Surfers Paradise epitomises the best and worst of the Gold Coast. It’s one of the few Queensland destinations truly saturated with tourists. I can see how frustrating it must be for residents of Paris, New York and London must feel, being constantly inundated with wandering crowds and bumping into people stopped dead in their tracks to take a selfie with their iPad.

However, the tourists come for a reason. It is undeniably a beautiful beach and it’s a nice place to swim. It has a fun atmosphere and every night Cavill Ave is buzzing with street performers, markets and restaurants up late. Apart from the occasional bikie gang, it’s relatively peaceful, albeit very busy.

Surfers’ mix of touristy trash (Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, Hard Rock Cafe, the giant McDonalds and supersized surf & beachwear stores) and genuine coastal charm is endearing. It’s an odd little mix that clashes with itself. It’s grown up too fast and isn’t sure whether it’s a luxury holiday spot for those who don’t want to rough it, a quiet coastie or a tourist town. For a long time, this hasn’t appealed to me at all, but this time I changed my mind.

I stayed with my boyfriend and his family ( who are super kind for inviting me!) at Soul on the Esplanade, which is amazing. It’s easily the second tallest building on the coast, after Q1 (the tallest in Queensland) but its sleek, slender design makes it look taller. On the 26th floor (there are over 70) you could enjoy the view of the beach and Cavill Ave without constantly being amongst the crowds. It was the perfect way to enjoy the best of what Surfers’ has to offer – and it does have a lot. There are plenty of cafes and shops, bars, day spas and of course the beach, to keep everyone entertained.

This photo was taken on a walk on the beach after dinner one night. The beach was sort of busy, but everyone kept enough of a distance for it not to feel crowded. One thing I love about Australians is that they always lead the way with a large personal bubble.

Overall, Surfers is great for tourists because it has grown to cater to tourists, but for me I also really liked having my last holiday of 2012 in an iconic Australian destination that does what Australia does best – chill out.

I acknowledge the Yugambeh people as the First Nations owners of the lands now recognised as the Gold Coast. I pay respect to their Elders, lores, customs and creation spirits. I recognise that these lands have always been places of great natural beauty, culture and community.