102-716: Gooding Drive (state route 50) is a major road on the Gold Coast, Queensland . The road begins at the intersection of Hinkler Drive in Worongary where it passes over the Pacific Motorway and runs through the suburb of Merrimac before terminating in Carrara where it joins up with Nerang–Broadbeach Road (state route 90). As part of the most direct route from the Gold Coast Highway at Broadbeach to
204-500: A World Heritage area in recognition of its "outstanding geological features displayed around shield volcanic craters and the high number of rare and threatened rainforest species". The area attracts bushwalkers and day-trippers. Important rainforest pollinating and seed-dispersing Black flying foxes (Pteropus alecto) are found in the area and may be heard foraging at night. The City of Gold Coast includes suburbs, localities, towns and rural districts . The declaration of Southport as
306-420: A GDP of AU$ 45.3 billion as of 2023. The city ranks highly as one of the country's cultural and creative hotspots, alongside content creators , a growing video games industry , and leads Australia in startups per capita. The Gold Coast is central to the nation's entertainment industry with a major film and television production industry, leading to the city's metonym of Goldywood . The Gold Coast
408-583: A Priority Development Area (PDA) and new investment into the CBD is driving transformative change and creating new business and investment opportunities. Waterfront canal living is a feature of the Gold Coast. Most canal frontage homes have pontoons. The Gold Coast Seaway , between The Spit and South Stradbroke Island , allows vessels direct access to the Pacific Ocean from The Broadwater and many of
510-423: A beach depends on whether the waves are constructive or destructive, and whether the material is sand or shingle. Waves are constructive if the period between their wave crests is long enough for the breaking water to recede and the sediment to settle before the succeeding wave arrives and breaks. Fine sediment transported from lower down the beach profile will compact if the receding water percolates or soaks into
612-409: A beach tends to indicate the energy of the waves and wind in the locality. Constructive waves move material up the beach while destructive waves move the material down the beach. During seasons when destructive waves are prevalent, the shallows will carry an increased load of sediment and organic matter in suspension. On sandy beaches, the turbulent backwash of destructive waves removes material forming
714-422: A division of the city. Businessman Tom Tate is the current Mayor of the Gold Coast , first elected in 2012. Former mayors include Ron Clake , Gary Baildon, Lex Bell , Ray Stevens , Ern Harley and Sir Bruce Small , who was responsible for the development of many of the canal estates that are now home to thousands of Gold Coast residents. At the state level, the Gold Coast area is represented by eleven members in
816-510: A few weeks at a time giving residents "the summer blues", while winter is pleasantly mild to warm with little rain. In fact, it is for this pleasant winter weather that both the city and the Sunshine Coast —the coastal region north of Brisbane—are internationally renowned. Extreme temperatures recorded at Gold Coast Seaway have ranged from 2.5 °C (36 °F) on 19 July 2007 to 40.5 °C (105 °F) on 22 February 2005, although
918-463: A filter for runoff from the coastal plain. If the runoff is naturally dispersed along the beach, water borne silt and organic matter will be retained on the land and will feed the flora in the coastal area. Runoff that is dispersed along the beach will tend to percolate through the beach and may emerge from the beach at low tide. The retention of the freshwater may also help to maintain underground water reserves and will resist salt water incursion. If
1020-401: A gently sloping beach. On pebble and shingle beaches the swash is dissipated more quickly because the large particle size allows greater percolation , thereby reducing the power of the backwash, and the beach remains steep. Compacted fine sediments will form a smooth beach surface that resists wind and water erosion. During hot calm seasons, a crust may form on the surface of ocean beaches as
1122-492: A lesser root ball. Erosion of beaches can expose less resilient soils and rocks to wind and wave action leading to undermining of coastal headlands eventually resulting in catastrophic collapse of large quantities of overburden into the shallows. This material may be distributed along the beach front leading to a change in the habitat as sea grasses and corals in the shallows may be buried or deprived of light and nutrients. Coastal areas settled by man inevitably become subject to
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#17327983322851224-465: A necessary and permanent feature of beach maintenance. During beach nourishment activities, care must be taken to place new sediments so that the new sediments compact and stabilize before aggressive wave or wind action can erode them. Material that is concentrated too far down the beach may form a temporary groyne that will encourage scouring behind it. Sediments that are too fine or too light may be eroded before they have compacted or been integrated into
1326-468: A rapid cycle of growth throughout the 1850s and 1860s. The growth was intensified by the practice among the Lancashire cotton mill owners of closing the factories for a week every year to service and repair machinery. These became known as wakes weeks . Each town's mills would close for a different week, allowing Blackpool to manage a steady and reliable stream of visitors over a prolonged period in
1428-539: A reputation as a secluded holiday destination for wealthy Brisbane residents. Post-World War One Era saw the rise of the "seaside shack". The seaside shack provided the opportunity for the coastal "getaway" with modest investment. From 1914 to 1946, they popped up all along the South Coast. Seaside shacks were exceedingly cheap and were an early use of the concept of recycling. Many were built of disused or second grade timber, all kinds of materials were used for
