High rise development at Surfers Paradise

Surfers Paradise (including Main Beach, The Spit, Sanctuary Cove, Coomera, Oxenford, Bundall, Broadbeach, Carrara and Mermaid Beach)

The Heart of the Gold Coast.
From the Gold Coast hinterland the Nerang River snakes its way eastwards to a point just behind the ocean then winds northwards, following the coastline until it reaches that body of water known as The Broadwater. Just south of The Broadwater, and on either side of the river (an area know full of artificial canal developments), is that portion of land known as Surfers Paradise.

Located 83 km from Brisbane, Surfers holds a special place in the iconography of the Gold Coast. It is the town and beach which somehow symbolises the lifestyle and the aspirations of the people who come to the area either to holiday or to live. These people are not just coming to a sunny area for a holiday. They are coming to a 'paradise for surfers'. It is a potent and powerful image.

The history of Surfers Paradise is fascinating. It seems that the pre-colonial occupants - the Banjalang people - knew of the delights of the area long before Europeans arrived. The area around Surfers (as it is commonly known) was renowned for its excellent fishing grounds.

The coastline here was traversed by Captain Cook in 1770, by John Oxley in 1799 and 1802, and the opening of The Broadwater was noted in 1822 by John Bringle. White settlement of the area commenced with timber-getters in the 1840s and agriculture in the 1860s. The American Civil War created opportunities for cotton-growing at that time, though sugar was being grown by the late 1870s. The district was surveyed in 1869 and Southport was established in 1874.

The Southport Hotel was built in 1876 and traffic increased when a ferry service across the Nerang River was established that same year. Cobb & Co coaches started offering a service to and from Brisbane in the mid-1870s. The pier, now long departed, was constructed in 1880 and the area known as Main Beach (where the Sheraton Mirage is located) was sold in 1885. The railway arrived in 1889 and a coastal road was completed in 1923. The development of the area since World War I has been continuous.

The origins of the modern town really date to 1923 when James Cavill paid £40 for a block of land and proceeded to build his famous Surfers Paradise Hotel. Two years later the bridge across the Nerang River was built improving access to the hotel which boasted a small zoo and excellent gardens. In 1933 locals, encouraged by the success of the hotel, petitioned to have this rather neutral name changed to something which evoked undiluted pleasure. During World War Ii the hotel was used by convalescing soldiers, some of whom later returned with their wives and families to enjoy the beach and the excellent climate.

The great change in the area occurred in the 1950s. An influx of tourists coincided with an easing of building regulations which resulted in an ocean front of endless high-rise apartment blocks. The 'City of Gold Coast' was created in 1959 and canal-based residential developments emerged in the 1960s which intensified concerns about the impact on the natural environment. The old wooden bridge was eventually replaced by a concrete structure in 1966 and since that time growth has been considerable.

Today the beachfront for most of the Gold Coast (and Surfers is now a suburb of the larger city) is just endless rows of high-rise development, all catering for the tourism which occurs on the coast throughout the year. All the buildings, many 20 or 30 storeys high, are cheek-by-jowl with the beach.

No one ever seems to have taken into account the inevitable victory of the sea. All that is required is a couple of really savage cyclones to drift too far south and to lash the coast with huge seas and torrential rains for a few weeks and there will be disasters of major proportions in this area which is built too close to the beach. In any contest between man and the sea, the sea will always win.

It is also true that the nature of Surfers Paradise has changed. It is now a place for young people. The hoards of students who arrive from New South Wales and Victoria after the completion of examinations, and the surfers who mooch around the promenade waiting for a good wave, are today's clientele for the town. The families have moved on. They either stay further south or move past Brisbane to the Whitsundays and Airlie Beach or the Noosa-Tewantin area. However, in fairness, Surfers Paradise does still have the greatest concentration of five star hotels in Queensland outside Brisbane.

Punters can get their fill at Bundall Racecourse, immediately behind Surfers Paradise.

