Gold Coast

Translink runs public transport in the area, with buses, trains and the G:link tram. Its fare is flat: 50 cents on all its services (seen on 5 November 2026). Pay by tapping on and tapping off with a go card, a contactless debit or credit card, or Apple Pay or Google Pay. The go card is bought online, in shops or by phone, and at the airport it is sold at WHSmith. The G:link links Helensvale and Burleigh Heads with 27 stations. From the airport, route 777 goes to Burleigh Heads, where it connects with the G:link, and route 760 goes to Robina and Varsity Lakes station, with trains to Brisbane. The airport has no train station. Private operators, such as tourist boats, set their own prices.

Experience Gold Coast, the local tourism body, divides the city into four parts. North: Coomera, Oxenford, Helensvale and Runaway Bay, with the theme parks. Centre: Southport, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Miami, Burleigh Heads and Robina, with shopping centres, markets, breweries and live music. South: Palm Beach, Currumbin, Tugun and Coolangatta, with long beaches and waves known as Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Hinterland: Mudgeeraba, Nerang, Springbrook, Tamborine and Binna Burra, with rainforest and national parks. The centres of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach are Queensland Government Safe Night zones: venues that sell alcohol after midnight must scan ID at the entrance, unless exempt.

The seasons are the reverse of those in Europe. At the Gold Coast Seaway station (1992-2020 averages from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, collected on Wikipedia), January has average highs of 28.9 °C and lows of 21.9 °C. July has highs of 21.3 °C and lows of 12 °C. About 1,255 mm of rain falls a year. The wettest months are February (183 mm), January (137 mm) and December (135 mm).

Invest Gold Coast, from the city, cites as priority sectors tourism, sport and major events; health; education; the knowledge economy; and film and video games. According to Wikipedia, tourism is the largest local industry and provides about one in four jobs, and construction also carries weight. There is a real presence of theme parks, hospitality, film studios (Village Roadshow Studios) and the marine sector (The Boat Works, with about 80 businesses). These data describe the city. They do not guarantee a job.