Jetties and Sail Boats, the Wonders of Busso...

In the heart of Western Australia's lively coastal towns lies 'Busso' - with a harbour filled with picturesque sail boats, a town great for wandering, and the longest jetty...ever.

Like other of Western Australia's towns and attractions, we found ourselves returning this spot again and again for some event or another.

One of Busselton's best attributes is its location. Right in the centre of the stunning Geographe Bay - this is a great holiday spot not only for locals for Western and greater Australia, but foreigner tourists as well. Where a lot of the other smaller coastal towns in WA are rather known for their peace and solitude - the fact that you can have your pick of empty beaches, Busselton is where you come if you want to enjoy a bit more going on.

It's proximity to all great things in the southern area of Western Australia makes it a great place to stay - or to stop in or on the way back from other destinations. With in a quick drive from the beautifully scenic Margaret River wine country - about two hours south on a direct route from Perth, and the gateway to some of the smaller coastal towns off Geographe Bay - this is a wonderful setting off point.

Known especially for its fishing industry in Geographe Bay - this is an amazing area for anyone who likes to be on the water. Beautiful white sand beaches run up along the coast towards the famous Busselton Jetty known not only for it's length (2km out into Geographe Bay) but also for it's diving potential, being one of the top ten dive jetties in the world. (And though it may not sound like much to those who aren't big divers - it really is an extremely impressive sight to behold.)

The waters of Geographe Bay are some of the most beautiful in Western Australia - and the sailing off this coast is superb. Possibly the highlight of my entire Australian adventure surrounded our last night in Busso where we booked a twilight sail out into the Bay to watch the leaping dolphins and the sunset out of the far Indian Ocean.

The town itself has some local history that is worth exploring, and is a good little area to stroll around the check some of the local shops and artist galleries. (Especially check out Christian Fletchers Art Gallery on the main street - his photography of Western Australia is breath taking.)

Quick Tips:

First and foremost my most profound tip and advice about any stay or visit in Busselton is to take a sail boat out from the harbour. The price is very reasonable for the excursion, and the event is extremely memorable. The waters are pristine, and the dolphins plentiful - you are almost certain to spot some cruising along with you (this is a much better alternative, by the way, than paying a Much higher rate to be taken out on a 'dolphin tour' with the Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury.)
It is also worth mentioning the difference in sun exposure you are likely to get in Western Australia than those coming from the likes of Europe or even the US. Our visit was in April (so Autumn in Australia) and so we assumed the level of sun would not be too unbearable - despite my having spent the past five years primarily in Scotland. But the sun is Immense there, even in these times of year, and so if you do go - prepare to ease yourself into the sun unless you have been spending a lot of time out of doors in the heat already. You can acclimatize rather quickly - but it took us almost a week before we could bare the midday heat for more than a few minutes.
I mention this here because not only does the heat in Busselton and around the beaches and jetty seem particularly strong and powerful - but if you do a cruise, many take off in the middle of the day and are out for over an hour. Take this into consideration if you are likely to have trouble dealing with the sun. If so, a very attractive alternative (which I made use of myself) was the evening and twilight cruises, which are not only a lot less hot, but also offers the benefit of seeing the sunset and being on the water after dark - which is always a pleasing experience.

Busselton is largely a holiday destination, so if you are coming to Western Australia as a family this may well be a great location to start in. With beaches and parks and lots of family friendly amenities, you will not be the only family enjoying the area.

Alternatively, if you would rather not spend your time surrounded by vacationing Ozzie families, either visit Busso in the off season, during the weekdays, or in the evenings when it slows down and is more accommodating for other travellers.

Best Way To Get Around:

If at all possible I recommend that you drive wherever you can in all of Western Australia. There is so very much to see in this area that is off the beaten path - and though some public transport is available, it's not especially cheap or frequent and will not allow the kind of flexibility necessary to get the most out of a trip to the area.

Once in the town of Busso - however - it's quite easy to wander around on foot to see the sights. (Though again, take note of the time of day as we found midday here - even in April - scorching.) Parking isn't hard to find and is usually free - so park the car somewhere near the beach and have a wander a long towards the jetty - and stop for some of their famous ice cream there right off the dock.

From there it's an easy five minute walk past the park (which offers glorious shade) and into the town centre as well as some of the other sights like the old jail house and the art galleries.

And as mentioned before - the sail boats in the harbour are a must do for seeing Geographe Bay properly and enjoying the other view of the harbour. Visit the Port Geographe Marina on Spinnaker Blvd to take your pick of the yachts and sail boats you can charter for the day.

