Surfside Buslines
From Freepedia
Surfside Buslines is the principal provider of public transportation on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. It operates bus routes under the TransLink scheme in southeast Queensland.
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Service area
Surfside operates from Dreamworld in the north of the Gold Coast as far south as Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales (NSW). It is a unique operation as it encompasses both Queensland and NSW state government contracts for Gold Coast City Council and Tweed Shire Council respectively. The area with the best service coverage is the coastal strip, particularly between Southport and Burleigh Heads.
Routes
Bus route numbers and destination information are only displayed at the front of the bus. Like most Australian private operators, none of Surfside's fleet is equipped with side or rear destination displays.
NB: For accurate travel information, see the TransLink website linked below
TransLink Services
- 1 - Paradise Point to Tweed Heads via Southport, Surfers Paradise, Pacific Fair and Burleigh Heads
- 1A - Theme Parks & Helensvale Rail to Tweed Heads via Harbour Town, Southport, Surfers Paradise, Pacific Fair and Burleigh Heads
- X - Theme Parks Express (stopping Pacific Fair, Surfers Paradise then direct to the Theme Parks)
- 2 - Seaworld to Robina & Mudgeeraba via Surfers Paradise, Jupiters Casino, Pacific Fair and Bond University
- 3 - Oxenford & Helensvale Rail to Burleigh Heads via Griffith University, Southport, Surfers Paradise, Pacific Fair and Burleigh Heads
- 4 - Pacific Fair to Burleigh West via Mermaid Waters and Burleigh Heads
- 5 - Coombabah to Pacific Fair via Harbour Town, Southport, Chevron Island, Surfers Paradise and Isle of Capri
- 9 - Southport to Seaworld via Tedder Ave
- 10 - Sanctuary Cove to Burleigh Heads via Southport, Surfers Paradise and Pacific Fair
- 11 - TrainLink Express (Robina Rail to Tweed Heads via Burleigh Heads)
- 14 - Helensvale Rail to Southport via Arundel Crest
- 15 - Arundel Crest to Southport
- 16 - Studio Village to Southport via Helensvale Rail and Heydon Heights
- 18 - Southport to Pacific Fair via Ashmore and Benowa TAFE
- 18A - Southport to Molendinar via Ashmore and Benowa TAFE
- 19 - Helensvale Rail to Seaworld via Harbour Town and Southport
- 20 - Southport to Pacific Fair via Ashmore, Nerang Rail, Carrara and Boonooroo Park
- 20A - Southport to Pacific Fair via Ashmore, Nerang Rail, Highland Park and Carrara
- 21 - Surfers Paradise to Clearwater via Chevron Island, Benowa TAFE and Nerang Rail
- 22 - TrainLink Express (Nerang Rail to Surfers Paradise via Carrara Markets, Pacific Fair and Jupiters Casino)
- 737 - Community Bus (Southport, Ashmore and Benowa)
- 738 - Harbour Town to Pacific Fair via Griffith University, Ashmore and Benowa TAFE
- 752 - Pacific Fair to Robina Rail via Markeri St
- 756 - Pacific Fair to Burleigh Heads via Merrimac, Robina Rail and Reedy Creek
- 757 - Pacific Fair to West Tweed via Mermaid Waters, Bond University, Varsity Lakes, Burleigh Heads, Palm Beach, The Pines and Currumbin
- 764 - Burleigh Heads to Currumbin Park via Palm Beach and The Pines
- 766 - Burleigh Heads to Currumbin Waters via Palm Beach and The Pines
- 768 - The Pines to West Tweed via Currumbin
New South Wales Services
- 601 - Tweed Heads to Bilanbil Heights
- 602 - Tweed Heads to Tweed Heights
- 603 - Tweed Heads to Pottsville via Kingscliff
- 604 - Tweed Heads to Hillcrest
- 605 - Tweed Heads to Murwillumbah
- 606 - Tweed Heads to Fingal
- 607 - Tweed Heads to Kingscliff via Chinderah
A University Express (no route number) and Carrara Markets Special are also operated. Where buses are out of service, full or otherwise not in normal route service, they display "SPECIAL."
The University Express is a route 3 bus that terminates at the University. The Carrara Markets Special is chartered by the markets. It operates a $1.00 return service from Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Pacific Fair direct to the Markets.
Most routes now see low-floor buses (generally with Bustech bodywork) on a permanent, frequent or infrequent basis at some times during the day. Minor inland routes are sometimes still services by Mercedes-Benz minibuses.
All routes are currently being renumbered under a three digit system between 700-795, in keeping with other bus routes in South-East Queensland. It is anticipated that this will be complete by February 2006.
Surfside also provides many school services in the Gold Coast region. Also, as no route buses service the Gold Coast Airport any longer, Surfside maintains a connection between the airport and the nearest bus stop at Golden Four Dr, Kirra, operated by Toyota Coasters. This bus stop is serviced by routes 1, 1A, 757, 768 and 11.
Interchanges
The main interchanges are:
- Southport (Australia Fair)
- Surfers Paradise Main Stops (50 Cavill Ave southbound; Appel Park northbound)
- Broadbeach (Pacific Fair)
- Burleigh Heads Stop 43
- Tweed Heads
- Helensvale Rail
- Nerang Rail
- Robina Rail
- The Pines
- Runaway Bay Shopping village
- Harbour Town
Plans to extend CityTrain's Gold Coast Line south of Robina to the Gold Coast Airport will probably see more feeder services introduced to link new stations into the greater local public transport network.
As part of the TransLink service changes, several routes such as routes 1, 1A and 757, which are very long, will be split up to improve reliability. New services are also anticipated e.g. connecting Robina and Coolangatta via an inland route in anticipation of the railway, new connections between large developments at Coomera with the rest of the network and better links through currently under-serviced areas. A new route funded by the Gold Coast City Council will connect Nerang Rail, Robina Rail and Bond University via Worongary, Gilston and Mudgeeraba. New services will also be funded between Ormeau Rail and Beenleigh Rail, but these may be run by Logan City Bus Service due to this proposed route's distance from Surfside's depots. Higher service frequency and better late-night, peak period and weekend running on most routes is also planned.
Fleet
Surfside operates a varied fleet of approximately 300 buses and coaches, the majority of which do not possess a rear or centre door. Its most recent acquisitions are low-floor accessible Volvo B12BLE and Mercedes-Benz O500LE buses with VST bodywork, manufactured by Bustech. There are many other low-floor accessible buses such as the Volvo B7RLE and Mercedes-Benz O405NH but the majority of the fleet is not accessible, though it is mostly air-conditioned.
Surfside also operates the Gold Coast Tourist Shuttle, a coach service for tourists connecting hotels, attractions and the airport, among other things.
Depots
Surfside has 2 depots - one main depot at Ernest on Mercantile Court (alternatively known as Southport Depot) and a smaller depot at Tweed Heads on Ourimbah Road.
Livery
Yellow and white; some more recently introduced/refurbished buses have a corporate emblem displayed at the sides and rear, whereas other buses merely depict a stylised "Surfside Buslines" in blue flowing script.
