The Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is one of Australia's favourite lifestyle destinations. It is a progressive and dynamic city that has been identified as one of the most desirable places in the world to live, ranked on political, social, economic, environmental safety and health factors.

Stretching from Beenleigh and South Stradbroke Island , in the north, to the NSW border, and west to Tamborine Mountain and Beaudesert, it is Australia's sixth largest City and among the nation's fastest growing. A population of 565,705 was counted in the Gold Coast in the 2006 Census, showing 2.7% per annum growth since 2001. The city was predicted to have around 657,000 residents by 2011.

Located just south of Queensland's capital, Brisbane, the Gold Coast region encompasses 5000sq km, with 70km of coastline. It is a network hub, connected by the 8-lane Pacific Motorway, Pacific Highway and rail, served by two international airports and with some 270 km of navigable waterways. Our cutting edge industries-marine, creative and film, hospitality, information technology, education, sport and health, to name a few- are world leaders.

The sub-tropical climate is much envied, inviting open-air activities and an active lifestyle. There are more than 500 restaurants, over 40 resorts, public and private golf courses, world-class sporting facilities and an exciting event calendar showcasing culture, sport, racing, music, wine and fine food. Environmental diversity is astounding, from white sandy ocean beaches and islands, to spectacular rainforests, more than 100,000 ha of nature reserves and World Heritage National Parks.

The Gold Coast nurtures a vibrant artistic community, with around 84 art galleries, 22 drama and theatrical groups and 300 cultural organisations. It is also a centre for learning excellence, with four universities, four TAFE college campuses and tremendous range of high quality public and private schools.