Things to see:  

Sea World
Sea World, facing The Broadwater, is a huge 25-hectare marine park (the largest of its kind in Australia). It offers a combination of rides, shows and attractions, including such hair-raising machines as the Three Loop Corkscrew and Lasseters Lost Mine. Unlike Wet'n'Wild (see subsequent entry), which is basically participation-oriented, Sea World is essentially a range of shows and rides. The crowds are attracted by the spectacular waterskiing displays and the dolphins, sea lions and penguins which perform for the crowds. So successful has Sea World become that there is now a specific hotel - the Nara Sea World - attached to the complex. It offers free entry with accommodation under certain circumstances.

Current publicity for Sea World states: "Come and see Australia's only Polar bear cubs Lia and her brother Lutik, in their home at Sea World's Polar Bear Shores - one of the most technologically advanced exhibits for Polar bears in the world. The playful cubs have joined older bears Ping Ping and Kanook, and will delight guests with their energetic and spirited antics.

"Cartoon Network Cartoon Beach, is the vacation spot for the globe's top toon stars. Kids of all ages can hang out toon favourites The Powerpuff Girls, Cow and Chicken, Dexter and Dee Dee, Johnny Bravo and Tom and Jerry. Kids can cruise the highways in 'Woody's Beachtrucks', catch a bird's eye view from the top of 'Toonpoint Lighthouse', take to the skies in the 'Air-See Rescue' choppers and then cool off in 'Dexterıs Time Machine', a dancing fountain full of splashing surprises!

"Marvel at the new generation of Sea World dolphins at Dolphin Cove and laugh at the antics of the seals and sea lions in the Quest for the Golden Seal Show. There's also the action of Ski Challenge, the hottest, action packed stunt filled extravaganza, the swashbuckling Pirates 3D Adventure, the thrills of Australia's first triple loop Corkscrew rollercoaster and the excitement of Bermuda Triangle."

Admission prices, at December 1, 2002, are $56 for adults and $36 for children (4-13 years) and pensioners. A 14-day ticket is also available which allows access to Movie World, Sea World and Wet'n'Wild. The complex is generally open daily from 10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Sea World is accessed via Seaworld Drive, which extends northwards along The Spit, at Main Beach. For 24-hour recorded information about operating hours, prices, shows and attractions ring (07) 5588 2205. To contact the office ring tel: (07) 5588 2222.

Cable Ski World
Located on Oxley Drive at Runaway Bay, Cable Ski World began as a waterskiing park but it has since diversified to include such aquatic and non-aquatic activities as kneeboarding, bungy jumping, jetskiing, wakeboarding, mini-golf, go-karts, mini speed boats, aqua bikes, paddle boats, fish-feeding and slingshot bungy. Instructors ensure a safe environment and there are separate areas for beginners and advanced skiers, with barefooting and ski jumpingf sessions. It is situated on a 95-acre site, consisting principally of five freshwater lakes, surrounded by sandy beaches and tropical rainforest. Facilities include a restaurant, kiosk, barbecue facilities, playground with paddle pool for young children, games room and beach volleyball.

They are open from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily, with closing time extended to 9.00 p.m. in the summer months. Each activity incurs a separate charge. For further information ring (07) 5537 6300. Email is caboff@winfhop.com.

Ripleys Believe It Or Not Museum
This collection of displays relating to the bizarre, freakish, unusual and mysterious incorporates hundreds of exhibits, illusions, interactive displays, games and movies regarding feats, facts and stories of life on earth. Typical stories concern Bosco the labrador who outpolled two humans to become mayor of a small Californian community for eight years. The museum is located in Raptis Plaza, within Cavill Mall, and is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. As of December 1, 2002, the entry fee was $12.50 for adults, $11 for students, pensioners and backpackers and $8 for children (5-14 years). For more information ring (07) 5592 0040 or email: surfers@ripleys.com

Flycoaster
Flycoaster is a free-fall device which drops up to three people from a height of twelve stories to a spot two metres above the ground in just over one second, reaching a speed of 130 kmph. A new addition is the Bungee Trampoline which consists of a trampoline and a harness attached to the waist which is connected to bungee ropes on either side. It allows participants to spring up to 14 metres in the air and to undertake somersaults and other airborne acrobatics. Flycoaster is open daily to 10.00 p.m. and is located at the corner of the Gold Coast Highway and Cypress Ave, tel: (07) 5539 0474.

