IN THE CITY
1 GETTING COOL ON THE COAST
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 kilometres south 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
