Miami with an Aussie twang, the Gold Coast (’GC’) sprawls some 70km in a glitzy sweep of golden surf, skyscraping condos and fit beach bods between Brisbane and the New South Wales border.

The city - now Australia’s sixth largest - has long been a popular family getaway, its list of attractions including world-class theme parks Warner Bros Movie World, Dreamworld and Sea World. More recently, a slew of on-point restaurants and bars, not to mention the opening of its $60.5 million arts hub HOTA, has challenged its long-held reputation for being a little kitschy and vapid.

Surfers Paradise is the heart of the action, a towering, bustling neighbourhood of clubs, bars and family-friendly eateries. To the south, upmarket Broadbeach is home to chic mall Pacific Fair, while further south still, laid-back Burleigh Heads has established itself as the city’s hipster heartland.