I got out of Brisbane City on a local commuter train which sped south to Surfer’s Paradise, the capital of Queensland’s Gold Coast. There are two major tourist beaches north and south of Brisbane. I was told the easiest way to remember their direction was “you find gold in the ground so the Gold Coast is south of Brisbane, and you find the sun in the sky so the Sunshine Coast is north of Brisbane.”
I would spend a few days in Surfer’s Paradise with a friend of a friend, Shawn who was an excellent host…a Canadian living in the city just finishing up his study abroad year in Australia. The town is affectionately called “Surfers” by locals and is the largest tourist destination for domestic tourists and is best compared to Orlando Florida. The beach is lined with massive condominiums and there are several major theme parks on the outskirts of the city.
I spent my time in Surfers Paradise relaxing by day at the beach…watching kite surfers and surfers rip up the waves. I joined Shawn at the local Surf Club to have lunch. It was funny as I had never encountered a Surf Club…they are much like North American members only golf and yacht clubs but for surfing fans.
With the number of tourists that come here annually there are several 5 star hotels and restaurants as well as night clubs which apparently Paris Hilton likes to frequent when she is in town. Oy Vey. Gimme the beach!
