The People
Where friendly here!They say the first thing they notice about the Goldie is how much friendlier and laid back we are here compared to other cities. So get your smile out and say Good Morning and you'll be surprised with just how many people you meet. We love the outdoors! Outdoor dining, exercise, walking in parks and along the beaches, boating, kite-surfing, jet-skiing, surfing and so many other wonderful activities. We love dining by the broadwater or sitting by the sea. We love a beer at a surf-club or a coffee in the morning.
Don't think we are not career orientated. We are! This city has 2% of the nation's population and 4% of its businesses, 65,000 businesses and growing. We don't always wear a tie to business meetings but we do wear a black tie to the many social events we have here including top social events such as the Indy Ball, Business Awards, The Titans Ball, and many other must go social events. We live and take full advantage of our divine climate and take our health and wellbeing as seriously as our work.
People are moving here at an astounding rate but we don't just work we also live. So get a pair of walking shoes and get outside and get amongst it.
Where to meet the locals
Locals love the outdoors!You will meet us in the parks & beaches in the mornings, cafes for our morning coffee, surf clubs in the afternoons, a lot of our dining choices are out-door so pack a nice little cardie in your suitcase. We love our surf events, racing calendar, vineyards, business breakfasts, and of course where shopping mad. Where a pretty friendly bunch so don't be afraid to stop and just ask a local seriously now it's the way to meet people. I suggest starting in the morning through the parks, take the same track each day and then hit the cafes and try and go the same café each week so you can get to know the regulars and staff and go from there- familiarity is the key! If we keep seeing your face then we just assume you're a local and adopt you as one of our own.
The Business Person
Popular places for business people; Fridays on the Gold Coast are long lunches and networking. Some local haunts include: The Court House Hotel at Southport, Cav's Steakhouse at Labrador, Omeros Brothers and Saks at Marina Mirage Main Beach, Melba's Restaurant at Broadbeach, Mano's Tedder Avenue or next store at Tooleys Main Beach, Moo Moo's at Broadbeach opposite the Sofitel Hotel, and Oskars at Burleigh Beach.
Traffic
I love cities where the right lane is for the fast driver and the left lane for the slow driver but here its just do what you can!For us locals its traffic chaos but others say it's not too bad depending on where you come from. From 8am to 9am it's pretty much tune into your favourite radio station, drink your coffee and stay out of the way of those impatient ones and you'll get where you're going with a smile. At 3.30pm it's the land rover brigade, the mothers picking up their kids so it's a good time to stay away from schools and then at 5.30-6.15pm it's hectic again.
The Good News Is...
You can get to most places within an hour. Brisbane is about 45 minutes away travelling by train or by car.
We don't hail taxis here!
Other cities I am sure you just jump out on any corner or roadside whistling down the local cabbie, but here no. We are not saying don't give it a go but if it's a Friday or Saturday night and you are planning a big one starting with a reservation at water view restaurant we suggest you book. If it's a big racing day here we highly urge you to book. Don't be stuck waiting for others waving at all the taxis driving past you but not stopping. This town has grown immensely in a short period of time so if it is one of our big event times you will be standing on the street for ages.
Watch the roads! Many a visitor has come here thinking they will just run across the road and not wait for the lights like they do at home. The roads have changed here a lot in the last decade as well as the drivers I must say. Don't run across our roads there have been a few fatalities and we don't want you to be one of them.
Watch the Noise
Don't wake to the sound of jackhammers!Imagine you've just booked into your beautiful unit on the beach and at 6am you awake to some god awful racket, you didn't know there was a huge development taking place next store as well as that you didn't know it was garbage day and the echo's of bottles being pushed into garbage trucks would haunt you for over an hour. Well let us take that worry out of your holiday and read on.
Garbage Collection Surfers Paradise - 6.30am is a rough estimate for Sunday Mornings so keep your doors shut and your air-conditioner on I'm afraid otherwise you will wake early and not to the sounds of crashing seas and singing birds.
Current Development- Surfers Paradise Esplanade has huge development at the moment with increased traffic congestion, noise and the like. Broadbeach
Shop Hours!
We are not 24hours unless you filling up for petrol.Restaurants & Cafes
Weekdays - usually you can still order from the kitchen up until 9pm including restaurant takeaways.Weekends - usually orders are taken up until 10pm including restaurant takeaways
Always Book - With most restaurants on the Gold Coast its important to book especially in our busy times which these days is most of the year so to get the perfect table book.
