In October the coastal highway of the Gold Coast becomes a screaming racetrack and launches Surfers Paradise into party mode (even more so than usual).
In 2018 the Vodafone Gold Coast 600 centres on the final of the PIRTEK Enduro Cup and will include live performances from classic power-rock act Foreigner, hot Brisbane band Sheppard and reunited 1990s rockers Live (remember ‘Dolphin’s Cry’?).
Trackside admission is just that – so bring your camping chair or a blanket to plonk alongside the action, or mosh out in Pit Lane where you can sneak glimpses of the drivers prepping for their epic 600-kilometre whip around… and around and around.
The circuit track runs just shy of three kilometres and allows a top speed of 265 km/h. Never fear: concrete bollards separate the spills from the crowds. Metres away is the Gold Coast’s most famous beach, Surfers Paradise, as well as Cavill Avenue lined with shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Rev-heads are also treated with an auto show that lines up swish high-performance road vehicles and a performance by some of the most daring motorbike stunt riders.
If your brain gets too buzzed, you can take a side trip to some of the GC’s quieter southern beaches, such as Palm Beach, Currumbin and Coolangatta.