Pacific Fair

Some people lose themselves in Pacific Fair, wandering between one designer shop to another - credit card in hand. If you appreciate shopping even less than I do, why not appreciate some of the gardens and fountains at the fair and then set off to find this nearby geocache.

Like most Gold Coast attractions, what was once a modest, budget friendly place has now blown out into something hugely grand, where expensive and luxury items are a-plenty.

In the 1950s the western side of the Gold Coast Highway from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads had very few developments, as it was a swampy area with some  sand mining activity.

By the 1960’s urban development was underway and, in 1970, the Albert Shire Council gave approval for a 50 acre shopping centre on the western bank of Little Tallebudgera Creek at Broadbeach, south of Margaret Street. Construction started on the new shopping centre in May 1976. The new complex took 16 months to complete at a cost of approximately 17 million dollars.

Pacific Fair opened on 23 August 1977 and was a state-of-the-art shopping centre with 96 specialty stores, entertainment, a fish pond and 300 carparks. Pacific Fair had a colonial Australian style of architecture with verandas and awnings, themed ‘village style’ streets with ample seating, lakes filled with water lilies and goldfish and a small train for customers to ride. In 1989, a three year five stage redevelopment project took place. The appearance of the complex was drastically altered and pink turrets were constructed on the roof tops overlooking Little Tallebudgera Creek. During this period, Pacific Fair was the third largest shopping centre in Australia. 

Four decades after the complex opened, Pacific Fair underwent a major multi stage transformation at the cost of $670 million. The pink turrets were removed and replaced with a simple logo of intertwined initials. The centre measures 150,000 square metres adding 46,500 square metres of retail space equating to 350 more retails shops and 6,200 more parking spaces than when it first opened in 1977.

Pacific Fair features outdoor resort style seating, gardens, a grand staircase over waterways connected by timber bridges, a glass roofed atrium and skylights with powder room style toilet facilities inspired by 1950s surfing artwork and the iconic Pink Poodle Motel.

The cache is a tiny thing, attached to a pole. You should be able to get it without looking to circumspect. 

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