Gold Coast: The Famed Resort Town in Australia

Finally, the sun was out after two days of chillin’ under the gloomy weather. We had one full day to wander around Surfers Paradise and after retiring at the end of the day, we knew that we’ve covered everything. The resort town of Gold Coast felt cold in spite of the warm weather. Nothing happened bad to us but everything seemed so staged here.

We had five days in Gold Coast and during the first two days, it rained incessantly. We only had three more days and the last two were set aside for a full day tour of Brisbane and our flight back home. We only had one full day and the sun showed up at the sunshine state of Queensland.

Safe harbour

It was right after our simple wedding in Zambales when we embarked on a two-week honeymoon trip to Australia. Although it was never our plan to have our celebratory trip in the Land Down Under, we had a sponsored deal with Scoot on a Manila to Sydney flight which was the perfect wedding gift.

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We got hold of our tourist visas last November after consulting with One Vine Migration (check my guide on How to Get Australian Visa in the Philippines). After which, we checked our reliable travel buddy, Klook App, for ongoing deals on discounted tours, activities and transportation in Australia. We initially booked our airport transfers to save time on figuring out how to get to the city.

Clear Island Lake

Our trip commenced in Sydney for a five-day jaunt. It was great as I got reacquainted with some of my relatives who made Australia as their home. We then bounced to Byron Bay for a quick trip on this hippie coastal town in New South Wales. Gold Coast was next on our itinerary and together with two of our best buddies, who somewhat crashed our trip, we discovered why it’s one of the popular holiday stops in the country.

Surfers on Surfers Paradise

Surfers Paradise was our haven. A popular beach destination during the 80’s, we specifically chose our accommodation in this area. Hotels in Sydney are somewhat more expensive than those in Gold Coast even though it’s considered as a holiday place.

The view of Gold Coast from our apartment

Rhapsody Resort was our first home. We spent three days here and it rained the whole time. Our plans of checking out the beach and trying out the bars were called off. It was fine though as our two-bedroom self-contained apartment was just the ideal place to get stuck to. We then transferred to Raffles Place Royale and spent our last two nights in Australia there.

Rhapsody Resort

The sun was out that morning. As we walked along the pavement, we noticed some banners that showed the preparations for the 21st Commonwealth Games which will be held in Gold Coast. We followed the path to where the people seemed going and reached the city center.

Gold Coast CBD

Shops and restaurants lined the road and a tram was in the middle of it all—the Gold Coast Light Rail. We continued where the flock seemed to be going which led us to Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise’s walking street.

Gold Coast Light Rail

Again, the street was surrounded with shops, cafés, bars and restaurants all the way to the Surfers Paradise Beach. Considered as Australia’s most iconic beach, which is commonly featured in postcards, the three-kilometer stretch of golden sand is home to beach-frolicking folks.

Cavill Avenue. A walking street going to Surfers Paradise Beach.

We reached the beach after crossing the paved boardwalk. A lifeguard was in sight and there were some who were enjoying their morning dip. Cautions were everywhere on where to swim safely and not.

Surfers Paradise Beach

It was hard to walk calmly along the shore as morsels of sand were piercing through our skin due to strong winds. I tried to take a dip but felt that the water wasn’t warm enough. Our beach trip ended shortly.

No one seemed to dare the huge waves

We tried checking the restaurants around the area but our depleting funds prevented us to dine there. We then went to a grocery store to buy rice and canned meat and went back home for lunch.

Lifeguards are stationed everywhere

After a much-needed afternoon siesta, we went back to the city center and strolled once again. Same thing happened once again, we felt bored and went back to our apartment after a quick stroll.

Seagulls everywhere!

Maybe it was our desire to peek through the locals’ way-of-life that prevented us to appreciate Gold Coast. The number of tourists was overwhelming and almost all establishments catered to them. I may be wrong but that’s how it felt. Or maybe the dynamic scene in Sydney and the chill vibe of Byron Bay overshadowed the dull shopping district in Gold Coast. Or maybe we weren’t into theme parks and water sports which made us hard to appreciate it. But then, we’re tourists as well and we should be having a good time. Nevertheless, we’re still grateful for the chance to visit Gold Coast and we will try to explore other parts of the country next time.

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