Take in the sun, surf and sand while enjoying the 2018 Commonwealth Games in this coastal town and other areas in Australia, writes David Bowden
QUEENSLAND’S Gold Coast encapsulates Australia’s international image as a sundrenched country where many Aussies swim and laze along golden sandy beaches.
The Gold Coast is arguably Australia’s number one beachside holiday destination; certainly it is best known for sun, surf and sand but also lush subtropical rainforests in its hinterland, a vibrant lifestyle, and numerous theme parks to entertain the eager hordes of tourists.
In just a few months the Gold Coast (and a few other venues) will be an ant’s nest of activities with the Commonwealth Games being staged there from April 4-18, 2018.
SPORT, PLACE AND EVENT
Australia’s largest multi-sporting event will attract 6,600 athletes and officials from 70 countries and territories within the Commonwealth to celebrate the place and the event as well as all the sports. Tens of thousands will converge on the coast and one and a half billion global viewers will watch all the events on television.
Athletes will contest medals for 18 sports and seven para sports, and these will be intertwined with cultural activities with a backdrop of sunny Queensland. Most events will be contested on the Gold Coast although the preliminary rounds of the basketball will be staged in the far north of the State in Townsville and Cairns and the indoor cycling and shooting will be contested in suburban Brisbane.
Four new venues have been constructed for the Games and 12 existing sites have been upgraded to make them all worldclass. All these venues are already open and some have already staged major events to test the facilities and systems so there will be no last minute rush to have venues completed in time for the opening.
One of these events was the prestigious Sudirman Cup badminton championship which was recently contested by 32 national teams at the Carrara Indoor Sports Centre. This was the first time the event was staged outside Asia and Europe.
Some of the most picturesque Games locations will include the Coolangatta beachfront (beach volleyball), Broadbeach (lawn bowls), Broadwater (diving and swimming), Southport Broadwater Parklands (marathon and triathlon) and Currumbin (walking and road cycling).
Malaysian sports fans will be especially interested in events such as badminton (Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre), track cycling (Anna Meares Velodrome in Chandler, Brisbane), hockey (Gold Coast Hockey Centre, Southport) and squash (Oxenford Studios).
The weather will be perfect for both athletes and spectators as the summer heat will be over as Queensland basks in milder autumn weather. Considering the Commonwealth Games is a world-class event, the tickets are reasonably priced from just A$10 to A$40 (RM33 to RM133) for many sports while others are free to those who choose to line the routes of the long distance running circuit, road walking, triathlon and the road cycling events.
Many tickets have already been balloted off to sports-loving Aussie fans so obtaining a ticket will not be simply a matter of turning up.
GAMES SIDE SHOW
There probably isn’t a better venue for the Commonwealth Games anywhere in the world as there are so many associated holiday activities on and around the Gold Coast.
Associated Games events and cultural activities will highlight the abundance of tourist activities and venues available on the Gold Coast. Kurrawa Park at Broadbeach will be a nightly entertainment precinct open to the public while many associated events will be staged at other venues through the Gold Coast region. It’s not only the long stretch of golden sands that will appeal to Games visitors but also several well known theme parks such as Dreamworld, Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World, Wet ‘N’ Wild, White- Water World and, the Australian Outback Spectacular.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary offers a completely different experience, enabling visitors to get close to some of Australia’s unique wildlife in a forested setting between Currumbin Creek and the ocean.
The mountainous hinterland offers another unique setting with many parts blanketed in sub-tropical rainforest and interspersed with pockets of farming and residential land. Tamborine Mountain is a picturesque tourist village with cafes, restaurants and craft shops.
Northern New South Wales isn’t too far from the Gold Coast Airport with coastal towns such as Byron Bay and attractions like the Tropical Fruit World less than an hour’s drive to the south.
Many international tourists arrive directly at either the Gold Coast Airport or Brisbane International Airport with a train service connecting Brisbane to parts of the Gold Coast and a separate tram system that enables travel between many coastal attractions and beaches along parts of the 70km-long coastline.
Make your plans now to travel to the Gold Coast and to share in the Games dream in April 2018.
TRAVEL FILE
HOW TO GET THERE
Fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to the Gold Coast on low-cost carrier AirAsia X (www.airasia.com) but book early as seats will be at a premium during the Games.
HOW TO GET AROUND
The Gold Coast and many Games destinations are well connected by public transport. Trams on the G:line head north from Broadbeach South and connect to many coastal attractions and beaches. There are 16 stations on the network with the southern terminal in front of Pacific Fair, Queensland’s largest shopping mall. It takes half an hour to reach the northern terminus of University Hospital. Tickets can be purchased from machines on the station and an Explorer Card (minimum 24-hour usage) is ideal for visitors.
WHERE TO STAY
The word is book early to avoid disappointment for the Games.
Stay in the thick of the action at Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach (www.sofitel.com) and Peppers Broadbeach (www.peppers.com.au) or in other coastal destinations such as the Novotel Surfers Paradise (www.novotel.com) and Mercure Gold Coast Resort (www.mercuregoldcoastresort.com) in leafy Palm Meadows adjoining a golf course.
Budget conscious travellers should seek out less central locations and commute to the Games venues on the efficient public transport system.
WHO TO CONTACT
Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (www. gc2018.com) and Tourism and Events Queensland (www.queensland.com).