ACP 2025
09 - 12 May 2025
Location: Gold Coast
Whether you’re looking for the best beaches for a swim, breaks to surf, family-friendly places to stay or want to try some of our fine Gold Coast restaurants and adrenaline-charged theme parks, you’ll find all the information you need to visit the Gold Coast right HERE. Perhaps you’re keen to indulge in some world-class shopping, spot some local wildlife, check out some cool art, learn about Indigenous culture or find a quiet place to slow down at a spa or immerse in the subtropical Hinterland - the Gold Coast has so much to offer.
Weather
The Gold Coast averages 245 days of fine and sunny weather each year, and those rainy-day exceptions typically fall in the summer period (December - February).
In autumn (March - May), sunny days are followed by warm nights – making it ideal for outdoor water activities such as fishing and sailing. Autumn temperatures fall between 16-26°C (61-77°F).
Getting Around
Public transport services on the Gold Coast include bus, train, tram and ferry services, as well as taxis, Uber and rideshare options.
The Gold Coast's light rail service is called G:link, a 20 km (12 mi) line between Helensvale and Broadbeach with 19 major stops around the city and frequent services running seven days a week.
Queensland Rail operates an intra-city rail service from Brisbane to the Gold Coast along the Gold Coast railway line. Once past Beenleigh, the line services stations at Ormeau, Coomera, Helensvale, Nerang and Robina before terminating at Varsity Lakes.
Translink coordinates bus services across South East Queensland, including the Gold Coast region. You can find timetables, routes and journey-planning tools here.
HOPO Ferry has five stops at Surfers Paradise, HOTA, Marina Mirage, Broadwater Parklands and Sea World.
A go card is an electronic ticket for fast and convenient travel on all Gold Coast public transport. Purchase or top up your go card or top up at participating convenience stores, new agents and stations. Alternatively,Smart Ticketing is available on trams and trains - simply present your contactless credit card or device to tap on and tap off.
Gold Coast Go Explore Card
Brisbane to Gold Coast AirTrain
First Nations
The Kombumerri and the Yugambeh peoples are the traditional owners and custodians of the Gold Coast, and have inhabited the lands, mountains and coastline of this region for over 60,000 years. Some suburbs and places around the Gold Coast, such as Tallebudgera, Coolangatta and Coombabah, are still known by their Aboriginal names. To learn about the fascinating First Nations culture and history of the Gold Coast, visit Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre on the banks of Tallebudgera Creek.
Today, our First Nations Community includes the Yugambeh and Kombumerri people whose Country lies within the City of Gold Coast area and those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have moved here from other regions around Australia.
Geography
The Gold Coast has been shaped by the forces of nature – water, wind and volcanic activity – over millions of years. To the east the city is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the environment consists of coastal plains with river floodplains, bays, estuaries, wetlands, beaches, and dunes. Some 80 kilometres of rivers and streams, as well as 774 hectares of lakes, dams and canals, wind their way through the landscape to our ocean beaches.
A short distance inland, foothills are divided by river valleys. These river valleys sit at the base of mountain ranges and high plateaus which rise to around 1000 metres above sea level - the Gold Coast Hinterland. The Springbrook and Lamington plateaus form part of the Border Ranges group with 4524.8 hectares of World Heritage-listed Gondwana rainforests in the city, protecting areas of extremely high species diversity. The Gold Coast is one of the most biodiverse regions in Australia.
Theme Parks and Attractions
As the theme park capital of Australia, the Gold Coast over-delivers on adrenaline-packed entertainment and thrills. Choose to visit as many Gold Coast theme parks as you can fit in with a pass to hop between Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World, Wet’n’Wild and Paradise Country or opt to double up at Dreamworld and WhiteWater World. You’ll find Australia’s tallest waterslides, fastest roller coasters, best animal encounters, coolest characters and an endless array of action-packed entertainment. But there’s plenty of fun to find outside the theme parks also. Race against the clock at escape rooms, give it your best shot at Top Golf, take on a treetop high ropes course, splash into the Gold Coast Broadwater after bouncing, sliding and catapulting from inflatables, plus so much more endless fun. For more information go HERE.
