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Gold Coast Travel Guide
Buy Australian DollarsGold Coast at a glance
The Gold Coast is Australia's beach and theme-park capital: long patrolled beaches from Southport through Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads, with Movie World, Sea World, Dreamworld and Wet'n'Wild inland. It is the natural pairing with Brisbane, about 1.5 hours north by train and tram.
The G:link tram, extended south to Burleigh Heads on 9 August 2026, runs 27 stations from Helensvale for a flat 50 cents with a go card or contactless Visa or Mastercard: every 7.5 minutes on weekdays from 7 am to 7 pm, every 15 minutes otherwise, and all night on Fridays and Saturdays. The theme parks are not on the line; take a bus from Helensvale or nearby stops.
One-day theme park tickets start at AUD 99 online for a fixed date, AUD 109 to 124 for a flexible one and AUD 10 more at the gate; a three-day pass for Movie World, Sea World and Wet'n'Wild costs AUD 169. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary costs AUD 70, and the SkyPoint deck from AUD 33.
There is no nonstop flight from India, so many visitors fly into Brisbane, from where one AUD 23.80 Airtrain ticket covers the train and tram to Surfers Paradise. Indian passport holders need a Visitor visa (subclass 600), AUD 250 from 1 July 2026, and since 1 October 2026 card surcharges are banned on eftpos, Visa and Mastercard, so the displayed price is what you pay.
Where to stay
The tram runs the length of the coast, so any base near a station works.
Surfers Paradise
The tourist centre: the beach, nightlife, SkyPoint and the widest choice of hotels and restaurants, on the tram line; the default first-time base.
Broadbeach
Quieter than Surfers, by Pacific Fair shopping centre and the HOTA arts precinct, and still on the tram line; good for families.
Burleigh Heads
A laid-back beach town with a famous point break and a national park headland, now at the southern end of the tram line.
Paying in Gold Coast
For the Australian dollar itself, the visa, the Tourist Refund Scheme and how much cash to carry, see the Australia travel guide and our page on the Australian dollar.
Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including theme park gates. Translink takes Visa and Mastercard, including prepaid and travel cards, on the tram and buses, and no cash on board. Carry AUD 150 to 250 in cash as a backup, and when a terminal or ATM offers rupees, choose Australian dollars.
What Gold Coast actually costs
Set the length and style of your trip to see what to budget, in Australian dollars and Indian rupees.
Indicative, excluding international flights and accommodation, per person per day. Converted at the verified mid-market rate on 3 October 2026, A$1 ≈ ₹66.99, not a Matrix board rate.
Budget roughly ₹4,020 to ₹16,080 per person per day on the ground, excluding flights and accommodation.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| G:link tram or Translink bus, any trip | AUD 0.50 |
| Theme park, one day (fixed date, online) | from AUD 99 |
| Movie World, Sea World and Wet'n'Wild, 3 days | AUD 169 |
| Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary | AUD 70 |
| SkyPoint Observation Deck | from AUD 33 |
| Airtrain and tram, Brisbane Airport to Surfers Paradise | AUD 23.80 |
Getting around
The G:link tram is the backbone: 27 stations from Helensvale to Burleigh Heads for 50 cents a trip, tapping a go card or a contactless Visa or Mastercard. The theme parks need a bus from Helensvale or a nearby stop.
From Gold Coast Airport, bus 777 runs to Burleigh Heads station in about 17 minutes, where you change to the tram; the whole trip to Surfers Paradise is one 50-cent fare and takes about an hour. A taxi costs roughly AUD 75 to 90. From Brisbane Airport, one AUD 23.80 Airtrain ticket covers the train and tram to Surfers Paradise or Burleigh.
Common mistakes in Gold Coast
Assuming the tram reaches the theme parks
It does not. Allow for a bus from Helensvale or a nearby stop.
Buying theme park tickets at the gate
Gate prices are AUD 10 higher, and fixed-date online tickets are the cheapest.
Following old airport bus directions
Since 7 September 2026, bus 777 from Gold Coast Airport runs to Burleigh Heads station, not Broadbeach South. Change to the tram there.
Paying in rupees at the card machine
When a terminal or ATM offers to charge you in rupees, choose Australian dollars. The rupee option lets the operator set its own rate.
Gold Coast FAQs
Three to four days covers the beaches and one or two theme parks.
Yes. Indian passport holders cannot use the ETA or eVisitor and need a Visitor visa (subclass 600, Tourist stream), applied for online through ImmiAccount. The charge is AUD 250 from 1 July 2026. In late September 2026, half of applications were decided within 21 days and 90% within 33. Biometrics are requested only in some cases.
A flat 50 cents a trip, the same as every Translink service in South East Queensland, paid with a go card or a contactless Visa or Mastercard.
One-day tickets start at AUD 99 online for a fixed date at Movie World, Sea World, Wet'n'Wild and Dreamworld, and cost AUD 10 more at the gate. A three-day pass to Movie World, Sea World and Wet'n'Wild costs AUD 169.
Bus 777 to Burleigh Heads station, then the tram, for one 50-cent fare in about an hour, or a taxi for roughly AUD 75 to 90.
Yes. It is about 70 minutes by car from Surfers Paradise, across the New South Wales border.
On 3 October 2026 one Australian dollar was ₹66.99 at the mid-market rate, so AUD 100 is about ₹6,700.
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