Surfers Paradise, river to surf
Between the Nerang River and the sea
The Nerang River bounds the suburb to the north-west and a continuous sandy beach runs along the east, with the Gold Coast Highway down the middle from north to south. Salt carried in from the surf speeds up rust, so the underside deserves a look at each service.
October race week
The Gold Coast 500 runs on the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit every October, and the Gold Coast Highway is prone to congestion here during events. If a service falls due that week, have it done before or after.
Towers and the tram
The suburb has many high-rise apartment buildings, and the tram stops at Northcliffe, Surfers Paradise, Cavill Avenue, Cypress Avenue and Surfers Paradise North. Plenty of trips here never need the car at all.
Queensland's rules
There's no general mechanic licence in Queensland, so the questions worth asking are about ABN, insurance and qualifications. A car sold here needs a safety certificate, and only an approved inspection station can issue one.
When the car mostly sits
RAC WA says cars are made to be driven regularly, and that a car left idle can suffer in its battery, its fuel and its tyres. RACT adds that a car standing unused for long periods, or doing mostly short trips, is likely to need a new battery sooner.
The usual first sign is a slow, hesitant crank, or a click and nothing more. Once a battery has drained, RACT says a modern car's charging system won't fully recharge it, so a smart charger or a battery test is the real fix. Car batteries on the Gold Coast goes through it.
A car that does few kilometres still needs its service. RACV's general guide is a minor service every 10,000 km to 15,000 km or every 12 months, whichever comes first, and a car that rarely leaves the basement gets to the 12 months first.
Our take
For a car that lives in a Surfers Paradise basement, we'd keep to the yearly service even if the odometer has barely moved, ask for a battery test every time, and take it for a proper drive every week or so. Before a month away, we'd hook it up to a smart charger if the building allows it.