It’s just over a year since Queensland hosted
Australia’s biggest event this decade. The 2018
Commonwealth Games delivered a compelling
cauldron of drama, desperation, tears and triumph.
But, more importantly, it introduced a global
audience of 1.5 billion people to a little slice of
sunshiney paradise we call the Gold Coast.
For Australian viewers, it was a reminder of the
region’s natural spoils – 57 kilometres of soft sand
beaches, 300 days of sunshine a year and an often-
overlooked hinterland with 100,000 hectares of
UNESCO World Heritage-protected rainforest.
But it also hinted at a newfound sophistication – a
cosmopolitan food, arts and culture scene at odds
with the age-old stereotype of high rises, fast food
and questionable fashion choices. It’s tempting to
credit the Games with this turnaround but the truth
is the Gold Coast has been quietly reinventing
itself for the last decade. The Games just made
us sit up and take notice.
The most dramatic and noticeable
improvement has been in the food scene.
Once famous for its retirement-threatening
range of deep-fried nasties, the coast is
now peppered with pockets of culinary
brilliance – often in the most unlikely
places. Located 10 kilometressouth of Surfers Paradise, Miami used to be an
uninspiring suburb of apartment blocks and
industrial estates that straddled the Gold Coast
Highway. Now, it’s home to the achingly cool
Miami Marketta, an open-air market with 25 food
vendors, live music and local fashion designers.
You’ll also find Paddock Bakery, an artisanal cafe
housed in an adorable weatherboard cottage (order
the dippy eggs), and Lost Palms Brewing Co., a
pastel-coloured craft brewery serving up creative
concoctions such as beetroot sours and kombucha-
infused ales. The same thing has happened in
Mermaid Beach, Nobby Beach and Palm Beach,
all of which now boast a bevy of unexpectedly
trendy cafes, restaurants and bars.
Given the region’s origins as a get-rich-quick real
estate hotspot, a surprising development has been
the emergence of a strong social conscience. Vegan
and ‘cruelty free’ restaurant Greenhouse Canteen
has two outposts in Miami and Coolangatta, while
last year saw the opening of Lovechild Market
Place, a two-level collection of plant-based
restaurants and boutiques. Other health-focused
eateries include Blendlove in Southport, Raw Energy
in Burleigh Heads and Niche & Co. in Tugun. All of
which means you’re never more than a power walk
away from a wheatgrass shot and an acai bowl.1
The 100 | In the city
GETTING COOL ON THE COAST1AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 85
Stay at the very
stylish and (very
pink) Pink Hotel
in Coolangatta.PHOTOGRAPHY:
TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND