A BRIEF HISTORY QUICK FACTS For 23,000 years before European settlement, the Gold Coast was home to traditional owners and custodians, the Yugembeh people. The first Europeans visited the area to source timber. By the end of the 19th Century, locals from Brisbane traveled by boat to the Gold Coast to spend some time seaside. In 1885, the State Governor built a seaside home in Southport, catapulting the region into a fashionable resort location for the wealthy and influential. By 1889, the train line was extended from Brisbane and in 1925 a new coastal road linking Brisbane to the beach was completed. The seaside towns that dotted the coast became an ‘R&R’ haven for the thousands of Australian and Allied Armed Forces during World War II who introduced milk bars and jazz music to local culture. In 1933, the township around a prominent hotel was named ‘Surfers Paradise’. It became the place to buy and sell land in the The first high-rise was built in Surfers post-war real estate boom. Paradise in 1959. In less than a century, the In 1949, the towns from Southport to Gold Coast evolved from a series of seaside Coolangatta joined to become the Town villages to one of the most famous holiday of the Gold Coast. While the name was destinations in the world. used to describe a real estate boom, it also In 2005, the Gold Coast was recognised as represented the golden sand, sunshine and an important part of Australian history and healthy living. With peace came prosperity cultural heritage, and was awarded icon and significant developments were built to status by the National Trust. secure the Gold Coast’s place as a major holiday destination, known for relaxation, fun DestinationGoldCoast.com/About and glamour. GoldCoast.qld.gov.au/TheGoldCoast B A Yaaa 0 POWERFUL CONTRASTS

DARWIN Ja Few places in the world serve up cruisy coastal Oma W digs alongside hidden hinterland gems and swanky

BRISBANE city establishments. On the Gold Coast, each Pmpama GOLD COAST S CANBERRA neighbourhood knocks up a flavour entirely its own. PERTH S ADELAIDE SYDNEY I MELBOURNE THE SOUTH HOBART PACIFIC HIGHWAY Cma Saa C Revel in the relaxing vibes akin to the retro beach culture of days gone by, sip a pale ale with surfing Paa P legends, make friends with laid-back locals at O Raa Ba beachside burger bars (where going barefoot is encouraged), and meander along the crystalline Ha Sp Baa shoreline that stretches from Palm Beach (‘Palmie’) G Ca Saa down to Coolangatta (‘Cooly’). M T A Laa T Sp S CENTRAL Ma Ba For cosmopolitan coolness cruise north along the Na F R sand from Burleigh to Main Beach to discover an Na Am S P urban hood turning on more swag than meets the Caaa eye. Expect night bites, hatted restaurants, hidden and not-so-secret bars, shopping destinations and PACIFIC HIGHWAY B Mma perfect beaches. GOLD COAST Mma Ba HIGHWAY NORTH Mam

Ra Jam-packed with joie de vivre, the north is known QUEENSLAND B H for charming all in a matter of moments. Feast in

R sophisticated settings by yacht-filled marinas, settle C P B in for a bit of deck-side wining and dining on the C Broadwater, or dial up the pace and let the nostalgia Nma F R kick-in at theme parks that rise from the sand. T C G C A HINTERLAND Wa L Cm Ka T H Va Just a stone’s throw away, the Springbrook and Sp Lamington National Parks tucked away in the Naa B Springbroo National Par Fa Ha hinterland seem to be from a different world. Lamington Breathe in the infinite views that stretch across Cm R P National Par B A L an ancient realm, wander World-Heritage listed M Ca rainforests, cool off beneath a magnificent waterfall 1 K and extend your stay with a soul-soothing sleepover.

NEW SOUTH WALES DestinationGoldCoast.com/About Byron Bay