Moving to GC

Hey everyone, I am from Canada and am moving to the GC on a working holiday visa for approx 6 months, I've decided that living in hostels for at least the beggining of my journey will be benificial for meeting people and getting a grasp of the overall lifestyle. Any reccomendations on whereabouts in the gold coast i should live? I've seen great things and horrible things about surfers paradise so its hard to know what to beleive. I'd just like a nice place near the beach and maybe a few good nightclubs around. thanks