From Helensvale To Burleigh: The Coast Is Getting Connected

The Gold Coast light rail has already changed the way we move once, and after unveiling Stage 3 plans almost twelve months ago, the new extension from Broadbeach South to Burleigh Heads has officially opened to the public.

We're looking at eight fresh new stations with five additional trams running down the centre of the Gold Coast Highway for 6.7km at a rough travel time of about 17 minutes. Perhaps exciting to some, the first service departed on Sunday 9 August to mark this new era. If you want to ride it for yourself, services are zipping past every 8-ish minutes from 7am to 7pm on the daily. 

It's been quite the journey to get here, and it's not been without bumps in the road and a decent amount of pushback from the community. For a project that started back in 2011 with promises of being a world-class public transport system and has grown to connect Helensvale to now Burleigh Heads, Stage 4 is currently on pause indefinitely. After public consultation in March last year relating to the extension to Coolangatta, the Queensland Government announced planning would halt until further direction is provided—and that was back in 2025.

While mixed emotions are still ever present, this milestone marks the coming together of entire precincts, alleviating crowds and helping daily commutes become more bearable for everyone involved. For locals, it means safer streets, and precincts that feel more pedestrian than highway.

Until then, a lot is happening in Burleigh that might tempt you to tap on. SHŌTŌ is the new moody yakitori bar turning heads, as is the arrival of French-inspired Choubidou Cafe. Or you can take your pick from 21 of the absolute best restaurants in Burleigh Heads right now or plan the ultimate cafe-hopping day with our top cafe picks for this year. Go for gold.

Leading image credit: G:link | Instagram