Visiting The Gold Coast

Planning a trip to the Gold Coast? Essential travel information you need and more.

Visas

All visitors to Australia need a Visa. Refer to the Australian Government's website for details.

Electricity

Australia's electricity is 240V, 50hz and uses a three-pin angled plug (Type 1). If you forgot to buy a converter, shops in tourist areas often have them.

Australia has three time zones. Queensland is on Australian Eastern Standard Time, which is Greenwich Mean Time plus 10 hours.
Most of the rest of the country has daylight saving, but Queensland stays the same all year round.

The Aussie dollar comes in a variety of notes — $100 , $50 ,$20 , $10 and $5 — and coins , in denominations of $2, $1, plus 50, 20, 10 and five cents.

Cultural/social conventions

Say "Thank you"; tip if people deserve it; don't compare the Gold Coast — or Australia — to home every five seconds (unless it's complimentary, of course); and don't walk home by yourself at night.

Queensland winters are divine — hugely underrated (except by the ME tourists) but generally clear, blue and sunny. A bit cold at night, but just nice during the day. Winter temperatures range from an average of nine to 21 degrees Celsius (48 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit).
October is generally accepted as the best time of year. January and February — especially February —is testing, unless you like living in a haze of humidity. Summer temperatures range from 19 to 29 degrees Celsius (66 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit).

Wants more info on the Gold Coast? E-mail us.