The Gold Coast is more than just theme parks. For kids activities on the Gold Coast beyond the big rides, Burleigh Heads and Currumbin gave us a slower, quieter side of it, National Park walks, a calm creek instead of open surf, and a wildlife sanctuary that didn’t feel rushed. If a theme park day is part of your plan too, we’ve got you covered there as well. This was the final leg of a longer road trip, and after over a week on the road, it gave us exactly the slow-down we needed before heading home.
IN THIS GUIDE
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TRIP OVERVIEW
Gold Coast Kids Activities: The Basics
📍WHERE
Burleigh Heads and Currumbin, the quieter southern stretch of the Gold Coast, away from the main theme park strip.
🚋 GETTING AROUND
The tram stopped right outside our apartment, an easy way to get between Burleigh and nearby suburbs without needing the car.
💧BEST FOR
Beach and nature time without the crowds or cost of a theme park day.
🐨 MUST DO
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was the standout, worth building a full day around.
Where We Stayed
Books to read, a view to match, our base at Swell Apartments in Burleigh Heads.
Swell Apartments
We arrived at Burleigh Heads around 5:30pm and settled into Swell Apartments, booked through Airbnb. It’s a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment just 3-4 minutes’ walk from the beach, with a washing machine and a balcony that had partial ocean views on one side and a beautiful view over the forest of Burleigh Heads National Park on the other.
The best part of the whole apartment was that it already had books and toys for kids, our daughter loved it from the moment we walked in. The tram terminal is right downstairs too, easy access without needing the car.
After a quick rest, we walked to Woolworths Metro for some essentials and dinner ingredients, pan-fried salmon with avocado and salad that first night, then an early night after a long day on the road.
THURSDAY
A Full Day in Burleigh Heads
Burleigh Heads National Park, then the calm water and lifeguard house at Tallebudgera Creek.
Sunrise at Burleigh Hill
I walked up to Burleigh Hill early for a walk, a beautiful, calm morning with runners, walkers, and dogs already out. There’s a playground called John Laws Park right next to the Burleigh Pavilion, and a coffee shop called Kiosk nearby, a takeaway coffee for Murray and a warm hot chocolate for our daughter on the way back.
Burleigh Heads National Park Walk
After breakfast and a quick stop at a nearby clothing store for a wetsuit for our daughter, we set off on the Burleigh Link Track from John Laws Park, continuing onto the Rainforest Track. We stopped briefly at Tumgun Lookout for the views, then kept walking across the National Park, about 35 minutes through the forest in total.
BURLEIGH HEADS NATIONAL PARK AT A GLANCE
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Free, and an easy walk for young kids if you pace it.
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John Laws Park playground and Kiosk cafe make a good start or finish point.
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Tumgun Lookout sits right along the track, worth a short stop.
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The full walk to Tallebudgera Creek took us around 35 minutes.
Swimming at Tallebudgera Creek
From the forest we came out at Caldwell Cove and walked the sandy shore towards Echo Beach, then took the Oceanview track to the bridge crossing into Tallebudgera Creek. The creek’s shallow, patrolled swimming area was exactly what we were after, our daughter ran straight in with her new wetsuit, and the water was cold enough to make her squeal but not enough to stop her. She played with other kids there for close to 2 hours.
Murray tried the coffee at a nearby cafe called Neptune Kiosk, better than the Kiosk coffee back at the Pavilion, worth the short walk if you’re a coffee person. There are showers and toilets at the creek too, and a park right there where the kids kept playing even after swimming.
Sand play at Tallebudgera Creek. A swim in the shallow, patrolled water at Tallebudgera Creek.
Playgrounds Along the Way
Between the National Park walk, the creek, and the evening walk into town, we came across three good playgrounds worth knowing about if you’re travelling with young kids.
PLAYGROUNDS ALONG THE WAY
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John Laws Park, next to the Burleigh Pavilion, a good start or finish point for the National Park walk.
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The playground at Tallebudgera Creek, right by the swimming spot, kids can keep playing after they’re out of the water.
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Justins Park, near the beach platform in town, a good evening stop before dinner.
Dinner and an Evening Walk
We walked back into town along the footpath beside the highway, picked up fresh fish at Burleigh Heads Fishmongers, and grabbed the rest of what we needed from Woolworths Metro for a fish soup, sinigang, that night. Early dinner around 4pm, a nap, then a walk along the beach and through town around 6pm. Our daughter found another playground near the beach platform called Justins Park, 15-20 minutes of play before we headed to find dinner.
Burleigh at night has a calm, relaxed vibe, noticeably quieter than Surfers Paradise. Bath time, an early rest, and we booked our Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary tickets for the next day before bed.
WILDLIFE DAY
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
The entrance to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, and a koala caught mid-feed.
Breakfast at The Bread Social
Friday morning we grabbed coffee from Quest Roasters in Burleigh Heads, checked out of the apartment, and drove to The Bread Social at Currumbin Waters for breakfast. It might be the best pie we’ve had, fresh from the oven, in a bakery big enough that you can watch the bakers working through a viewing window. Pies, sourdoughs, and a huge pastry selection, plus really good coffee, a rare combination done well. Parking is the only challenge, it was busy.
A Full Day at the Sanctuary
It started pouring rain as we arrived, but we’d packed raincoats. Check-in was easy, and we were handed a map to explore from there. We started at the reptile section, not Jomana’s favourite corner, before working through the Nocturnal Zone, Extinction Trail, Lost Valley, Panda Habitat, and Kangaroo Station.
We’ve visited a few wildlife sanctuaries around Australia, and Currumbin is on a different level. It doesn’t feel like a zoo, it feels like the Australian bush, and the animals just happen to be there with you. Everything about it is designed with kids in mind, playgrounds throughout, a train that loops the whole sanctuary with a dedicated pram carriage, and enough to keep a young child busy for a full day.
