WHY WE’RE THE GREATEST
FOR most Australians, this is the time of year for unearthing the winter woollies and switching the aircon in the car from blue to red.
But not on the Gold Coast. While Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart shivered and splashed through some wet and windy days this week, Jack Frost was nowhere to be seen on the Glitter Strip – and he’s not expected to check in any time soon.
“Saturday should be really beautiful and on Sunday the sunny conditions continue,” said Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Harry Clark.
While Melbourne has not recorded one day above 20C this month, the mercury hovered at around 25C at the Gold Coast Seaway every day this week and didn’t dip under 11C at night. In Canberra it reached -2C. Mr Clark said the Gold Coast’s balmy days were courtesy of a high pressure system in the Great Australian Bight.
“(We’ve) had no rain recorded either ... only offshore at the moment,” Mr Clark said.
It’s no wonder that Silicon Valley tech guru Jeremy Brown, in town for Gold Coast Business Week, raved about our quality of life and mused about locating the Asia-Pacific HQ of his company, Integrate, on the Coast.
Local photographer Daniel Pasquale of Daniel Pasquale Imagery reckons Mr Brown has it right.
“I love the Gold Coast,” he said.
“It’s beautiful all year round and it’s even more beautiful now that it’s going into winter. You appreciate the sun even more.”
Ms Pasquale said he moved to the Gold Coast 15 years ago from Sydney as a teenager – and never looked back.
He said the Coast was much more relaxed and had a better lifestyle balance.
Gold Coast Tourism executive director of corporate affairs and strategy Dean Gould agreed, saying the Glitter Strip was “the full package.”
“Twenty-four hours on the Gold Coast can start with a surf, the best brunch you can have anywhere in Australia, a walk in a rainforest and under a waterfall, and something to really get the heart pumping ... like a rollercoaster, then dinner at any of the hatted restaurants,” he said.
And all without the need to pull on a sweater.
FULL FIVE-DAY WEATHER FORECAST P73 (NO PRIZES FOR GUESSING WHAT IT SAYS)