Burleigh Heads

Burleigh Heads is a district of the Gold Coast, mostly known for its wetlands and its national park. For travel purposes, this also includes Burleigh Waters, which is a suburb just to the north.

Get in

As of 2023, Burleigh Heads is still a very car-centric suburb of the Gold Coast. Commuter rail ends just a few hundred metres northwest at Varsity Lakes (requires a significant walk to the coast), leaving only buses.

However, as part of G:link Stage 3, the G:link (LRT) will be extended to Burleigh Heads from Broadbeach. It is expected to open in 2025.

By car

The Gold Coast Highway (SR 2) runs through the suburb connecting Burleigh Heads with all the coastal suburbs on the Gold Coast. West Burleigh Road or State Route 80 eventually becomes Reedy Creek Road after an intersection in front of Stocklands Burleigh Heads, connects the suburb with the Pacific Motorway (which is the freeway connecting Sydney and Brisbane) and Varsity Lakes railway station.

By bus

There is a bus service connecting Burleigh Heads with the Gold Coast Airport, Tweed Heads, Robina and Broadbeach.

See

Entrance to Burleigh Head NP

• 1 Burleigh Head National Park. A very unusual national park, since ideally, you'd expect most national parks to be outside of cities, which you'd need to travel some distances by car – but not Burleigh Heads National Park, which contains a rainforest, lookouts and several walking trails. Free. (updated Feb 2022)
  • 2 Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre, 1711 Gold Coast Hwy, ☏ +61 7 5525 5955, info@jellurgal.com.au. M–F 8AM–3PM. (updated Feb 2022)
  • 3 The Cove. A northerly facing lookout that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. (updated Feb 2022)
  • 4 Jebbribillum lookout. A little spur off the 460-metre Burleigh Link track, which gives similar views of the cove, but you're on higher ground, giving you a better view of Gold Coast's CBD from afar. (updated Feb 2022)
  • 5 Tumgun Lookout. Along the Rainforest circuit, the lookout is approximately around halfway giving you views of a mix of rainforest, ocean, mountains and urban city life. (updated Feb 2022)
• 6 David Fleay Wildlife Park. This wildlfe park is home many native animals, displayed in surroundings similar to their natural habitats aiming to raise awareness of protection, particularly with threatened, rare and endangered species. (updated Feb 2022)

Do

• 1 Inflatable World Burleigh, 3 Fremantle St, ☏ +61 7 5593 5346. Whilst not the best known of all Gold Coast's amusement parks, it's worth checking out if you have young children. (updated Feb 2022)

Buy

• 1 Stockland Burleigh Heads Shopping Centre, 149 W Burleigh Rd, ☏ +61 7 5535 9666. A reasonably sized shopping centre containing about 90 specialty stores and a reasonably sized food court – something that is not usually found in shopping centres, only malls. (updated Feb 2022)

Eat

• 1 Next Door Espresso Burleigh, Unit 1/24 Junction Rd, ☏ +61 423 380 942. A high-end espresso and cafe serving the usuals of what you'd find in most Australian cafes, except in a better presented way. (updated Feb 2022)
• 2 Aux Fines Bouches, Unit 2/43 Taree St, ☏ +61 7 5522 0323, admin@auxfinesbouches.com.au. W–F 8AM–4PM Sa Su 8AM–2PM. An upper mid-range French patisserie which has some authentic pastries. (updated Feb 2022)
• 3 Hail Mary, 26 James St, ☏ +61 7 5576 5050. A Mexican restaurant with some American and Australian specialties too. (updated Feb 2022)

Sleep

• 1 Swell Resort, 1 Ocean St, ☏ +61 7 5586 0500. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. (updated Feb 2022)