Brash, yes. Tacky, perhaps. But rarely sophisticated — until now.
“[The Games] changed everything,” Dean Gould, executive director of corporate affairs and strategy for Gold Coast Tourism, tells CNN Travel. “Over the last five years, the city has come alive again.”
Total transformation
Most people equate the Gold Coast with one suburb: Surfers Paradise, the most popular beach and where most bars, restaurants and hotels are located.
But Goldie is actually Australia’s sixth-largest city, home to almost 600,000 people and more than 50 suburbs.
Its waterfront sprawl is sunny almost all year round, with 35 miles (57km) of coastline, waterside mansions and roughly 250 miles (400km) of canals — nearly 10 times more than Venice.
On paper, it might sound like an idyllic coastal retreat, but the Gold Coast hasn’t always been alluring.
Until recently, Goldie had a less-than-salubrious reputation garnered by high crime rates, out-of-control “schoolies” (an annual migration of high-school-leaving teenagers looking to party), gambling at Jupiters (Queensland’s first casino) and “Metre Maids.”
These bikini-clad women were known for putting money into parking meters to help drivers avoid fines along the Glitter Strip, the name locals gave to Surfers Paradise.
Things began to change when the global financial crisis hit in 2008. As tourism arrivals slowed, the Goldie was forced to take stock of its offerings.
A zero-tolerance police policy for public drunkenness during the annual migration of fresh high-school graduates has certainly helped shift the tone, as has an influx of sophisticated bars, restaurants and hotels.
Basically the Olympics for Commonwealth nations, the Games is a major international sporting event that occurs every four years.
Build it and they will come
The technicolored Athletes’ Village for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Natasha Dragun
With a budget of $1.6 billion in the lead-up to the event, the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation has planned 24 Games venues across the city, including three new builds.
The games are driving the momentum, but the city’s multi-billion-dollar makeover extends beyond the colorful Athletes’ Village and upgraded Carrara Stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies.
“The Games has fast-tracked a lot of construction projects,” says Gould. “But we realized early on that success is not just a highrise. It’s about making things accessible, usable and available.”
One way to make the city more usable was by installing a light rail system.
Running parallel to the area’s main beach, it connects most of the major Games venues, as well as Goldie’s main attractions.
Travelers can jump on and off as they please, strolling down to the sand in just a few minutes. By April, the line will link to a train station with direct access to Brisbane and, in coming years, an extension will connect the Glitter Strip with the airport.
And then there’s the cultural precinct, under development on the council’s former headquarters in the suburb of Evandale.
Opening in phases, beginning this year, the carbon-neutral building will house a 5,000-person theater. For easy access, it will also be linked to Surfers Paradise via an art-filled “green bridge” lined with plants.
Brand new beds
Between the suburbs of Surfers Paradise and neighboring Broadbeach to the south, cranes are busily erecting new hotels and cloud-scraping towers.
But if you prefer more low-key accommodations, there’s always the design-oriented Peppers group, with two fully equipped apartment-style properties on the Coast.
New grub hubs
Seafood lovers flock to Rick Shores.
From Rick Shores
New hotel rooms aren’t the only reason to visit the Gold Coast. These days, Goldie’s attracting hordes of gourmands too.
Designed by chef Jake Pregnell, who left his role at Melbourne’s Golden Fields for a sea change, the pan-Asian menu features one of the best Moreton Bay bug rolls (made with a type of slipper lobster) you’ll try.
The buzzy space includes a huge alfresco patio shaded by umbrellas, while the menu includes bug rolls and Fremantle octopus with a yuzu-soy sauce.
Dean Gould, Gold Coast Tourism
As the Gold Coast attracts more health-conscious travelers, the area has also welcomed a proliferation of vegetarian and vegan restaurants.
The brand also recently opened The Bath House, a spa and raw restaurant in the same suburb.
Glitter Strip 2.0
A night out on the Glitter Strip once meant knocking elbows with gamblers and high-school revelers.
But just like the hotel and restaurant scene, Gold Coast nightlife has diversified to include a mix of night markets, craft beer bars and upscale watering holes.
Around town
Palm Beach as seen from Burleigh Heads — one of Australia’s best.
Natasha Dragun
You’ll swoop over the Games pool and gymnasium, and jettison past skyscrapers along the Glitter Strip. The experience can last anywhere from five to 60 minutes, depending which package you book.
Or take in the city from its biggest asset: the water.
Given the city’s lengthy coastline and expanse of canals, you are constantly surrounded by water. As such, you can generally be on the beach within minutes.
That’s a boon to travelers, seeing as the Gold Coast is home to some of Australia’s best surf beaches: Snapper Rocks, Burleigh Heads and Kirra are particularly popular.
These local favorites have consistently good surf and are easy to access, yet rarely fill up with crowds.
Classes take place in multiple locations, including Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.
The incredible thing about the Gold Coast is that 30 minutes after leaving your board behind on the sand you can be standing amid ancient subtropical rainforest.
Just west of the city, the hinterland is home to 247,105 acres (100,000 hectares) of World Heritage-listed Gondwana rainforest, studded with attractions ranging from vineyards to boutique distilleries and wellness retreats.
The 2.5-hour experience begins at Burleigh Cove before ascending the Dreaming Mountain, with a smoking ceremony and ochre anointment to show a connection to the earth along the way.
Or simply lace up your hiking boots and trek one of the routes through Lamington or Springbrook National Parks — both easy day trips from the city.
