Day trips 22 November 2025 4 min read

A Burleigh Heads day trip from Broadbeach.

Coffee, swim, walk, lunch, swim again. A 9-to-5 day.

Burleigh is fifteen minutes south and a world away. It has the kind of unhurried energy that makes you wonder why you don’t live there, until you remember the view from your balcony. The good news is you don’t have to choose. Stay at Broadbeach, spend the day at Burleigh, be back in time for sunset.

Here is how to do it properly.

Getting there

Drive or rideshare down the Gold Coast Highway. It takes fifteen minutes with no traffic, twenty on a busy weekend morning. If you are travelling light, the 700 bus runs directly from Broadbeach South station and drops you on the main strip. Parking at Burleigh is free along the beachfront but fills quickly on weekends. Arrive before 8:30am or don’t bother looking.

Morning — coffee and a swim

Start at Borough Barista on James Street. It is small, the coffee is serious, and the outdoor tables fill up fast on a Saturday. Get there early or grab yours to go and walk the two minutes down to the beach.

Burleigh Beach faces northeast, which means the morning light is extraordinary and the water is usually calmer than the southern points by the time most people arrive. Swim before the crowds. The beach is patrolled year round and the water is clear most of the year.

After your swim, walk north along the beachfront path toward the headland. The path takes you up through Burleigh Head National Park, a small but dense patch of rainforest sitting right on the coast. The loop takes about 30 minutes and ends back at the beach. The views from the top of the headland over the point break are worth every step.

Late morning — the strip

James Street is the spine of Burleigh and it is best explored slowly. Boutiques, homewares, a handful of good bakeries and the kind of vintage shops that make you spend more than you planned. Collected is worth a look for homewares and considered basics. Burleigh Social is a reliable stop if you need a second coffee and something small to eat before lunch.

The farmers market runs on Sunday mornings at Burleigh Farmers Market on the esplanade. If your day trip falls on a Sunday, build your morning around it.

Lunch — Rick Shores

Book Rick Shores before you leave Broadbeach. It sits right on the beachfront at the southern end of Burleigh and it is one of the best restaurants on the Gold Coast, full stop. The food is Southeast Asian inspired, the wine list is excellent and the view over the break is the kind that makes a long lunch feel entirely justified.

Order the bug roll to start. It has been on the menu since they opened and for good reason. From there, share a few things from the small plates and let the afternoon stretch out.

If Rick Shores is booked out, Osteria Casuarina nearby is a worthy alternative. Relaxed Italian, good pasta, the same unhurried pace.

Afternoon — swim again

After lunch, go back to the beach. This is not negotiable. The whole point of a Burleigh day trip is the second swim of the afternoon, when the crowds have thinned and the light has gone golden. Find a spot on the sand, let lunch settle, and get back in the water.

If you brought a book, now is the time. If you didn’t, make a note for next time.

Before you head back

Stop at The Collective at Burleigh if it is running that weekend, a rotating market with food, art and local makers spread across the beachfront car park. It runs most Saturday afternoons through summer and is a good reason to linger a little longer.

For something cold before the drive back, Paradox Coffee Roasters on West Burleigh Road is a short detour and worth it if you take your coffee seriously.

Getting back

Head back to Broadbeach before 5pm if you want to avoid the weekend traffic on the highway. You will be back at the apartment in time for a shower, a glass of wine on the balcony and whatever you have planned for the evening.

The pool is open until 10pm. The view is waiting.