Gold Coast (Burleigh Heads & area).

We spent 4 nights staying in Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.   We flew to the Gold Coast airport from Sydney via Virgin Australia Airlines.   It was a short and pleasant flight, though the airport was packed in Sydney early in the morning.  When we arrived we called Apex car rentals and they sent a shuttle to pick us up and take us to the nearby rental office.  We picked up our rental vehicle from a nice aussie lady, who had been to Vancouver and loved Canada.  She gave us some tips on places to eat and when we drove from the rental office it was getting close to lunch so we decided to try her first tip and we headed to the Currumbin Beach Viking Surf Rescue Club.   It sounded like a bikers club, but it was actually a beautiful beach club with a great restaurant open to the public.   We were welcomed upon arrival and took a table with a spectacular beach view.   The food was great and very good prices.    There are numerous beach surf and rescue clubs along the Australia beach areas and they offer the best value for money restaurants, if you can get a table.  Many tables did have reserved signs for members coming there for lunch.   Many families are members as the clubs have change facilities and various events.

From there we made our way to the Burleigh on the Beach rental apartment.   We checked in to a great apartment, that is actually about a half block from the beach.   Burleigh Heads is a seaside community with lots of restaurants, shops and an awesome beach.   Less touristy  and crowded than nearby famous Surfer’s Paradise area.  

We twacked around the beach going for a walk along the ocean and sizing up the neighborhood for the balance of the first day here.

On day 2 in this area we took a hike around the Burleigh Heads National Park, which was only a short walk from where our accomodations was.   This park has great walking paths that lead up a hill for a great view of the seaside.  We had a nice meal of Asian food at the Miami Rice restaurant.   

On day 3 we took a drive down the coast to visit Byron Bay, another seaside community that was made famous in the 1970s as being a hippie hangout.   Byron Bay also has a great beach and a scenic lighthouse, perched on a point.   We had a leisurely drive along the coastal areas from Byron Bay back to Burleigh Heads, making several stops at scenic viewpoints, various beaches and stopped for a nice lunch at seaside restaurant in Casuarina Beach.

On our last day in the Gold Coast area we rented electric Lime bicycles and rode down the coastal promenade paths to the famous Surfers Paradise area.   This section of the Gold Coast has a large number of high rise apartments and looks like Miami Beach in Florida.   There is lots of action in this area, with many shops, restaurants, bars and other attractions in addition to the famous beach.    

Some pics below……