Sunrise Walk from Currumbin Alley to Elephant Rock

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Posted 2020-03-17 by Meg Forbes ⇒ follow

The Gold Coast's iconic beaches are beautiful at any time, but sunrise is particularly special. The light across the surf and sand is gorgeous, and the crowds have not yet arrived. The walk from Currumbin Alley to Elephant rock is a 1.5Km return beach walk that offers visitors a surprising amount of variety.

Currumbin Alley itself is usually a calm stretch of water that has a wide sandy beach at low tide. Popular as a route for surfers to enter the ocean, Currumbin Alley ends at Currumbin Rock which provides an excellent place to watch the sun rising over the water.

For those visiting with kids, or just curious about marine life in general, there are also a number of beautiful rock pools that get exposed during low tides here and contain a variety of fascinating creatures such as crabs, anemones, and on very fortunate occasions, sea stars.

From here, walk south along gorgeous Currumbin Beach. This beautiful beach is rarely busy so early in the morning, so it can feel as if you have the place to yourself. Even in winter, the water doesn't generally go below about 17 degrees here, making it wonderful to paddle as you make your way towards Elephant Rock. Dogs are welcome here but must be kept on a leash at all times.

At the end of this sandy beach, you will see the Currumbin Vikings Surf Life Saving Club. This club sits adjacent to Elephant Rock, and the stairs that ascend the Elephant Rock Lookout actually begin at the surf life-saving club.

Although the stairs to the top are quite steep and narrow, there are less than 40 of them in total.

This lookout offers spectacular views across the route you have just walked, and on towards Tugun and Coolangatta to the south. It is also possible to spot dolphins from here, as well as humpback whales during their annual migration (June - November each year).

After descending the stairs it is time to retrace your steps back along the beach towards Currumbin Alley. By the time you reach your destination the sun should be well and truly up, and the local coffee shops open!