Shopping Centres
Pacific Fair - BroadbeachMon-Wed, Fri, Sat 9.00am - 5.30pm
Thurs 9.00am - 9.00pm
Sun 9.00am - 5.00pm
Coles
Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri 9-9pm
Sat 9-5.30pm
Sun 9-5.00pm
Robina Town Centre - Robina
Mon-Wed, Fri
Sat 8.30am - 5.30pm
Sun 10.30am - 4.oopm
Oasis Shopping Centre - Broadbeach
Mon-Wed, Fri, Sat 9.00am - 5.30pm
Thurs 9.00am - 7.00pm
Sun 10.03am - 4.oopm
Woolworths
Mon-Fri 8-9.00pm
Sat 8-5.30pm
Sun 9-6.00pm
Centro Centre - Surfers Paradise
Mon-Fri 8.ooam - 9.oopm
Sat 8.00am - 5.30pm
Sun 9.00am - 6.oopm
Woolworths (same as above)
Timezone 9.00am - midnight
Australia Fair - Southport
Mon-Fri 9.00am - 5.3opm
Thurs 9.00am - 9.00pm
Sat 9.00am - 5.30pm
Sun 10.30 - 4.00pm
Harbour Town - Biggera Waters
Mon-Wed, Fri, Sat 9.00am - 5.30pm
Thur 9.00am - 7.00pm
Sun 10.00am - 5.00pm
Where to find the hot fashion shops
Shop till you dropIsle of Capri - between Broadbeach & Surfers a small shopping village with a sprinkle of interesting shops, great café on the canal
Chevron Island - a few speciality boutique stores worth a look see
Surfers Paradise - Circle on Cavill - designer shops, Chevron Renaissance - a mixture, Centro Centre - has a wide variety including Coles downstairs.
Main Beach - Tedder Avenue, a must if not for clothes, go for the deli, Marina Mirage- designer
Broadbeach - speciality stores around Broadbeach, Under Aria Building -designer, Oasis Shopping Centre - a wide variety including Woolworths, Pacific Fair- take half a day and then some.
Southport - I have to say a must now. Speciality Stores all through the high end of Southport CBD and of course Australia Fair Shopping Centre
Robina - Robina Town Shopping Centre - David Jones, Speciality Stores, also take half a day
Biggera Waters - Harbour Town- discount designer stores
Well Known Gold Coast Suburbs
Know your postcodeCoolangatta -Beaches and views as far as the eye can see, old Gold Coast feel
Currumbin Beach-Special, charming, great for holiday stay, views, not mainstream
Burleigh Heads-Beautiful, beaches, restaurants, charm, parks, walks, everything
Nobby's Beach-Along the beach its special, not well known, oldest motel on the coast 'Nobby Outlook',
Mermaid Beach-Millionaires Row-Hedges Avenue, Great Surf-club and Café, great walking area and near Broadbeach Park, start at top of Mermaid and walk all the way down to Broadbeach with all the walkers, yummy mummy's, rollerbladers etc. One way street with area for walking and riding
Broadbeach-Buzzing, Wide Streets- good for prams, wheelchairs, hot spot, great dining options, walking distance to Pacific Fair, Casino, Convention Centre, Oasis Shopping Centre, Beach, Parks and State Award Winning Restaurant-Moo Moo's.
Surfers Paradise- Forget the stigma, it's new and revitalised
Chevron Island- Quaint, Cool, Grungy, Small, little great shops, fantastic clothes, jewellery & hairdressers
Main Beach- The rich & famous, people watch, beaches,
Southport- The new CBD, Shopping, development,
Labrador- Water activities, fishing, along the broadwater, great restaurants,
Runaway Bay- Boating, Broadwater, Views,
Varsity Lakes- New and exciting residential & business development on the Gold Coast, adjacent to Bond University and two minutes from Robina Town Centre, five minutes from North Burleigh Beach including Varsity Central which is a purpose-built business and innovation precinct at the very heart of Varsity Lakes. Part of the council's innovation project.
MT Tambourine- 40 minutes drive from the Gold Coast and is the most northerly plateau, positioned directly west from Surfers Paradise.
