Queensland's Wonderful Gold Coast Quiz

Answer: Currumbin

Founded in 1947, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is home to many different native Australian species, including birds, mammals, and reptiles. Every day, in the morning and the afternoon, the public are invited to help feed wild rainbow lorikeets in an event that is free to attend and highly popular. Visitors can also pay to experience close encounters with wildlife, such as crocodile feeding (no, the visitors are not fed to the crocs), dingo walks, and being photographed with koalas.

Answer: Surfers Paradise

Q1 is a 5-star luxury resort and spa overlooking the sea. One of its notable features is Skypoint, an observation deck 230 metres high with 360-degree views of the Gold Coast. Surfers Paradise is the entertainment and tourist hub of the Gold Coast that provides access to the famous public beaches, as well as nightclubs, hotels, shopping, and many other attractions.

The beach is actually one long continuous strip that runs from Main Beach, just north of Surfers Paradise, to Coolangatta, which is the southernmost suburb, buffering the New South Wales border, and is where the Gold Coast airport is located. Southport is the central business district of the Gold Coast.

Answer: Odditorium

I've never heard of any venues named after the three other answers, but if one ever opens, I want credit for coming up with the idea! Ripley's museum contains many weird and wonderful exhibits, such as real shrunken heads, and hands-on interactive galleries.

Answer: Schoolies

Schoolies celebrations, which originated in the 1970s, are currently held in several prominent locations around Australia, but the Gold Coast is where the event originated and is still the most popular location. The celebrations are usually held in late November and early December. During the event, a concert stage is set up on the beach in a temporarily fenced-off area that requires a ticket for entry.

Although aimed at high school graduates, the celebrations attract many older adults as well.

Answer: Luna Park

Luna Park is the name of an amusement park that originally opened in Melbourne, as well as a sister park that operated in Adelaide from 1930 to 1935, before closing down permanently and moving to a site in Sydney. The parks are notable for having a giant face at the entrance, with people entering through the mouth. Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World, and Wet'n'Wild are all operated by Village Roadshow Theme Parks, which also operates the nearby Australian Outback Spectacular, a dinner and show package.

Answer: Jupiters

Originally, its full name was "The Conrad Jupiters Casino and Resort" as it was run by Conrad Hotels, and was renamed "Jupiters Hotel & Casino" in 2010. In 2011, it became part of the Echo Entertainment Group, which later became the Star Entertainment Group, that also operates The Star, Sydney and Treasury Casino in Brisbane.

The Gold Coast casino complex includes a showroom that has hosted a number of world-famous acts over the years, including Diana Ross and Tom Jones.

Answer: Nerang River

The river's mouth is in Southport where it empties into the Coral Sea. The Nerang River flows through a system of canals and lakes, and there are several inland islands located within it. Waterfront properties overlooking the river command spectacular prices. Boating is popular, and tourists can enjoy river cruises and helicopter flights over the river.

Answer: True

While shark sightings on the open beach are rare, the local waterways are home to aggressive bull sharks and residents are advised to avoid swimming in them, especially at dawn or dusk when the sharks look for food. Since 2002, there have been two fatal shark attacks in the local canals. Despite this, some people still continue swimming in them!

Answer: False

As of 2020, Meter Maids can still be seen wandering around in their trademark gold bikinis, Akubra hats, and sashes. Meter Maids were employed shortly after the local council introduced paid parking into Surfers Paradise and local business owners became worried that tourists might be scared away by the prospect of parking fines. Despite controversy, the Meter Maids remain popular.

Answer: Mudgeeraba

The Hinterland Regional Park is located in the western part of the Gold Coast, several kilometres inland, and the parklands cover about 62 hectares. There is an ongoing bush restoration program to restore and maintain the park's ecosystem. The name "Mudgeeraba" originated from a local Aboriginal language, but its meaning is uncertain.

The Gold Coast City Council's website lists three different possible derivations of the name: "place of infant's excrement" (yuck!); "place where someone told lies" (not much better!); "place of sticky soil" (fair enough).

Despite the inauspicious etymology of its name, Mudgeeraba is actually a very pleasant place!