The burn of the Gold Coast

We arrived to the Gold Coast area, Surfer's Paradise Beach, late Thursday morning to find our hotel room ready for check in. With limited time in the city, being able to drop our bags and head out to explore the area was key. Jon and I set our own personal best record for getting in and out of the room- we were on the beach in less than twenty minutes. 

Although the Gold Coast is only one hour North of Byron Bay, there was a significant difference between the two beaches and water temperature. Jon and I made our way into the ocean and were having the time of our life until.....

Jon jumped up from the water and said, "Oh my god, something just stung me!" and not more than a second later, I too was also stung. So we headed back to the beach and decided to admire the beautiful water from the safety of our blankets. Later in the afternoon a few of the stinging culprits washed up on the shore.  With a quick google search, ah- the wonders of technology, we learned they were blue blubber jellyfish and virtually harmless to us outside of the burning sting that would wear off shortly.

The Gold Coast offered us a more lively nightlife and attracted a diversified group of people compared to the smaller beach town of Byron Bay. Although our time there was short, we spent one beautiful sunny day on the beach and a second rainy day exploring the local shops and markets set up along the water front.

We said goodbye to the Gold Coast Saturday morning and headed to the airport to board our flight to Melbourne. 

Surfer's Paradise Beach in the Gold Coast.