Bungee Rocket
The Bungee Rocket is a spherical metal capsule containing two adults which is attached by bungee ropes to two 40-metre supports. Like a giant catapult the ropes are stretched then the tension released, flinging the sphere 60 metres in the air at a speed of over 160 kmph. It reaches its apex after just over one second then drops back to the earth, bouncing up and down ten times before coming to rest. The whole affair is videotaped to review one's own terror from the safety of one's lounge room. The cost is $25 (including video cassette). It is located at 6 Palm Ave, tel: (07) 5570 2700.

Snow World
Snow World presents the novelty contrariness of ice and snow on the Gold Coast. Something like a giant ornate refrigerator, it offers a changing panorama of spectacularly lit ice sculptures, rendered by Japanese ice-carvers, as well as ice slippery-slides and other forms of snow play. Snow World has a cafeteria and supplies the requisite jackets for icy activities. A day pass is available and they are open from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily. Snow World is located at the corner of the Gold Coast Highway and Ocean Ave, tel: (07) 5570 3633.

Australian Shooting Academy/Timezone
The Australian Shooting Academy has six ranges with personal instruction and the only indoor clay pigeon target range in Australia. No license is required but ID is essential. They are open daily from 10.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. and are located at Level 1, the Paradise Centre, tel: (07) 5527 5100. Funtasia Timezone is also located in the Paradise Centre, tel: (07) 5539 9500.

Gold Coast City Art Gallery
This substantial gallery is part of the Arts Centre, adjacent the Evandale Civic and Cultural Centre, off Bundall Rd, on the western shore of the Nerang River, tel: (07) 5581 6567.

Sanctuary Cove
At the north-eastern end of the Gold Coast, on the southern bank of the Coomera River (just behind The Broadwater) is Sanctuary Cove - a dubious brainchild of the hype and 'entrepreneurial' activity of the turgid 1980s. It was created by a Queenslander named Mike Gore who became synonymous with the term 'the white shoe brigade', which was used to describe hucksterish businessmen whose ethics came a definite second to the business of making money. It was opened with a rare concert by Frank Sinatra and has since grown to consist of two excellent golf courses, a shopping centre called Marine Village, which has more than 75 shops ranging from gift shops to restaurants, cafes and bars and lots of very expensive housing designed for retired millionaires. Much of the development has been carved out of the shores of the river. It is an integrated design which smacks of both wealth and artificiality.

Dreamworld
The three biggest family attractions of the northern Gold Coast have all been set up at a point most readily accessible to the hordes of Brisbane: on or just off the major motorway - the Pacific Highway - at the north-western end of the Gold Coast, thus ensuring visitors from the state capital can be spared the slog of navigating the heavy traffic and byways of the tourism mecca that is the Gold Coast. These three attractions are Dreamworld, Wet 'n' Wild and Movie World.

Dreamworld is located just west of Sanctuary Cove. It is an Australian version of Disneyland with a myriad of rides and entertainments to occupy children and adults for an entire day. The characters, such as Cooee and Kenny Koala, are mostly Australian, although Nick Central features Nickelodeon figures. Attractions include thrill rides such as the Cyclone and Thunderbolt Roller Coasters, the Tower of Terror, the Wipeout, the Giant Drop and the Eureka Mine Ride, family rides such as the Thunder River Rapids Ride, bumper cars, a chairlift, the log ride, a water playground, a railway, a carousel and a paddlesteamer, along with family features such as the white Bengal tigers, the Game Site, a shooting gallery, remote-controlled boats, Nick Central (featuring Nickelodeon characters), the Australian Wildlife Experience, the Australian Farm Show, the Outback Celebration, Kids Carnival, the Kenny Koala Show, an 1850s trooper station, roving musicians and helicopters for hire. Food is available from various sources, there is a substantial shopping strip and Dreamworld has one of the few IMAX Theatres in Australia. This remarkable movie technology provides a screen so large that it is quite impossible to sit in the audience and not be totally involved in the experience, especially with respect to the stunning 3D movies.

