Text size
Explore
8 min readText size
Updated •
Published
Text size
By: Julie Hosking
Just two and a half hours from Perth, Busselton is a great hub from which to explore more of the South West.
There are also plenty of reasons to just stay local and get to know ‘Busso’ a bit better. Here are just some of Busselton’s key attractions.
The Ludlow Tuart Forest, a 10-minute drive outside Busselton, is one of the last natural tall tuart forests in the world. The forest is a serene spot for a leisurely stroll or picnic. But for those after an adrenaline rush, Forest Adventures offers a range of thrill-seeking courses high up in the tall timbers.
Swing like Tarzan, balance on suspended bridges, climb ladders and zoom in the air on 15 flying foxes, including one that’s 150 metres long. There’s even a 13m base jump. For the biggest rush of all, try the advanced zipline course – climb to 19m, the highest point in the park, before a speedy descent through eight consecutive flying foxes over more than 500m.
Get up close to Busselton's marine life without getting wet by joining an Underwater Observatory tour.
The underwater journey starts with a train ride along the heritage-listed Busselton Jetty, extending 1.8km across the Indian Ocean.
At the end of the jetty, a guide will take you 8m below the surface to view Australia’s biggest artificial reef, home to over 300 marine species. Tours depart on the hour, and bookings are essential. Entry is $42 per adult and $27 per child (under 18).
Staying at the end of the jetty, see how Western Australian artists exercised their creative flair in the jetty’s artificial reef, viewing its Underwater Sculpture Park.
Colourful corals cling to 13 sculptures along the seabed, creating new marine habitats.
View the sculptures from a jetty platform or snorkel or dive 8m below, where resident fish, turtles and sea dragons can be spotted darting around artworks. Seasonal diving and snorkelling tours are also available with Swan Dive.
A $5 Dive and Snorkel Pass can be purchased online or from the Interpretive Centre at the start of the Jetty. Visitors planning to swim, snorkel or dive the Underwater Sculpture Park are required to complete a waiver before entry. A waterproof Underwater Sculpture Park map is available from the Interpretive Centre for $15 to help locate the sculptures.
A Jetty Day Pass will get you access to walk, swim or dive around the jetty. You can purchase your pass from the Interpretive Centre and Museum at the start of the jetty.
Discover Busselton’s ocean wonders by visiting the Marine Discovery Centre (next to the Busselton Visitor Centre).
Walk through the blue doors and enter an underwater world where interactive displays and immersive exhibits bring WA’s marine world and offshore parks to life. You can listen to whale song, control an underwater submarine, or peer into a telescope to see reef-dwelling micro-organisms that are invisible to the naked eye.
Tickets to the attraction are $15 for adults and $10 for children (ages 5-17).
Art and history come together in perfect harmony at the Busselton Cultural Precinct. Housed in a series of beautifully restored heritage buildings, the lively and energetic hub for creatives features artist-in-residence studios, an art gallery, workshop spaces, and more.
It’s a wonderful place to meet talented artists and performers or pick up local art. Exhibitions and performances are always changing, so check the online events calendar to see what’s on when you’re visiting.
If history is more your bag, take the audio-visual tour of the old courthouse, police station, exercise yard, horse stables, and bond store. Dating back to 1860, these walls have seen more than their fair share of hardship, and while its more notorious residents have long since departed, the video, audio, and signage are full of great stories about the colourful characters and court cases of old.
Many shopping centres across the state have undergone a massive rebrand, transforming from suburban grocery stores into trendy community hubs. Busselton Central is one such example, bringing shopping, entertainment, and high-quality dining together under one wave-shaped roof.
Along with the Reading Cinema and all the usual retail offerings, there are a handful of standout stores that make Busselton Central well worth a visit. Luna & Sol is a family-run clothing and giftware store stocking local artisans who create for ‘salty souls’. You’ll find colourful maxi dresses, ocean-inspired homewares, and plenty of eco-friendly gifts lining the shelves.
