"Home Town" Top 5 Page for this destination Gold Coast by goldcoaster

Gold Coast Travel Guide: 977 reviews and 1,672 photos

Looking South down the Gold Coast - Gold Coast

This is my home town. Not the place I was born which is on the other side of the world or the place I grew up but the place I choose to call home.

It is a tourism hotspot in Australia. Alot of people are surprised when I say where I live because the feeling is that not many people live here, that we are all just impermanent. But it is the sixth largest city in Australia and growing. It really is a great place to live. Some of the best beaches on the planet, 42 kilometres of golden fine grain sand, with world heritage listed rain forest only 30 mins away.

Sure it is tacky. Sure there are too many high rise buildings. Sure there are rip off real estate agents, those refugees from 1980s get rich quick schemes that the gullible still fall for. But we have the world's only Versace hotel. We have world class surfing, diving and fishing. We have polar bears and koalas. Theme parks and family picnic parks. That's why I love it. It is the extremes at both ends of the scale.

I drove taxis here for six years and in that time have seen almost everything this town has to offer. I've been in the best hotels and the trashiest dives. Have a guy leave $100 000 cash in my cab and found a lady dead in her car after ODing. Ask me anything and I'll give you a honest answer.

Autumn Colour

This a a photo from my front yard with the trees getting ready for the 4 weeks of winter.

We have lots of birds and other animals around here as well. This is a mating pair of mangrove kingfishers that nest in our backyard, much to the consternation of our cats who are too old to catch them.

Other avian visitors include a family of currawongs, rainbow lorikeets, cockatoos, galahs, a blue crane and a partridge in a pear tree. The prettiest would have to be the splendid blue wrens or the firetail wrens but getting photos of them is like nailing jelly to a wall.

This is a little butcherbird in our trees.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Great beaches, friendly people, good restaurants
Cons:Surfers Paradise.
In a nutshell:All that glitters...

Intro Updated May 15, 2006
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Reviews (25)

Good Golfing Hotel Hotels (5)

The rooms are a little small but the golfing really makes up for it. You aren't going to spend alot of time in the room... more travel advice

Bushwalking Binna Burra Off The Beaten Path (3)

If you want to really challenge yourself with a bush walk, head to Binna Burra and try some of the loop tracks there.... more travel advice

Mambo Italiano! Restaurants (4)

What I love about this place, aside from the excellent food, is the fact it is a genuine family run restaurant. Josie... more travel advice

The Aqua Duck Transportation (2)

This is a bit of an unusual way to see the Coast. Called the Aqua Duck, it is an amphibious vehicle that gives you a... more travel advice

Favorites (1)
Beware Schoolies time.
Things to Do (2)
See All Sea World id the best theme park.
Sports & Outdoors (2)
See All Golf Mecca
Nightlife (2)
See All 3 am Nightclub lock out

Comments (23)

Mr.Sparkle Jul 8, 2009 at 10:47 PM Report Abuse

hey goldcoaster, some great tips here. I will look at your page more closely over the next few days. I'll be coming your way in sept. maybe they'll be a VT or something. I'll try to set something up i think.
sunnytraveller Sep 14, 2008 at 1:42 AM Report Abuse

The coffee shop and bar within the hotel are vacant ! Also, errors with check-in and booked services resulted with a rude response from the reception manager; no apology, all blame entirely to the booking agent. We won't be staying there again.
Travmad Apr 30, 2007 at 4:42 AM Report Abuse

Good tips on the area!
pepples46 Aug 11, 2006 at 12:03 AM Report Abuse

not a bad place to call home. thanx for the warning about the local lingo
nicolaitan May 17, 2006 at 9:05 AM Report Abuse

Nice Gold Coast page - looks pretty, longing for more fotos.
Katie_girl Nov 15, 2005 at 9:17 PM Report Abuse

Mate i live on the Gold Coast and you couldn't of put it down on a page any better. So true what you say and nice to here a local telling it like it is! :)
starship Jun 20, 2005 at 2:38 PM Report Abuse

Looks like just a wonderful place to take a vacation and obviously a wonderful place to live too! Great tips!
tony248 Jan 17, 2005 at 5:50 PM Report Abuse

Very interesting page. Honestly written and to the point. Add more on your "home town", please. Thanks!
Wild_Orchid Dec 8, 2004 at 10:45 PM Report Abuse

hi Lee, everything you say about the Gold Coast is so apt. You do sound like a trustworthy guy and if I get there, you can drive me around any time. Happy Travels! )
rozehill Nov 29, 2004 at 9:38 PM Report Abuse

Those accommodation tips are very good. Seems local knowledge is the best. The water safety tip of RIPS is very good and very appropriate! I was last there 25 years ago and the place was not so inhabited then.