Snapshot

Informações

• Why study in Gold Coast

  Despite the vocation for fun, Gold Coast is Australia's sixth largest city and the largest among non-capital cities, with more than 12,000 new people arriving each year to live there. Among the foreigners residing in the city, almost two-thirds were born in English-speaking countries such as New Zealand (9.2%), the United Kingdom (7.1%) and South Africa (1.3%), which is very positive for the adaptation of Brazilian students to the language.

  The study options on the Gold Coast are very good. There are some world-renowned universities such as Bond University and Griffith University, which offer breathtaking campus infrastructure, a TAFE unit with hundreds of vocational courses and, of course, the best English language schools. Regardless of where you are enrolled, international students on the Gold Coast always have a 50% discount on tickets for public transportation, which makes a big difference at the end of the month.

• 10 reasons to study in Gold Coast

  1. International students can work 48 hours per fortnight (and full time during vacations);
  2. International students pay only half the cost for public transportation tickets;
  3. The city has two world-renowned universities with incredible campuses;
  4. Second largest city in Queensland.
  5. Sixth largest city in Australia;
  6. Largest non-capital city in Australia;
  7. Only 75km from the Queensland capital, Brisbane;
  8. Humid subtropical climate;
  9. Almost 300 sunny days per year;
  10. More than 50 km of beaches.

• About Gold Coast

  Known as the Australians amusement park, Gold Coast is one of their favorite places for holidays, especially in the summer, but it’s also the perfect place for those looking for beaches, nightlife and, of course, a lot of surfing.

  Along the coast are some of the most perfect waves on the planet, such as those of Kirra and Snapper Rocks, while a 30 minutes drive will take you to real paradises like Springbrooke and Tamborine Mountain, which contrast well with Gold’s buzz. The main stage, of course, is the world-famous Surfers Paradise, which concentrates parties, shopping malls and restaurants. Neighborhoods such as Burleigh Heads and Coolangatta offer the same beach atmosphere, but with quieter day to day life. In Coomera, near Surfers, is where there are three of the most famous thematic parks in the world: Sea World, Warner Bros and Dreamworld.

• Accommodations in Gold Coast

  When researching a place to live, it’s very important that it be close to your school or that you can easily get there by public transport. We divided the accommodations into two types, according to the duration of the trip:

   

  Short term

  Hostels Backpackers

  The hostels are good options for those who want to save money with accommodation. The rooms in general are shared, but there are also rooms for couples and private options. Preferred by young travelers, they have quite relaxed environments, with lots of socialization and therefore are very sought after during high seasons.

  Lodges

  They are kinda like hostels but offer private, couples and group rooms. The environment is less busy and more private than hostels, the prices are a bit more expensive, but still cheaper than hotels.

   

  Long term

  Homestay

  WEST 1 recommends that, at least for the first few weeks, students stay in a homestay, which are homes of Australian families or immigrants who have been in the country for many years. It’s there that the student begins to have contact with the Australian culture, put into practice what they learn at school, get to know the city and ask questions. To participate in this type of program, families are accredited by the Australian government, which guarantees total safety for the student.

  Share accommodation

  After the homestay period, the student will already be more familiar with the school and the city. Feeling more independent, the next step is to share an apartment or a room with other students, many of them of different nationalities, which is a great experience and great for improving the language. The rent is usually paid weekly, and before moving you must deposit the famous “bond”, which is nothing more than an advance that ranges from two to four weeks of rent.

• Work In Gold Coast

  In Australia, as soon as classes begin, the student can work 48 hours per fortnight (and full time during vacations). In order to do that, it’s important to open a student account at a bank and make the Tax File Number, a record on the Australian Taxation Office that will allow you to get paid by the employer and have your income tax in order.

  Receiving over 13 million visitors annually and approximately 12,500 new residents, Gold Coast's economy is heavily boosted by the service industry, resulting in job opportunities in various areas such as hotels, bars and restaurants, as well as civil construction and cleaning.

• Attractions in Gold Coast

  With events and festivals taking place across the Gold Coast, the city has an annual schedule of attractions including Sand Safari, the stage of the Quiksilver World Surfing Championship and Roxy Pro Surfing, Bleach Festival, Gold Coast Film Festival, Blues on Broadbeach Music Festival and the Gold Coast 600 stage of the V8 Supercars motorsport championship, among others. Theme parks such as Australia Zoo, Dream World, Movie World, Wet n’ Wild, Underwater World and Seaworld are permanent attractions as well as the beaches and break points scattered along more than 50km of coastline.

  In the vicinity, going south, is the famous Byron Bay, destination of surfers, backpackers and neo-hippies from all over the world. To the north is the capital Brisbane and, traveling further, Sunshine Coast with its beautiful beaches, towns with fine restaurants, luxury boutiques and tropical forests. Going inland, Tamborine Mountain and the Springbrooke and Lamington national parks are true tropical paradises.

Did you know?

• 'Hiiiiiigh'

  Q1, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere, is located on the Gold Coast.

• 'Kurrungal'

  Aborigines refer to the Gold Coast as "Kurrungal", a type of wood that was abundant and they used to make boomerangs.

• 'Schoolies'

  The "Schoolies" tradition began in the 1970s when students would gather around the Broadbeach Hotel to celebrate their final exams. Nowadays, students from all over Australia go to Gold to celebrate their graduations.

• 'Nerang'

  Nerang was the first municipality in the region, dating from 1865

• 'Commonwealth Games'

  In 2018, Gold Coast hosted the Commonwealth Games, which brought together more than 6,000 athletes from 70 countries and territories.

• 'Champion!'

  Australia won the Commonwealth Games 2018, with 80 gold medals of 198 in total, followed by England (45 gold/136 total), India (26/66), Canada (15/82), New Zealand (15/46) and South Africa (13/37).

• Quais são as principais características de Gold Coast?

  Gold Coast é formada por uma costa com cerca de 35 praias, uma mais linda que a outra. Por isso é uma cidade para quem gosta de viver no litoral e ter um estilo de vida descontraído e praiano. Lá as pessoas praticam muitos esportes, principalmente o surfe. Uma das etapas do campeonato da liga mundial de surfe acontece na cidade. Gold Coast atrai um público bem jovem e por isso é uma cidade bem agitada, apesar de pequena (tem em torno de 650.000 habitantes). Os postos de trabalho lá são mais na área de hotelaria (eventos, hotéis, restaurantes, cafés, pubs) e durante a alta temporada de verão, há muita oferta de trabalho.

  Para saber mais sobre a cidade, acesse os conteúdos exclusivos da WEST 1:

  • Vídeo sobre o custo de vida na Gold Coast
  • Vídeo sobre Surfers Paradise
  • Vídeo sobre as praias da Gold Coast
  • Vídeo sobre o dia-a-dia na vida de um estudante em Gold Coast
  • Vídeo sobre a WEST 1 Gold Coast