The Gold Coast is in the state of Queensland, approximately 66km south-southeast of the state's capital Brisbane and north of the border with New South Wales.
The Gold Coast is the 6th largest city in Australia, the largest non-capital city & the 2nd largest city in Queensland. The suburbs of Southport and Surfers Paradise form the Gold Coast's commercial centre.
The Gold Coast is a major tourist destination with a sunny subtropical climate and widely known for its popular surfing beaches. The city consists of 70km of coastline with some of the best surf breaks in Australia. There are also beaches along many of the Gold Coast's 860 km (530 mi) of navigable tidal waterways. The Gold Coast is also well known for its high-rise dominated skyline, theme parks, nightlife, and rainforest hinterland. The theme parks including Dreamworld, Sea World, Wet'n'Wild Water World, Warner Bros. Movie World, WhiteWater World, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, David Fleay Wildlife Park, Australian Outback Spectacular, and Paradise Country.
Another famous tourist attraction are the Surfers Paradise Meter Maids. To avoid tickets being issued for expired parking, the Meter Maids dispense coins into the meter and leave a calling card under the windscreen wiper of the vehicle.
It is also the third largest film production centre in Australia, behind Sydney and Melbourne. The Gold Coast is hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The Gold Coast has almost half of it covered by forests of various types, which includes small patches of near-pristine ancient rainforest, mangrove-covered islands, and patches of coastal heathlands and farmland with areas of uncleared eucalypt forest.
The Gold Coast 600 (formerly known as Lexmark Indy 300) is a car racing event held annually, usually in October. The course runs through the streets of Surfers Paradise and Main Beach.