The cost of entry, at December 1, 2002, was $56 for adults and $36 for children and pensioners. Dreamworld is located just off the Pacific Highway (along Dreamworld Parkway). It is open from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily with hours extended during the summer school holidays (9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.). For more information contact (07) 5588 1122.

Wet'n'Wild Water Park
Wet'n'Wild is one of the most comprehensive water fun playgrounds in the world, with heated pools and slides permitting year-round access. Spread over nearly 10 hectares the theme park's activities range from a freshwater wave pool, with waves up to one metre high, to an extensive series of spectacular water slides and raft or tube rides (it is claimed that, on the toboggan drop, it is possible to reach speeds of up to 70 km/h while the Super 8 Aqua Racer consists of an 86-metre plunge).

The emphasis is on diversity with something for each age group, from the hair-raising to the languid and lazy. Thus, while the toboggan drop and the white water twisters are meant for adults and older children, there are also attractions for younger children and more sedentary adults, including the Buccaneer Bay theme park play area and a calm drift along the 'river' past a pirate castle and subtropical gardens. A new addition is the relaxing Whirlpool Hot Springs, featuring ten 20-person hot tubs. Visitors should note that children must be 110 cm tall to participate in the more agitating rides.

Another recent addition is the 'dive-in' movie program, where latest release family movies are screened at ther Giant Wave Pool from September to April. The water areas are surrounded by grassy grounds with picnic and barbecue facilities and deck chairs for relaxation.

Wet'n'Wild is located on the Pacific Motorway at Oxenford. For 24-hour recorded information on Wet'n'Wild Water World's operating hours, prices, water slides and pools call (07) 5573 2255. During office hours visitors can ring Wet'n'Wild on (07) 5573 6623. They are open daily. From November to February hours are 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., with closing time extended to 9.00 p.m. in January. From March to April and September to October the closing time is 4.30 p.m. and from May to August it is 4.00 p.m. A 14-day ticket is also available which allows access to Movie World and Sea World, as well as Wet'n'Wild.

Warner Bros. Movie World
Also on the Pacific Motorway at Oxenford is Movie World Theme Park. Designed as a working studio with a number of large stages and an extensive range of state-of-the-art equipment, it manages to combine a day out with a wide range of activities. The combination of studio and fun park means that most of the Park's attendants are young actors hoping for work, and their first big break, in the studios next door.

Warner Bros Movie World is basically a combination of Disneyland and Universal Studios. It celebrates the fun and excitement of movies offering entertainments ranging from impromptu street events and a daily stunt show which re-enacts a Police Academy-style hold up. The Police Academy show has as much to do with the Keystone Kops as it does with Police Academy. It is typical of the kind of show offered by the complex. The setting holds over 500 people. The action includes a car being blown up, a man being shot and falling from the roof of a building, and an endless stream of thrills and spills from the crew. While it is entertaining it is also informative about the nature of stunts in a movie. Other attractions include the Road Runner Rollercoaster, Looney Tunes Village, the Wild West Falls ride and a suitably scary Scooby Doo rollercoaster.

Like Disneyland the streets are full of characters from various shows, such as the Warner Bros cartoon team of Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Daffy Duck and Sylvester who walk along the main street amusing the crowds.

There are a wide variety of shops selling souvenirs (T-shirts, posters etc) as well as providing a wide range of food. Other attractions include rides through various movie scenes - the Batman ride is always popular - and a conducted tour of the movie studio which shows some of the techniques used to create cinematic illusions. One particularly appealing aspect of Movie World is the way that certain events just occur naturally (well as naturally as anything in a movie world) on the street. A visitor can be walking along when suddenly a rather shady character will come running out of the bank on the main street carrying a bag full of money. A policeman who, only moments earlier, was talking to some children, will give chase and, as by-standers watch, will draw his gun and fire off a series of shots at the robber. It is easy to spend a day here. There is a genuine variety of activities. It would actually be hard to see everything in under 4 hours.

