In the morning we got on the bus in Byron Bay, which should bring us to Surfers Paradise. After a two-hour drive we finally arrived.

Saving the good beds

First, we left our suitcases in the hostel, before we walked to the nearby supermarket to do our grocery shopping. On the way there, we could already have a look at the sea and see the famous arch that leads to the beach and says Surfers Paradise. After we had done our shopping, which luckily was not much, as we still had a lot of food left over from last week and we would only stay on the Gold Coast for two days. 

Then we brought our shopping to the hostel and could already check in. 

Luckily we were the first to check in that day and we all had a bed downstairs in the bunk beds. All three of us just want to avoid sleeping upstairs. We quickly unpacked our things and settled in a little before we went to the beach.

Welcome to surfers paradise

The beach with the skyscrapers was simply overwhelming and I have to admit that until now this is one of the most beautiful beaches I have seen in Australia.

We walked a little along the beach, with our feet in the water and took endless photos and videos. After a small piece that we walked along the beach, we walked into town and had a look at it a bit.

We walked through a few streets, passed some small shops and went to the water, because the city Surfers Paradise is crossed by small canals. Back to the hostel we walked along the beach again. It is much more pleasant to walk with our feet in the water at high temperatures than to walk through the city when the sun is shining down on us.

It was already afternoon and the sun was slowly setting. Because the sun sets behind the skyscrapers, they even provide shade on the beach, which is very pleasant.

The view of the skyline

We had a short rest in the hostel and then we freshened up a bit before we left to go to the famous Q1 Tower. In our hostel room we met a girl from the UK who had the same plans as we so we went there together. I only went up there with one of my friends, as the other girl wanted to join us in the evening, as the entrance was cheaper at this time.

The view from the tower was really beautiful. Watching the city on one side and the beach and water on the other side is incredible.

We wanted to watch the sunset from up there, but with our luck it was cloudy again and there was no sunset.

The Town by Night

Nevertheless, it was really nice to see from above how it slowly gets dark and in the city all lights turn on. At the beginning we thought the view was nicer in the dark, but actually it is much nicer during the day. You can see much more and much further, the water and the beach.

When it was dark came the other girl came with whom I travel. She had met two girls in our room with whom she then joined us.

On the tower we had seen a sign that you can get to the 77th floor not only by elevator but also walk the 1300 steps up there. While we were waiting for the other girls we wanted to use the time to take the elevator back down and then climb up the stairs. But after we asked and we were told that this is only possible once a year, I was a little relieved that I don’t have walk the 1000+ steps.

Stealing the Cookies

When we went down again in the evening, after we had taken a lot of pictures we went to a night market.

The first stand was definitely the best stand, as you could try different cakes and cookies that were just incredibly delicious. There we stayed for a while and tried out all kinds of things. There were other stands where jewellery, bags or similar items were offered.

Also there was a stand where you could take a wildlife photo with a small crocodile. After we walked over the market we went back to the hostel.

Shopping trips and beach days

Our second and last day in Surfers Paradise started again with sleeping in.

In the morning we had breakfast and walked through the city with a girl from our room. We did a little shopping and walked through the shopping streets. In the afternoon we were still on the beach and already looked what we wanted to do in Brisbane.

Then the day was almost over. Together we sat in the kitchen and afterwards we did one of our workouts again. Sometimes we actually manage to motivate our roommates to join in. So far we were already able to join a boy to a Pamela Reif Workout haha.

Afterwards we went to the beach in the dark again to have a look at the skyline at night. Then we sat together for a while before we went to bed.

The next day we continued our journey up the east coast to Brisbane. If you would like to know what we experienced during our time in Brisbane, please read my next blogpost City sightseeing in Brisbane – Australia Travel Diary.