Things to do near Burleigh Motel — beach at one end, tram stop at the other
Updated: Sep 18
This is the from-the-front-door guide. Most of the best things to do near Burleigh Motel are on foot — the beach is 200m, breakfast is 150m — and since August the rest of the coast is 50 cents away, because the tram now stops on our corner.
Sorted by how far you actually have to go.
Christine Avenue station is our corner
The southern extension of the G:link light rail opened to passengers on 9 August 2026. Christine Avenue is one of the eight new stations, and it's on the corner of the motel.
What that gets you:
27 stations, about 27km, running Helensvale in the north to Burleigh Heads in the south
50 cents a journey, flat, every zone, no peak pricing. Tap on with a go card, card, phone or watch
Children four and under travel free
Every 7 to 10 minutes in peak, 10 to 15 off-peak
Roughly 5am to midnight Monday to Friday, and a 24-hour service across the weekend — trams run right through from Friday midnight to Sunday midnight
East-west bus connections at Christine Avenue, so the 765 uses the same corner
That last point about weekends is the one guests notice. You can have dinner in Broadbeach or a night in Surfers on a Saturday and tram home at 2am for fifty cents.
Things to do near Burleigh Motel — under five minutes on foot
Burleigh Beach — 200m straight down Sixth Avenue, about a two-minute walk
Paddock Bakery — 150m. Wood-fired sourdough and all-day breakfast from 6am. Get there before the queue
Aldi — directly across the road
Miami Hill Lookout — five minutes, easy ocean view, best at sunrise
The pool — back here, free for guests, open all year
Five to fifteen minutes
North Burleigh Surf Life Saving Club — breakfast, cold beer, ocean views. Sunrise coffee or a sunset drink
North Burleigh Lookout — north along the coast toward Surfers
Burleigh Hill stairs — a free workout with a view at the top
Granddad Jack's Craft Distillery — the coast's first craft distillery, tours and tastings, near North Burleigh Beach
Fifteen to thirty minutes
Burleigh Head National Park — the headland loop runs about 30 minutes through rainforest, with wild koalas in the figs and ocean the whole way. Free
Miami Marketta — street food and live music, Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm, free entry, undercover
James Street, Burleigh Heads — the cafe and restaurant strip. Coffee, brunch, dinner
Burleigh Pavilion — beachfront drinks with a view
Where the tram takes you
Two stops south, and everything north.
South — Second Avenue, then Burleigh Heads. The terminus puts you at James Street, Justins Park and the headland. If the walk feels long after a day on the sand, this is the fifty-cent version.
North, in order: Miami and Miami North for the Marketta end of the strip. Nobby Beach for the small bars. Mermaid Beach and Mermaid Beach South. Broadbeach South for Pacific Fair and Kurrawa Park. Broadbeach North for The Star. Surfers Paradise and Cavill Avenue for the beach, Cavill Mall and SkyPoint. Southport for Broadwater Parklands and Australia Fair. Then the Health and Knowledge Precinct at Griffith University and Gold Coast University Hospital, and finally Helensvale.
Helensvale is where the tram meets the trains. Citytrain runs to Brisbane from there, the Airtrain connects to Brisbane Airport, and bus services head out to the northern theme parks — see our theme park guide and Sea World guide for the detail.
End to end is around an hour. Check live times on the TransLink journey planner before you head out.
Still a bus for these
Route 765 — on our corner, same stop as the tram. Runs through to Robina station, which is how you get to Cbus Super Stadium
Routes 700 and 777 — at Miami One, about 300m away. The 700 runs south along the highway toward Currumbin and Coolangatta. The 777 goes to Gold Coast Airport, about 25 minutes
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Tallebudgera Creek — both about 10 minutes south on the 700
Same 50-cent fare on the buses.
A first day without a car
Morning — Paddock Bakery at 150m, then the beach at 200m
Midday — the headland loop through the national park, koalas and ocean views, about 30 minutes
Afternoon — the pool, then the tram two stops south to James Street for coffee
Evening — Miami Marketta for street food and live music, or a sunset drink at the surf club
A full day, no car started, and about two dollars on transport. More in our free things to do in Burleigh list.
Why guests stay here
Thirty-six rooms from $125/night, family-run, on the corner of Christine Avenue and the Gold Coast Highway in Miami.
Private ensuite, air conditioning, flat-screen TV with free-to-air channels, microwave, bar fridge, kettle, free Wi-Fi, fresh linen and towels and free toiletries in every room. Outdoor pool open all year. Coin laundry. Free outdoor parking with no height restriction, one permit per room, subject to availability. Reception 9am to 7:30pm. Road-facing rooms have double-glazed windows available on request.
4.7 stars on Google, and named Best Budget-Friendly Accommodation in Burleigh Heads in the Virgin Australia Where to Stay guide.
For the wider picture, see our Burleigh things to see and do guide, or the location guides for the Gold Coast, Broadbeach and Burleigh.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a tram stop near Burleigh Gold Coast Motel?
Yes. Christine Avenue station is on our corner. It opened with the southern G:link extension on 9 August 2026 and runs the full 27-station line from Burleigh Heads to Helensvale. Fares are 50 cents a journey and bus route 765 uses the same corner.
How far is the motel from Burleigh Beach?
200m — about a two-minute walk. Straight down Sixth Avenue and you're on the sand.
Can I stay here without a car?
Comfortably. The beach is 200m, breakfast 150m, and the tram on the corner reaches Burleigh Heads, Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, Southport and Helensvale. Route 777 to Gold Coast Airport leaves from Miami One, about 300m away.
Does the tram run at night?
Monday to Friday it runs from around 5am to midnight. Across the weekend it runs 24 hours, from Friday midnight through to Sunday midnight.
Does the tram go to Gold Coast Airport?
Not yet. A further extension south from Burleigh Heads toward Tugun and the airport has been planned but isn't built. For now, route 777 from Miami One is the airport service, about 25 minutes.
Where's the closest market?
The Burleigh Farmers Market runs every Saturday, 7am to 12pm, at Burleigh Heads State School. The beachfront art and craft markets at Justins Park run on the last Sunday of the month.
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Phone: (07) 5576 3211 Email: info@burleighmotel.com.au Location: 1908–1910 Gold Coast Highway, Miami QLD 4220 (corner of Christine Avenue)
The best things to do near Burleigh Motel are the ones you can walk to. The rest are fifty cents away.