1530-501: A rise of 61 percent. Tourism remains fundamental to Gold Coast City's economy, with almost 10 million visitors a year to the area. In the past the economy was driven by the population derived industries of construction, tourism and retail. Some diversification has taken place, with the city now having an industrial base formed of marine, education, information communication and technology, food, tourism, creative, environment and sports industries. These nine industries have been identified as
1632-822: A series of works for Gold Coast Beaches including Gold Coast Seaway , works at Narrow Neck that resulted in the Northern Gold Coast Beach Protection Strategy and works at the Tweed River that became the Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project. By 2005 most of the recommendations of the 1971 Delft Report had been implemented. City of Gold Coast commenced implementation of the Palm Beach Protection Strategy but ran into considerable opposition from
1734-435: A shoreline subject to constant erosion and loss of foreshore. This is often required where the flow of new sediment caused by the longshore current has been disrupted by construction of harbors, breakwaters, causeways or boat ramps, creating new current flows that scour the sand from behind these structures and deprive the beach of restorative sediments. If the causes of the erosion are not addressed, beach nourishment can become
1836-485: A significant portion of the Gold Coast at the federal level since 1949; the three Gold Coast divisions have only returned Liberals since 1984. At the state level, Labor was fairly competitive in the Gold Coast for most of the early part of the 21st century. However, as part of its massive landslide in the 2012 state election , the Liberal National Party won every seat there. The LNP repeated its sweep of
1938-517: A small beachside holiday destination to Australia's sixth largest city (and the country's most populous non-capital city). Situated within South East Queensland's growth corridor, the Gold Coast is one of Australia's fastest growing large cities, with a 5-year annual average population growth rate to 2015 of 1.8%, compared to 1.5% nationally. Gross Regional Product has risen from A$ 9.7 billion in 2001, to A$ 15.6 billion in 2008,
2040-422: A tidal surge or tsunami which causes significant coastal flooding , substantial quantities of material may be eroded from the coastal plain or dunes behind the berm by receding water. This flow may alter the shape of the coastline, enlarge the mouths of rivers and create new deltas at the mouths of streams that had not been powerful enough to overcome longshore movement of sediment. The line between beach and dune
2142-562: A tourist-centred image, there is evidence of local resident-driven culture (such as surf gangs ) in geographical pockets and a broader 'Gold Coaster' identity drawn from globalised resort and real estate marketing material. The Gold Coast hosts cultural activities that attract tourists and residents alike. Music groups in this region include the Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra and Operator Please . Musicians Cody Simpson and Ricki-Lee Coulter are from
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#17327983322852244-401: Is a coastal city and region in the state of Queensland , Australia, located approximately 66 kilometres (41 mi) south-southeast of the centre of the state capital , Brisbane . It is Queensland's second-largest city after Brisbane, as well as Australia's sixth-largest city and the most populous non-capital city. The city's central business district is located roughly in the centre of
2346-438: Is a significant source of sand particles. Some species of fish that feed on algae attached to coral outcrops and rocks can create substantial quantities of sand particles over their lifetime as they nibble during feeding, digesting the organic matter , and discarding the rock and coral particles which pass through their digestive tracts. The composition of the beach depends upon the nature and quantity of sediments upstream of
2448-545: Is a twin city with Tweed Heads located directly across the NSW border. At 28°10′00″S 153°33′00″E / 28.1667°S 153.55°E / -28.1667; 153.55 , this is the most easterly point on the Queensland mainland (Point Lookout on the offshore island of North Stradbroke is slightly further east). From Coolangatta, approximately forty kilometres of holiday resorts and surfing beaches stretch north to
2550-900: Is almost 42 km of unbroken beachfront. Duranbah Beach is one of the world's best known surfing beaches and is often thought of as being part of Gold Coast City, but is actually just across the New South Wales state border in the Tweed Shire . There are also beaches along many of the Gold Coast's 860 km (530 mi) of navigable tidal waterways. Popular inland beaches include Southport , Budds Beach, Marine Stadium, Currumbin Alley , Tallebudgera Estuary, Jacobs Well, Jabiru Island, Paradise Point, Harley Park Labrador, Santa Barbara, Boykambil and Evandale Lake. Beach safety and management The Gold Coast has Australia's largest professional surf lifesaving service to protect people on
2652-517: Is also a subsidiary Magistrates Court, located at the southern suburb of Coolangatta . In 2013 a brawl between members of Outlaw motorcycle gangs also called "bikies" who fought each other outside a Broadbeach restaurant caused mass fear to restaurant patrons and police. This led to the toughest anti-bikie laws introduced in Australia known as Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act 2013 . In fifty years, Gold Coast City has grown from
2754-540: Is also host of the AACTA Awards and the Gold Coast Film Festival . The Gold Coast is a major tourist destination with a sunny, subtropical climate and has become widely known for its surfing beaches (such as Surfers Paradise ), high-rise dominated skyline, theme parks , nightlife , and rainforest hinterland . The Gold Coast is the ancestral home of a number of Indigenous clans of
