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Surfers Paradise

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Surfers Paradise is the draw card of the Gold Coast. The skyline is illuminated by endless high rise apartments and hotels, stretching beyond the horizon. Surfers Paradise is where many tourists will spend the majority of their time dining and being entertained. With everything bustling till the late hours, there are heaps of things to do. Depending on your tastes, you could have a quick bite at the global restaurant chains, and go bar hopping and clubbing, have a modern Australia haute-cuisine dining experience, or just go shopping.

The Beach

The beach is why tourists come to Surfers Paradise. Drawing thousands of visitors each day, the white sand and blue skies makes it a place you want to stay. If you are the restless beach type, there is the added people watching that will entertain you for a bit longer, before you decide to get sucked back to Cavill Avenue, for a little retail therapy and shade. There is no doubt that this is one of the most spectacular beaches in Australia, due to the extremely fine, soft sand, and beautiful ocean views. I guess a drawback of the great beach is over development right behind it. Although this gives many people the opportunity to have an ocean view, it does reduce the natural beauty of the coast. But Surfers is not about tranquility and reclusion, it is all about relaxing and having fun!

A few things to be wary of when on the beach – do not leave your things on the beach unattended. This is a tourist beach and where there are easy victims, there are thieves. Bring sunscreen. You may say, I sat in the sun in Corfu for a whole day and I didn’t get sun burnt, but there is not a huge gaping hole in the ozone above Corfu. You want to enjoy yourself the next day, not looking like a lobster in all your holiday pictures, so slip slop slap! Because every day was clear and sunny, that automatically makes it an “Extreme UV” rating day, as classified by the Bureau of Meteorology (more info). Surprising, I did not see many sun burnt people on the beach, which is unusual.

Most of the people on Surfers Paradise beach are younger sunbakers. The holiday times are when the beach gets crowded, however since the beach is so long, it doesn’t mean you have to be sardined next to anyone. The sections which are patrolled by Surfers Paradise Life Saving Club are the most crowded as it is advised that you swim in the water between the flags (as there are surf life savers watching). On the day I visited, it was a red flag day, meaning it is advised that you do not enter the water. This did not prevent hundreds of people being in the shallower parts of the water. Just be wary of the flag colors and understand that this is a surf beach, which means the waves and rips are going to be strong.

Shopping and the Nightlife at Surfers

The main strip in Surfers Paradise is Cavill Mall, which is an extension of Cavill Avenue, which turns into Cavill Mall. The first part of the Cavill Avenue has through traffic, and the other half is the Mall, with pedestrian only thoroughfare. The Hard Rock Café is located on the corner of Cavill Avenue and Gold Coast Highway, and a popular meeting place for travelers. There are a heap of malls that weave in and out of Cavill Avenue, which house supermarkets, themed museums and too many surf clothing stores.

Although fewer and fewer locals are coming to Surfers Paradise now due to the parking problem, they do come for the nightlife. One reason for the locals to come to Surfers Paradise is to frequent the many bars and clubs. Embassy is the hot new nightspot, although the old favorite meat market of Melbas (46 Cavill Avenue) is still popular, 25 years after they first open their doors.

Go on the Adrenalin Park

And when you thought you were all rided-out from the theme parks, there are more at Adrenalin Park in Surfers Paradise! (Ph: +61 7 5570 2700, Corner Palm Avenue and Gold Coast Highway). The neon lights illuminating the Sling Shot ride and the Vomatron can be seen miles away, exciting all who dare.

Sling Shot
The Sling Shot looks like a terrifying ride because it is. I know this because they film everyone as they get thrown up and come projecting down, hanging on by little elastics (which are really springs) tied to the metal capsule ball you sit in. A nice touch is when you are lowered down into the release chamber; they eject some smoke from the smoke machine, so you are confused and don’t hear the trigger go off for release. It’s good to see big tough looking men look terrified, while their girlfriends look excited and thrilled.

Bungee Jumping
In the same abandoned car park area, you can bungee jump, which takes you up on a crane to dive into a wading puddle. This is somewhat terrifying, as you don’t have much margin for error, but I guess you never do bungee jumping. You can also go on a flying ride called Sky Diver, which hooks you (and a buddy, if you need someone to hold your hand) up into a swing like a pendulum. You can live those dreams of flying like Superman on this free fall swing.

Vomatron
Then there’s also the Vomatron. I did not name this, that’s what the creators call it. The ride is probably best described by the people who created it…

The Vomatron can best be described as a giant propeller with seats on each end! Similar to the centrifuge used by astronauts to simulate rocket acceleration except it is mounted vertically. It is powered by 2 huge electric motors that rotate the giant 40 meter arm at speeds of more than 120 kilometers per hour, throwing the capsules into extreme spins putting 4gs of force upon its unwary passages. Then just as they think it is all over... We spin it in reverse with the same degree of pure torture as before (more info).

I think the Vomatron might be a little more frightening than the Sling Shot; however I had a bad experience with the Zipper when I was younger and anything that looks similar makes me want to get in the fetal position and rock back and forth.

If you find yourself going on all the rides, it can add up to more than going to a theme park. As at 01/01/06 the Fly Coaster was AUD30, the Vomatron was AUD15, and the Sling Shot was AUD30 (if you go a second time, it’s AUD20).