Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
with crushed pinkeye potatoes, leek, and tomato, or even simpler, the barbecued
seafood antipasto. Smoking is not permitted.
25 Hastings St., Noosa Heads, QLD 4567.
&
07/5447 3747.
Reservations accepted on the day you dine only.
Main courses A$21-A$26 (US$14-US$17). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 8am-10pm.
9 The Gold Coast
Love it or hate it, the Gold Coast is one of Australia's icons. Bronzed lifeguards,
bikini-clad meter maids, tanned tourists draped with gold jewelry, high-rise
apartment towers that cast long shadows over some parts of the beach . . . but
the glitz, the glitter, and the overdevelopment pales as soon as you hit the beach.
The white sands stretch uninterrupted for 70km (43 miles), making up for the
long strips of neon-lit motels and cheap souvenir shops. Since the '50s, Australians
have been flocking to this strip of coastline, and that hasn't changed. Today, they're
lining up with tourists from all around the world to get in to the theme parks,
but everyone can still find a quiet spot on the beach and the sun shines on.
The Gold Coast's theme parks are not as large or as sophisticated as Disneyland,
but they're exciting enough. Apart from the three major parks—Dreamworld,
Warner Bros. Movie World, and Sea World—there are of plenty of smaller-scale
ones. If theme parks aren't your thing, there are also 40 golf courses, dinner
cruises, and loads of adrenaline-based outdoor activities, from bungee jumping
to jet-skiing. The best activity on the Gold Coast, though, is the natural kind,
and it doesn't cost a cent—hitting the surf and lazing on the beach.
GOLD COAST ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE By Car
Access to the Gold Coast Highway, which runs
the length of the Coast, is off the Pacific Highway from Sydney or Brisbane. The
drive takes about 80 minutes from Brisbane. From Sydney it's an 11-hour trip,
sometimes longer, on the crowded, rundown Pacific Highway.
By Plane
Domestic flights land at Gold Coast Airport, Coolangatta, 25km
(16 miles) south of Surfers Paradise.
Qantas
(
&
13 13 13
) operates plenty of
direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
Virgin Blue
(
&
13 67 89
)
flies direct from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. The
Gold Coast Tourist
Shuttle
(
&
13 12 30
) meets every flight and will transfer you to your accom-
modations; the fare is A$14 (US$9.10) one-way and A$24 (US$16) round-trip.
A taxi from the airport to Surfers Paradise is about A$30 (US$20), depending
on the traffic, which can be heavy.
The nearest international gateway is
Brisbane International Airport
(see
chapter 5). The Coachtrans Airporter bus meets most flights and makes about
20 trips a day from the domestic and international terminals at Brisbane Airport
to Gold Coast accommodations for A$35 (US$23) adults, A$18 (US$12) chil-
dren 4 to 14. The trip takes about 90 minutes to Surfers Paradise. You do not
need to book in advance unless you are on an evening flight.
AirtrainConnect
services link Brisbane Airport and the Gold Coast by train
and bus for A$25 (US$16) adults, A$15 (US$9.75) children 5 to 14, or A$80
(US$52) for a group of four. Take Airtrain to the Gold Coast, then an air-con-
ditioned coach shuttle will take you to any accommodations house between
Southport Spit at the northern end of the Gold Coast and Burleigh Heads to the
south. Airtrain's SmartPass, for which you pay A$89 (US$58) per adult, A$43
(US$28) per child, or A$215 (US$140) for a family of four for 3 days, covers
AirtrainConnect transfers, as well as unlimited door-to-door theme park transfers
