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 No matter what time of year, the Gold Coast is always a hive of activity with many conferences held there as well as annual events... The two biggest events on the Surfers Paradise events calendar are probably the Indy car racing and Schoolies Week.
Lexmark Indy 300
In it's 16th consecutive year, this car race is one to rival even the
Formula 1 with the main event being the American Champ car race. The
Aussie V8 Supercars are almost as good (better depending on your point
of view :).
Indy is a spectacular four day party that takes over Surfers Paradise
with four days and nights of celebration and regalia. Indy is a high
octane mix of international motor racing, partying, celebrity watching
and off-track entertainment that literally takes over the Gold Coast
highway. This is an event that's just as exciting off track as it is
trackside.
The cars race at speeds close to 300 kilometres per hour around a tight
4.47km street circuit that threads its way between Surfers Paradise
high rises, right next to the fabulous Gold Coast coastline, - simply
awesome! The crowds flock to the event. To put it into some
perspective, last year (in 2006) over 300, 000 people attended over the
four day event. It is quite a crowd! And it can get a little rowdy too. There's usually plenty of places to avoid the crush if you need/want to.
This year Indy will run from 18 October through to 21 October, 2007.
Book your trip now to avoid disappointment. The tickets are available
from the track on race days (you pay a little more), but accommodation
on the Gold Coast is very nearly impossible to organise at the last
minute.
GOLD COAST SHOW
Thursday, 30 August 2007 until Saturday, 1 September 2007
Held at the 47 hectare Parklands Showgrounds, the 2007
Show will take place on Thursday 30th August, Friday 31st August (Gold Coast
Show Public Holiday) and Saturday 1st September from 9.00am to 9.00pm for the
three days and nights.
The Gold Coast Show attracts thousands of people of all
ages and cultural backgrounds, both locals and visitors. every age and social
background together with a growing number of visitors.
This year there are the ever-popular and Show elements
such as Stage Shows, Roving Entertainment, Australiana & Heritage Displays,
Outback Display, Reptile Show, Aboriginal Display, Woodchopping Championships,
Vintage Cars, Australiana Circus, Australian Rodeo, Main Ring Horse Events such
as Showjumping and Dressage, Grand Parade, Animal Pavilion, Dog Show, Sideshows
& Rides, Showbags, Homecraft Displays and Visual Arts Show, Homeshow
Displays & Trade Exhibits and Outdoor Business Displays.
The Gold Coast Show is also a great place to market and
promote your own business, goods and services to show visitors, with nearly 250
indoor and outdoor sites are available.
Surfside Buses provide extra services to travel to and
from the Showgrounds during the three days and nights of the Show.
Schoolies Week
Over the past thirty years Australian high school graduates have
celebrated their graduation with a week long party at The Gold Coast.
An event that started out for Queensland high school graduates has
steadily grown to attract teenagers from all around the country.
Surfers Paradise is a popular destination, but the size of the crowd
means "schoolies" take over much of the Gold Coast.
Schoolies Week is the most significant youth event in the national
social calendar and is considered a rite of passage, signaling these
teenagers' transition into the adult world beyond high school and a
life of their own.
The event started back in the late 1970s
with a small gathering of year 12 school leavers meeting in Broadbeach.
Over the next few years school leavers developed a tradition of
gathering for this celebration, with the crowds eventually adopting
Surfers Paradise as a preferred site. By the late 1990s the initial
group of 12 grew to tens of thousands of young people gathering at the
Gold Coast at much the same time.
The event has become something of a major headache for law enforcement
on the Gold Coast and a major concern for worried parents.
The majority of school leavers are 17 years old and are too young to
legally drink. Often though they binge drink and deaths have occurred
as a result of their drunken antics. Increasingly, older 'ex-schoolies'
and adults are also attracted to the event and often cause more trouble
that the school leavers.
This year, Queensland Schoolies Week will be held from Saturday 17th of
November to Sunday 25th of November. Because the southern states of NSW
and Victorian finish their school year later, the Schoolies event
spreads over a few weeks.
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Brisbane Shopping
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There are many stores at Brisbane's Toowong Viilage Shopping Centre. Here is an extensive list to help you find what you need (and want).
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Fun Stuff
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When looking to dine out in Brisbane, it is helpful to understand the different
precincts for
restaurants in Brisbane.
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Brisbane's Story Bridge is a major Brisbane landmark, one that helps define Brisbane as a river city, almost as much as the Sydney Harbour Bridge defines Sydney down south.