In My Backyard: Tallebudgera Creek

Located just off the Gold Coast Highway between Burleigh Heads and Palm Beach, the picturesque Tallebudgera Creek (or Tallie) is the ideal spot for a picnic, water skiing, fishing, lounging on the sandy shores, playing with the kids, snorkelling, paddling a kayak or stand-up paddle board or taking a relaxing stroll.

On the northern side of the creek is Burleigh Heads National Park, that offers scenic walks and a lush rainforest to explore. If you start on the Burleigh Heads side and take the walk through the National Park, you will end up at the water and if you are lucky, you could end up with your own private beach.

There are a few options for walks across the headland, including a flatter track tracing the shoreline around the hill or a more challenging walk up to the top of the hill which has several spots to stop and take in the magnificent views over Burleigh Beach and Tallebudgera Estuary.

The southern side of the creek near the Tallebudgera Recreation Camp, is the more popular area where there are shallow waters and sandy beaches which are very safe for small children to swim in. They have loads of picnic tables, BBQ areas, a large beach area with lots of natural shade, a great playground for the kids, they offer all kinds of water sports, plus the Tallebudgera Surf Life Saving Club is a great dining, drinking and gaming venue.

The flat shallow and deeper water in the creek together with the clear sky, create the most gorgeous mix of aqua blue colours. More often than not dolphins swim into the creek for a frolic in the shallower waters and hunt for small fish to eat.

For those that prefer the waves – on the other side is the beautiful Palm Beach, the high rocks of the breakwall and path which separates the creek and Palm Beach is an excellent fishing spot, in fact Tallebudgera Creek translated in indigenous language means “good fishing”. There is also a dog off-leash area on the beach adjacent to the breakwall.

If you walk under the Tallebudgera Creek bridge and past the Tallebudgera Caravan Park you will come to a large calm water lake that is very popular for water skiers and wake boarders. Novice stand-up board paddlers also like to practice in this area before taking on the waves that roll into the mouth of the creek.

Take a drive out along West Burleigh Road, to the walking track and boardwalk that borders the Tallebudgera Creek Park and the David Fleay Wildlife Park, a popular spot to see some of Australia’s unique wildlife. There is a boardwalk which forms part of the walking track (1.5 km long) that ends at Burleigh Heads.

Along the boardwalk, there are excellent examples of mature grey mangroves, some growing amongst natural exposed rock formations at the far end. These, and the stilt mangroves, are inundated by clear ocean waters. There are wonderful views of Tallebudgera Creek through the mangroves, and of the creek mouth at the end of the boardwalk. Along the walk, there are useful interpretive signs with information on mangrove ecology and physiology, fisheries value and indigenous use.

So if you are looking for something to do during your visit to the Burleigh Heads area Tallebudgera Creek is definitely worth checking out. But shhh don’t tell everyone because it is one of my best kept secret idyllic spots on the Goldie!