CYCLING BURLEIGH HEADS TO THE SPIT

 

 

This Gold Coast ride takes us through the beach suburbs of Burleigh Heads, Miami, Nobby Beach, Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, Main Beach, The Spit at Southport.




Scotty on vacation on the Gold Coast

As part of our vacation at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast, a number of rides were planned.The Gold Coast can be a very busy spot at times and neither of us like riding on busy roads, so our aim was to complete the journey in the safest possible way.

Burleigh Heads

We were lucky enough to have my brother in law's apartment in Park Towers on Goodwin Terrace, adjacent to one of the best surf breaks in the world..... For more information hit the following link  www.parktowers.com.au/.  Although neither of us board surf, it was a delight to rise early in the morning, sit on our balcony consuming our first cup of coffee whilst watching some very talented surfers negotiate the perfect breaks. From the large front balcony, one can see as far north as Surfers Paradise and the apartment is only a couple hundred metres from the entrance to Burleigh Heads National Park with a number of walking tracks, lined with pandanus palms on one side and coastal scrub on the other. Oh! and the views are really spectacular.

Burleigh Heads is my favourite spot on the Gold Coast as it is pretty much central and is a lot quieter than Surfers Paradise.

From Nobby Beach to Surfers Paradise

It's just a matter of following the paths and signs

We discovered to our amazement that by riding our bikes instead of driving, we saw hidden parts of the Gold Coast such as board walks, parks and small beaches that we didn't know existed. It also gave us the opportunity to divert from the main track and follow some of the creeks which were very pretty in their own right.

 

Dedicated cycle lane in Hedges Avenue

It is a very pleasant ride from Burleigh Heads to The Spit at Southport and return. Most of the ride is on shared paths which are wide  and when you do have to take to the road, it is on a marked cycle lane with light traffic.

A view of Surfers Paradise

Surfers Paradise Beach

The beaches on Queensland's Gold Coast are world renowned and make for some exquisite seascapes, particularly if you have fine hot days. They are also free of charge. I just love riding by the seaside listening to the waves breaking onto the sandy beaches, the squawks of seagulls forever searching for food and the odd white pointer, not the shark variety but a female sun worshipper tanning topless, striving for perfection and totally ignoring the dangers of skin cancer from too much exposure to the sun.

The laid back fashions on the Coast don't seem to have changed much over the years.

 

 A view of a marina on the The Broadwater at The Spit

In this part of the world around Southport, Main Beach and The spit, seafood is supreme. Fresh prawns (shrimps) can be purchased direct from the trawler. There is a very good seafood market as well, where the nights catch can be purchased the next day....how fresh is that? To top it off there are a number of outlets selling cooked fish and chips which can be devoured with pleasure either sitting at a table in the park, sitting on the rocks watching the boats pass by or sitting by the sea watching the waves roll in.

Dirt trail just to break the monotony

Just to break the monotony, the council has thrown in a dirt and sandy surface on the way to The Spit, near the end of your destination. It pays to keep your wits about you and be prepared foranything.Just as I was rounding the corner at the top of the photo, a deadly 100cm + Eastern Brown snake was crossing the path just in front of me.

 

Can you spot the snake in the photo above.

The Gold Coast is becoming very cycle friendly.

A view of Burleigh Heads taken on the return trip

Burleigh Heads to The Spit, Southport, Qld.

To find out more about the Gold Coast hit this link............www.visitgoldcoast.com

Distance:      40k                                                 Surface: Mainly sealed....some dirt (sand)
Difficulty:     Easy                                               Type of bike required: All types
Fitness:         Fair to moderate                             Family friendly: Yes


I'll cover the southern stretch from Burleigh Heads to Cooloongatta in my next post.


Cheers and safe riding,


Jimmy Bee