Imagine Hawaii, only with wider, whiter beaches, and cheaper to stay and eat, and not so commercialized, and weather just a little more temperate, and Australian beer. Now you are starting to get the picture of Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia. With 70 km of beaches and several hundred km of tidal rivers and basins, water sports rule Surfers Paradise.
Many Australians believe that Surfers Paradise has been spoilt, and the whole of the Gold Coast area now has a somewhat dubious reputation for being a place where foreign tourists go to get ripped off or locals go for a night out in seedy strip clubs (which are plentiful). Although there can be no doubt the area has been overdeveloped, this reputation is probably a little bit harsh and in recent years many of the seedier aspects of the Gold Coast have been redeveloped into more lucrative upmarket ventures. The beaches are undeniably great but be aware that high rise developments just off the main beach mean that every afternoon huge amounts of the beach sit in the shadows!