2856-520: Is also investing into the quality and capacity of the Gold Coast Oceanway that provides sustainable transport along Gold Coast beaches. The Gold Coast experiences a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa/Cwa ), with mild to warm winters and hot, humid summers. The city experiences substantial summer precipitation mostly concentrated in thunderstorms and heavy showers with rain events occasionally lasting up to
2958-452: Is difficult to define in the field. Over any significant period of time, sediment is always being exchanged between them. The drift line (the high point of material deposited by waves) is one potential demarcation. This would be the point at which significant wind movement of sand could occur, since the normal waves do not wet the sand beyond this area. However, the drift line is likely to move inland under assault by storm waves. Beaches are
3060-662: Is less than one hour from the centre of Gold Coast, and direct trains operate. Gold Coast City has over 13,000 available guest rooms contributing over $ 335 million to the local economy each year. Accommodation options available range from hostels to five star resorts and hotels. Tourist attractions include surf beaches, and theme parks including Dreamworld , Sea World , Wet'n'Wild Water World , Warner Bros. Movie World , WhiteWater World , Topgolf , Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary , David Fleay Wildlife Park , Australian Outback Spectacular, and Paradise Country. Since
3162-455: Is the importing and deposition of sand or other sediments in an effort to restore a beach that has been damaged by erosion. Beach nourishment often involves excavation of sediments from riverbeds or sand quarries. This excavated sediment may be substantially different in size and appearance to the naturally occurring beach sand. In extreme cases, beach nourishment may involve placement of large pebbles or rocks in an effort to permanently restore
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3264-607: Is the region's biggest industry, directly contributing more than $ 4.4 billion into the city economy every year and directly accounting for one in four jobs in the city There are approximately 65,000 beds, 60 kilometres (37 mi) of beach, 600 kilometres (370 mi) of canal, 100,000 hectares of nature reserve, 500 restaurants, 40 golf courses and five major theme parks in the city. Gold Coast Airport provides connection across Australia and internationally with airlines including Flyscoot , Jetstar , Qantas , Air New Zealand , Virgin Australia and Airasia X . Brisbane Airport
3366-518: The 2018 Commonwealth Games . In the 2016 census , the urban area of the Gold Coast had a population of 540,559 people. According to the 2016 census , the population of the Gold Coast including rural areas was 569,997. The median age was 39 years old, 1 year older than the nationwide median. The male-to-female ratio was 48.6-to-51.4. The most commonly nominated ancestries were English (29.3%), Australian (22.5%), Irish (8.2%), Scottish (7.5%), and German (3.6%). 64% of people were born in Australia, while
3468-532: The Legislative Assembly of Queensland . The seats they hold are: Bonney , Broadwater , Burleigh , Coomera , Currumbin , Gaven , Mermaid Beach , Mudgeeraba , Southport , Surfers Paradise and Theodore . Federally, the Gold Coast area is split between five divisions in the House of Representatives : Fadden (northern), Moncrieff (central) and McPherson (southern) are located entirely within
3570-640: The Queensland Ballet . Musicals, plays and a variety of performances are regularly scheduled. The city is also home to the Gold Coast City Art Gallery . Film festivals and the Comedy Club host international artists. A redeveloped Gold Coast cultural precinct opened before the city hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games . The two most popular sports on the Gold Coast are Australian rules football and rugby league , of which
3672-567: The Shire of Nerang on 17 June 1949 with the effect of having the present-day Gold Coast coastal strip as a single local government area. As the tourism industry grew into the 1950s, local businesses began to adopt the term Gold Coast in their names, and on 23 October 1958 the Town of South Coast was renamed Town of Gold Coast . The area was proclaimed a city, despite the lack of a cathedral, less than one year later on 16 May 1959. The area boomed in
3774-633: The Surfers Paradise skyline, with the observation deck 230 metres (750 feet) high, and the spire extending nearly another hundred metres up. In total, the Q1 is 322.5 metres (1,058 feet) high, making it the tallest building in Australia . Another famous tourist attraction are the Surfers Paradise Meter Maids , instituted in 1965 to put a positive spin on new parking regulations. To avoid tickets being issued for expired parking,
3876-452: The seashore is most commonly associated with the word beach , beaches are also found by lakes and alongside large rivers. Beach may refer to: The former are described in detail below; the larger geological units are discussed elsewhere under bars . There are several conspicuous parts to a beach that relate to the processes that form and shape it. The part mostly above water (depending upon tide), and more or less actively influenced by
3978-487: The 1720s; it had been a fashionable spa town since a stream of acidic water was discovered running from one of the cliffs to the south of the town in the 17th century. The first rolling bathing machines were introduced by 1735. The opening of the resort in Brighton and its reception of royal patronage from King George IV , extended the seaside as a resort for health and pleasure to the much larger London market, and
