Can you tell me something about Gold Coast?

Question

I'm looking into several jobs in Gold Coast and also at couple other places.

I was just wondering Gold Coast is like? How expensive is it? Is a good area? How close is it from Brisbane? How's the transportation Sytem?

What would be a good option: Brisbane, Gold Coast or Perth?

Answer 1

Hello Sealove,
I used to live in Broadbeach which is a suburb on the Gold Coast.

The thing I found about the Gold Coast is that it is a great place for a holiday, yet living there is not the best.

I found that because the Gold Coast is more of a holiday destination and most of the economy is tourism based, the population is very transient. What I mean by that is people are coming and going all the time (holiday-makers, workers, etc) so therefore it takes a while to make friends.

Also, every year, there are two main events that pretty much bring the Gold Coast to a grinding halt.

The first one is the INDY car race. The whole of Gold Coast is locked down for a weekend and hundred of thousands of people from all over the world descend there. The locals hate it because of the noise, increased traffic and population increase.

The other one, is SCHOOLIES week. Pretty much every kid in Australia goes to the Gold Coast to celebrate finishing high school - and for two weeks you have drunken 17 year olds running around, getting arrested and falling over their 17th story apartment balcony.

The good side is, great beaches and great food. But the drought is really hitting home up there at the moment. They are on Level 5 restrictions which is really, really bad.

Anyway - all the best!

Answer 2

I lived in Bundall (the suburb next to Surfers Paradise) for two years. I loved it. I grew up in Brisbane then moved to the Gold Coast because hubby & I loved the beach. We moved into a home with canal frontage (Auntie's rental). It was great. Cheap living (food & clothing), great food and great beaches.

If you intend on moving there, it's very much a city. Tall buildings, heavy traffic, lots of crime and heaps of people. The beach's are packed most weekends so you'll end up driving around to find a place a little more quiet. There's a train running from Brisbane to the coast that takes a couple hours. There have also been talks that they will connect the train to the northern NSW suburbs (I currently live in Northern NSW). GC is only about a 1hr drive from Brisbane (as long as you don't travel down the highway at peak hours).

As for discount shopping, you've got Harbour Town, Sporty's Warehouse and numerous Surf wear warehouses. They also have the largest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere (Pacific Fair).

If you're worried about water then the Bayside suburbs of Brisbane are the smarter choice. Their dams are doing well (because they are by the bay) and I think they are currently on a lvl 2 restrictions. My parents still live there and love it. It's not too far from the coast, not too far from the city, but it's quieter, less congested, beautiful and everything's at your fingertips. Brisbane city is moving to a lvl 5 restriction soon (if not now).

As for Perth, I've heard housing is affordable there. I find it is a little out of the link (most people in Australia live on the eastern coast). There are plenty of jobs over there too. The population is growing in Perth. A lot of people are making the move.

Ultimately its up to you. Life is busy in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The Bayside suburbs are great if you're after a nice family environment. Perth is great to live as they are a growing city (though cyclones are a bit of a worry).

Answer 3

Go to Perth!

The Gold Coast is horrible. Take a beautiful beach, wrap it in plastic and smother it with neon advertising and you've got an image of what the Gold Coast is like. It's over-developed, tacky and ugly as sin. Did you hear that when Sarah Michelle Gellar was there filming Scooby Doo she and Freddy took a plane to Sydney (about 1000km away) to get a decent meal? You laugh at that as celebrity excess - until you go there and then you understand why.

From what I remember it is expensive. It is easy to get to by train from Brisbane (provided you don't need to go too late at night). There is a large highway between Brisbane and GC too - it used to choke up a lot but may have improved since recent renovations.

Answer 4

I agree with the majority about living on the Gold Coast, good for a holiday, but not to live.

You should also take into account the fact that Brisbane (and most of South East Qld) is running out of water!
We currently have severe water restrictions in place, so it should be a consideration to anybody moving here.

Answer 5

My 2 best friends moved there. One has left and now works on the cruise ships all over the world. And the other one is still there saving to travel with our other mate.

They loved it. The cruise ship girl said the novelty wore off and it is better to go there and visit. The other one who is still down there ended up in the suburbs of Brisbane because she didn't want to get sick of the Gold Coast itself.

Personally, i love to visit and only visit.

Answer 6

The Gold Coast is a tourist trap, with everything that implies. Expensive and tacky. Beautiful if you like rows of high rise buildings, which shade the beach in the afternoon. Surfers Paradise is the worst of it, but the blight extends along most of the Gold Coast.

Answer 7

I wanted a lifestyle change, so I moved to the Gold Coast from Sydney and it was the best thing I've done for a long time. Accommodation is affordable and as for things to do and see, the list is endless. 45min from Brisbane. Trains and Buses keep to a regular time table unlike Sydney.

Answer 8

DON'T GO!

Go to Cairns or Byron Bay instead, Gold Coast is too built up and too commercialized to really enjoy. It's like Las Vegas on the Beach.

Answer 9

nice place to visit i do it a lot from Brisbane(2/4)hour drive as to living there i don't think i would like it to expensive more suited for visitors

Answer 10

LIVING ON THE COAST IS VERY EXPENSIVE MOVE TO BRISBANE OR OUTER SUBURBS. HIGH CRIME RATE TOO MANY TOURISTS TO LIVE THERE