Just an hour south of Brisbane is Queensland’s second largest city - The Gold Coast.

With a population of 650,000 the Gold Coast stretches along 70kms of gorgeous yellow sandy beaches.

It’s a popular Australian tourist destination with a subtropical climate and average yearly temperature of 29 degrees. Known for its theme parks and sun, surf and beach activities.

Surfers Paradise, aptly named, is central to the Gold Coast and is now a modern urban centre with many high rise buildings and resorts.

Apart from the many theme parks on the Gold Coast, the city is also host to a number of music festivals and at night Surfers Paradise becomes a vibrant nightclub precinct with popular themed bars and hotels.

There are also many restaurants and cafes ranging from 5 star gourmet eating to casual style food often with outdoor seating to make the most of the ambiance.

With more than 300 days of gorgeous sunshine a year, the Gold Coast is also bordered by a lush Hinterland rainforest. The hinterland has over 100,000 hectares of World Heritage rainforest with unique Australian wildlife. So there’s a lot to see in your spare time.

The Gold Coast offers quality education in an unbeatable location. With 32,000 international students from over 130 countries studying on the Gold Coast there’s also great cultural diversity.

Home to three major universities, 20 English Language Schools, over 200 Private institutions and over 100 schools there’s an institution for everyone.

Employability is a key focus with many job opportunities for students in retail and hospitality venues. International students who choose to study on the Gold Coast also have the option of a three year post study work rights visa. So students can stay on and work after they finish their University studies and enjoy the Australian lifestyle.

Affordability is also a key point for students with accommodation, public transport and overall living costs lower on the Gold Coast than in other major Australian cities.

So, if you’re looking for a lifestyle choice, the Gold Coast has everything that is great about Australia, in one location.

Photo credit: Tourism Australia