Planning a trip to the Gold Coast? We have all essential travel info 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 have them by the zillion.
Time zone
Australia — being the big brown land it is — has three
time zones. Queensland is on Australian Eastern Standard Time, which is Coordinated Universal Time plus 10 hours (what happened to Greenwich Mean Time?).
Most of the rest of the country has daylight saving, but lucky for you, Queensland stays the same all year round. It's well documented that daylight saving fades the curtains and confuses the cows … poor things!
Currency
The good-old Aussie dollar comes in a variety of notes — $100 (dinner for two), $50 (movies for two with popcorn and choc tops), $20 (night club shout), $10 (posh hamburger) and $5 (two beers at a bowls club) — and coins that buy you bugger all, except parking and lollies, 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 wear a bikini when shopping; don't compare the Gold Coast — or Australia — to home every five seconds (unless it's complimentary, of course); and don't walk home drunk by yourself.
Best time to visit (climate, high/low seasons)
Queensland winters are divine — hugely underrated but generally clear, blue and sunny. A bit cold at night, but you can sunbake 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 — suck big time, unless you like living in a fetid, tropical haze of humidity. Summer temperatures range from 19 to 29 degrees Celsius (66 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit).
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