🌊How to get from Brisbane to Burleigh Heads
Can you get there without a car?
🟢 Yes, all the way
Yes, the whole way on a flat 50c fare. Gold Coast line to Helensvale, then the G:link to Broadbeach South, then 700 bus down the Gold Coast Highway to Burleigh (~20 min).
The short answer
- 1🚆Gold Coast line to Helensvale, then the G:link to Broadbeach South
- 2🚌700 bus down the Gold Coast Highway to Burleigh (~20 min)
The journey, end to end
2 legs, 1 change. Dashed lines are the parts that aren't public transport.
The beach most locals pick over Surfers, with a headland walk at one end and a row of good food at the other.
What is Burleigh Heads?
Burleigh Heads sits about two thirds of the way down the Gold Coast, between Broadbeach and Palm Beach. The headland is a national park, small but genuinely good, and the point break off it is one of the best known right-handers in the country.
The strip along James Street behind the beach has quietly become the Gold Coast's better eating precinct, which is the other reason people come.
Why go, and what to see
Burleigh Head National Park
The Oceanview and Rainforest circuits, about an hour, with the point break below
The beach and Justins Park
Patrolled surf beach with grassy parkland behind it for a picnic
James Street
Cafes, bakeries and bars, and busy from breakfast onwards
Burleigh Markets
Sunday mornings at the state school, food and produce rather than souvenirs
Every way to get there, compared
Including the ones that aren't public transport, because pretending the car doesn't exist helps nobody.
🚆 Public transport, 1 change
Our pick- 🚆Gold Coast line to Helensvale, then the G:link to Broadbeach South
- 🚌700 bus down the Gold Coast Highway to Burleigh (~20 min)
Time
About 2 hr from Central
Cost
50c each way
Best for
Cheapest by a distance, and no parking to find
🚗 Drive
- 🚗87 km from the city centre, about 60 min in normal traffic
Time
about 60 min
Cost
Fuel and parking
Best for
Carrying gear, odd hours, or several people splitting the cost
Usually quicker than the train, and that is worth being honest about. What it costs you is parking, tolls and driving home tired.
When to go
Autumn, when the water is still warm and the crowds have gone. The headland walk is best early, before the sun gets on it.
Last service home →
Check your cut-off before you go, not after.
Anything disrupted? →
Live delays and closures across the network.
See it on the map →
The route drawn across South East Queensland.
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Getting to Burleigh Heads: quick answers
How do you get from Brisbane to Burleigh Heads by public transport?+
Take the Gold Coast line south, then connect by tram and bus to the coast. It runs about two hours from Central for a flat 50 cents. Driving is roughly an hour, so the train costs you time but saves you the Gold Coast parking hunt on a summer weekend.
How do you get from Brisbane to Burleigh Heads without a car?+
Gold Coast line to Helensvale, then the G:link to Broadbeach South, then 700 bus down the Gold Coast Highway to Burleigh (~20 min). Allow about 2 hr from Central station. Every leg on the TransLink network is a flat 50 cent fare.
How long does it take to get to Burleigh Heads from Brisbane?+
About 2 hr from Central, door to platform to door, depending on how the connection lands. The planner on this page works it out from where you actually are rather than from the city centre.
How much does it cost to get to Burleigh Heads?+
A flat 50 cents each way on the TransLink network, however far you travel.
What time is the last service back from Burleigh Heads?+
It changes by day and by line, and it is the thing that catches people out on a long day trip. Check the last service home tool before you head out so you know your cut-off rather than guessing at the end of the day.