The Distant City

The Gold Coast from Mermaids at Burleigh Heads. Click the heading for more photos. There is also a live beach cam here

The Gold Coast feels like the beginning of everything; the sharp, clear light has touched nothing for a thousand miles until this sandy promontory merges with the ocean at Burleigh Heads. Here Mermaids, my favourite beach bar in all the world, draws people for its awesome views and superb wine, food and music. Sit outside with your feet in the sand with a glass of Vasse Felix or Cullens, or inside beside the unbroken slab of mermaid-green glass which serves as the bar, and watch the surfers take the last waves and know that you are in one of the finest places on earth.

December 2011 Update: Sadly, it's no longer so special, and is renamed Meech's. But the view remains superb!