Australia Gold Coast in 2009

By Colin B. Richards

Queensland has so much to offer, several weeks could easily be spent discovering a wealth of amazing places. From the Great Barrier Reef and Australia's amazing Outback to World Heritage Rainforests and the Aussie beach culture.

Visit the vibrant cities of Brisbane and Cairns, the world heritage-listed Fraser Island, and the ancient rainforests of the Gold Coast hinterland.

The Gold Coast is one of the most popular regions here, it is a coastal city in the southeast corner of the state of Queensland in Australia, located between the state capital of Brisbane to the north and the New South Wales state border to the south.

The Gold Coast has long been a high-profile tourist destination for Australians and overseas travellers alike, but it is not only sun and beach, with many other things to offer. It also has a population of half a million residents.

Here are some highlights of any trip to the Australia Gold Coast in 2009:

• Surfer's Paradise - home to pristine and wide white beaches and superb water sports as well as approximately 21 theme parks including Sea World and Wet 'n' Wild Water Park.

• Tweed Heads and Coolangatta - twin towns located on the border between north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland. Coolangatta is in Queensland and a suburb of the Gold Coast. Tweed Heads is not administratively part of the city, but is effectively forms its southern suburb. Here you can join several tours and cruises.

• Tallebudgeera Creek - a popular swimming lagoon for families away from all the surfing action.

• Gold Coast Hinterland - home to three national parks, numerous mountains, creeks, waterfalls valleys, and natural rock formations. The area is mostly covered in sub-tropical rainforest, but sections have been cleared for dairy farm land and wineries.

My advice is to put Queensland on your list of travel destinations as it has so much to offer in addtiion to that coastline and sun.