Burleigh Heads is the antidote to Surfers Paradise — a compact, characterful suburb 10 km to the south with a world-class surf break, a rainforest headland walk, and a cafe strip that locals would rather keep to themselves. The point break at the headland is one of the best in Australia when it's on, and on any good weekend the lineup will have some of the state's better surfers waiting for the rights.
Burleigh Head National Park covers the rocky headland that juts into the sea between two beaches. The 2 km loop trail through subtropical rainforest to the headland and back is one of the few genuine nature walks in the Gold Coast urban area. Pademelons graze at the forest edges, and the view from the rocky point back over the beach and high-rises is the best coastal panorama on the strip.
The cafe and restaurant strip on James Street behind the beach has become one of Queensland's better food scenes — a concentration of independent cafes, wine bars, and restaurants that would stand up in any Australian city. It is busiest on weekend mornings, when locals crowd in for brunch and the surf is on.
Nearby Currumbin Beach and the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary are worth combining with a Burleigh visit. The sanctuary has excellent native wildlife encounters including feeding free-flight rainbow lorikeets, wombat and koala interaction, and a good reptile section.