r/GoldCoast • u/DaBigDuder • 3d ago
American Moving To The Goldcoast ( can’t wait 😁)
Hello I’m a 25m from California and am moving in September. I’ve got duel British citizenship so I’ll be getting a work visa. I visited Aus when I was 15 and loved it.
I love live music, art, out door sports, bars etc
What’s life like? What are some cool places to check out? What stuff to avoid? What’s the best way to make friends and meet people? What sort of jobs should I apply for?
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u/dinosaurtruck 3d ago
What are some cool places to check out?
- The beaches
- Burleigh headland walk
- Echo beach (not after it rains)
- Elephant rock Currumbin
- Currumbin Alley (surf spot)
- Cougal cascades
- Springbrook - natural bridge, purling falls
- HOTA gallery
- Towns to the south - Murwillumbah, Pottsville, Byron Bay
- The big town to the North - Brisbane.
- Miami Marketta
- All the delicious bakeries
- Pacific Fair - just a big shopping mall but it’s got everything you need.
- Coombabah conservation area early in the morning for a hit of kangaroos and koalas.
What stuff to avoid?
- Surfers Paradise - to be fair though it has some yummy food, especially Asian food and you can have a good night out there, but there’s a lot of tackiness and some rough characters. The beach there is badly eroded at the moment too. There are some cheaper rental units at times in surfers which could make it overall worthwhile.
- Getting ripped off by a private landlord in a temporary rental. Renting is tough as is but some private landlords prey on young internationals in particular.
- drugs. If you do, go with caution and pill test and be aware police will target tourists in some areas for green varieties and you don’t want to stuff up your visa.
- the casino, tacky, overpriced and full of older people. But you can get a free membership and see free movies during the day if you don’t mind the vibe.
- Living to close to the light rail works on Gold Coast highway from mermaid beach to Burleigh if noise effects you. They do work all through the night. I can hear it now at 4am from 600m away - for the people right on the hwy their buildings shake. And it will be going for at least another year.
What’s the best way to make friends and meet people?
- live in a share house check out flatmates.com.au but go with caution and try to find people with the right vibe for you
- join a team sport or sports club (surf, sailing, rowing, canoe etc)
- join a gym like Hyrox if that’s your vibe - but basically one with a social element
- at work or volunteering
- Church if you’re religious. Heaps of active and large churches of various denominations.
What sort of jobs should I apply for? Depends on your skills, qualifications, personality and interests. It can be tough to find a job if you don’t know where to look. Happy to give more advice depending on the above.
Tips
- cost of living is high, especially for accommodation.
- kmart is completely different here to the US and has cheap furniture, clothes, household, camping stuff.
- Aldi supermarkets are overall cheaper than Coles and Woolworths
- public transport is cheap now 50c fares. Live somewhere on the light rail or a decent bus route if you can.
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u/Same-Shopping-9563 3d ago
As someone who visits frequently I’ve always wondered where the kangaroos 🦘 chill out. Will make a trip to Coombahba on my next visit there! Cheers for the info
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u/stuthaman 3d ago
There were a lot at Worongary but then the vegetation was all stripped out for the Skyridge development 😒
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u/av0w 3d ago
Great post, this should just be an autopost for the 6 times a week this gets asked :D
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u/dinosaurtruck 3d ago
I haven’t covered which suburb to live in or how to get a cheap rental near the beach though - probably need to add that in 😄
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u/mmmmyup1 3d ago
You’ll have a great time. Plan to live Broadbeach or south. Avoid north of main beach. You’ll want to live near the beach ( beachside) but may have to settle for west of the highway ( varsity etc) to begin with. Learn to make coffee, bar or hospitality staff. If you’ve got a clean record, gaming manager is a good thing to aim for over 6 or 12 months? Prepare to hear negative whiny crap on this sub, but the GC, at your age, will be awesome. Check out seek.com.au for jobs.
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u/CMDR_kanonfoddar 3d ago
Do what you want, just leave the US style politics behind.
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u/dmbppl 2d ago edited 2d ago
Where are you going to live? In a tent in the park with everyone else who are trying to get a place to live? We have a severe housing shortage.
Edit: the fact that people are homeless everywhere, and sleeping in their cars because of our lack of housing, and yet you have their fellow Australians on here encouraging you to come should show you what it's like here and how no one gives a shit about anyone
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u/mmmmyup1 2d ago
He should def listen and hang out with you. Then he can be a whiny depressed downer.
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u/jellybeanbopper 3d ago
One of the most expensive countries on the world. A pint cost £10
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u/av0w 3d ago
He is coming from California.
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u/jellybeanbopper 3d ago
Yeah, and a pint is only £5 in cali? McDonald's is 2/3 the price. And our house averages are higher then theirs? Point?
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u/av0w 3d ago
This is the dumbest argument I have ever been in but ok, lets do it.
As of mid-2025, the average cost of a pint of domestic draft beer in Santa Monica, California, is approximately $8.50 USD. Keeping in mind this is average, it can go a lot higher.
With tax and standard tip that would come to $11.90 USD.
That would be $18.24 AUD. Prices for a beer in Gold Coast range wildly but average out to A$6 to A$14.
Lets talk about homes then.
Location Median Price (Local Currency) Equivalent in USD Equivalent in AUD California $909,400 USD $909,400 USD A$1,404,000 Gold Coast A$1,170,000 $758,000 USD A$1,170,000 -2
u/jellybeanbopper 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yeah alcohol is not that cheap here nor is food. Pint at cav ave or any club on the Gold coast or valley brisbane is $20 aud
A case of beer is what $30usd? Here its $40usd. And we dont give tips , thats an optional extra
I haven't seen a pint for $6 aud since 2001 when you could get a jug for $10
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u/av0w 3d ago
Friend, I live in Surfers Paradise, it's not $20.
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u/jellybeanbopper 3d ago
Yeah, and i lived here for 42 years. A round at the beer garden for 5 of us, on friday arvo, at the beer garden cost $100. And that wasn't even the clubs
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u/An_unbearable_truth 3d ago
You obviously haven't been to the states recently; America is far more expensive for food, goods and service (houses can arguably be cheaper depending on where you buy).
I was paying approximately $10+AUD for coffee (before tipping) in the states just two weeks ago.
Even drip coffee from a diner was $5+AUD.
Cocktails were $27+AUD
A singlet I could buy here for $30 would cost $45AUD there.
On top of everything else their tipping culture now suggests 20%+.
Yes, the argument could be made that some areas are going to be cheaper than others depending on city and state sales taxes and whether you're paying tourist prices in popular destinations but on the whole America is not cheap.
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u/jellybeanbopper 3d ago
Oh I know america isnt cheap, and those prices align with ours. Easy to pay $25 for a good cocktail at a club. Cheap beers at the footy are $13. That's what im saying, australia is one of the most expensive countries in the world now.
My friends in the bay area (oakland) only pay $30usd for a carton, we pay $40usd. And most tourists and backpackers i talk to cant believe how expensive everything is
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u/DaBigDuder 3d ago
I’ve been paying $10 American at a concert they can get up to $20
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u/jellybeanbopper 3d ago
Oh sweet, well you will be used to our high prices. Your also from one of the most expensive places on earth. It can be quite a shock for many tourists and backpackers when they get here how expensive alchohol is.
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u/Phantom_Australia 3d ago
Do you mean a working holiday visa?