Whether you’re looking for the best beaches for a swim, breaks to surf, family-friendly places to stay or want to try some of our fine Gold Coast restaurants and adrenaline-charged theme parks, you’ll find all the information you need to visit the Gold Coast right HERE. Perhaps you’re keen to indulge in some world-class shopping, spot some local wildlife, check out some cool art, learn about Indigenous culture or find a quiet place to slow down at a spa or immerse in the subtropical Hinterland - the Gold Coast has so much to offer.
The Gold Coast averages 245 days of fine and sunny weather each year, and those rainy-day exceptions typically fall in the summer period (December - February).
In autumn (March - May), sunny days are followed by warm nights – making it ideal for outdoor water activities such as fishing and sailing. Autumn temperatures fall between 16-26°C (61-77°F).
Getting Around
Public transport services on the Gold Coast include bus, train, tram and ferry services, as well as taxis, Uber and rideshare options.
The Gold Coast's light rail service is called G:link, a 20 km (12 mi) line between Helensvale and Broadbeach with 19 major stops around the city and frequent services running seven days a week.
Queensland Rail operates an intra-city rail service from Brisbane to the Gold Coast along the Gold Coast railway line. Once past Beenleigh, the line services stations at Ormeau, Coomera, Helensvale, Nerang and Robina before terminating at Varsity Lakes.
Translink coordinates bus services across South East Queensland, including the Gold Coast region. You can find timetables, routes and journey-planning tools here.
HOPO Ferry has five stops at Surfers Paradise, HOTA, Marina Mirage, Broadwater Parklands and Sea World.
A go card is an electronic ticket for fast and convenient travel on all Gold Coast public transport. Purchase or top up your go card or top up at participating convenience stores, new agents and stations. Alternatively,Smart Ticketing is available on trams and trains - simply present your contactless credit card or device to tap on and tap off.
Gold Coast Go Explore Card
Brisbane to Gold Coast AirTrain
First Nations
The Kombumerri and the Yugambeh peoples are the traditional owners and custodians of the Gold Coast, and have inhabited the lands, mountains and coastline of this region for over 60,000 years. Some suburbs and places around the Gold Coast, such as Tallebudgera, Coolangatta and Coombabah, are still known by their Aboriginal names. To learn about the fascinating First Nations culture and history of the Gold Coast, visit Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre on the banks of Tallebudgera Creek.
Today, our First Nations Community includes the Yugambeh and Kombumerri people whose Country lies within the City of Gold Coast area and those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have moved here from other regions around Australia.
Geography
The Gold Coast has been shaped by the forces of nature – water, wind and volcanic activity – over millions of years. To the east the city is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the environment consists of coastal plains with river floodplains, bays, estuaries, wetlands, beaches, and dunes. Some 80 kilometres of rivers and streams, as well as 774 hectares of lakes, dams and canals, wind their way through the landscape to our ocean beaches.
A short distance inland, foothills are divided by river valleys. These river valleys sit at the base of mountain ranges and high plateaus which rise to around 1000 metres above sea level - the Gold Coast Hinterland. The Springbrook and Lamington plateaus form part of the Border Ranges group with 4524.8 hectares of World Heritage-listed Gondwana rainforests in the city, protecting areas of extremely high species diversity. The Gold Coast is one of the most biodiverse regions in Australia.
Theme Parks and Attractions
As the theme park capital of Australia, the Gold Coast over-delivers on adrenaline-packed entertainment and thrills. Choose to visit as many Gold Coast theme parks as you can fit in with a pass to hop between Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World, Wet’n’Wild and Paradise Country or opt to double up at Dreamworld and WhiteWater World. You’ll find Australia’s tallest waterslides, fastest roller coasters, best animal encounters, coolest characters and an endless array of action-packed entertainment. But there’s plenty of fun to find outside the theme parks also. Race against the clock at escape rooms, give it your best shot at Top Golf, take on a treetop high ropes course, splash into the Gold Coast Broadwater after bouncing, sliding and catapulting from inflatables, plus so much more endless fun. For more information go HERE.