Totally unexpected

The Gold Coast definitely has a reputation.

And it's a not a good one.

The Gold Coast has the reputation of being a bit plastic and a bit trashy. It's where tourists congregate and it's where the annual event "Schoolies" is held for the kids finishing high school.

I was definitely surprised to find that to my horror.... I quite liked the Gold Coast!

Now don't misunderstand me, there are definitely parts of the Gold Coast that are incredibly trashy and tacky. However, these areas appeared to be relatively localised to the area of the Gold Coast known as "Surfer's Paradise".

The rest of the Gold Coast was quite pleasant.

It was green, leafy and had the benefits of the lovely warm climate.

Add to this the generally friendly nature of Queenslanders compared to their Southern counterparts, and I was beginning to understand the attraction of this region to many of the Victorians who were migrating North to flee the cold.

I was also surprised by the wide range of terrain that was on offer in the Gold Coast region.
The thoughts of the Gold Coast usually begin and end with the beaches. This was definitely not the case, as a mere half an hour drive from the beach was enough for me to be wandering through chilly, mist covered mountains.
It really is a very nice place.

And yet I still can't shake the lingering feelings that this isn't something I should be widely sharing....