It is not hard to see why Gold Coast is the traditional venue of choice, with the city boasting sandy beaches rife for relaxing, partying and of course, surfing. There is a suburb called Surfers Paradise for a reason. There is also the bonus of the Australian summer sunshine, with temperatures rising to over 30 degrees celsius.

In 16 months’ time, the city will be playing host to a different kind of party, when the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games gets underway at the Carrara Stadium, which will also host the Closing Ceremony and athletics competition.

Preparations are set to be assessed here this week with a Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Coordination Commission team, led by their vice-president Bruce Robertson, meets Gold Coast 2018 officials.

In a rare break with recent and upcoming multi-sport events, preparations appear to be firmly on track for a successful Games, which could rival its predecessor Glasgow 2014’s tag at the "best ever".

Granted, Gold Coast 2018 have faced a handful of issues, including a dispute over the awarding of the Ceremonies tender and a perceived lack of locals within vital Games-delivery roles, but the general expectation is the Australian organisers will deliver a smooth and successful Games.

Only last month, Gold Coast 2018 chairman Peter Beattie declared all venues for the multi-sport would be delivered at least 12 months ahead of schedule. The Anna Meares Velodrome, named after Queensland’s cycling great, and the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre are among competition venues to have already been completed.

While a race against time to complete the infrastructure for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro saw legacy projects moved to the back burner, it appears that making a strong and lasting impact on Gold Coast will be high on the priority list for the CGF.

One aspect the organisation appear keen to underline heading into the visit regards the overall cost of the Games. While Gold Coast 2018 expenditure budget has been claimed to be around AUD$2 billion (£1.1 billion/$1.5 billion, €1.4 billion), stressing that the sum is predominantly related to legacy projects, rather than the cost of hosting the Games itself, is an area which the CGF may feel could be better highlighted.

One such legacy project would be the extension to the G:link light rail service, which has been accelerated in the build-up to the Games taking place. The extension will see the line end at Helensvale, which would provide an improved connection to Brisbane. While this would certainly aid spectators aiming to travel to track cycling competition, the extension is viewed as an important development in Gold Coast’s transport network.

Transport appears likely to be one of the challenges facing the organisers in the build-up to the Games, with cars still deemed the first choice of getting around the city, rather than public services. Gold Coast 2018 could act as an opportunity to tackle the issue, with a draft transport plan released this week seeking to urge the public to change their habits as the city prepares to welcome around 1.5 million spectators for the Games, as well as thousands of athletes, officials, volunteers and media.

With the CGF aiming for the Commonwealth Games to be seen to have an impact outside of sport, they appear set to continue to work closely with Gold Coast 2018 on helping their Reconciliation Action Plan come into force.

The business initiative which documents what organisations can do within their sphere of influence to contribute to "reconciliation"" in Australia, is due to be fully implemented next year. It is hoped the plan will help to increase understanding of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture, which would in turn increase respect of their values, culture and heritage.

While organisers and the CGF will be hoping for a similar economic impact to what was achieved at the Glasgow 2014, where the Scottish city were found to have enjoyed a multi-million pound boost, the 2018 Games appear set have a different legacy focus.

The regeneration of Scotland’s largest city was seen as a key aspect of their Games, whereas the Gold Coast appear focused on building on their international image as part of Australia’s "Sunshine State" and becoming viewed as more than just a tourist destination.

Displaying the city's youth and ambition to being one of the most active places in Australia, are also key to Gold Coast's ambitions for the Games.

Although discussions will centre over Gold Coast 2018’s preparations throughout the week, the fate of Durban 2022 will still linger strongly. 

The process of assessing submissions from the South African officials - regarding key criteria required for them to remain as hosts of the Games - will be expected to get underway on the side of the Coordination Commission visit.

The inability of Durban 2022 to form an Organising Committee, make necessary payments to the CGF and sign the Host City contract could see the South African city lose the right to stage the Games. 

While clearly there are problems with Durban’s approach, political circumstances and the reduced value of their currency, the Rand, are also likely to be areas in which the CGF will need to assess whether to press ahead with the city.

Durban’s difficulties will likely have the CGF counting their blessings that Gold Coast appears to be progressing seamlessly. However, it does reflect the wider problem that so few countries appear capable of preparing and staging a multi-sport event without numerous setbacks halting their path, which in turn make legacy promises difficult to fulfil.