From our front door at Oceana on Broadbeach, you can walk the Gold Coast Oceanway south all the way to Burleigh Heads, about 8.7km of flat beachfront path. Give it a morning, lunch at Rick Shores, an afternoon on the headland, then an easy ride back. Here is how to shape the whole day around one destination.
August is made for this. Gold Coast winter mornings sit around 20 degrees and mostly clear, so an early start keeps you comfortable the whole way and puts you in Burleigh in time for a table.
What is the walk from Broadbeach to Burleigh actually like?
Start early, ideally by 8am, while the path is cool and quiet. Directions: step onto the Gold Coast Oceanway at the beach and turn south. The route runs about 8.7km through Mermaid Beach, Nobby Beach and Miami before the headland rises ahead of you at Burleigh. It is flat, sealed and separated from the road for most of the way, so it suits prams and bikes as well as walkers.
Allow two to two and a half hours at an easy pace, longer if you stop for a swim or a coffee. There are public toilets, water fountains and beachside cafes spaced along the route, so you do not need to carry much. Guests keep mentioning the Nobby Beach cafe strip as a good halfway breather. Wear a hat and take water; the shade is patchy once the sun is up.
Where should you have lunch at Burleigh?
Book Rick Shores before you leave. It sits at 43 Goodwin Terrace, literally on the sand beneath the Burleigh headland, about a two minute walk from where the Oceanway meets the point. It opens from midday daily, with the kitchen taking a short break between roughly 4:30 and 5:30pm, so aim for an early lunch after your walk.
The dish to order is Rick’s famous Moreton Bay bug roll, a warm brioche roll packed with local bug meat that regulars come back for. Plan for a relaxed hour or so over shared plates with the surf a few metres away. If Rick Shores is full, the Burleigh Pavilion next door does a more casual beachfront lunch and rooftop bar in the same spot. Either way you are eating with your feet almost in the sand, which is the whole point of walking here.
What is the one thing not to miss at Burleigh Heads?
After lunch, walk the headland. The Oceanview Track through Burleigh Head National Park is about 1.2km one way and takes around 30 minutes, flat and easy just above the water, with pandanus, boulders and long views back up the coast towards Broadbeach. It is free and open daily, though a section can close after severe weather because of rock falls, so read the signs at the trail head.
If you have the legs, the Rainforest Circuit adds a 2.3km loop up to Tumgun Lookout, 88 metres up, for the wider view south to Snapper Rocks. If you are short on time, skip the full circuit and just do the Oceanview Track out and back, then wander the James Street shops and cafes before you head home. That headland view is the payoff for the morning’s walk.
What is the easiest way back to Broadbeach?
You have walked one way; there is no need to walk back. A southbound-to-northbound bus runs along the Gold Coast Highway between Burleigh and Broadbeach and drops you a short stroll from Oceana, or a rideshare covers the roughly 7km in about 15 minutes. If a friend is driving down to meet you, note that headland parking at Goodwin Terrace is very limited, so the James Street car parks are the safer bet.
Time it so you are heading back mid to late afternoon, tired legs and all, in time for a swim off our own beach and the pool before dinner. The walk out and the ride back is the sweet spot: you earn Burleigh on foot, then let the day carry you home.
FAQs about walking Broadbeach to Burleigh
How far is the walk from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads?
It is about 8.7km one way along the Gold Coast Oceanway, roughly a two to two and a half hour walk at an easy pace from Oceana on Broadbeach. The path is flat, paved and mostly separated from the road, with toilets, water and cafes along the way, so you can stop as often as you like.
Is the Gold Coast Oceanway suitable for prams and bikes?
Yes. The Oceanway is a flat, sealed shared path used by walkers, runners, prams and bikes, and it hugs the foreshore for most of the route south. It is well signposted through Mermaid, Nobby and Miami beaches. Just keep left and call your line if you are riding past walkers.
Do I need to book Rick Shores at Burleigh?
Yes, book ahead. Rick Shores sits right on the sand under the Burleigh headland and fills fast, especially for lunch on weekends. It is open from midday daily, with the kitchen taking a short break between about 4:30 and 5:30pm. Ask for Rick’s famous Moreton Bay bug roll when you sit down.
Is Burleigh Head National Park open and free?
Yes, Burleigh Head National Park is free to enter and open daily. The Oceanview Track around the headland is about 1.2km one way and takes around 30 minutes, flat and easy above the sea. A section can close during and after severe weather because of rock-fall risk, so check the signs at the trail head.
The best days here start and end at the beach, and this one bookends a long coastal walk with your own sand at both ends. Book one of our beachfront apartments as your base at the northern end of the Oceanway, then browse things to do on the Gold Coast for the rest of your stay.
Image credit: Tourism and Events Queensland