To the south of Brisbane, there exists a city that thrives on tourism, water sports, and vacationing. That city is called Surfer’s Paradise and it sits on a stretch of coastline that’s known as the Gold Coast. A combined $14AUS ticket pays for the hour-long train trip and the fifteen-minute bus ride into the city centre. Even though my brother & I don’t surf (yet), we still made the trek down to this tourist hot spot on a sunny day that was peaking in thirty-degree temperatures. Wearing sunscreen is a must.
The train drops you off on the city’s outskirts but you can still see the high towers that make up the coastline cityscape. While on the bus, you pass luxury suburban neighbourhoods, the kind you see next to famous amusement parks like Disneyland. Upon entering the city centre, you notice that every bit of space is not wasted, with palm trees lining the main streets, expansive malls coated with assorted beach colours, and hotels & luxury condos stretching into the clear blue sky. Pedestrians are everywhere, walking alone, with friends, relatives, and/or children, looking at what to buy, where to eat, and when to head to the beaches.
I suggest to wear sunglasses at all times because the sun reflects off everything. The beach setting reminds me of Miami but the tall skyscrapers have me thinking of Dubai. Both thoughts are odd because I have yet to visit those cities.
We dropped into a restaurant/slot machine place for a light lunch – I had a delicious Caesar salad whereas my brother Roman had a steak. From there we explored the beaches. In Australia, you’re only allowed to swim in designated areas marked by flags & patrolled by lifeguards who are heavily sponsored by DHL. Swimmers, surfers, BBQers (tanners), and people playing beach cricket make up the majority users of this vast sandy coastline. As an added form of entertainment for some, the wearing of bikini tops is optional for women.
After walking a good length of the beach, we headed inland, exploring the main streets and its immense wealth of tourist trap merchandise. Anything associated with beach culture can be found on sale, next to the generic hair salons, music stores, and restaurants. There’s even a small amusement park with rides for families & thrillseekers. Surfer’s Paradise boasts the tallest residential tower in the world. Queensland Number One (Q1), a tall clear glass luxury condo structure that’s also the city’s centerpiece, stands at a height of 322.5 metres (1058ft). If I were rich, I would definitely buy a condo in this building.
Upon the arrival of late afternoon, Roman & I decided to find a suitable restaurant for dinner, the lucky winner being Hard Rock Café. I decided to forgo the consumption of alcohol when my plate of beef fajitas arrived, choosing to wait for my brother’s birthday. After happily paying for the meal with our parents’ credit card, we took a bus back to the train station just as the sun began to set on the horizon. We managed to catch the early train by a slim margin. By the time I made it back to the hostel, I was so tired that I just flopped onto my bed and dozed off.
To Be Continued . . .
To the south of 
The train drops you off on the city’s outskirts but you can still see the high towers that make up the coastline cityscape. While on the bus, you pass luxury suburban neighbourhoods, the kind you see next to famous amusement parks like 
We dropped into a restaurant/slot machine place for a light lunch – I had a delicious Caesar salad whereas my brother Roman had a steak. From there we explored the beaches. In 
After walking a good length of the beach, we headed inland, exploring the main streets and its immense wealth of tourist trap merchandise. Anything associated with beach culture can be found on sale, next to the generic hair salons, music stores, and restaurants. There’s even a small amusement park with rides for families & thrillseekers. Surfer’s 
Upon the arrival of late afternoon, Roman & I decided to find a suitable restaurant for dinner, the lucky winner being Hard Rock Café. I decided to forgo the consumption of alcohol when my plate of beef fajitas arrived, choosing to wait for my brother’s birthday. After happily paying for the meal with our parents’ credit card, we took a bus back to the train station just as the sun began to set on the horizon. We managed to catch the early train by a slim margin. By the time I made it back to the hostel, I was so tired that I just flopped onto my bed and dozed off. 
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