You do not need to spend a thing to fill a day from Isle of Palms. Within about twenty minutes of our Elanora front door there are five genuinely free outings: SuperBee Honeyworld, two patrolled beaches, a calm creek swim and the Currumbin Rock Pools. Here is what is free at each, when to go, and how to find them.
Is SuperBee Honeyworld actually free?
Distance: about 7 minutes’ drive south. Directions: head out to Guineas Creek Road, cross to Currumbin and turn up Tomewin Street near the Wildlife Sanctuary. Hours: open 10am to 4pm daily, closed Christmas Day and Anzac Day.
The store at SuperBee Honeyworld, 35 Tomewin Street, is free to walk into, and the honey tastings are free too, so you can sample your way through the raw, creamed and infused jars without paying anything. It is a genuine working honey operation, and the shelves of local honey make an easy souvenir if you feel like it. The one paid extra is the 30-minute live bee show, which runs on the hour and lets kids get up close to a glass hive. Skip the show and you still get a warm, sweet-smelling half hour indoors, which is exactly what you want on a cool June morning.
Which free beaches are best near Elanora?
Distance: about 5 minutes’ drive. Directions: follow Guineas Creek Road to the coast at Palm Beach, then turn south for Nineteenth Avenue. Hours: patrolled daily by Gold Coast lifeguards, with the red and yellow flags up through the day.
Palm Beach is our closest stretch of sand, patrolled year round and backed by a free oceanway path that runs for kilometres if you fancy a walk or a ride. Swim between the flags near the Pacific or Palm Beach clubs, then dry off on the grass. It costs nothing but the towel you bring. Guests often tell us they did not expect the southern beaches to be this quiet, and winter mornings here are calm and clear, which makes June a lovely time to have a long stretch of coast almost to yourself.
Where can you see whales for free at Currumbin?
Distance: about 6 minutes’ drive south. Directions: continue past Palm Beach to Currumbin, park near the surf club at the southern headland. Hours: the beach is patrolled daily; the headland lookout is open all the time and free.
Currumbin Beach wraps around to Elephant Rock, the big granite headland that doubles as a free whale-watching perch. From June the humpbacks start heading north, and on a clear morning you can stand on the rock and watch for spouts and breaches offshore, no boat or ticket needed. Down below, Currumbin Alley is a sheltered pocket of calm water where the creek meets the sea, ideal for a paddle with small children. Bring binoculars for the whales and a picnic for the grass above the sand, and the whole outing stays free.
Is Tallebudgera Creek good for a free swim?
Distance: about 8 minutes’ drive north. Directions: take the Gold Coast Highway north through Palm Beach towards Burleigh; the creek car park sits just before the bridge. Hours: open all the time, with a patrolled section near the mouth on weekends and holidays.
Tallebudgera Creek is the calm-water favourite at the northern end of Palm Beach, where clear, shallow water and a gentle current make it one of the safest places on the coast for a family swim. The foreshore has free barbecues, picnic shelters, a playground and a boardwalk that threads between the water and the mangroves. Parents keep mentioning how easy it is here: you can sit in the shade, watch the kids paddle in water that barely reaches their knees, and fire up a barbecue for lunch without spending a thing beyond the food you carry in.
Are the Currumbin Rock Pools free?
Distance: about 20 minutes’ drive up the valley. Directions: from Currumbin, follow Currumbin Creek Road inland; the pools are opposite number 1206, roughly 12 kilometres up. Hours: open all the time, free, with limited parking.
The Currumbin Rock Pools are a freshwater swimming hole tucked in the rainforest, with clear, cool water, smooth granite to laze on, and free toilets, barbecues and picnic tables. The catch is parking, which is genuinely limited, so this one only works if you arrive before the mid-morning rush. Because the pools sit in the shade of the valley for much of the day, they stay cool even on a mild winter afternoon, and the drive up the valley through the rainforest is half the pleasure. It is the most scenic free swim within easy reach of the resort.
FAQs: free days out near Elanora
What free things can families do near Elanora?
Plenty. Within a short drive of Isle of Palms you can browse SuperBee Honeyworld and taste honey for free, swim at patrolled Palm Beach and Currumbin Beach, paddle the calm Tallebudgera Creek, and picnic at the free Currumbin Rock Pools. All five cost nothing to enjoy beyond parking, which is free too.
Is SuperBee Honeyworld free?
Entry to the Honeyworld store is free, and so are the honey tastings, so you can wander in and sample the range without paying a cent. The 30-minute live bee show is the one paid extra, running on the hour. If you are keeping to a no-spend day, the free store and tastings still make it worth the stop.
Can you watch whales for free on the Gold Coast in June?
Yes. From June the humpbacks begin moving north past the Gold Coast, and Elephant Rock at Currumbin is one of the best free vantage points. Bring binoculars, pick a clear morning, and watch for spouts and breaches offshore. You do not need a boat or a ticket to catch the show from the headland.
Where can you swim for free near Palm Beach?
Tallebudgera Creek at the north end of Palm Beach has calm, clear water that suits little ones, with a patrolled section near the mouth. For surf, Palm Beach and Currumbin Beach are patrolled daily by Gold Coast lifeguards. All three are free, and the only cost is remembering your own towel and sunscreen.
Is parking free at Currumbin Rock Pools?
Yes, parking at the Currumbin Rock Pools is free, but it is limited and fills fast on a fine day. Arrive before mid-morning to get a spot, especially on weekends and in school holidays. Once you are there the swimming, toilets, barbecues and picnic tables all come at no charge.
A no-spend day is one of the quiet joys of basing yourself down this end of the coast: honey tastings, a whale from the headland, a creek swim and a beach walk, all free and all close. When you are ready to settle in near Elanora, explore our Elanora and Palm Beach location guide and check availability and book direct with us.
Image credit: Queensland.com
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