Picture this; palm trees blowing in the wind, roller-skaters cruising along the boardwalk, perfect waves rolling in for patiently-waiting surfers, all as the afternoon sun draws shadows in the sand as it hides behind the sky-scrapers looming above…

Where did your mind take you to? Los Angeles or maybe the Gold Coast? Or what about both?

The similarities are endless, but here’s why we think the Gold Coast is the new Los Angeles… only better.

The Gold Coast lifestyle is what brings 10.5 million visitors each year to its stunning coastline. The Queensland city may not be quite as big as Los Angeles, but that’s exactly why we love it. What makes the Gold Coast so unique is its juxtaposition of fast paced-movement and quiet-coastal living. Add to that the lush green Gold Coast hinterland including Springbrook National Park and Mount Tamborine as well as year-round sunshine and you’re probably starting to wonder why you’re not living another day in paradise too.

With 57 kilometres of stunning coastline, each neighbourhood along the Gold Coast offers something unique to the next. Surfers Paradise is a bustling mecca for tourists and beach-goers alike, Broadbeach boasts some of the best Gold Coast restaurants and Coolangatta serves up some world-class surf-breaks, as well as being home to the Gold Coast airport. But if you’re still partial to Los Angeles or really, just love rocking the New Era Los Angeles Cap, then we’ll happily go on to convenience you with a few more reasons why the Gold Coast is the new Los Angeles…

Credit: Tourism & Events Queensland and Paul Giggle

Palm Trees – so many palm trees
Aside from the fact that the Gold Coast has a whole suburb named after palm trees (Palm Beach), you won’t struggle to find them scattered all over the Gold Coast. Los Angeles may have the lively Venice Beach boardwalk lined with its towering palm trees, but we have so many species of beautiful palm trees as well as the palm-like pandanus trees dotted all over our coastline and into the Gold Coast hinterland. Grab some fresh fish and chips for the perfect picnic beneath a shady palm tree by the beach or by a waterfall.

We make some of the best movies here
Thanks to Village Roadshow, making movies on the Gold Coast has become an intriguing and major drawcard for Hollywood hotshots, all to get out of Los Angeles and down under. The choice of settings within the Gold Coast alone means that almost every landscape is accommodated for, from picturesque Gold Coast beaches to the lush Gold Coast hinterland. Think of movies like Thor: Ragnarok, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Aquaman, just to name a few, all which feature the Gold Coast as their backdrop. Perhaps it’s time to rename ourselves the Gold Coast Hollywood?

Theme parks that rival Disneyland
Alright, so Los Angeles might have Minnie Mouse and Mickie Mouse at the ready, but does it have the world’s tallest and fastest thrill rides? Or even the cool title of the ‘theme park capital of Australia’ like the Gold Coast does? Home to Warner Brothers Movie World, Seaworld, Dreamworld, Wet n Wild and Paradise Country, there are more Gold Coast theme parks then you can poke a stick at!

Credit: Warner Village Theme Parks

Beaches (just quietly we think ours are way better!)
We’re well aware that Los Angeles has some pretty gorgeous beaches, such as Malibu and Venice Beach, but have they ever been listed as the United States of America’s cleanest beaches? Probably not. Meanwhile, two of the Gold Coast’s beaches have been listed as Australia’s Cleanest Beaches taking the national title twice in four years – Currumbin and Tallebudgera beach, with Burleigh Heads beach named Australia’s Cleanest Beach Runner Up for 2015. It may not be a big deal to the rest of the world, but it’s a pretty big deal to us. We’re all about saving our marine life one step at a time.

When it’s time to play, the big city of Brisbane isn’t too far away
Why drive five hours from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, when the Gold Coast has ‘BrisVegas’ just an hour away? Get lost in the flashing lights of Eagle Street Pier, discover the underworld of Fortitude Valley or try your luck at the Brisbane casino. Then, return to your close-by Gold Coast accommodation, by car, bus or train, waking up early to catch some of those famous Surfers Paradise waves.

Credit: Shipwreck Photography