BURLEIGH HEADS, QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA

Burleigh Heads, Qld

Come for the surf, stay for the one-of-a-kind shopping, top-notch food, trendy markets and natural beauty.

Sitting pretty between Surfers Paradise and Coolangatta, Burleigh Heads is so much more than a hotspot for pumping breaks. It is a holiday destination in itself on the Gold Coast, with chic beach vibes coming in strong every which way you turn; from the window to the wall of the designer and vintage shops peppered along James Street.

Our first stop was at the Village Markets. After walking into the backend of Burleigh Heads State School and catching that first colorful glimpse of stall after stall of creative goodness, it was time for me to get a quick coffee fix while Kim explored the stores of funky threads for little and big goers, to vintage treasures and tropical homewares. This is one of Kim’s favorite markets on the Gold Coast.

From the markets we ducked into the Burleigh Arcade on James Street for breakfast at Social Brew Burleigh. The new cafe on the block is a hidden tropical oasis and has become a local’s favorite with its lively decor, iconic yellow Social Brew coffee cups and yummy food.

You can’t go past one of their fresh cold-pressed juices when ordering from the all-day breakfast menu. But if you need caffeine hit to jump-start the morning, get their deconstructed iced coffee complete with lab flask and poison bottles filled with sweet syrup and definitely not poison.

James Street is to Burleigh Heads what Chapel Street is to Melbourne; it’s the go-to shopping spot for Kim’s retail therapy fix.

Another spot worth a mention is the small shopping nook inside the Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade on Goodwin Terrace, where you’ll find The Freedom State, LA Pearl and Six Things.

Six Things is seriously one of the coolest pop culture shops Kim ever laid eyes on

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We worked off breakfast with a walk through Burleigh Head National Park.  Burleigh HeadS National Park is home to rainforest, eucalypt forest, pandanus groves, tussock grassland, coastal heath, mangroves, creeks, rocky foreshore and beaches. We followed the tracks which lead around the rocky headland from Tallebudgera Creek to the southern edge of Burleigh Heads Township. We relaxed by the creek at Echo Beach, viewed some tumbled masses of six-sided basalt columns, and possibly caught a glimpse of a pod of dolphins out at sea.

Moving on the afternoon and being a Sunday afternoon and starting to come down from the weekend high and feeling a little bummed knowing it’s all over. We headed to Finders Keepers Bar & Dining Lounge to listen to some live acoustic tunes, have some tasty bar snacks, and cold drinks (hello Pimm’s jug and $5 Coronas) We watched a cracking sunset and said good bye to another great weekend adventure.