Current publicity for Movie World states: "Visit Warner Bros. Movie World on Australiaıs Gold Coast where you will experience a fun-filled family adventure with all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Meet your favourite stars and enjoy all the behind-the-scenes action, comedy stunts and exhilarating rides, shows and attractions!

Warner Bros. Movie World brings you the all-new Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Movie Magic Experience. For a limited season only, you can journey to Knockturn Alley, see Mr Weasleyıs enchanted car and come face to face with the creatures of the Forbidden Forest.

Don't miss the scariest, spookiest spine-tingling rollercoaster ever created! Coaster cars launch guests on a hair-raising journey complete with laser lighting and sound effects, animatronics and a kaleidoscope of colour, depth, height and trickery of dimension. Ride the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster!

Batman Adventure - The Ride 2 doubles the adventure offering guests a brand new simulator journey starring the best of the Batman villains in a high tech, thrill speed showdown with the Caped Crusader.

Experience the fun of the Road Runner Rollercoaster, Australia's only family rollercoaster, situated in Looney Tunes Village, a magical cartoon world with rides especially for children. For more Looney Tunes fun, head to the Looney Tunes Musical Revue, performed daily and check out the awesome interactive water fountain, Looney Tunes Splash Zone, at Looney Tunes Village.

Be blown away by the thrilling Wild West Falls ride. Wild West is an action packed adventure with a 20 metre, 70 kilometre an hour, heart stopping drop to the final splashdown!

Then journey to Mars in the interactive 3D movie adventure, get an adrenaline rush on the suspended, inverted looping coaster, Lethal Weapon and laugh at the hilarious Police Academy Stunt Show. "

For a limited time only, the latest addtion is the "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Movie Magic Experience", including sets and themes from the movie.

Movie World is generally open from 10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. daily. For 24-hour recorded information about operating hours, prices, shows and attractions ring (07) 5573 8485. To contact the office ring (07) 5573 3999. A 14-day ticket is also available which allows access to Movie World, Sea World and Wet'n'Wild.

Jupiters Casino
The casino boasts the $185 million Conrad International Hotel and Jupiter Casino complex with its gaming rooms, swimming pools, tennis courts and jogging tracks. Opened in 1986 it has over 600 guest rooms and is the only casino on the Gold Coast. Rare among casinos, it operates 24 hours a day allowing the gambler to lose money as easily at 5 a.m. as at 5 p.m. It is located on Broadbeach Island, with access off either T. E. Peters Drive or the Nerang-Broadbeach Rd, tel: (07) 5592 1133.

Gold Coast Beaches and Foreshores: Introduction
There are many beaches along the Gold Coast shoreline but, in effect, they are all part of the same strand which, but for the mouths of Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek, extends southwards, in an unbroken fashion, to the Tweed River inlet at the Queensland border. Apart from the two estuaries mentioned above, the only breaks in the 40-km sand-line are a few small rocky headlands just north of the state boundary at Coolangatta. Of course, the whole coastline isn't patrolled but many sites are all the way along the coast. Naturally, such activities as swimming, surfing (there are many surfing tuition organisations), boogyboarding, surf fishing, walking and sunbathing are popular and there are plenty of parks adjacent te beaches with picnicking, barbecue and play facilities.

Gold Coast Beaches and Foreshores: Main Beach and The Spit
North of Surfers Paradise Beach is Main Beach. At the expanse of sand known as 'Narrow Neck' an artificial reef has been constructed to protect it from heavy surf. Continuing north are the historic Main Beach bathing pavilion, the Southport Surf Life Saving Club on Macarthur Parade, then the lengthy narrow promontory known as The Spit. Seaworld Drive extends north all the way along The Spit, past the Sheraton Mirage Hotel and Sea World.

On the eastern side of Seaworld Drive is an extensive foreshore greenery that extends all the way along The Spit. Most of it is known as Philip Park, which is crisscrossed by walking paths. There are two parking areas just south of Sea World with nearby barbecue facilities. South of the Sheraton is Hollindale Park, which has more walking tracks, public toilets, public telephones and there are picnic facilities at the southern end of Seaworld Drive. In the north-western corner of The Spit is Doug Jennings Park and, opposite, extending 500 metres out into the ocean, is a jetty beloved of anglers.

