The Gold Coast is Australia's sixth-largest city and Queensland's second-largest after Brisbane on Australia's east coast. It's famous for its beaches and world-class surfing and is located in southern Queensland right on the border with New South Wales.
I am currently solo traveling around Australia, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport.
For over 23,000 years, the Yugambeh people lived on this land, long before any Europeans arrived, calling it Kurrungul, meaning "endless supplies of timber".
The first European to chart this area was Captain James Cook in 1770 aboard the HMS Endeavour, naming Point Danger and Mount Warning. The area was not properly charted until 1840 for timber. The first settlement was established at Nerang in 1865 named after the Aboriginal word neerang meaning "shovel-nosed shark". Timber, cattle, sugar and cotton farming grew the township with further settlements established including Southport in 1875.
A railway line was built in 1889 connecting Brisbane and Southport which then saw hotels and guesthouses built along the railway line, steadily bringing tourists to the coast. A road was built in 1925 which is when tourism really boomed. It was particularly popular with soldiers returning from the Second World War and earned the nickname Gold Coast by real estate speculators and journalists. The name was officially adopted in 1958.
Heading to Australia? Every single spot (and more) that I mention in all my blog posts about Australia (including its three external territories) can be found in my Ultimate Australia Map!
This is a digital map featuring hundreds of my favourite:
- restaurants and cafés
- campgrounds and accommodations
- shops
- photo spots
- museums and galleries
- beaches and lakes
- places to see animals
- bridges and viewpoints
- hikes
- snorkeling spots
- AND SO MUCH MORE!
Each pin includes the exact location (plus the ability to open it directly in Google Maps), lots of photos for inspiration, detailed information to help you visit the spot plus a link to my relevant blog post to read lots more about it.
Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to the Gold Coast. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. On the Gold Coast, the traditional language of the Yugambeh people is Yugambeh.
→ Learn more about the language of the Yugambeh people.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data/WiFi: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
Free WiFi is provided by Gold Coast City Council throughout many areas of the CBD on the "SurfNetwork" network. Major shopping centres, cafes and restaurants also offer free WiFi.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. The Gold Coast, the second-largest city in Queensland, can get very hot and busy in the summer, especially around school holidays, and cool in the winter months. I recommend visiting in spring (September-November) or autumn (March-May) for pleasant, sunny days.
Length of stay: I spent three days exploring the Gold Coast including the many beaches and downtown area.
The Gold Coast is the sixth-largest city in Australia (and the largest non-capital city) and the second-largest in Queensland only after Brisbane. About 750,000 people live here, so it is a major destination to fly into.
By flight: The Gold Coast is serviced by its own airport, the Gold Coast Airport, connecting directly with multiple domestic and international destinations. The boundaries of the airport actually lie across both Queensland and New South Wales.
From the Gold Coast Airport, it is easy to get to the different neighbourhoods of the Gold Coast. Depending on where you're going, it'll be about 15-30 minutes by car or 30-45 minutes with public transport. Uber is also readily available here.
By car: If you're driving around the country as we are in our campervan, then the easiest way to get to the Gold Coast is with your own wheels. The most popular way of exploring Australia is by camping - whether with a motorhome, campervan, caravan or a roof tent on top of a car. This gives you the ultimate freedom of going as fast or as slow as you like.
By coach: Both Flixbus and Greyhound run coaches to the Gold Coast from multiple stops along the east coast.
The Gold Coast is the sixth-largest city in Australia, home to about 750,000 people, so it's a fairly big place!
On foot: Within the individual neighbourhoods, walking is a great way to explore, especially along the coast passing all the beaches. Linking them all is the Gold Coast Oceanway, a walking route along the ocean allowing you to visit all the beaches and towns on foot. The walk took me about three hours with plenty of photo opportunities along the way.
By car: If you have your own wheels, of course you can drive yourself around.
→ Find out about parking on the Gold Coast.
By public transport: Translink runs a vast bus, train, ferry and tram network around the Gold Coast, making this a super practical and easy way to get around.
→ Plan your trip by public transport around the Gold Coast.
By Uber: Uber is readily available throughout the Gold Coast.
By hop-on, hop-off ferry: With the numerous waterways throughout the Gold Coast, you can explore via the Hopo hop-on, hop-off ferry.
By guided tour: There are countless guided tours of all sorts on the Gold Coast available, no matter what you're interested in!
I visited the Gold Coast during a solo backpacking trip around Australia so was staying in hostels.
→ Find a hostel to stay in on the Gold Coast.
I stayed at Coolangatta YHA in a quiet neighbourhood on the Gold Coast. Surfer's Paradise has the most options but it can be busy! The surfing in Coolangatta is the main draw for this area and the hostel itself was spacious, clean and comfortable.
→ Check out all the accommodation options on the Gold Coast.
The Gold Coast stretches between Coolangatta in the south all the way up to Southport in the north. Each neighbourhood on the Gold Coast typically has a surf club, plenty of beachfront and shopping and dining area.
Go surfing at Snapper Rocks
One of the best surf spots on the Gold Coast is Snapper Rocks. Don't surf? It's a beautiful beach in itself and perfect for going for a stroll along the Oceanway or hanging out on the sand watching the waves crash in.
Explore Burleigh Head National Park
Burleigh Head National Park is a small but beautiful coastal park with beautiful views of the ocean and the surf. Walk the Ocean View Track from which you can spot the famous skyscrapers of Surfer's Paradise off in the distance.
Take in the view from Mick Schamburg Park Lookout
The view from Mick Schamburg Park Lookout is my favourite on the entire Gold Coast overlooking the beach and ocean with the iconic Surfer's Paradise on the horizon.
2026 update: When I returned to Australia in 2026 with my partner to drive the lap of the country in our campervan, this lookout was the only place we returned to on the Gold Coast, that's how much I love this spot!
The lookout in 2026
Take in the view from Lores Bonney Lookout
For a great view of the beach stretched out in front of you to the horizon, climb up the steps to Lores Bonney Lookout. The path does not continue here even though it looks like it does; I tried and reached a dead-end...and a snake!
Hang out on Mermaid Beach
Given my name (Meerman - meaning merman in Dutch), I had to stop here at this delightful white sand beach. The ocean seems to stretch on forever and it's just windswept and lovely. It's also not as busy as the beaches closer to Surfer's Paradise.
Visit Broadbeach
Broadbeach is where the touristy part of the Gold Coast begins, completing the trio along with Surfer's Paradise and Southport drawing big crowds and surfers. I recommend walking along the esplanade.
Explore Surfer's Paradise
Surfer's Paradise is the central hub of the Gold Coast with markets, busy shopping and restaurants and the most popular surfing. I felt it was too touristy for my liking but I did enjoy wandering the promenade the beach. There's also an evening market that happens along here with lots of events for visitors to enjoy and attend.
BOOK AN EXPERIENCE ON THE GOLD COAST!
PIN THIS POST TO REFER BACK TO LATER!
GET READY TO TRAVEL!
— Book tours and experiences - with GetYourGuide
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (North America)
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (Europe)
— Find a place to stay - with Booking.com
— Choose a hostel to stay at - with Hostelworld
— Purchase global travel insurance - with World Nomads
— Load an international eSim on your phone - with AirAlo
— Start your own travel blog - with Hostinger
— Join the GetYourGuide Travel Creator Community - with GetYourGuide
Discover more from Jana Meerman
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
