NZ man found in pool of blood at Surfers' Paradise

A New Zealand man was yesterday helping police with their inquiries less than 48 hours after receiving numerous gunshot wounds near a popular Surfers' Paradise beach.

The 30-year-old was found lying in a pool of blood on the road at The Spit, on Seaworld Drive at Southport, Queensland, shortly after 11pm on Friday.

He is understood to have been shot four times in the legs and torso, and was taken to Gold Coast Hospital where he had surgery.

He was originally listed in a critical condition, but inquiry head Senior Sergeant Marc Hogan of Surfers' Paradise CIB said yesterday that the man was awake and had spoken to police.

Mr Hogan confirmed the man had been shot a number of times with a "small-calibre" weapon, but would give no other details.

He refused to name the man, but said he was understood to be a Gold Coast resident. It is not known if the man had connections to organised crime or gangs on the Gold Coast.

The man was not known to police before the shooting, Mr Hogan said.

About 20 detectives were assigned to the case.

Police refused to give any further details, but Australian news agencies reported the man had been found lying on a roadside by a passerby who heard gunfire.

Armed police searched a number of cars leaving a nearby carpark, but found no trace of the gunman. No weapon has yet been found.

Other reports said the shooter and another person were seen leaving the area in a red Jeep Cherokee.

The Spit, the Gold Coast's most popular fishing and swimming area, was closed on Saturday as police combed the area for clues.

Police were yesterday trying to determine whether anyone was with the man at the time of the shooting, and made a public appeal for witnesses to the incident.

Mr Hogan said: "We are appealing to the public or anyone who is in a position to know anything, really, to ring ... and pass the information on in an anonymous fashion, if you choose so."