Burleigh Heads sits about 10 kilometres north of The Rocks Resort, and the whole way there follows a flat coastal path. This is a full day out planned across four stages, the ride up the Gold Coast Oceanway, a morning on the headland, lunch on the sand and an easy afternoon, all measured from our beachfront front door at 828 Pacific Parade.
How do you get to Burleigh from Currumbin by Oceanway?
Drive or ride time: A 40 to 45-minute ride, or a 15-minute drive.
Parking reality: If you drive, aim for the James Street car park; it fills by mid-morning on weekends.
The best way to reach Burleigh is under your own steam along the Gold Coast Oceanway, the continuous coastal path that runs north from Currumbin through Palm Beach to the Burleigh headland. It is flat and sealed the whole way, with the only interruption the short hop across the Tallebudgera Creek bridge. Hire bikes make it effortless: Action Outdoor Hire will drop bikes for the whole family straight to the resort so you can roll out the front door. The one thing not to miss on the way is the view opening up across Tallebudgera Creek to Burleigh Hill. If you are short on time, drive it and save your legs for the headland walk.
What should you do first in Burleigh?
Drive or ride time: You arrive right at the base of the headland.
Parking reality: Goodwin Terrace has metered bays near the national park entrance.
Start with the Burleigh Heads National Park headland, the whole reason Burleigh looks the way it does. The Oceanview Track and Rainforest Circuit loop around the point through coastal forest, and the lookouts over the Gold Coast skyline and the point break below are the payoff. Give it 45 minutes to an hour at an easy pace. Guests keep mentioning koalas spotted in the eucalypts along the track, so keep looking up. The one thing not to miss is the southern lookout where the point break peels beneath you. If you are short on time, walk just the Oceanview Track out to the first lookout and back, which delivers most of the view in 20 minutes.
Where should you have lunch in Burleigh?
Drive or ride time: A two-minute walk from the headland to James Street.
Parking reality: Walk from the headland rather than moving the car; the streets are busy at midday.
Burleigh does lunch as well as anywhere on the coast. The standout is Rick Shores, the Pan-Asian restaurant built right onto the sand at 43 Goodwin Terrace, and the dish to order is the fried Moreton Bay bug roll, sweet bug meat with sriracha mayonnaise in a soft brioche bun for around 26 dollars. It is one of Queensland’s most talked-about plates for a reason. For something more casual, the Burleigh Pavilion next door runs a breezy beach-club menu with the same ocean outlook. The one thing not to miss is a window or deck table facing the water. If you are short on time, order the bug roll at the Rick Shores bar and eat it looking straight at the beach.
How do you spend the afternoon in Burleigh?
Drive or ride time: Everything sits within a short flat walk of James Street.
Parking reality: You will not need the car again until you leave.
The afternoon is for pottering. James Street is Burleigh’s shopping and cafe strip, a couple of blocks of independent boutiques, surf shops and gelato just back from the beach. Wander down to Burleigh Heads beach itself for a swim between the flags, or find a shady spot on the grassy foreshore at Justins Park to watch the surfers work the point. The one thing not to miss is a gelato on the walk back to the beach. If you are short on time, skip the shops and simply sit on the foreshore with an ice cream, which is how half of Burleigh spends a Sunday afternoon anyway.
What is the ride back to Currumbin like?
Drive or ride time: The same flat 40 to 45 minutes, or 15 by car.
Parking reality: You finish back at the resort with beachfront parking waiting.
The return leg is the reward for an unhurried day. Late afternoon light along the Oceanway is soft and golden, the breeze usually drops, and the path is quieter than the morning rush. Riding south you get the sea on your left the whole way and Currumbin point growing on the horizon. Take the short detour onto the Palm Beach foreshore if the legs are willing, or push straight through in three easy stages back to the creek. The one thing not to miss is timing the last stretch for sunset over the hinterland. If you drove, the highway run home takes a quarter of an hour.
FAQs
How far is Burleigh Heads from Currumbin?
Burleigh Heads sits about 10 kilometres north of The Rocks Resort. On a bike along the Gold Coast Oceanway it is a flat 40 to 45-minute ride, or a 15-minute drive up the Gold Coast Highway. Walking the whole way takes closer to two hours, so most guests ride it and walk the last stretch.
Can you ride a bike the whole way to Burleigh?
Yes. The Gold Coast Oceanway is a continuous sealed path that hugs the coast from Currumbin north through Palm Beach to Burleigh, with only the Tallebudgera Creek crossing sending you briefly onto the highway bridge. It is flat, well signed and shared with walkers, so an easy pace suits families and casual riders.
Is there parking at Burleigh Heads?
Yes, though it fills fast on weekends. The James Street car park and the metered bays along Goodwin Terrace are closest to the beach and the headland. Arrive before 9am on a Saturday or Sunday for the best chance, or skip the search entirely and ride the Oceanway up instead.
Do you need to book Rick Shores?
For a table, yes, especially a beachfront window seat at lunch on a weekend. Book ahead online to be sure. If you are happy to be flexible you can often grab a spot at the bar as a walk-in, order the famous bug roll and still get the view without a reservation.
A day in Burleigh works best when you can start slow and finish slower, and staying at Currumbin puts the whole Oceanway at your door. Ride up for the headland and the bug roll, then roll home in time for a swim out front. See our Currumbin holiday apartments to choose your stay, and plan the rest of the trip with our guide to things to do in Currumbin.
Image credit: Queensland.com