Everyone Wins At Coolangatta
Newcastle Herald
Friday October 31, 2008
THE gateway to the Gold Coast, Coolangatta, is Queensland's most southerly coastal town.
It's on the border near its twin town of Tweed Heads, 100 kilometres south of Brisbane and 900 kilometres north of Sydney.Coolangatta is an ideal spot to enjoy a relaxing holiday with the added excitement of the glitz, glamour and fast pace of the Gold Coast just minutes away. The town was named after the Coolangatta, a ship wrecked off the coast in 1846. Back in the early days there was a convict settlement around where Brisbane is today. When that settlement closed, many of the newly freed settlers moved south to what would eventually become known as the Gold Coast. The result was that Coolangatta became a popular holiday retreat as far back as 1880, making it one of the state's earliest holiday destinations. Regional settlers included timber getters, cane farmers, cotton growers, oyster farmers and fishermen.It was the constant flow of visitors to the area that inspired early entrepreneurs and developers. While they added man-made attractions, the unspoiled natural beauty of the region survived and is still there for all to see today. Beautiful beaches attract visitors from around the world. They offer the best of surfing conditions and the most picturesque scenery.Greenmount Beach and Rainbow Bay are the Gold Coast's only north-facing beaches, providing sheltered conditions for swimming. Coolangatta is only a short drive away from some of Australia's most famous theme parks, shopping centres and world heritage listed rainforests. That means something that will appeal to all members of the family. The Gold Coast is well known for its sensational shopping, and the weekly markets in and around Coolangatta provide shoppers with an opportunity to purchase handmade local arts and crafts, a wide variety of fresh produce and delicious food. A wide variety of accommodation is available everything from budget lodging to luxury apartments with ocean views. It's that range and the region's attractions that make Coolangatta a magnet for families, one of Australia's favourite playgrounds. The combination of a wide range of cuisines, sunny days, warm evenings and short walking distances to most restaurants gives Coolangatta a cosmopolitan atmosphere day and night. The town gets more than its fair share of sunshine year round. The average is 300 days a year. Temperatures range from 20 to 28 degrees in summer and from 11 to 21 degrees in winter.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald
