The Gold Coast

The Sheraton Mirage

After our stop in Byron Bay, we journeyed north to the Gold Coast.  This area is hugely popular with tourists as it features about 43 miles of beautiful beach and amazing surf conditions.  (Our hotel was located next to a beach called "Surfer's Paradise".)  The Gold Coast is unique in Australia in that it features lots of high rise apartments and hotels; fortunately, the majority of coastal towns here are low-key in their development.  We stayed at a beautiful Sheraton hotel which was positioned between a working harbour and the beach.  Mornings included jogs along a 5 km path that followed the coastline, with occasional trails through the "bush."  The sun finally came out for a visit and the kids beelined to the beach to work on their body surfing skills.  We stay vigilant while they are in the water as the waves are powerful and the rips and currents can move those little bodies around.