Surfers Paradise Beach
Once the sun gets up in the sky, the beach is the only place to be in Summer. With around 10km of sand in either direction it's not hard to find a spot to park your towel (unlike many beach resorts around the world). It looks a little crowded in the water, but it's because everyone is swimming between the flags (read our beach guide to understand why this is important).
While bikinis are de rigueur today, back in the 40s and 50s beach inspectors patrolled the strip to make sure the community's decency was protected. Many women made their case for 'freedom of fashion choice' and in 1952 model Ann Ferguson was asked to leave the beach as her outfit was thought to be too revealing. The bikini was made by Gold Coast local, Paula Stafford who is credited to bringing the bikini to Australia.
