View Larger MapImagine lying close-eyed on the sands of a golden beach with the warming rays of the sun gently feathering your body with its kisses. The slight breeze coming across the ocean keeps you from over heating while the sounds of waves breaking in the ocean and children playing joyously nearby, lull you into a blissful doze. You are drifting in and out of a dream-like state where you reflect on the waves of the morning, as earlier today, when the waves were a little bit cleaner, you spent a couple of hours in the ocean catching them. You well and truly got your share in the surf, getting your exercise, your excitement and your sense of achievement all in one hit. What a way to spend a summer holiday, it is as if you have booked a trip to heaven.
The beaches on Australia’s Gold Coast really are a treasure. Stretching from Duranbah in the south (which is actually in the northern part of the state of New South Wales) through to South Stradbroke Island in the north (which is in the south east corner of Queensland), there are miles and miles of sun drenched, golden sanded shores to explore and enjoy. With bike trails, surfboards to hire, Surf Life Saving Clubs and restaurants to visit and conveniences everywhere, it is easy to see why some people never go anywhere else on the Gold Coast, other than to the beach.
So what do you need to know to enjoy our beautiful beaches? It is simple really. From wherever you are now, book a flight and fly into Coolangatta Airport on the Gold Coast. From there, head east. In fact, no matter where you are on the Gold Coast, if you head east you’ll get to the beach. So if you get lost, ask someone which way is east, travel in that direction and soon enough you’ll find yourself.
Life guards and/or lifesavers patrol our beaches all year round, at least between 9am and 5pm. In the holiday months, this is often extended. So if you want to swim somewhere under the safe and diligent eyes of our patrolling life guards and life savers, just look for the patrol areas which are highlighted by the red and yellow flags. Go and have a chat to them too if you are unsure about the conditions in the water. They will tell you everything you need to know from water temperature, to where the rips are, to safety in the water and areas to look out for.
