Day trips from Burleigh Heads: theme parks and a road trip to the Tweed
Burleigh Heads makes a relaxed base for bigger days out: three of the Gold Coast’s biggest theme parks to the north, and the green hills and villages of the Tweed to the south.
The theme parks
Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World and Dreamworld are all a drive away from Burleigh, and each is a full day out.
Sea World
On The Spit near Main Beach, Sea World is the closest of the three. It combines rides, marine shows and animal encounters, and suits younger children well.
Warner Bros. Movie World
At Oxenford, Movie World is the screen-themed park, with rides and characters, and bigger roller coasters for older kids and teenagers.
Dreamworld
At Coomera, Dreamworld is a large park with rides, shows and wildlife. Plan a whole day to see it properly.
Tips for theme park days
- Plan one park per day. They are big, and a second park in the same day is a rush.
- Compare ticket and multi-day pass options on the official park websites, because packages change and not every park is included in the same pass.
- Allow time for the drive and check your route and the traffic before you leave.
- Arrive early, when queues are shortest and the day is cooler.
- We stock an insulated picnic set and a beach trolley with a drink chiller at the house, so you can head out well prepared.
A road trip south to the Tweed
Head south over the border for a change of scene. The Tweed is a scenic mix of beaches, river and hills, and it makes a lovely slow day by car.
- On the coast: Tweed Heads and Coolangatta sit either side of the border, with Fingal Head, its lighthouse and Kingscliff Beach further south.
- Inland: the Tweed Valley around Murwillumbah, with villages such as Uki and Tyalgum beneath the Mount Warning (Wollumbin) caldera.
- Culture and cycling: the Tweed Regional Art Gallery and the Murwillumbah Rail Trail.
Byron Bay is further south again if you want to keep driving, though it makes for a longer day.
Good to know: New South Wales observes daylight saving and Queensland does not, so for part of the year the time changes by an hour when you cross the border. Check opening times in local time.
Back to the beach
After a big day out, there is nothing like returning to the courtyard, the deck and a short walk to Burleigh Beach. For ideas on where to eat when you get back, see our favourite cafés and restaurants in Burleigh Heads.
Park details, tickets, opening hours and drive times change. We wrote this on 2 November 2026 using local and tourism sources, so check the official websites before you go.