Hungry? Thirsty? The beverage options are where this centre really excels. One of the external-facing stores is Benesse, the third outpost of the popular Bunbury cafe and the first in the Margaret River region. Chic eatery INARA serves Lebanese, Jordanian and Israeli-inspired dishes and is a must-visit for devoted foodies.
Mingle with locals at Busselton Pavilion. The trendy gastropub celebrates the flavours of the South West across its spacious bistro and expansive beer garden.
Proudly “born and brewed in Busselton”, Shelter Brewing Co is just a hop, skip and a jump from the jetty. Created by two local families, the massive two-storey building on the Busselton Foreshore houses a brewery, restaurant and function rooms.
With a capacity for 650 people, it’s one of Busselton’s biggest venues. Its spacious interior and casual atmosphere is a great spot to relax with a specialty brew or even the homegrown cider. Savour freshly caught seafood or share a woodfired pizza as you watch the sunset over Geographe Bay.
Family and dog-friendly, Shelter is open daily from 10am to 10pm (from 7am for coffee and bagels).
Test your aim with a bow and arrow at Primal Archery. While more experienced archers will whiz around the course, beginners are also well taken care of. You’ll be supplied with all the equipment you need, as well as some basic training on how to use it, so you have a better chance of hitting the bullseye.
Choose between a five, 10 or 15-target course (from $20 for three arrows per target). There are also three distances from which to try your luck, so you can up the ante at any time.
Children must be aged over six and accompanied by an adult. Enclosed shoes are recommended — the archery trail is made of loose, black sand, and of course, there are times you’re going to miss that target and need to venture under the trees to find your arrow.
As the gateway to the celebrated Margaret River wine region, Busselton is not short on dining options itself.
If you never venture further than a stroll from your beachside accommodation to one of the local watering holes or cafés, you’ll be more than happy. But if you want to get a taste of what lies just a little further afield without the stress of driving, book a half or full-day tour to have a local guide you around this premium food and wine destination.
Most operators, including Wine for Dudes and Cape to Cape Wine Tours & Charters, visit a handful of wineries and other culinary attractions and include lunch at one of the beautiful restaurants. Prices and pickup points vary, so it’s best to stop by the Busselton Visitor Centre to explore options. Failing that, you can always nominate a skipper and drive yourself.
With everything from award-winning wine to rich, dark chocolate and delectable gin and some of Western Australia’s finest restaurants within an hour’s reach, the hardest thing will be deciding where to whet your appetite first.
Just east of Busselton lies the internationally recognised Vasse Wonnerup Wetlands. One of the State’s most important waterbird habitats, the wetlands welcome 30,000 birds from more than 90 species to its nutrient-rich waters, including tattlers, warblers, stints, turnstones and knots.
Several bird hides dot the paths so twitchers can see their favourites from secluded vantage points. The wetlands vary from broad channels to sheltered, small bays and, depending on the time of your visit, you may also spot egrets, spoonbills, bandicoots and other native wildlife.
The area is also culturally significant to the local Wardandi people, with registered archaeological and spiritual sites. Follow one of the walking trails or bring a picnic to enjoy by Malbup Creek.
Recreational fishing is also permitted in the Wonnerup inlet and Deadwater, with black bream, mullet and blue swimmer crabs among the likely catch. Netting is prohibited. .
Busselton is the perfect place to stretch your legs, with over 200km of walking and cycling paths. One of the most popular treks is the paved Geographe Path, stretching 23km along the foreshore from Busselton to Dunsborough; do as little or as much of it as you like.
The 1.1km paved trail from Meelup Beach, just half an hour from Busselton to Point Piquet is another easy family walk offering picturesque views along the way. You might even spot a whale during migration season from June to November.
For tips and maps, drop into the Busselton Visitor Centre, open daily (except Christmas Day). Staff can suggest bike hire places if you haven’t brought your own.
