Tallebudgera Valley, known locally as the Tally Valley, is a green valley behind Tallebudgera Beach on the southern Gold Coast, where roads wind through farmland, acreage and rainforest towards Springbrook National Park. It is a quiet hinterland day out, with a rainforest walk, creekside parks and a heritage post office.
It is only about 25 km south of Southport, so it fits easily into a Gold Coast trip, and it feels a long way from the beachfront.
Driving Tallebudgera Creek Road
The main way in is Tallebudgera Creek Road, which follows the creek up the valley. The valley borders Springbrook National Park, and its far south-west corner lies inside the national park.
The road ends at the Cream Track trailhead, so this is an out-and-back drive, and the track no longer connects through to Springbrook Road. For the waterfalls and lookouts of the plateau, see the Springbrook National Park guide and the Numinbah Valley scenic drive.
The Cream Track
The Cream Track is the valley’s bushwalk. It starts at the end of Tallebudgera Creek Road and runs 3.3 km one way through rainforest, creek crossings, and wet and dry eucalypt forest. You return the way you came, so the full walk is 6.6 km.
The track once climbed to Springbrook Plateau, but the Springbrook end is no longer accessible. It now ends at private property, where access is not permitted, and City of Gold Coast is exploring options to reinstate the full length. Stick to the signs and designated track, and see council’s Cream Track page for the map.
There are pathogen control stations at the entrances and exits, so start and finish with clean footwear. Dogs are not allowed and there is no camping. This is an isolated bushland area, so carry water, tell someone where you are going and read council’s bushwalking safety advice first.
Parks by the creek
Lower down, near the Gold Coast end of the creek, Schuster Park at 506 Schusters Road, Tallebudgera, is the family stop. It has a car park, toilets including an accessible toilet, barbecues, picnic shelters, a playground, a boat ramp, a boardwalk, walking tracks, a bike track and a small sandy beach on the creek. Vehicles enter from Heather Street. The park opens at 6 am and the gates close at 6 pm.
Dogs must be on a leash at Schuster Park unless they are in a signed off-leash area, and they are not allowed in the children’s playground or the conservation area on the peninsula. Council’s dog exercise area map shows where off-leash dogs are allowed.
Eddie Kornhauser Recreational Reserve in Elanora, just east of the valley, has a playground, picnic shelters and tables, toilets nearby, and hard-surface paths for walking and cycling. Its northern section is a designated off-leash dog area with agility equipment, and dogs must be on a leash everywhere else except where signed.
For swimming and paddling, the creek mouth is a short drive away: see Tallebudgera Creek for patrol times, parking and the playground.
The heritage post office
The former Tallebudgera Post Office, on Trees Road, opened in 1878 when the district was mainly banana and dairy farms. It is one of the oldest surviving buildings on the Gold Coast and is on the Queensland Heritage Register. Check the Experience Gold Coast Tallebudgera page for the district’s history and places to stay before you go.
Retreats, farmstays and golf
The valley is known for slow weekends. Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat sits on a forested ridge and runs health and wellness programs, and there are farmstays and bed and breakfasts. There are also three golf courses and a driving range nearby.
Planning your visit
- How long: allow an hour for the drive and a stop, or half a day with the Cream Track walk.
- What to bring: water, sturdy shoes, insect repellent and a hat for the walk, and a picnic.
Getting there
The Cream Track trailhead is about 103 km by road from the Brisbane CBD, about 90 minutes by car without traffic. Tallebudgera Valley is about 22 km south-south-east of Surfers Paradise in a straight line.
Nearby
- Tallebudgera Creek – patrolled swimming, parks and paddling at the creek mouth.
- Currumbin Rock Pools – creek swimming in the next valley.
- Natural Bridge, Springbrook – rainforest and glow-worm cave.
- Mudgeeraba – village cafes and a hinterland day out.
- Kurrawa Beach – back on the coast at Broadbeach.
- More in the scenic drives and Gold Coast Hinterland guides.
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Quick answers
Where is Tallebudgera Valley?
It is a hinterland locality of the City of Gold Coast, behind Tallebudgera Beach and bordering Springbrook National Park, about 25 km south of Southport.
What is there to do in Tallebudgera Valley?
Drive Tallebudgera Creek Road, walk the Cream Track, picnic at creekside parks such as Schuster Park, pass the heritage-listed former post office on Trees Road, or stay at a retreat or farmstay.
How long is the Cream Track?
3.3 km one way, so 6.6 km return. It ends at private property where access is not permitted. Dogs are not allowed.
Can you take dogs to Tallebudgera Valley?
Not on the Cream Track. At Schuster Park dogs must be on a leash unless in a signed off-leash area, and they are banned from the playground and the peninsula conservation area.
Is Tallebudgera Valley the same as Tallebudgera Creek?
No. Tallebudgera Creek is the swimming and park area at the coast. The valley is the rural and rainforest country up the creek.
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