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Interesting Facts
- The Yugambeh people were the original inhabitants of the area, 23,000 years before the current lights and pizazz of the 'Gold Coast'. The Aboriginals lived off the abundance of the land and sea, allegedly training dingoes and even dolphins to hunt for them. There were many family clans in the area, and tribes visited from far and wide to hold corroborees and other sacred ceremonies where skyscrapers now stand. Although some descendants of the clans remain in the area today, you'll have to look hard to find traces of their traditions.
- One of the largest film studio lots in the southern hemisphere began in 1986 with four studios and has grown consistently. Now known as Warner Roadshow Studios, there are eight sound stages, three water tanks and ten production offices. Films made at the studios include The Starter Wife, Fool's Gold, Nim's Island, The Ruins, Lionsgate, Pictures in Paradise, the Scooby Doo films, Peter Pan, Ghost Ship, House of Wax and Aquamarine. The steady stream of celebrities keeps the Gold Coast profile high.
- Koala Cuddling in Queensland! Queensland is the only state in Australia where it's possible for tourists to hold a koala. To prevent the transfer of disease to the native animals, strict laws in the other states make it illegal for the public to hold a koala.
- Reaching up to 322.5 meters, the Q1 Tower dominates the skyline of Surfers Paradise and is currently the tallest structure of any residential building in the world. 'Q1' stands for 'Queensland Number One'; there are 526 apartments in the building, 1330 steps from top to bottom and on the 60th floor there is a mini rainforest skygarden which is lit up at night. The foundations alone extend 45 meters into the ground and the shape of the building was inspired by the Olympic torch and the Sydney Opera House.
- The ultimate in opulence, Palazzo Versace is the most expensive and luxurious hotel in Australia. Drawing on the architecture and design of the Renaissance Palaces of Europe, many of the lavish features (such as the spectacular 750kg chandelier in the foyer originally purchased by Gianni Versace for one of his villas) were imported from Italy. Much of the decor, including the cutlery and china, is Versace designed. Even if your budget doesn't stretch to a night in the Imperial Suite, it's fabulous to dine in one of the three outstanding restaurants, have a latte in the lobby lounge or sip a cocktail in the pool bar.
- Surprisingly, the 'Gold Coast' is not named after the color of the sand on its many miles of glorious beaches. The area was originally known as the 'South Coast'. In the late 1940s following World War II, property prices were booming - it became such a lucrative place to invest that Brisbane journalists coined the term 'the Gold Coast'. The local council took on the title of 'Gold Coast Town Council' in 1958, and the Place Names Board of Queensland officially gazetted the place name in April 1980. It remains an astute investment area, with some of the most expensive property in Australia.
- The Gold Coast is famous for the scandalous 'pyjama parties' of the late 1950s which were held at the Beachcomber and Seabreeze motels in Surfers Paradise. Developer and entrepreneur Bernie Elsey is credited with their inception. As patrons wore their pyjamas to dance in (allegedly of an all-too-often revealing nature, and indulging in all sorts of activities and not always with their spouse), the events compounded the Gold Coast's growing reputation for being a place of sexual freedom. The parties were regularly raided by police as alcohol and dancing in the same place was not permitted.
- If you're partying into the wee small hours and beyond ... beware the lock-out! To improve safety at late night venues, the Gold Coast implements a 3am lock-out to all late night licensed premises. If you're already inside, you can stay until the close of trade, but new patrons are not allowed to enter or (critically) 're-enter' after 3am. So if you go outside to get some fresh air or some nicotine (increasingly likely with the tightening of non-smoking laws), be sure to be back before the clock strikes 3!
- Schoolies Week: The Gold Coast has become hugely popular as THE place to party for students finishing high school. Teetering on adulthood, teenagers from around Australia make the pilgrimage to the Gold Coast, joining a throb of up to 30,000 out on the town with newly legal (the drinking age is 18 in Australia) and sometimes fake id. Celebrations last for a week and occur around the middle/end of November. Expect to see a fiesta of excitement and excess as students relish their new found freedom.
- Impossible to imagine in any other Australian city, the 'Meter Maids' are bikini-clad ladies introduced to Surfers Paradise in 1965 to combat the negative image of parking meters. The 'maids' toured the streets in gold lamé bikinis, popping 5 cents into expired parking meters and saving the car owners from being fined! The promotional gimic was a winner, and local businesses contributed a few dollars each week to the cause. The Maids are still around, and you may catch sight of the Meter Maid jeep, even if these days you're unlikely to be spared a fine.