There are three boat ramps facing The Broadwater, on the western side of The Spit: the southernmost is on Pelican Beach, adjacent the jetty by the corner of the Gold Coast Highway and Waterways Drive; the second is adjacent the marina at the southern end of Seaworld Drive, and the third is on the northern side of Sea World, off Muriel Henchman Drive. There is a yacht club at the southern marina and there is another marina behind the Mirage Hotel with water police adjacent. For information on foreshore facilities along the western side of The Spit, north along The Broadwater and along the inland waterways, see entry on Southport.

Gold Coast Beaches and Foreshores: Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise Beach itself offers free volleyball and there are craft markets every Friday night on the adjacent Esplanade, as well as two surf lifesaving clubs - in Hanlan St and Thornton St. It is an oft-voiced criticism of Surfers Beach that The Esplanade and its high-rise development encroach almost right to the edge of the beach, leaving very little foreshore greenery to act as a physical, aesthetic and psychological buffer against the ostentatious and imposing commerciality and brouhaha of Surfers.

There are also a number of facilities along the foreshores of the Nerang River at Surfers. There is a boat ramp just north of Budds Beach, off Paradise Place, a ferry cruise terminal at the end of Cavill Ave which is essentially a shopping strip (there are small parks to either side of the terminal), and a boat ramp near Capri Bridge, off Naples Ave.

Gold Coast Beaches and Foreshores: Broadbeach and Carrara
Immediately south of Surfers is Broadbeach. Pratten Park, on the foreshore adjacent Old Burleigh Rd, offers visitors anexpanse of greenery with parking, picnicking, barbecue facilities, the Kurrawa Surf Lifesaving Club (host of the annual Australian Surf Lifesaving Titles) and a footbridge connecting with the mall and the monorail, which circuits back and forth between this point and Jupiters Casino. A second surf club - the Broadbeach SLSC - is located further north in Broadbeach Blvd. There are any number of streetside cafes, along with restaurants and shopping opportunities in the mall and along Surf Parade. A craft market is held on the first and third Sunday of each month and there is a lantern craft market on Friday nights between September and May. There is a boat ramp at Miami Keys (off T.E. Peters Drive) and a huge Pacific Fair shopping complex, complete with cinema, six major stores and more than 250 specialty shops. It is situated between the Nerang-Broadbeach Rd, Sunshine Blvd and the Gold Coast Highway.

Carrra, west of Broadbeach, is situated on land given over to a cotton plantation in the 1860s. It possesses a major sports centre, two golf clubs, balloon rides, a country music festival and markets every Saturday and Sunday.

Gold Coast Beaches and Foreshore: Mermaid Beach
Mermaid Beach is both the suburb immediately south of Surfers and the actual beach it is named after. Like most of the Gold Coast beaches it is popular and crowded in season. Like Surfers it has no real recreational foreshore area, but there is a surf lifesaving club, with a parking area, and picnic/barbecue facilities on Hedges Av, between Ventura Rd and Montana Rd. For information on beaches and foreshore facilities further south see entry on see entry on Burleigh Heads.

Aquabus Safaris
This company offers tours of Surfers Paradise and the Broadwater by means of amphibious land-and-sea vehicles, tel: (07) 5539 0222 or email: mail@aquabus.com.au

Mini-Golf
King Tutts Putt Putt offers three 18-hole themed mini-golf courses focusing on ancient Egypt and the Jurassic Age. They are located at the intersection of the Gold Coast Highway and Pandanus Ave, at Surfers Paradise, tel: (07) 5570 2277.

Discount City offers three themed 18-hole mini-golf courses in landscaped gardens with a waterways adventure and jungle trail. There are barbecue areas, snacks are available and there is a video arcade. They are located at 2492 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach, tel: (07) 5575 3381.

