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Gold Coast

Discover the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is Australia’s sixth largest city. It has all the services and conveniences you’d expect to find in a major metropolitan area, including good public transport, great shopping, entertainment, culture and plenty of job opportunities.

But, with a population of just under 700,000, you won’t get the big crowds, long queues and traffic jams of bigger cities like Sydney and Melbourne.

What makes the Gold Coast so appealing for international students, however, is that it is Australia’s favourite holiday destination.

Why the Gold Coast?

Let's start with the beaches. Our beaches are white, sandy and stretch for 57 kms / 35 miles.

Then there's our surf, which includes some of the world’s best pointbreaks that play host to international surfing competitions.

Don't forget the sun. The Gold Coast has 300 sunny days a year and average temperatures of 21 to 28.4°C / 69.8 to 83.1°F in Summer and 12.5 to 21.5°C / 54.5 to 70.7°F in Winter.

If that's not enough, keep reading: 

  • Theme parks: Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World, Dreamworld, Wet ‘n’ Wild.
  • Shopping malls: Pacific Fair (one of the largest in Australia), Robina Town Centre, Australia Fair.
  • Markets: beachside, lakeside, day time and night.
  • Nightlife: Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads to name a few.

Culture and music

  • HOTA: the Gold Coast’s own Home of the Arts with a year-round calendar of outdoor concerts, movies, live theatre, comedy and art.
  • Southern Gold Coast: where you’ll find the Insta hotspots and hipster vibe in laneways and industrial areas around Burleigh Heads, Currumbin and Palm Beach.
  • Entertainment Centres: catch the world’s biggest stars on stage in Broadbeach and Brisbane.
  • Festivals: Bleach*, Swell Sculpture Festival, Blues on Broadbeach, the Gold Coast Film Festival, Surfers Paradise Live, SeaFire, Groundwater Country Music Festival.

Sport

We’ve got competitive Baseball, Basketball, Swimming, Triathlon, Tennis, Rowing, Water Polo and Beach Volleyball, and that’s just here on Bond’s campus!

The Gold Coast is a mecca for Golfers, Motor Racing, Horse Racing, Football, Marathons, and of course Surfing!

 

 

Exploring

We've got waterways for boating, cruising, fishing, stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking. You can spend your weekends hiking, camping and swimming in crystal clear mountain pools.

We have great destinations for day trips or weekends away, like Byron Bay, Noosa Heads, the islands of Moreton Bay, Sydney, Melbourne, anywhere! 

 

Employability

There has never been a better time to live and work on the Gold Coast. As a rapidly growing city, the Gold Coast offers extensive employment opportunities both in the private and public sector. Employability is a key focus for the Gold Coast and ensuring our students have access to job opportunities and work experience is paramount. 

 

 

Affordability

The Gold Coast is ranked #1 for student affordability in Australia and is on average up to 40% cheaper than living in Melbourne or Sydney. You can enjoy our beautiful nature, stunning beaches, and all of the above leisure activities whilst not blowing your budget on accommodation, public transport, or utilities. 

The Gold Coast: a city of growth and innovation video.

Getting to and around the Gold Coast