4080-487: The 1980s as a leading tourist destination. In 1994, the City of Gold Coast local government area was expanded to include the Shire of Albert , becoming the second most populous local government area in Australia after the City of Brisbane . In 2007, the Gold Coast overtook the population of Newcastle, New South Wales , to become the sixth largest city in Australia and the largest non-capital city. The Gold Coast hosted
4182-448: The 1990s, with an expenditure of around $ 150 million per year. The Gold Coast is the third largest film production centre in Australia, behind Sydney and Melbourne. It is the filming site for major motion pictures including Muriel's Wedding (1994), Ghost Ship (2002), Scooby-Doo (2002), House of Wax (2005), Superman Returns (2006), Unbroken (2014), The Inbetweeners 2 (2014), San Andreas (2015), Pirates of
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4284-821: The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), Kong: Skull Island (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), Aquaman (2018), Dora the Explorer (2019) and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). Village Roadshow Studios are adjacent to the Warner Bros Movie World Theme Park at Oxenford . The Studios consists of eight sound stages, production offices, editing rooms, wardrobe, construction workshops, water tanks and commissary. These sound stages vary in size and have an overall floor area of 10,844 sq metres, making Warner Roadshow Studio one of
4386-488: The Gold Coast in the suburb of Southport . The urban area of the Gold Coast is concentrated along the coast, sprawling almost 60 kilometres, joining up with the Greater Brisbane metropolitan region to the north and to the state border with New South Wales to the south. Nicknames of the city include the ‘Glitter Strip’ and the ‘Goldy’. The demonym of a Gold Coast resident is Gold Coaster. The area that became
4488-480: The Gold Coast seats at the 2015 election , and retained all but one Gold Coast seat at the 2017 state election . Southport Courthouse is the city's major courthouse and has jurisdiction to hear petty criminal offences and civil matters up to A$ 250,000. Indictable offences, criminal sentencing and civil matters above A$ 250,000 are heard in the higher Supreme Court of Queensland which is located in Brisbane. There
4590-430: The Gold Coast was originally inhabited by the indigenous Yugambeh people . The city grew from a collection of small townships, the earliest being Nerang in 1865. From the 1920s onwards, tourism led to significant economic growth in the region, and by 1959 the Gold Coast was declared a city, with its first skyscraper being built in 1960. The Gold Coast boomed from the 1980s onwards with skyscraper construction . This era
4692-470: The Gold Coast, while Forde (north-west) and Wright (south-west) encompass parts of the Gold Coast and other areas of Southeast Queensland. Politically, the Gold Coast has often tilted conservative. It was a Country Party bastion for most of the first three decades after World War II, but increasing urbanisation has made it a Liberal stronghold. Labor has historically only done well around Labrador and Coolangatta. Only one Labor MP has ever represented
4794-605: The Gold Coast. Music events include Big Day Out , Good Vibrations Festival , Summafieldayze, the Blues on Broadbeach Festival and V Festival (2007–2009). Home of the Arts (HOTA) is the Gold Coast's premier cultural facility for visual and performing arts with a performance theatre, two cinemas and an underground venue. The theatre has hosted performance by the Imperial Russian Ballet , The Australian Ballet and
4896-592: The Meter Maids dispense coins into the meter and leave a calling card under the windscreen wiper of the vehicle. The Maids are still a part of the Surfers Paradise culture but the scheme is now run by private enterprise. Chinatown, Gold Coast , is an integral part of the revitalisation of Southport as an international CBD. The Gold Coast is the major film production hub in Queensland and has accounted for 75% of all film production in Queensland since
4998-678: The Pacific Motorway it is a key component of Gold Coast infrastructure. The road was probably named for the Gooding family, who ran a dairy farm in the area for many years. Braeside , a home built early in the twentieth century, is on Gooding Drive. It now functions as a wedding and funeral centre. The road is in the City of Gold Coast local government area. [REDACTED] Australian Roads portal Gold Coast, Queensland The Gold Coast , also known by its initials, GC ,
5100-522: The Yugambeh people, including the Kombumerri , Mununjali , and Wangerriburra clans. Europeans arrived in 1823 when explorer John Oxley landed at Mermaid Beach. The hinterland's red cedar supply attracted people to the area in the mid-19th century. A number of small townships developed along the coast and in the hinterland. The western suburb of Nerang was surveyed and established as a base for
5202-435: The beach and into the sea. If the flow is constant, runoff from cleared land arriving at the beach head will tend to deposit this material into the sand changing its color, odor and fauna. The concentration of pedestrian and vehicular traffic accessing the beach for recreational purposes may cause increased erosion at the access points if measures are not taken to stabilize the beach surface above high-water mark. Recognition of
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#17327983322855304-457: The beach as a popular leisure resort from the mid-19th century was the first manifestation of what is now the global tourist industry. The first seaside resorts were opened in the 18th century for the aristocracy, who began to frequent the seaside as well as the then fashionable spa towns, for recreation and health. One of the earliest such seaside resorts, was Scarborough in Yorkshire during
5406-620: The beach became a centre for upper-class pleasure and frivolity. This trend was praised and artistically elevated by the new romantic ideal of the picturesque landscape; Jane Austen 's unfinished novel Sanditon is an example of that. Later, Queen Victoria 's long-standing patronage of the Isle of Wight and Ramsgate in Kent ensured that a seaside residence was considered as a highly fashionable possession for those wealthy enough to afford more than one home. The extension of this form of leisure to
