highest), the Q1 building has been a destination for tourists and locals alike. [86] It is a part of the TransLink network that coordinates the public transport in South East Queensland. No matter where in the world you travel, there's nothing like having a local to show you around. Some diversification has taken place, with the city now having an industrial base formed of marine, education, information communication and technology, food, tourism, creative, environment and sports industries. Restaurant capital of the Gold Coast, Broadbeach has a wide range of beachfront accommodation and some of the newest, coolest high-rise buildings including Peppers Broadbeach and The Wave. The city consists of 70 kilometres (43 mi) of coastline, with some of the most popular surf breaks in Australia and the world including, South Stradbroke Island, The Spit, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach, Nobby's Beach, Miami, Burleigh Beach, Burleigh Heads, Tallebudgera Beach, Palm Beach, Currumbin Beach, Tugun, Bilinga, Kirra, Coolangatta, Greenmount, Rainbow Bay, Snapper Rocks and Froggies Beach. The course runs through the streets of Surfers Paradise and Main Beach.

The Arts Centre Gold Coast located in Evandale, features a fine art gallery featuring local and international works from painting to sculpture and new media. Choose from a wide range of cruise options including dinner cruises, island adventures, whale watching and even jet boating! The Gold Coast Airport Marathon will feature an event for all ages and abilities, including the full Gold Coast Airport Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Southern Cross University 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) Run, Suncorp Bank 5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi) Challenge, and Junior Dash over 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi). The City of Gold Coast Council has 14 elected councillors, each representing a division of the City. For more information see our Privacy Statement & Cookie Notice. The Gold Coast Economic Development Strategy 2013 - 2023[50] outlines the framework for the city's long-term growth and prosperity. The Gold Coast's main provider of public bus services is Surfside Buslines. [61] The Gold Coast hosts cultural activities that attract tourists and residents alike. Read more about the fabulous beaches of the Gold Coast. To the west, the city borders a part of the Great Dividing Range commonly referred to as the Gold Coast hinterland. The Gold Coast has an extensive public transport network that includes buses, heavy rail & the new light rail for commuting to work, visiting attractions, and travelling to other destinations. Some of these facilities are being superseded by newer and larger capacity facilities. Waterfront canal living is a feature of the Gold Coast. Tourism remains fun… The Gold Coast has received world recognition for this scheme in its Pimpama-Coomera suburbs. Duranbah Beach is one of the world's best known surfing beaches and is often thought of as being part of Gold Coast City, but is actually just across the New South Wales state border in the Tweed Shire. Captain Matthew Flinders, an explorer charting the continent north from the colony of New South Wales, sailed past in 1802. The G:link was opened in 2014 between Broadbeach and Southport, with an extension to Helensvale completed in 2017 in preparation for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The Studios consists of eight sound stages, production offices, editing rooms, wardrobe, construction workshops, water tanks and commissary.