Gold Coast, Australians' Favourite Holiday Destination

Continuing with our series on Australia’s major cities, today we turn to Gold Coast. Named the “Golden Coast,” this city lies south of Brisbane and is one of the main tourist destinations for Australians, if not the main one.

Gold Coast is a relatively modern city, as it was only officially recognised as such in 1959. That was when a group of small, independent towns and suburbs that shared more than just their region were brought together, along with unstoppable urban growth. The proof is that within a very short time, around twenty skyscrapers were built.

In fact, over these fifty years of history, Gold Coast’s population has grown rapidly, reaching sixth place among Australian cities by population. It is also the largest and most populous city in the country that is not a state capital .

Tourism is the city’s main economic engine. Drawn by its beaches, around 10 million visitors arrive each year, most of them domestic. One of the best-known beach areas is Surfers Paradise, a place full of hotels, skyscrapers and, of course, surf enthusiasts in search of giant waves.

Beyond its beaches, Gold Coast offers a huge range of leisure activities to its visitors. It has many restaurants, shops, casinos, green spaces and natural areas, and theme parks such as Movie World, golf courses, and so on. In short, a broad and varied offer that caters to every kind of taste.

Photo | Wikimedia Commons – Chill Mimi