Surfers what?

Now I'd heard Surfers Paradise was a built up place but I wasn't expect huge apartment blocks right next to the beach just like Benidorm. I mean the beach itself is gorgeous and incredibly long. It does seem odd that Australia has soo many great beaches with no-one on there and you arrive at another not-so-special beach to be confronted with thousands of people milling around.
We stopped one night and surfed the next morning before moving on, I got absolutely battered by the waves. It felt like being in a tumble dryer. They say Surfers has a harsh shore dump, meaning that if you're close to the beach when you're on a wave the likelihood is that you're going over the top of you board head first into the spin cycle in shallow water. Not a nice experience.
Paradise this is not. Maybe if you like shopping, and granted there are loads of bars here but we've been spoilt by Byron and many many many better places all over Oz.
In it's heyday in the 50's Surfers wasn't built up and was a prime surfer dudes hangout. There are still some around but this is now mainly tourist paradise and it seems other places in this state, Queensland, are heading the same way. Where ever the money will be the council will pass the plans for as many high rises as neccessary.
What did look cool though was the coming of the Indy 500. This is the American version of Formula One and here they race on the streets. It's a shame we'd be out of the country when that was on but you can't time everything right.
Driving out of Surfers with an air of disappointment we spotted 3 water parks that looked fab, but not for our wallets. Besides, the wicked van convoy was heading off to an island for some real surf action, we hoped.