Gold Coast, Australia

The Gold Coast is a coastal region approximately 100(?) kilometres south of Brisbane, Australia that, over the past 50 years, has coalesced from a collection of scattered villages into a city of approximately 400,000 people - Australia's sixth largest - and Australia's largest tourist resort.

The subtropical climate, attractive surf beaches (the northernmost surf beaches in eastern Australia - ones further north are sheltered by the Great Barrier Reef), and savvy marketing have attracted millions of tourists both domestically and internationally, and a large industry has arisen to support them. The narrow coastal strip is consequently covered with high-rise apartments, hotels, nightclubs, and the usual assortment of shops selling cheap tourist paraphenalia.

Like the Florida coastline, the area also attracts large numbers of retired people.

To be covered:

• History of the region (first surfers in the 1950s, development through the Joh era, the arrival of Japanese tourists and developersin the 1980s).
• Description of the city (mention the hinterland development, for instance, the theme parks, the casino, golf courses etc).
• Environmental issues (they have to pump the sand onto the beaches)
• Reputation in Australia (cultural desert and retirement home)
• visitors guide (best time to visit, major events, etc).

Other places also use the name Gold Coast