The bulbous green hill that constitutes Burleigh Head National Park might not be the largest national park in the country – in fact at only 0.30 square kilometres (27ha or 0.12sqm) it may very well be the smallest – but given its easy accessibility and variety of flora, fauna and sightseeing opportunities, it's still one of the area's most popular. Conveniently located between Burleigh Heads and Tallebudgera Creek, the hill began its life some 25 million years ago as a result of the nearby Tweed Volcano, and contains small areas of rainforests and mangroves, and is home to permanent residents including the colourful rainbow lorikeet, several different types of possums and adorable koalas, but also lace monitor lizards (or goannas), which can grow to over two metres in length and are mildly venomous. If you're lucky during the spring and winter months you can do some humpback whale watching from the 88m summit, and if you're not so lucky then you can at least jealously watch the many sea-eagles as they entertain themselves riding the updrafts. There are several separate paths through the park, with the most popular being the the 1.2km Ocean View Track that follows the coastline. The park is only open during daylight hours, and in addition to all the usual park rules, dogs are not allowed.