Burleigh Heads

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We travelled from Noosa Heads on the far north of the Sunshine Coast to Burleigh Heads on the far south of the Gold Coast. Most of the drive was on freeways and toll roads, including a massive bridge that gave us the biggest hill of the day. It was weird to be struggling to climb over a bridge. Since we did not have a transponder for the toll roads we took a photo of the sign that told us how to pay the toll.



Our caravan park in Burleigh Heads was right on the beach and we had to drive through the downtown shopping area to get there. We were surrounded by high-rise apartments and everything was very developed.



In spite of the spectacularly developing thunder clouds we took a walk around the area to see what it had to offer. We returned to the caravan as the first rumbles of thunder and drops of rain began. It did not rain too much but rumbled away for hours.



The following morning we drove into Surfers Paradise. This is about as developed as you could possibly get. The beach promenade was beautifully landscaped with artistic utility buildings and structures. All parking was ticketed but you did get a shower for your sandy feet by each ramp onto the sand. And what sand it was. We decided that they must groom the beach each night – it was so perfect. The white sand was so clean it squeaked as you walked on it. Miles of perfect beach met perfect waves under a blue sky with fluffy clouds. Surf lifesavers had flagged areas every couple of hundred metres, with the space between being for surfers. It was easy to see the attraction and to understand why it is called Surfers Paradise.



The high-rise buildings also stretch for miles along the beach, providing huge numbers of people with a view. But where else would you live in a place like this? We were not sure this was a place we would like to live but we could see the attraction.



We returned along the esplanade and checked out the various other beach side suburbs. Their apartment buildings tended to be smaller – not more than 8 stories and we even saw a few private detached houses. Here the beaches were just as beautiful but nowhere as developed.



While shopping for a few items we needed we discovered the most fantastic vegetable store. Everything was super fresh and the prices were excellent. We came out with much more than planned. The attendant said we would be surprised how long the vegetables lasted once we got them home. We laughed and replied that they would not last to SA!

We wanted to find a lunch spot that overlooked the beach. This turned out to be directly out from the caravan park. The food was lovely, the staff friendly and the view very special indeed. It was a perfect way to remember Burleigh Heads.

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