Gold Coast: A World-Class City
The Gold Coast is one of the best cities in the world, with 70kms of coastline, bustling local precincts and blessed with sunshine all year round.
Hopo Gold Coast Ferry transports locals and visitors around the city, with hourly ferry services from 9 am. to 6 pm all year round, except for Christmas Day when the Hopo crew and twin vessels get a well deserved day off.
Location, location, location
Gold Coast is the ideal location to base your next South East Queensland holiday. The iconic city is l only a 1-hour drive from the state’s capital city of Brisbane. Other notable destinations such as Byron Bay, Scenic Rim, Tweed Valley, Stradbroke Island and Moreton Island, the two largest sand islands in the world, are within a 2- hours drive.
Population
The Gold Coast has approximately 700,000 residents and receives over 1 million visitors per year (pre-pandemic). The Gold Coast’s ferry system, Hopo Gold Coast Ferry, is an integral part of the city, as it showcases all of what the Gold Coast has to offer. In fact, some locals call the calm and tranquil waterways Gold Coast’s best-kept secret.
What does the Gold Coast have to offer?
When visiting the Gold Coast city, visitors can expect friendly faces along with a variety of things to keep both children and adults entertained through the day and night. This includes the world-class Star Casino with its delightful restaurants and entertainment and a new 5-star hotel. There are several other hotel and visitor precincts along the ferry route, including Marina Mirage with Versace next door and Sheraton Grant across the road. Surfers Paradise is a hub for the Hilton and Mantra hotel groups and the centrally located Southport CBD with many riverside boutique places to stay. Whether you are a 5-star traveller, backpacker or looking for a unique adventure with Airbnb, there is a good chance your Hopo Ferry stop will only be a hop skip and a jump away.
Keep your cameras at the ready to capture the highlights of the Gold Coast.
Sun, Sand & Surf
Gold Coast has been famous for its sun, sand and surf beaches for over 50 years, in fact, many years ago, people would travel via horse and cart from the riverside township of Brisbane to the Gold Coast, with a long journey to the stunning seaside to bask in the summer heat. When the Europeans first settled in Australia, it took them some time to fall in love with the ocean, so Gold Coast is a relatively ‘new’ City, with innovation and fun deeply rooted in its history. After World War I, Australians relished the enjoyment of the ocean and learning how to surf. This also created a beachy Aussie subculture, which created the bikini swimsuit and the iconic Gold Coast metre maids.
Hopo Gold Coast Ferry departs hourly from HOTA, Home of the Arts.
Today’s Gold Coast
Gold Coast is a sophisticated and world-class city that hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2017 and is becoming renowned for its arts and cultural scene. 2021 welcomed the opening of the HOTA, Home of the Arts, Arts Precinct and its multi-million dollar art gallery. The city hosts many annual festivals, including the Swell Festival, Gold Coast Multicultural Festival, Blues on Broadbeach and VIVA Surfers Paradise.
Gold Coast locals love their fresh produce and craft markets, with Hopo Gold Coast Ferry stopping at both the Surfers Paradise markets and HOTA Farmers Markets.
Forget about finding a car spot, catch Hopo Gold Coast Ferry to the HOTA Farmer’s Market.
