Five reasons you need to rethink the Gold Coast

QUEENSLAND’S glitziest of precincts may have finally shaken its reputation for being all show and no substance.

Stellar discovers a luxe new world on the Gold Coast.

QUEENSLAND’S glitziest of precincts may have finally shaken its reputation for being all show and no substance. With just one year until the 2018 Commonwealth Games (and an audience of 1.5 billion to go with it), sporting arenas aren’t the only venues to have had a facelift.

Towering new developments that are more Manhattan than Main Beach offer panoramic views over Surfers Paradise, while fish and chips have given way to an exciting fine-dining scene.

With major projects in the area valued at $13 billion, this former coastal village is set for a gold-medal performance in tourism, even before 2018.

Here are five reasons you need to visit, stat.

1. The 77-level Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise offers a range of rooms from small apartments to a four-bedroom sub penthouse, each with floor-to-ceiling windows; soulsurfersparadise.com.au.

The towering Peppers Soul building. Photo: David Clark

2. Seaduction serves up modern Australian cuisine from Michelin-trained executive chef James Fiske; seaduction.com.au.

Seaduction on a plate.

3. Pack the credit card for Pacific Fair, which added 120 new retailers as part of the centre’s $670 million revamp; pacificfair.com.au.

Pacific Fair.

4. See Queensland’s most talented artists perform live opera at Música Palazzo, on the first Friday of every month at Palazzo Versace Gold Coast; palazzoversace.com.au.

Palazzo Versace Gold Coast.

5. For a luxe take on water sports, head to the Southport Yacht Club for a private sailing lesson; southportyachtclub.com.au.

Sailing with Southport Yacht Club.

From April 24, more than 1.5 million tickets for the 2018 Commonwealth Games will be open for request, starting from $10 for children and $20 for adults. Visit gc2018.com.

Originally published as Five reasons you need to rethink the Gold Coast