The Koalas and the Blinky Bill Show
The koalas alone were worth the trip, we’ve never seen them this active anywhere else, jumping, eating, cuddling, joeys chasing their mums, and so many of them so close up. The Blinky Bill stage show was a highlight we didn’t expect, our daughter danced the entire way through it and left seriously committed to finding a bin for her rubbish afterward.
The staff stood out too, one was mid-feed at the Koala Habitat and still patiently answered every one of our daughter’s questions. The sanctuary cafe has a gated playground as well, so parents can sit and eat while kids play safely nearby.
CURRUMBIN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY AT A GLANCE
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We paid $154.49 for 2 adults and 1 child, worth checking current promotions before you book.
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A dedicated pram carriage on the loop train makes getting around easy with young kids.
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The Blinky Bill stage show and the koalas were the standout moments for our daughter.
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A gated playground at the cafe lets parents rest while kids keep playing.
We finished up around 3pm, took the loop train back to the main gate, and started the drive to Brisbane, a quick stop at Lakeside Meats for sausages on the way. We were home by around 5:30pm, sausages and salad for dinner, and our daughter was thrilled to see the dog again. One of the best days we’ve had as a family.
WORTH IT IF YOU HAVE TIME
Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise beach, worth the extra stop if you have time on the Gold Coast.
If your trip has an extra day or two up its sleeve, Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise are worth adding on. Broadbeach has a good stretch of beach, playgrounds nearby, and an easy tram connection back to Burleigh, while Surfers Paradise gives you the classic Gold Coast skyline and esplanade, worth an early morning walk before the crowds build. We kept our own trip focused on the quieter Burleigh and Currumbin side, but if you want a taste of the busier, more built-up Gold Coast too, these two are the ones to add.
FROM THE BLOG
Sea World Gold Coast with a Toddler
Our honest ride-by-ride review, if a theme park day is part of your plan.
→
WHERE WE ATE
Food Stops Along the Way
Breakfast and dinner were mostly cooked back at the apartment, so the list below is more about coffee stops and grocery runs than full restaurant meals, casual, easy spots that fit around a young kid’s day.
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Takeaway coffee and hot chocolate on our first morning walk.
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Better coffee than the Pavilion Kiosk, worth the short walk.
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DAY BY DAY
Our Gold Coast with Kids Itinerary
Arrival evening
Arrived Swell Apartments around 5:30pm, a quick Woolworths run, pan-fried salmon for dinner, then an early night.
Burleigh Heads National Park and Tallebudgera Creek
MOSTLY FREE
Sunrise at Burleigh Hill, a walk through the National Park to Tallebudgera Creek for a swim, fresh fish for dinner, and an evening walk to Justins Park.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Brunch at The Bread Social, a full day at Currumbin, then the drive back to Brisbane.
Burleigh Heads National Park, Tallebudgera Creek, and the playgrounds are all free to explore. Main costs: accommodation, food, and the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary tickets.
THE REAL TALK
What Is Hard About the Gold Coast with Kids
The uphill sections at Tumgun Lookout and through the National Park aren’t difficult, but they do need pacing with a young child, we found it worked best treating them as a slow wander rather than a fitness walk. Beyond that, this leg of the trip was one of the easiest, low traffic and a tram stop downstairs, though it’s worth booking Currumbin tickets ahead since it can get busy.
A couple of packing notes if you’re visiting in winter like we did. The creek water can be freezing for little ones, a wetsuit made a real difference in keeping our daughter warm enough to actually enjoy swimming rather than rushing out. It’s also worth packing a light raincoat, we had heavy rain during our visit to Currumbin, and having our raincoats and a small umbrella on hand meant exploring in the rain just became part of the adventure rather than a reason to cut the day short.
THE VERDICT
Is the Gold Coast Worth It with Kids, Without the Theme Parks?
Completely. Burleigh Heads and Currumbin gave us everything we wanted from a family beach stop, nature, water, and wildlife, without the crowds or cost of a theme park day. If your family needs a slower few days on the Gold Coast, this side of it delivers.
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COMMON QUESTIONS
Gold Coast Kids Activities: FAQs
What is there to do on the Gold Coast with kids besides theme parks?
Burleigh Heads National Park, Tallebudgera Creek, and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary gave us a full couple of days of Gold Coast children’s activities without setting foot in a theme park. It’s a quieter, slower side of the Gold Coast that works well for young kids.
Is Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary good for young kids?
Yes, it’s set up well for young families, with plenty of open space, animal encounters at a manageable pace, and enough shade and rest spots to make a full day workable with a young child.
Is Tallebudgera Creek safe for kids to swim in?
Tallebudgera Creek is a popular, calmer alternative to the open beach, with shallow, sheltered water that made it an easy, low-stress spot for our daughter to play in.
Where should families stay in Burleigh Heads?
We stayed at Swell Apartments, a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment 3-4 minutes’ walk from the beach, with a tram stop downstairs and toys and books already in the apartment for our daughter.
M&J
Murray & Jomana
Really Traveling, Slow Family Travel. We’re a Brisbane-based family writing about slow travel with young kids across Australia and beyond, and winners of the South Bank Local Guides competition, taking home the Key to South Bank prize worth more than $14,000 (see the official announcement, also on LinkedIn and Instagram). Everything on this site comes from trips we actually took with our own daughter. Read our story here.
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Jomana is the heart behind Really Traveling — the one making sure every itinerary actually works when you’ve got a tired toddler and a delayed flight. She’s the family’s chief researcher, packing list perfectionist, and the reason our trips run smoother than they have any right to. If the advice on this site is practical and honest, that’s Jomana’s doing.