5508-401: The beach head, they may erode the beach creating a lagoon or delta. Dense vegetation tends to absorb rainfall reducing the speed of runoff and releasing it over longer periods of time. Destruction by burning or clearance of the natural vegetation tends to increase the speed and erosive power of runoff from rainfall. This runoff will tend to carry more silt and organic matter from the land onto
5610-523: The beach profile is higher in summer. The gentle wave action during this season tends to transport sediment up the beach towards the berm where it is deposited and remains while the water recedes. Onshore winds carry it further inland forming and enhancing dunes. Conversely, the beach profile is lower in the storm season (winter in temperate areas) due to the increased wave energy, and the shorter periods between breaking wave crests. Higher energy waves breaking in quick succession tend to mobilise sediment from
5712-404: The beach, and the speed of flow and turbidity of water and wind. Sediments are moved by moving water and wind according to their particle size and state of compaction. Particles tend to settle and compact in still water. Once compacted, they are more resistant to erosion . Established vegetation (especially species with complex network root systems) will resist erosion by slowing the fluid flow at
5814-1686: The beach. However, these natural forces have become more extreme due to climate change , permanently altering beaches at very rapid rates. Some estimates describe as much as 50 percent of the earth's sandy beaches disappearing by 2100 due to climate-change driven sea level rise. Sandy beaches occupy about one third of global coastlines. These beaches are popular for recreation , playing important economic and cultural roles—often driving local tourism industries. To support these uses, some beaches have human-made infrastructure, such as lifeguard posts, changing rooms , showers, shacks and bars. They may also have hospitality venues (such as resorts, camps, hotels, and restaurants) nearby or housing, both for permanent and seasonal residents. Human forces have significantly changed beaches globally: direct impacts include bad construction practices on dunes and coastlines, while indirect human impacts include water pollution , plastic pollution and coastal erosion from sea level rise and climate change . Some coastal management practices are designed to preserve or restore natural beach processes, while some beaches are actively restored through practices like beach nourishment . Wild beaches, also known as undeveloped or undiscovered beaches, are not developed for tourism or recreation. Preserved beaches are important biomes with important roles in aquatic or marine biodiversity, such as for breeding grounds for sea turtles or nesting areas for seabirds or penguins . Preserved beaches and their associated dune are important for protection from extreme weather for inland ecosystems and human infrastructure. Although
5916-413: The beach. Compacted sediment is more resistant to movement by turbulent water from succeeding waves. Conversely, waves are destructive if the period between the wave crests is short. Sediment that remains in suspension when the following wave crest arrives will not be able to settle and compact and will be more susceptible to erosion by longshore currents and receding tides. The nature of sediments found on
6018-539: The beaches and to promote surf safety throughout the community. The Queensland Department of Primary Industries carries out the Queensland Shark Control Program (SCP) to protect swimmers from sharks. Sharks are caught by using nets and baited drumlines off the major swimming beaches. Even with the SCP, sharks do range within sight of the patrolled beaches . Lifeguards will clear swimmers from
6120-452: The character of underwater flora and fauna in the coastal shallows. Burning or clearance of vegetation on the land adjacent to the beach head, for farming and residential development, changes the surface wind patterns, and exposes the surface of the beach to wind erosion. Farming and residential development are also commonly associated with changes in local surface water flows. If these flows are concentrated in stormwater drains emptying onto
6222-456: The city is represented by professional teams in two most popular national competitions: Beaches A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock , such as sand , gravel , shingle , pebbles , etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shells or coralline algae . Sediments settle in different densities and structures, depending on
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#17327983322856324-564: The city rarely experiences temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) in summer or below 5 °C (41 °F) in winter. The average temperature of the sea at Surfers Paradise ranges from 21.5 °C (70.7 °F) in July and August to 27.1 °C (80.8 °F) in February. Administratively, the Gold Coast is a local government area called the City of Gold Coast . The City of Gold Coast Council has 14 elected councillors, each representing
6426-625: The city that is home to over 80,000 residents. The city consists of 70 kilometres (43 mi) of coastline, with some of the most popular surf breaks in Australia and the world, including South Stradbroke Island , The Spit , Main Beach , Surfers Paradise , Broadbeach , Mermaid Beach, Nobby's Beach, Miami , North Burleigh Beach, Burleigh Beach, Burleigh Heads , Tallebudgera Beach, Palm Beach , South Palm Beach, Currumbin Beach, Tugun, Bilinga , North Kirra Beach Kirra , Coolangatta , Greenmount , Rainbow Bay, Snapper Rocks and Froggies Beach. There
