Gold Coast – Australia
Everything you could ever hope for in a new home can be found right here on the beautiful Gold Coast.
Farms and forests surround the outer areas of the Gold Coast, while the city has more canals and waterways than Venice. In this idyllic landscape with a near perfect climate, outdoor pursuits like walking, cycling and water sports play a big part in the city’s lifestyle.
With tens of thousands of international students from all across the globe choosing to make the Gold Coast their second home you can be assured of enjoying a richly diverse lifestyle within a supportive local culture. A third of the city’s residents were born overseas, creating a truly multicultural city, but it’s the Gold Coast’s laid back lifestyle that has earned us the reputation of being one of the most welcoming and liveable cities.
Public Transport
The City of Gold Coast works in partnership with the Queensland Department of Transport and main Roads and TransLink to provide public transport options including scheduled bus, train and tram services, and community transport services. The TransLink Journey Planner will help you to plan your trip and provides fare and timetable information. Use a go card electronic ticket to travel on all bus, train, tram and ferry services in South East Queensland. It entitles you to travel savings and discounts. Transferring between modes involves touching on and off at the beginning and end of each trip with your go card.
The introduction of the G: light rail system represents an important milestone in delivering the next generation of public transport as outlined in the Gold Coast City Transport Strategy 2031.
We are continuing to focus on reducing car dependency and increasing the use of public transport to support the sustainable growth of our city. The Public Transport Plan 2018-2028 has been developed to help us prioritise improvements to the public transport network over the next decade.
Climate
Queensland’s Gold Coast has a sub-tropical climate with around 300 days of sunshine per year.
Summer (December – February)
During summer the average temperature is a pleasant 21 – 28.4°C (69.8 – 83.1°F). February is the wettest month (Receiving 184mm/7.2 inches on average), and short, tropical storms are common in the late afternoon and early evening. During summer humidity is high, roughly 69 – 75 per cent, but this is offset by cool sea breezes.
Autumn (March – May)
In autumn, sunny days are followed by cooler nights with average temperatures between 18 – 25.7°C (64.4 – 78.2°F). Water temperatures are still high enough to swim (25.2°C / 77.3°F) and it is generally less rainy than the summer months.
Winter (June – August)
Winter on the Gold Coast is generally sunny and dry with average temperatures between 12.5 – 21.5°C (54.5 – 70.7°F). The Hinterland is slightly cooler with maximum winter temperatures around 16°C (60.8°F). Clear skies and dry air average cool nights.
Spring (September – November)
In spring, sunny days are followed by mild tropical evenings and average temperatures range from 16.9 – 25.4°C (62.4 – 77.7°F). Days are dry but can be windy, especially during September.
Cost of Living
With our world-class education and training facilities, the Gold Coast is simply a wonderful place to study. In 2019 the Gold Coast was ranked as the #1 city for student affordability in Australia with rental accommodation costs on average 40% cheaper than Sydney. There are 32,000 international students from over 130 countries studying on the Gold Coast.