Australia's Gold Coast is a very unique city, and one of the world's best holiday and conferencing destinations. It has everything that is great about Australia, all in one easy to reach location. A spectacular coastline, World Heritage listed rainforest, an exciting city centre, theme parks, shopping, restaurants and year round events.
LANGUAGE
English is the predominant language on the Gold Coast. Translation services and multi-lingual tour guides are readily available on the Gold Coast and Telstra's Foreign Language Service offers phone assistance in a variety of languages.
CLIMATE
The Gold Coast receives an average of 8 hours of sunshine per day, 300 days a year. Its mild sub-tropical climate promises very attractive average temperatures no matter what time of year you visit.
Spring: September to November, 15-25C (59-77F)
Summer: December to February, 20-28C (68-83F)
Autumn: March to May, 16-25C (61-77F)
Winter: June to August, 11-21C (52-70F)
For weather forecast visit Bureau of Meteorology www.bom.gov.au
Sun protection is recommended all year round, even on cloudy days. Hats, collared shirts and high-protection sunscreen are suggested. Hinterland areas may be cooler or wetter than the coast. Carry a jacket or raincoat as well as comfortable walking shoes for any national park or farm excursions.
SAFETY
Australia is a politically stable democracy with a strong economy. Additionally, the Gold Coast has a low crime rate and no history of international terrorist activity. Visitors feel quite comfortable walking around the city's ctreets day or night and find local residents very willing to help when asked. At the same time, all travellers are advised to adopt a common sense approach to personal safety.
Increased global security measures require more stringent luggage checks and regulations at domestic and international airports.
For more information visit www.casa.gov.au
CURRENCY, BANKING AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Australian Dollar: 100c = $AUD1
Coin Denominations: 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1, $2
Note Denominations: $5, $10, $20, $50, $100
Currency exchange facilities are available at all international airports and key tourist centres such as Surfers Paradise. Travellers' cheques can also be cashed at banks and major hotels.
ATM's are widely available. Major credit cards are accepted at most shops, hotels and restaurants, with American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa the most common.
Banks are open from 9:30am to 4:00pm Monday to Thursday and from 9:30am to 5:00pm on Friday. Bureau de Change facilities have more flexible hours and are generally open at night and on weekends.
More: currency conversion www.xe.net/cc
PLACES OF WORSHIP
The Gold Coast caters to a mutli-cultural community with churches, temples, mosques and prayer rooms for all major religious denominations.
TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT
The Gold Coast has an extensive public transport network serviced by Surfside Buslines and Queensland Rail.
For information and timetables visit www.translink.com.au or www.qr.com.au
The Gold Coast is also serviced by Gold Coast Cabs and Regent Taxis.
The Airtrain offers two express trips from Brisbane airport to Helensvale and Nerang stations every day. The 24-hour AirtrainConnect service delivers a combination of train and chauffeur driven travel to take you door-to-door. The Gold Coast Airport offers a free shuttle service to the Gold Coast Highway from which public transport is readily available.
The Gold Coast FunPass entitles you to door-to-door transfers to all theme parks and major shopping centres.
For more information www.airtrain.com.au
ELECTRICITY
240/250 volts AC 50 hz Universal outlets for 110 volts (shavers only) are standard in hotels, apartments and motels. Adapters can be purchased from international hotels.