6528-670: The city's canal estates. Breakwaters on either side of the Seaway prevent longshore drift and the bar from silting up. A sand pumping operation on the Spit pipes sand under the Seaway to continue this natural process. Residential canals were first built in the Gold Coast in the 1950s and construction continues. Most canals are extensions to the Nerang River, but there are more to the south along Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek and to
6630-613: The community participating in a NO REEF protest campaign. The City of Gold Coast Council then committed to completing a review of beach management practices to update the Delft Report. The Gold Coast Shoreline Management Plan will be delivered by organisations including the Environmental Protection Agency , City of Gold Coast and the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management. Gold Coast City
6732-444: The dangers of loss of beach front flora has caused many local authorities responsible for managing coastal areas to restrict beach access points by physical structures or legal sanctions, and fence off foredunes in an effort to protect the flora. These measures are often associated with the construction of structures at these access points to allow traffic to pass over or through the dunes without causing further damage. Beaches provide
6834-504: The effects of human-made structures and processes. Over long periods of time, these influences may substantially alter the shape of the coastline, and the character of the beach. Beachfront flora plays a major role in stabilizing the foredunes and preventing beach head erosion and inland movement of dunes. If flora with network root systems (creepers, grasses, and palms) are able to become established, they provide an effective coastal defense as they trap sand particles and rainwater and enrich
6936-434: The established vegetation. Foreign unwashed sediments may introduce flora or fauna that are not usually found in that locality. Brighton Beach, on the south coast of England, is a shingle beach that has been nourished with very large pebbles in an effort to withstand the erosion of the upper area of the beach. These large pebbles made the beach unwelcoming for pedestrians for a period of time until natural processes integrated
7038-417: The feature. Where wind is the force distributing the grains inland, the deposit behind the beach becomes a dune . These geomorphic features compose what is called the beach profile . The beach profile changes seasonally due to the change in wave energy experienced during summer and winter months. In temperate areas where summer is characterised by calmer seas and longer periods between breaking wave crests,
7140-536: The framework for the city's long-term growth and prosperity. The strategy outlines actions in the following areas, Innovation, Culture, Infrastructure, Competitive business, Workforce, International. The Gold Coast is the most popular tourist destination in Queensland. It is Australia's 5th most visited destination by international tourists. Around 10 million tourists visit the Gold Coast area every year consisting of 849,114 international visitors, 3,468,000 domestic overnight visitors and 5,366,000 daytrip visitors. Tourism
7242-450: The heat of the sun evaporates the water leaving the salt which crystallises around the sand particles. This crust forms an additional protective layer that resists wind erosion unless disturbed by animals or dissolved by the advancing tide. Cusps and horns form where incoming waves divide, depositing sand as horns and scouring out sand to form cusps. This forms the uneven face on some sand shorelines . White sand beaches look white because
7344-449: The height of the water table. Some flora naturally occurring on the beach head requires freshwater runoff from the land. Diversion of freshwater runoff into drains may deprive these plants of their water supplies and allow sea water incursion, increasing the saltiness of the groundwater. Species that are not able to survive in salt water may die and be replaced by mangroves or other species adapted to salty environments. Beach nourishment
7446-516: The holiday seaside shack – including fibro cement, metal containers, and left-over farm sheds; even disused trams were sold off as seaside shacks. After the establishment of the Surfers Paradise Hotel in the late 1920s, the Gold Coast region grew significantly. The Gold Coast was originally known as the South Coast (because it was south of Brisbane). However, over-inflated prices for real estate and other goods and services led to
7548-554: The industry and by 1870 a town reserve had been set aside. By 1873, the town reserve of Burleigh Heads had also been surveyed and successful land sales had taken place. In 1875, the small settlement opposite the boat passage at the head of the Nerang River , known as Nerang Heads or Nerang Creek Heads, was surveyed and renamed Southport , with the first land sales scheduled to take place in Beenleigh. Southport quickly grew
7650-509: The key industries by the City of Gold Coast Council to deliver the city's economic prosperity. Gold Coast City's unemployment rate (5.6 per cent) is below the national level (5.9 per cent). The declaration of Southport as the Gold Coast central business district (CBD) and a Priority Development Area (PDA), as well as new investment into the CBD, is driving transformative change and creating new business and investment opportunities. The Gold Coast Economic Development Strategy 2013–2023 outlines
7752-583: The largest studio lots in the Southern Hemisphere. The Queensland Government actively supports the film and television production industry in Queensland and provides both non-financial and financial assistance through the Pacific Film and Television Commission. The Gold Coast's culture has been affected by rapid development and traditional marketing programs orbiting around 'sun, sand, surf and sex.' Despite rapid socio-economic changes and
