| Language |
English (Australian)
|
| Population |
524,667 estimated as at
30 June 2007 (Source: ABS)
|
| Location |
East Coast Australia, Southern Hemisphere
South East Queensland
Latitude: 28° 0' 0 S, Longitude: 153° 25' 60 E
|
| Time
Zone |
Australian
Eastern Standard Time (AEST): GMT +10 hours
Queensland
does not observe daylight savings.
NSW
observes daylight savings from 1st Sunday in October to the 1st Sunday
in April. Clocks move forward 1 hour in October and are moved back 1
hour in April. NSW Daylight savings projected dates.
|
| Seasons |
Summer - December to
February
Autumn
- March to May
Winter
- June to August
Spring
- September to November
250 to 300 days of sunshine per year. Seasons tend to merge during the cross over months.
Weather is also relative to where you are coming from. You need to consider the season, temperature and humidity of your departure point relative to Gold Coast, when planning your Gold Coast travel.
These weather considerations will help you work out what to pack for your visit.
Warmer months
October to April.
Cooler months
May to September.
|
| Weather |
Average Summer Temperatures:
19 to 29 Celcius
(66 to 83 degrees
Fahrenheit)
Average
Winter Temperatures: 9 to 21 degrees Celcius (48
to 69
degeres Fahrenheit)
Gold
Coast Weather information
Current
weather
|
| Currency
and Money Matters |
Australian
Dollar (AUD) Symbol $ or A$
$1 = 100 cents
Coins:
5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1, $2
Notes:
$5, $10, $20, $50, $100
Currency conversion information.
Travellers Cheques (checks) can be exchanged at banks and Bureau de
Change.
General
Banking hours:
Monday to Thursday 9.00am to 4pm,
Friday 9.30am to 5.00pm
ATMs available 24 hours various locations
Major
credit cards accepted - Visa, Mastercard, Diners Card and American
Express. Check each establishment for exact methods of payment.
|
| Weights
and Measures |
Metric (weights in kilograms, distances in kilometres)
|
| Telephone |
Public phones and international dial cards available.
Mobile/Cell: GPRS and 3G
Country Code: +61
|
Emergency
#
Police Fire Ambulance |
Fixed lines: Dial 000
Mobile/Cell phones: Dial
112
|
Electrical
Plug
Australian Electrical Socket |
220-240V
50Hz
Australian plugs have two flat angled blades and one vertical grounding
blade.
Universal 110V shaver sockets in
most accommodation.
|
| Airports |
If you are flying to the Gold Coast travel by air needs a bit of planning. There are two main airports that can be used, each has advantages and disadvantages.
|
| Rail |
Gold Coast travel by rail is mainly to and from Brisbane and through to Brisbane Airport.
There are plans for a new light rail system to connect the coastal areas, but until then the only railway stations are all inland with bus connections.
Main
line to Brisbane (QR CityTrain) and Brisbane Airport ( AirTrain).
Gold Coast stations at Coomera,
Helensvale, Nerang and Robina (end of the rail
line).
Bus
Connections:
Nerang Station
to Carrara, Broadbeach,
Jupiters Casino and Surfers
Paradise
Robina Station
to Burleigh,
Palm Beach, Currumbin, Coolangatta,
Tweed Heads and Kingscliff.
|
| Driving |
Drive
on the left hand side.
Residential speed limit is
50kmh. Near schools limits drop to 40kmh at certain times. Watch for
signs.
Highways are 100 to 110kmh as per speed limit signs.
Seat belts are
mandatory.
Strict drink driving laws apply. You can still enjoy your holiday but
catch a taxi, hire a limo, walk or take the bus!
Driving whilst using mobile phone
is illegal.
To hire
a car you will need a current drivers licence or
international licence.
Note:
Driving rules are more comprehensive than those shown here, these are
some of the major ones. You should ensure you understand the road rules
before driving in Australia. There are also differences in road rules
between the Australian states.If you plan to drive make sure you understand these before making your Gold Coast travel arrangements.
|
| Disability
Access |
Many facilities, accommodation and tours have some wheelchair and
disability access.
Check with the individual locations for more information.
The Gold Coast City Council has a basic database of wheelchair access information.
|
| Medical
Facilities |
There
are many medical facilities around the Gold Coast including doctors,
dentists, specialists, chemists, public and private hospitals.
The Gold Coast Doctors Medical Directory
enables you to pinpoint an appropriate medical service or facility by
type, location or name.
Medical
and Travel insurance are highly recommended for travel in and to
Australia. Medical treatments in Australia are on a user pays basis.
|
| Alcohol |
Legal drinking age is 18 and over.
ID is required to prove age.
Alcohol is only sold in licensed liquor outlets (bottle shops,
pubs and hotels).
Alcohol is not sold in supermarkets.
|
| Smoking |
Smoking is not permitted in indoor public places.
Cigarettes are only available for purchase to 18 year olds and over.
|
| Post
Offices |
Australia Post is the postal service carrier.
Australia Post can be found in most major centres.
Red
post boxes are for general post, whilst the yellow post boxes are for
the Express Post and Premium services as indicated on the boxes.
Australia Post outlets are generally open 9am to 5pm Monday to
Friday with some open 9am to 12pm Saturdays.
|
| Religion
and Worship Venues |
Australia is multicultural and there are many religions represented.
Temples, mosques, synagogues, prayer rooms and Christian churches can
be found across the Gold Coast.
Some restaurants
and attraction venues also cater for dietary requirements
including halal and kosher.
Some restaurants in the key tourist areas add halal menus during the
months of July and August.
|
| Tipping |
Tipping
is not compulsory, but to some extent is expected within the Gold Coast travel industry and in Australia in general.
However, if you get good service then tipping 10 to 15% of the bill would be appropriate.
I once heard TIP
described as : To
Insure
Perfection!
So
I guess if you are looking for a great service why not try tipping
beforehand and letting them know what your expectations are!
It's
not a guarantee, but the theory is they will be wondering what you
might give them afterwards and so will bend over backwards to give them
what you want!
Some restaurants charge a surcharge on Public
holidays - this will be noted on the menu and often on the counter near
the cash register.
|
| Australian
Visas |
Every traveller to Australia except
(Australian and New Zealand
Citizens with passports) require some kind of Australian travel visa.
Certain visitors are eligible for Electronic Visas or ETA's.
More information about Australian
Visas
|
| Customs,
Quarantine and Duty Free Shopping |
Australia
has limits on imports and exports of certain items. Please check the
Australian Customs website for more detailed information.
Some general areas to consider are:
-
Customs declarations need to be made on
entry to and exit of Australia.
-
Quarantine declarations are also made at
point of entry.
-
If
travelling from a Yellow Fever infected zone such as Africa or South
America you may be required to have had vaccinations. Check this
information.
-
Some heritage items may be protected
against export so check before you buy.
-
There are duty-free limits on imports.
-
Permits are required for commercial
goods.
-
Medications - make sure you bring a
letter or prescription from your doctor and declare through customs.
Official Australian Customs information
|
| Taxes |
There
is a Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 10% payable on most goods and
services. Travellers from overseas may be eligbile for a GST refund on
departure through customs.
Tourist GST Refund Scheme
|
Here is a quick guide to Gold Coast travel information. I have tried to include as much useful information as I can about travel to the Gold Coast. Much of this information is also relevant for travel to Australia from overseas.
