Surfers Paradise
Two miles of white sand at the foot of a wall of towers.
Duration
2 hrs – 5 hrs
Best time
Early morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
The name comes from a hotel: the Surfers Paradise Hotel, opened in 1925, and the district took its name in 1933. Property speculation did the rest, and the beach is now backed by an unbroken wall of towers.
That wall has a concrete effect: from mid-afternoon in winter, the towers' shadow reaches the sand and the beach empties earlier than elsewhere. In the morning, by contrast, it is in full sun and almost empty. SkyPoint, on the 77th floor of the Q1 tower, gives seventy kilometres of coast in one glance.
Getting there
G:link tram, Surfers Paradise North or Cavill Avenue stop. The beach is two minutes' walk from the line.
What to bring
- Swimsuit
- Cap
- Board
Rules on site
In winter the towers' shadow covers the sand from mid-afternoon: come in the morning. Swim between the flags — rip currents here account for a large share of Australia's rescues.