7854-526: The length of the canals of Venice , Italy) and artificial islands covered in upmarket homes. The heavily developed coastal strip sits on a narrow barrier sandbar between these waterways and the sea. To the west, the city borders a part of the Great Dividing Range commonly referred to as the Gold Coast hinterland . A 206 km (80 sq mi) section of the mountain range is protected by Lamington National Park and has been listed as
7956-547: The local wave action and weather , creating different textures, colors and gradients or layers of material. Though some beaches form on inland freshwater locations such as lakes and rivers , most beaches are in coastal areas where wave or current action deposits and reworks sediments. Erosion and changing of beach geologies happens through natural processes, like wave action and extreme weather events . Where wind conditions are correct, beaches can be backed by coastal dunes which offer protection and regeneration for
8058-445: The middle and working classes began with the development of the railways in the 1840s, which offered cheap fares to fast-growing resort towns. In particular, the completion of a branch line to the small seaside town of Blackpool from Poulton led to a sustained economic and demographic boom. A sudden influx of visitors, arriving by rail, led entrepreneurs to build accommodation and create new attractions, leading to more visitors and
8160-558: The most common religious affiliations in Gold Coast reported were none (43.4%), Catholic (18.2%), Anglican (11.9%), Uniting Church (2.9%), Non-denominational Christian (3.1%), Presbyterian and Reformed (1.9%), Buddhism (1.4%), Pentecostal (1.3%), Baptist (1.1%), Hinduism (1.1%) and Islam (1.0%). The Gold Coast is approximately half covered by forests of various types. This includes small patches of near-pristine ancient rainforest, mangrove-covered islands, and patches of coastal heathlands and farmland with areas of uncleared eucalyptus forest. Of
8262-632: The naturally occurring shingle into the pebble base. Even in Roman times, wealthy people spent their free time on the coast. They also built large villa complexes with bathing facilities (so-called maritime villas) in particularly beautiful locations. Excavations of Roman architecture can still be found today, for example on the Amalfi Coast near Naples and in Barcola in Trieste. The development of
8364-418: The nickname of "Gold Coast" from 1950. South Coast locals initially considered the name "Gold Coast" derogatory. However, soon the "Gold Coast" simply became a convenient way to refer to the holiday strip from Southport to Coolangatta . The Town of South Coast was formed through the amalgamation of Town of Coolangatta and Town of Southport along with the coastal areas (such as Burleigh Heads) from
8466-481: The north along the Gold Coast Broadwater , South Stradbroke Island , Coomera River and southern Moreton Bay. Early canals included Florida Gardens and Isle of Capri which were under construction at the time of a 1954 flood. Recently constructed canals include Harbour Quays and Riverlinks completed in 2007. There are over 890 kilometres (550 mi) of constructed residential waterfront land within
8568-671: The opening of what was then the world's highest residential tower in 2005 (it is now the 17th highest), the Q1 building has been a destination for tourists and locals alike. It is the second highest public vantage point in the southern hemisphere after the Eureka Tower in Melbourne. The observation deck at level 77 is the highest of its kind in Queensland and offers views in all directions, from Brisbane to Byron Bay . It towers over
8670-480: The other most common countries of birth were New Zealand (7.9%), England (5.2%), China and South Africa (1.2% each), and Japan (0.7%). Indigenous Australians accounted for 1.7% of the population. The most commonly spoken languages other than English were Mandarin (1.6%), Japanese (1.0%), Korean and Spanish (0.6% each), and Cantonese (0.5%). According to the Australian Official Census in 2021,
8772-621: The permanent water forming offshore bars, lagoons or increasing the area of the beach exposed at low tide. Large and rapid movements of exposed sand can bury and smother flora in adjacent areas, aggravating the loss of habitat for fauna, and enlarging the area of instability. If there is an adequate supply of sand, and weather conditions do not allow vegetation to recover and stabilize the sediment, wind-blown sand can continue to advance, engulfing and permanently altering downwind landscapes. Sediment moved by waves or receding floodwaters can be deposited in coastal shallows, engulfing reed beds and changing
8874-479: The plantation pine forests that were planted in the 1950s and 1960s, when commercial forest planting for tax minimisation was encouraged by the Commonwealth government, tiny remnants remain. Most of the Gold Coast area was covered by forest prior to European human settlement and extensive land clearing in the 19th century. Gold Coast City lies in the southeast corner of Queensland , to the south of Brisbane ,
8976-564: The quartz or eroded limestone in the sand reflects or scatters sunlight without absorbing other colors. The composition of the sand varies depending on the local minerals and geology. Some of the types of sand found in beaches around the world are: Beaches are changed in shape chiefly by the movement of water and wind. Any weather event that is associated with turbid or fast-flowing water or high winds will erode exposed beaches. Longshore currents will tend to replenish beach sediments and repair storm damage. Tidal waterways generally change
9078-415: The result of wave action by which waves or currents move sand or other loose sediments of which the beach is made as these particles are held in suspension . Alternatively, sand may be moved by saltation (a bouncing movement of large particles). Beach materials come from erosion of rocks offshore, as well as from headland erosion and slumping producing deposits of scree . A coral reef offshore
