Gold Coast

Home to huge white beaches and shiny skyscrapers shooting up high above them, the Gold Coast can amaze as much as it can test your limits. Situated in southeastern Queensland, close to Brisbane, it’s a place that thrives on action.

Visitors come to feel the legendary surf, let the adrenaline flow at the theme parks and spend the nights bar-hopping. Surfers Paradise marks the epicentre of the buzz, while other areas, such as Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads, provide (good or bad) less noisy versions.

If you need to catch your breath, escape to the waterfalls and slow-paced villages of Tamborine Mountain in the lush hinterland. For a taste of how the Gold Coast used to be, head down to Byron Bay, where the high-rises are still nowhere to be seen.