Golf
There are plenty of golf courses in the area to attract the golf-loving pleasure-seeker: the Surfers Paradise Golf Course at 1 Fairway Drive, Clear Island Waters (tel: 07 5572 6088), the Merrimac Golf Course (tel: 07 5579 9902) and Lakelands Golf Club (tel: 07 5579 8722), both on Gooding Drive at Merrimac, Palm Meadows Golf Course on Gooding Drive at Carrara (tel: 07 5594 2450), Emerald Lakes Golf Club at the corner of the Nerang-Broadbeach Rd and Alabaster Drive, Carrara (tel: 07 5594 4400), Carrara Gardens Night & Day Golf Course and Driving Range on the Broadbeach-Nerang Rd, Carrara (tel: 07 5596 0404), Royal Pines Resort in Ross St, Ashmore (tel: 07 5597 1111), Parkwood International Golf Course on Napper Rd, Parkwood (tel: 07 5594 6388), Gold Coast Country Club on Brisbane Rd, Helensvale (tel: 07 5573 2940), Helensvale Golf Club at 16 Wandilla Drive, Helensvale (tel: 07 5573 1329), the Hope Island Golf Course on the Oxenford-Southport Rd, Hope Island (tel: 5530 9000), the Pacific Oceania Club at 8875 Magnolia Drive, Hope Island (tel: 5530 1799), The Palms on Casey Rd at Sanctuary Cove (tel: 07 5577 6151), and Gainsborough Greens on Yawalpah Rd, at Pimpama, tel: (07) 5546 6003.

	Tourist Information
	Gold Coast Visitors & Convention Centre Level 2 64 Ferny Ave Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5592 2699 Facsimile: (07) 5570 3144
	Surfers Paradise Visitor Information Centre Cavill Ave Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: 1300 309 440 Facsimile: (07) 5570 32 59
	Motels
	Cavill Inn 25 Cavill Ave Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5531 5559 Rating: ****
	DıArcy Arms Motel 2923 Gold Coast Hwy Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5592 0892 Rating: ***
	Delilah Motel 72 Ferny Ave Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5538 1722 Rating: **
	Ocean Blue Resort 122 Ferny Ave Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5579 4444 Rating: ****
	Paradise Inn 2826 Gold Coast Hwy Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5592 0585 Rating: ***
	Silver Sands Motel 2985 Gold Coast Hwy Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5538 6041 Rating: ***
	Surfers City Motel 3314 Gold Coast Hwy Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5539 8988 Rating: **
	Trickett Gardens Holiday Inn 24 Trickett St Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5539 0988 Rating: ****
	Hotels
	ANA Hotel Gold Coast 22 View Ave Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5579 1000, 1800 074 440 Facsimile: (07) 5570 1260 Rating: ****1/2
	Chevron Hotel Ferny Ave Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5539 0444 Rating: ****
	Gold Coast International Gold Coast Hwy Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5592 1200 Rating: *****
	Gold Coast Marriott Resort 158 Ferny Ave Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5592 9800, 1800 809 090 Facsimile: (07) 5592 9888 Rating: *****
	Iluka Beach Resort Hotel The Esplanade Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5539 9155 Rating: ***
	Mercure Hotel Beachcomber Gold Coast 18 Hanlan St Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5570 1000 Rating: ***
	Ramada Hotel Gold Coast Hwy Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5579 3499 Rating: ****
	Surfers Paradise Travelodge 2807 Gold Coast Hwy Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5592 9900 Rating: ****
	Australis Sovereign Hotel 138 Ferney Ave Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5579 3888, 1800 065 064 Facsimile: (07) 5579 3877 Rating: *****
	Chateau Beachside The Esplanade Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5538 1022 Facsimile: (07) 55384560 Rating: ****
	Islander Resort Hotel 6 Beach Rd Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5538 8000, 1800 074 393 Facsimile: (07) 5592 2762 Rating: ****
	Paradise Island Central Resort 1 Paradise Island Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5531 5600,1800 801 888 Facsimile: (07) 5562 5552 Rating: ****
	Resorts
	Avica Weddings and Resort Cnr Gooding Dve & Boowaggan Rd Merrimac, 4218 Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Telephone: (07) 5569 1299 Facsimile: (07) 5569 1288 Rating: ****