9180-412: The shallows, keeping it in suspension where it is prone to be carried along the beach by longshore currents, or carried out to sea to form longshore bars, especially if the longshore current meets an outflow from a river or flooding stream. The removal of sediment from the beach berm and dune thus decreases the beach profile. If storms coincide with unusually high tides, or with a freak wave event such as
9282-487: The shape of their adjacent beaches by small degrees with every tidal cycle. Over time these changes can become substantial leading to significant changes in the size and location of the beach. Changes in the shape of the beach may undermine the roots of large trees and other flora. Many beach adapted species (such as coconut palms) have a fine root system and large root ball which tends to withstand wave and wind action and tends to stabilize beaches better than other trees with
9384-562: The shape, profile and location of a beach within hours. Destruction of flora on the berm by the use of herbicides, excessive pedestrian or vehicle traffic, or disruption to freshwater flows may lead to erosion of the berm and dunes. While the destruction of flora may be a gradual process that is imperceptible to regular beach users, it often becomes immediately apparent after storms associated with high winds and freak wave events that can rapidly move large volumes of exposed and unstable sand, depositing them further inland, or carrying them out into
9486-693: The state capital. The Albert River separates the Gold Coast from Logan City , a local government area south of the City of Brisbane . Gold Coast City stretches from the Albert River, Logan River , and Southern Moreton Bay to the border with New South Wales (NSW) approximately 56 km (35 mi) south, and extends from the coast west to the foothills of the Great Dividing Range in World Heritage listed Lamington National Park . The southernmost town of Gold Coast City, Coolangatta , includes Point Danger and its lighthouse . Coolangatta
9588-433: The suburb of Main Beach, and then further on Stradbroke Island. The suburbs of Southport and Surfers Paradise form the Gold Coast's commercial centre. The major river in the area is the Nerang River . Much of the land between the coastal strip and the hinterland were once wetlands drained by this river, but the swamps have been converted into man-made waterways (over 260 kilometres (160 mi) in length or over 9 times
9690-577: The summer. A prominent feature of the resort was the promenade and the pleasure piers , where an eclectic variety of performances vied for the people's attention. In 1863, the North Pier in Blackpool was completed, rapidly becoming a centre of attraction for upper class visitors. Central Pier was completed in 1868, with a theatre and a large open-air dance floor. Many of the popular beach resorts were equipped with bathing machines , because even
9792-425: The surface flow of the runoff is diverted and concentrated by drains that create constant flows over the beach above the sea or river level, the beach will be eroded and ultimately form an inlet unless longshore flows deposit sediments to repair the breach. Once eroded, an inlet may allow tidal inflows of salt water to pollute areas inland from the beach and may also affect the quality of underground water supplies and
9894-519: The surface layer of the dunes, allowing other plant species to become established. They also protect the berm from erosion by high winds, freak waves and subsiding floodwaters. Over long periods of time, well-stabilized foreshore areas will tend to accrete, while unstabilized foreshores will tend to erode, leading to substantial changes in the shape of the coastline. These changes usually occur over periods of many years. Freak wave events such as tsunami, tidal waves, and storm surges may substantially alter
9996-657: The surface layer. When affected by moving water or wind, particles that are eroded and held in suspension will increase the erosive power of the fluid that holds them by increasing the average density, viscosity, and volume of the moving fluid. Coastlines facing very energetic wind and wave systems will tend to hold only large rocks as smaller particles will be held in suspension in the turbid water column and carried to calmer areas by longshore currents and tides. Coastlines that are protected from waves and winds will tend to allow finer sediments such as clay and mud to precipitate creating mud flats and mangrove forests. The shape of
10098-465: The water if it is considered that there is a safety risk. Gold Coast beaches have experienced periods of severe beach erosion . In 1967, a series of 11 cyclones removed most of the sand from Gold Coast beaches. The Government of Queensland engaged engineers from Delft University in the Netherlands to advise what to do about the beach erosion. The Delft Report was published in 1971 and outlined
10200-408: The waves at some point in the tide, is termed the beach berm. The berm is the deposit of material comprising the active shoreline. The berm has a crest (top) and a face —the latter being the slope leading down towards the water from the crest. At the very bottom of the face, there may be a trough , and further seaward one or more long shore bars: slightly raised, underwater embankments formed where
10302-434: The waves first start to break. The sand deposit may extend well inland from the berm crest , where there may be evidence of one or more older crests (the storm beach ) resulting from very large storm waves and beyond the influence of the normal waves. At some point the influence of the waves (even storm waves) on the material comprising the beach stops, and if the particles are small enough (sand size or smaller), winds shape
10404-485: Was defined by the city's ‘white-shoe brigade' developers, neon lights , and organised crime , particularly the yakuza and the Russian mafia . The late 20th century saw the city's tourism diversify with theme park openings, and in the early 21st century became an international destination for film production. The Gold Coast has a diverse economy with strengths in health, tourism, arts and culture, and construction, with
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