If you just moved here
Join a surf-club to meet other local residents; afternoons are the best time to get amongst the local crowd in the surf-clubs. Walk in the parks and along the beaches make sure you say hi and smile to people you meet, a lot of people like a chat in the morning! Join a swimming club at one of the swimming pools around the Coast. Rowing clubs are popular, get a personal trainer or better still join a busy gym. For other activities read further and see below (Local, Group & Outdoor Activities). Go to one of the many business breakfasts on at one of the well known hotels, read the Bulletin and watch for local events such as the Business Awards Dinner, Titans Ball or the ultimate social event with a more international flavour -The Indy Ball and also Indy Breakfast. Take the kids to a surf school or sign them up at the surf-club or any other multitude of outdoor activities that are available on the Gold Coast and before you know you will be living like a local.Local Sports
Become part of the Titans or Blaze Supporters. We love our sport and the Titans Football Team as well as the Gold Coast Blaze Basketball Team are taking the sporting world by storm and are attracting huge crowds not just from Gold Coast but many supporters are also coming and travelling by train from Brisbane as well. There are many social clubs attached to these sporting teams that you can join.National AFL Team in the near future will be represented on the Gold Coast. Stay tuned for updates. For further information see the Sharks Football Club.
How to Network
Want to increase your social networking. Start Simple!Tip 1) Introduce yourself to everyone you meet. Go to a café, talk to the waitress/waiter
Tip 2) Go back to the same place again and again so you become familiar to the business and the other regulars.
Tip 3) When you go to the restaurant ask who the owners are or managers, introduce yourself, tell them what you like about their business and once again go back that way you will start to get in the know.
Tip 4) Go to the right places. Which places are they you might ask? Well the local places of course, the ones that have stood the test of time. Here are a few well known local haunts; Melba's Restaurant & Bar with upstairs Nightclub in Surfers for over 25 years. The bar is full of locals most days. Koi Restaurant & Bar at Broadbeach owned by well known locals Peter and Danielle great on a Sunday. Cav's Steakhouse at Labrador is popular with the local business crew especially on Fridays and now the Court House Hotel at Southport is another popular Friday haunt for the well known businessmen & women on the coast. Oskars Restaurant on the water at Burleigh Beach is another top spot. Omeros Brothers, Fellini's and Saks Restaurant at Marina Mirage Main Beach are three top local well known establishments all with well known owners and staff. Ask to be put on their events list.
Where to find a good doctor!
For After Hour House Calls call Med Call (see traveller's emergency kit)All major shopping centres have medical centres in all suburbs
Surfers Paradise Medical Centre
Mermaid Beach has two medical centres on either side of the highway
Miami Beach Medical Centre
Where to find a good dentist!
My favourite local dentist yes my favourite dentist which means he doesn't have screams coming from the dentist chair and is a dam good dentist is at Isle of Capri Dentist Ian Wallace. For 7 days a week dental care - Mermaid Beach DentalFor after hour & emergency dental care (see traveller's emergency kit).
Who's a good cosmetic doctor?
(See traveller's emergency kit)Where do you get a great massage?
Our local favourites have been chosen through much research and hard slog!Paradise Spa Surfers Paradise- at the Chevron Renaissance, it's not a massage it's an experience and you will walk out a new person (water pools)
A quick and cheaper option but no less effective and one of our favourites is Comfort Joy Health & Massage Centre 55383728 (opposite the Hard Rock Café in the centre of Surfers Paradise)
Pure Indulgence- Pacific Fair Shopping Centre (great)
Where is a popular gym or one with childcare facilities?
Work your body!Beachhouse Fitness Centres - (Child Care Facilities) Tweed Heads Broadbeach & Southport 1300 662 222
Centrepoint Gym (a mainstream favourite) voted best health club on the Gold Coast 55971599
Fitness Express (young mainstream) Oasis Shopping Centre Broadbeach 55399555
Golden Door at Sheraton Hotel Main Beach (exclusive) 55313626
Where to take friends out to impress them
ImpressiveState Award Winner Moo Moo's Broadbeach
Award Winning Fellini Restaurant Marina Mirage Main Beach
Award Winning Omeros Brothers Restaurant Marina Mirage Main Beach
Award Winning Shuck Restaurant Tedder Avenue Main Beach
Award Winning Oskars Burleigh Beach
What is something really special?
Our local favouriteGondolas- its better than Venice! It will show you a Gold Coast you have never seen before. The ultimate in intimacy with either close friends or for the ultimate couple experience (see local business guide-'where a couple')
