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Travel Destination Guide - Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise (Queensland, Australia) 
Surfers Paradise Information
Slideshow of Photos
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Surfers Paradise is situated almost halfway up the E coast of Australia, in the SE corner of Queensland, 50 mls S of Brisbane; 60 mls S of Brisbane international airport, 14 mls N of Coolangatta airport. On a narrow spit of low-lying sand between the South Pacific Ocean and the mouth of the Nerang River, where it forms an intracoastal waterway. The Spit runs N to S, with the ocean on the E side and the river to the W. There are many small islands, peninsulas and waterways between the main spit and the mainland, which then stretches W across a flat plain to the Tamborine Mountains in the distance.
Queensland is where Australians themselves go on holiday, not surprising when you consider what the state has to offer: miles and miles of glorious beaches, the lively resorts of the Gold Coast and, further north the rainforests and islands of the Tropical North. But it is the Great Barrier Reef, one of the natural wonders of the world, for which Queensland is most renowned.
The Gold Coast's lively central region is filled with magnificent holiday apartments, luxury hotels, resorts, holiday accommodation , shopping centres and restaurants. But the area's greatest attractions are golden beaches that stretch forever and are washed by the sparkling blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The whole place looks rather tatty: a lot of the buildings are showing their age and the esplanade which runs the length of the splendid beach is mostly separated from it by an area of untended greenery, bushes or coarse grass. The outer parts of the resort are mainly high-rise apartments and hotels.
The area's subtropical climate has winter temperatures in the low 70s, making it a major holiday area for Australians from cooler southern cities; it also attracts beach bums, surfers, backpackers and bikers. International tourism is dominated by SE Asian tour groups, especially Japanese, Korean and Hong Kong Chinese. Although undoubtedly offering superb climate, beach and surfing, British tourists can find similar offerings closer to home. Unless relatives or friends live in the country, this is a long way to travel for a beach holiday.
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One of the Gold Coast's many theme parks, Sea World, is located on The Spit at Main Beach and has dolphin, shark and sea lion shows, thrill-a minute ski shows, the exhilarating Bermuda Triangle ride and more.
From nearby Fisherman's Wharf you can cruise across the Broadwater and out to sea for a day of game fishing or enjoy a host of watersports including jetskiing and parasailing. For a real adrenalin rush, dive off a platform suspended high above the water at Bungee Downunder. Marina Mirage, also on The Spit, is the home of stylish boutiques and waterfront restaurants and cafes. Surfers Paradise is renowned for resort shopping, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Sit back and watch buskers, calypso bands and magicians get up to tricks in Cavill Mall.
Conrad Jupiters at Broadbeach offers an oasis of restaurants, bars, nightclub and authentic English pub, plus a live stage show and 24-hour action and excitement at Jupiters Casino. Linking the casino-resort complex and the casual shopping and dining precincts of Broadbeach is a modern monorail operating daily from 7am to midnight.
Every shopper's fantasy comes alive at Pacific Fair, Queensland's largest shopping complex. Spend a day wandering through cobbled streets, dazzling arcades and department stores.
The beaches are long and wide with texture and colour of fine demerara sugar, extending for miles in both directions. Surfing needs high seas and breakers, so swimming can be dangerous and lots of people get into trouble here. Follow the safety code indicated by flags and ensure a lifeguard is on duty. Water sports other than surfing are best practised in the calmer waters of the intracoastal waterway to the W of the resort.
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Population: 20.090.400
Languages: English 79%, native and other languages
Currency: Australian dollar Currency code: AUD
Local Times:
Australia - Australian Capital Territory - Canberra
Australia - New South Wales - Sydney
Australia - Tasmania - Hobart
Australia - Western Australia - Perth
Country Dialling Code: +61
Voltage: 240V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
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Australia, officially called the Commonweath of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the continental mainland (the smallest of the World\'s continents).
The continent of Australia, with the island state of Tasmania, is approximately equal in area to the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciusko (7,308 ft; 2,228 m). The western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast. The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi (2,000 km), lies along the northeast coast. The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq mi; 67,800 sq km) is off the southeast coast.
It may be one of the world's most ancient lands with its mystical red centre and brooding rock formations, but Australia is also characterised by its youthful energy, its freshness and its \'no worries\' philosophy.
Most of the population lives within a few miles of the beach and with the working day beginning and ending early, it\'s not uncommon to see city slickers out of their suits and into the surf come 4.30pm.
In high summer many families will enjoy a simple backyard barbecue several times a week.
The 22-hour journey means most European people visit for at least a couple of weeks, allowing time for all that the country has to offer, including its chic cities, terracotta desert, lush bush and magical ocean reefs.
But the sheer size of Australia means that one visit is unlikely to be enough.
The most popular attractions are undoubtedly Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Great Barrier Reef and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, but there are now more subtle incentives for a visit.
The wonderful fusion cuisine, the café society, the burgeoning art, culture and fashion scene, and the very real possibility of being the only person for miles around all conspire to make it a wholly alluring experience.
Australia is politically divided into six states and two territories, each one offering a different experience for the traveller. There is the drama of the remote \'Outback\', the colourful spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef and its coral islands, the excitement of the cosmopolitan cities, the sun and surf at some of the best beaches in the world, and the tropical rainforests of Western Australia. The list is endless in this diverse land of adventure, which boasts 2,000 national parks and 14 World Heritage-listed areas, along with more than 7,000 beaches.
Australia is a land of character too, with its melting pot of cultures. For more than 50,000 years the Aboriginal people lived and thrived in the continent\'s unique environment. It is believed the Aboriginals are the world\'s oldest civilisation, and in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in keeping the Aboriginal culture alive and flourishing.
The vast continent at the bottom of the world was the last landmass to be discovered by European explorers. Captain James Cook arrived in Botany Bay in 1770 and sparked off generations of emigration to Australia, which for some time served as a penal colony. It was not until 1860 that two explorers - Robert Burke and William Wills - became the first Europeans to cross Australia from south to north. The country remains a magnet for modern explorers and adventurers and has a great deal to offer tourists and holidaymakers. |
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Surfers Paradise Travel Awards
Local Area Weather
Brisbane, AUSTRALIA |
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23°C
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