Gold Coast

Gorgeous beaches, thumping nightclubs, excellent theme parks, and plenty of accommodations make the Gold Coast Australia's premier holiday destination. The region's permanent population of 390,000 triples to 1.2 million every summer as Australian and foreign tourists flock to the sun, sand, and parties. The term "Gold Coast" has a few possible origins, each of which addresses the its lure. Tourist officials say it's for the stretches of golden sand beaches; cynics point to high rises and tacky tinsel glitter; realists note the high concentration of visitors in their golden years, mainly in the towns north and south of pulsing Surfers Paradise. You can find personal space by the shore, but forget about it back in the grid. The little-explored but rewarding Gold Coast Hinterland, full of clean rustic towns and rainforested national parks, is a stark contrast from the unashamed artificiality of the coast. While some may find an extended stay culturally dulling, the glitz, noise, and tanning opportunities that comprise the ("oast's siren song ensure that passing travelers will succumb, if only briefly, to the well-hyped thrill.

Featured Destinations from Australia

Australia : South West

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Scots and St Michael's churches

Scots and St Michael's churches Located on the corner of Collins and Russell Streets, St Michael's is a unique Christian presence in the city of Melbourne. It offers a wide variety of experiences for growth and change. It is a place which affirms and encourages the best expression of who you

Australia’s PBL holds up following Packer death

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Mount Magnet

Mount Magnet Mount Magnet, the oldest surviving gold settlement of the Murchison, is 567km north of Perth on the Great Northern Highway. It is a small township which now survives on a combination of gold mining and services for the surrounding pastoral area which boasts some of the largest sheep stations

Barracks Arch

Barracks Arch This is the only remnant of the first military barracks constructed in Perth in 1860 for soldier settlers. St. George’s Terrace

Australia : Central West

Central West The cities and towns of the Central West lie between the rugged plateaus of the Blue Mountains and the stark dryness of outback New South Wales. The major route into the region from the east is the Great Western Hwy, which crosses through the Blue Mountains to Bathurst From

Australia : Southern and Darling Downs

Southern and Darling Downs A lush tropical crown atop a vast interior desert, the winterless Top End enjoys per¬petually warm weather; seasons here are divided only into the Wet and the Dry. Dur¬ing the May-to-October dry season, backpack-toting pilgrims descend on the city of Darwin to worship its twin deities: a

Pambula

Pambula The township of Pambula is located 1km from Pambula Beach with a rich history dating back the 1850s . Gold was once discovered on the Pambula Goldfields where precious gems may still be found today. Dolphins may be seen chasing food up the Pambula River and middens over 2000 years

Coorow

Coorow Located 262 km north of Perth on the Midlands Road, Coorow is a typical northern wheatbelt town with a tiny service centre which includes a hotel, a caravan park, a single main street and the inevitable bulk handling grain silos and railway line. The Coorow area was first settled in

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is a short and scenic drive south of Canberra. Here kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and emus run wild. Head off on one of the marked walking trails or, on weekends, take a guided walk with a ranger. In the summer months, there are spotlight tours