Kirra is one of Queensland’s Gold Coast towns, wrapping around a curve in the landscape which separates Coolangatta and Kirra beaches. While there is contention regarding the meaning of the word ‘Kirra’, it is widely believed to be a local Aboriginal word meaning ‘boomerang’, possibly named for the curvature in the Kirra landscape.
Kirra is a popular tourist area, being close to the New South Wales border and only a short distance from the Gold Coast Airport. With the Gold Coast Airport servicing both domestic and international visitors, and the nearby Pacific Motorway providing easy access to the area by car, Kirra sees thousands of visitors in both peak periods and the off season every year. Peak periods align with school holiday dates, particularly over the summer months.
The varying surf conditions at Kirra Beach make it the perfect location for beginners, as well as a challenging environment for the seasoned professional. Supposedly home to Queensland’s oldest surf club, the beach is fully patrolled and family friendly, and has also been the training ground for several successful Australian surfers. In order to protect the popular beaches from erosion, Kirra’s rocky headland now includes what is referred to by locals as the ‘Big Groyne’, lengthening Kirra Point to trap much needed sand on Coolangatta Beach.
Kirra is home to over 200 accommodation options and food services, with a range of both budget and luxury hotels, holiday parks and bed and breakfasts. Guests travel to the area not only for its famous sandy surf beaches, but also for local shopping centres, annual events, and one of the Gold Coast’s most prevalent attractions, the theme parks.
For those drawn to the beach, but looking for a non-surfing activity, the Kirra Reef also provides visitors with the opportunity to experience the Gold Coast’s natural environment in a unique way, with stunning reef and underwater rock formations, and the chance to encounter a range of sea life, including octopus, rays and sharks.
Annual events also attract visitors, such as the Festival of Kites and the Kirra Criterium Classic, which makes up a part of the Tour de Valley weekend of cycling on the Gold Coast in October.