[KimMii]

Having grown up in Brisbane and lived for a lot of years on the Gold Coast...before moving to Europe...I'd say "stay away from Surfers Paradise...go further south to the beaches of Burleigh Heads, Palm Beach...but not as far south as Coollangatta (well during the day is fine but at night it is a no go zone...even locals don't venture out much at night)

 

[KimMii]

Can I butt in and ask why people should stay away from Surfers Paradise? I hear that the crime there is growing - is this why? Or are these just rumors?

I really hate to generalize but I will...the crime rate in Surfers Paradise is increasing, sadly, all the time...and most of those crimes involve meaningless violence with the perpetrators being from 'out of town'...often with horrible consequences. Our own "kids" don't 'go out' very often in Surfers Paradise but it is a hub of bars, nightclubs, restaurants etc...the locals tend to frequent Broadbeach for safety reasons. Last year there was the incident of a young man walking home, about 3 or 4am, after a night out...he was trying to find a taxi...he was set upon by a group of youths (ranging in age, if I recall correctly, from 16-19 years old)...not from the area...and he remained in a coma for many many weeks, critically ill in hospital...a shame in any instance but this particular man was celebrating returning home after his THIRD 'tour' of Afghanistan...and there in his "own back yard" his life was almost ended.

If you 'want' your wallet or handbag stolen, if you want to get 'blindsided' by somebody randomly punching you as you wait in line for a taxi, then Surfers Paradise is the place to be.

Also, it's an almost DAILY occurrence that Police Officers and vehicles have objects thrown/dropped from the high rise buildings...to the point where a residents' group is trying to have balconies CLOSED during 'peak tourist times' simply due to the safety factor...it's not a feasible option but I can understand their concerns!

Hope that answers your questions without waffling on too much

 

[KimMii]

Waffle away I can't believe that Surfers has gotten that bad.... and I was looking at taking a holiday there myself! I'm saddened that it has gotten bad. I wonder why or what makes these areas go bad...

It's still a great place for a holiday, friends from Brisbane holidayed at Q1 over Christmas and had a great time, but they're not the sort of people who go out late at night etc...but I'd recommend Broadbeach (just one suburb south) to be honest...there are more restaurants, bars, etc and it's much "cleaner", less "out of control youth" I suppose.