Days that I don’t have to attend any classes are for fun. If you’re looking for shopping, swimming, sand and surf, then the Gold Coast is for you!
Usually, my friends and I wake up and make plans to go to the beach. Whether we go to the Broadbeach beach, Coolangatta beach, or Currumbin beach, I know that we’re in for a day of beautiful sights.
At Broadbeach, we’re only a three-minute walk from our accommodation, so it’s most accessible. When we go here, we often run back and forth from our apartment to beach and grab food, drinks, surfboards and footballs. This is always the easiest option!
At Coolangatta, the views are best! The palm trees, rock paths leading out into the ocean, and natural pools all create the epitome of what I imagined Aussie beaches would be. Coolangatta beach is by far a group favorite.
At Currumbin beach, the waves are smooth for surfing, and, best of all, it doubles as a dog park! We sprawl out on the sand and tan while dozens of adorable pups scurry around us, fetching sticks and paddling out in the water.
All three of these beaches provide daily entertainment for us Gold Coast kids, and we never tire of our long days spent there.
While we hang out at whichever beach we have chosen for the day, we often run into a little fast food place or cafe and grab lunch. We eat our food along the shoreline and watch as the seagulls soar through the air and the surfers ride the waves. We often play some touch football and stay until the sun sets. (And, of course, we take tons of pictures of the beautiful sky during this time!)
We take the bus home to our accommodation, and get ready to go out for the night! There are a huge variety of bars and clubs in Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise. We usually all get ready and start our night at about 9pm. At this time, we meet up, hang out together for a few hours, then head out to whichever venue we’ve picked for the night.
Our favorite bars are definitely Waxy’s and Jupiter’s P.A. Bar. Waxy’s is an Irish pub and restaurant in Surfer’s. We generally hangout there on Sunday evenings, when they offer 2$ steaks and 3$ beers. It’s always a breath of fresh air to pay very little money for a dinner at an Aussie restaurant, as often prices are significantly higher than American ones. Jupiter’s P.A. Bar is located at Jupiter’s Casino in Broadbeach, which is conveniently right across the street from our accommodation. We hangout there most Tuesday nights when The Signature, a local two-person band, plays. They cover many popular songs, and we dance and drink the 3$ beer specials. There’s always an interesting crowd at this bar, and, over the months, we have even become friendly with the two members of the band.
We often club hop between the many clubs in the area. These venues offer many different drink specials. These clubs are always fun places where we can meet new Aussie friends and dance to the fun music the deejays play.
My days as a study abroad student in the Gold Coast have been some of the best of my life. This place has provided me with so many memorable experiences and fun times, and I know that I’ll always remember them.
Christina Sullivan is a student at Quinnipiac University and a TEAN Featured Blogger. Christina is currently studying abroad with TEAN on the Gold Coast, Australia.
