Every Friday, iPhoneography Oz invites one of our Instagram followers to cover a topic about Australian society. Today, meet @sweetocean_. She took this beautiful photo of a foggy morning on the Gold Coast.

iPhoneography Oz: Who are you in less than 140 characters?
sweetocean_: (145 characters, couldn't cut more!!!) I'm a lover of the ocean, passionate about our mother earth. I'm a dreamer, a free spirit. I'm a walker, a diver, a writer, a reader, a photographer. I'm a crazy mother and wife.

iOz: Your photo shows a foggy morning at Nobbys Beach (located south of Surfers Paradise). Isn't Queensland "where Australia shines"?
s: Queensland shines no matter fog, rain or wind! Today we had a 20 minutes of torrential rain; a combination of blue sky with grey clouds where mixing afterwards with a mega strong sunset light and a huge rainbow showed up, wide open, from one extreme to the other extreme of our 42 kilometres of beach, on top of the ocean... That's how Queensland shines!

iOz: It actually looks pretty spectacular. What's your favourite Gold Coast beach?
s: I would say Currumbin.

iOz: If you were stuck in Australia with an unlimited budget and a week in front of you, what would you do?
s: Without hesitation, I'll go to Lord Howe Island!

iOz: What was one of the best travel experiences you've ever had in Australia?
s: It was absolutely magical to see The Twelve Apostles at the Great Ocean Road, from above, in a tiny helicopter.

iOz: What's your favourite photo on the blog?
s: One of your photos at Coral Bay.... looks like such a dreamy place for snorkeling!

iOz: What kind of photos can our readers see on @sweetocean_'s Instagram feed?
s: Gold Coast beach culture.

iOz: Vegemite or Nutella?
s: 100% Nutella

iOz: We're switching roles, ask us anything!
s: How have you being able to travel for a year in Australia and around 20 other countries!?
Are you being sponsored or did you win the lotto? If you are being sponsored how did you make it happened?
iOz: It's all about saving money and spending it wisely. Of course you can't travel for free but it's possible to travel without spending a fortune. Do you know what? Travelling long term is most probably cheaper than living a "normal" settled life. Actually since you're asking, we might write an article and tell you exactly how we spent our budget.

iOz: A last word?
s: Love.

Photo captured by @sweetocean_. To be featured, follow @iPhoneographyOz and tag your own iPhone photos with #iOz. Any image taken in Australia and tagged with #iOz is eligible.

The Gold Coast is renowned in Australia and Asia for its theme parks. The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the best things to do there. The park is much larger than the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. It is host to many different animal species, some of which are quite surprising such as these blue-tongued lizards (photo). It is recommended to allow four hours to visit the park. The bird show is certainly not to be missed. The bonus: the ticket includes the Green Challenge, a tree climbing course quite spectacular (but not tested by us due to lack of time but certainly not lack of desire).

What do you think? Have you been to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary? What's your favourite thing to do on the Gold Coast? Let us know in the comments below!

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Today we tackle a national institution in Australia: Surf Clubs. There are more than 300 of these clubs spread along Australian beaches. Uninformed foreigners might assume they are just surf schools or trendy bars. There is much more to it than that. In a nut shell, the Surf Life Saving Clubs (that is their full name!) are local associations that aim to create a safe environment on and off the beaches through the work of their volunteer lifesavers. Do you remember Mitch Buchannon and C. J. Parker in Baywatch? Well that's it, but even more! The influence of Surfs Clubs extends outside the beach in the local community. They offer various training opportunities (and even organize barbecues on weekends!). And remember: you can swim safely between the red and yellow flags!

What do you think? Would you like to become a surf lifesaver or a lifeguard? Do you know much about beach safety? Let us know in the comments below!

Are you going to travel to Australia on a working holiday visa? Are you considering migrating to Australia because of its great lifestyle? One thing we have noticed since moving to Australia is the cost of living: living in Australia is not cheap at all! It needs to be taken into consideration if you plan to travel to Australia because you will certainly notice a difference, sometimes big, on your receipts. Have you ever wondered what inflation is? We have found a few retailers in Surfers Paradise who might be able to help you find the answer as they apply a 10% surcharge on public holidays (photo). Is there any consumer protection legislation in Australia? Anyway, grocery prices are usually quite high. It is not that easy to find meals for less than $15. A litre of gas is comparable to the excessive prices charged in France. Rent prices exceed Montreal prices and can easily reach double sometimes. Lonely Planet recommends a minimum daily budget of $100 to travellers who want to enjoy their stay as long as they sleep in backpackers accommodation and use public transportation. Of course it all depends on where you are. You will find a few cost of living calculator tools online. You might want to use them in order to help you make cost of living comparison. Hopefully, your job search will allow you to work and earn money as soon as possible. Current Australia's minimum wage is $15.96 per hour. At least, it seems that the economic crisis has not hit Australia yet!

What do you think? What are your best ways to save money while traveling? Do you have any cost savings ideas in order to travel cheaper? Let us know in the comments below!

The Gold Coast extends over several dozens of kilometres south of Brisbane. It is still part of Queensland. The town is populated by approximately 600,000 inhabitants, making it the sixth largest city in Australia. Some of them might live here because of the weather. The Gold Coast has a humid subtropical climate with 300 days of sunshine per year and an average annual temperature exceeding 25°C. According to Lonely Planet, it is considered to be "The Mecca of seaside tourism" attracting each year tens of thousands of schoolies. At first sight, the Gold Coast consists of a sad mix of Los Angeles (for its traffic), Las Vegas (for its ostentatious style and theme parks like Wet'n'Wild), Miami Beach (for its architecture) and Cancun (for its fauna and its haute cuisine... not). This is not exactly what we expect to find when coming to Australia. Surfers Paradise district has an appealing name though and… that is pretty much about it. Not too many surfers here but a lot of luxurious and modern buildings, including the Q1 Tower (one of the tallest residential buildings in the world). Actually they should think of changing Surfers Paradise name for Real Estate Paradise. It would certainly be a bit more accurate. The period is quite busy due to summer holidays. Today the Gold Coast is host to Summafieldayze, a huge annual music festival. A line-up of international artists such as Justice, Snoop Dogg, Moby or Erick Morillo performed on stage this afternoon. We have to admit, we are quite impressed. The town also hosts a few different major events throughout the year such as the Gold Coast 600 (a V8 Supercars street circuit carnival), the Gold Coast Airport Marathon and the Quicksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast (a leg of the ASP World Tour). In our opinion, unless you really like the place or unless you have already bought your tickets to attend an event, there is no need to book a hotel or any other kind of accommodation in the Gold Coast. Spend the day if you want, then drive (far away).