Before I sat down to write this review, I had a quick flip through my photos on this Australian trip of mine, and with a smile I came to a very simple conclusion.
This would be an easy journal to write - easy because this little cruise I took on the Major Tom off Geographe Bay in Busselton Australia is one of the best things I have ever done.

The pictures I did take - and I was tempted just to sit back and enjoy the view as I did once in Paris on the Seine - came out beautifully. And still they do not even begin to do the experience justice.

It was two days before we were to leave the sunny shores of Western Australia and head back north to the cold of a late Scottish spring. The money we had left was twindling fast, and the things we'd yet to get to was a long one still, despite all we had managed to work into the month we were there. Our Ozzie friends' busy work schedule had resumed, and we were left wondering which of the many things still on the list we should attempt in our last day.

The end conclusion was an easy one to come to - but a worrisome one to manage. We decided we must do a sailing cruise out of Busselton harbour, but how to arrange it in the last minutes, and could we manage it for the remaining Australian dollars we had was another matter.

We spent a very short amount of time calling through some of the brochures we picked up at Port Geographe Marina before getting a thumbs up from my Ozzie friend on the phone. Not only could they take all four of us at the last minute, but it would only be au$20 each.

Given my still-sensitve Scottish skin to the Australian sun, we opted for the evening cruise. There's a lot less sunbathing on the dock and diving in the water - but I could not recommend it enoguh. It is far superior in the views, temperature, and general atmosphere of the place.

We booked quickly, thrilled we'd gotten in and jumped in the car and raced the sunset towards Busselton.

Arriving just as they were about to head out we boarded, greeted by a group of about 8 - 10 friends. We soon learned that the owner of the boat had been going on a cruise with some family and friends, and decided to take a few 'paying customers' (us) along with them at the last moment.

We walked around and got a feel for the boat while the crew made preparations. We put our few bottles of red Margaret River wine in the back and got out the cameras.
The sun was just turning golden and starting to set over the bay - and some of the other sail boats were moving out past the point as well.
Soon we were off and with a little help from us, the sails were up and we were cruising lightly over gold tipped waves towards the Indian Ocean.

The crew (along with their family and friends) could not have been more friendly or welcoming. We all took turns walking from one end of the boat to the other, sharing stories from where we'd all been, where we were from - and how much we all loved Western Australia. We drank our wine and toasted the stars as they came out - and took an obscene amount of photos of the sunset, the other sail boats, and the many, stunning dolphins that lept and played in our wake and followed us out until long after the sun had gone.
The boats in the bay had a bit of a race getting out to the Busselton Jetty - and we all got caught up in the excitement of it.

The whole evening could not have been more perfect. We sat and talked long into the stars, and when all the wine was gone - and though we paid for an hour and half tour, they took their time and we arrived back at port almost two hours later.

We said friendly goodbyes and were told we must come back again when we returned. And I fully intend to - one of the best things I've done in the world, hands down.

Just a few minutes walk from the famous Busselton jetty brings you to one of the historic bits of Busselton, and a site worth popping in for a look at.
Busselton's old courthouse is the oldest building in Busselton - built in 1854, and as such has some of the richest historical significance and stories in the area.

Wandering into this little court house - which is very well maintained and keep truly in the spirit of the time which it was build, this is a place where you really feel the weight and importance of all that has happened there.

It's not a very large place - and will likely take you around 10 - 15 minutes to explore. But it's a nice detour from the beaches and jetties and ice cream of the coast and a wonderful reprise from the roasting sun it seems is always beaming down on Busselton.

Best of all - aside from this simply being a historic landmark for age and importance and including all the history involved in being Busselton's old courthouse, post office and jail - it has been converted into an art gallery in recent years. The ArtGeo gallery, which is in charge of the displays here, keep a changing exhibition and show many different kinds of local art and artist's work.

It's a bit of a strange combination - but the impression it leaves is rather unique. You walk in the side door - which leads you almost immediately down a long, low, dark hallway into what used to be the jail cells. Here you get the full impact of what staying in a Western Australian jail may have been like in the early 1900's - the tiny grubby dark cells still feel heavy with the weight of emotion spent in them.
It's a surprisingly powerful experience.

Leaving this you walk into the one room wooden court room, the smell sharp with sting of aged, oiled wood and the sobriety of the law still hangs closely about the place.

And yet - amidst all this library-like quiet, is lots of interesting and local art, decorating what would otherwise be a very serious chamber.
It's oddly impressive.

And best of all - it's free and well worth a quick stop in. For the art, or for the history.

The courthouse is open every day from 10 am - 4 pm.

You can't possibly talk about the town of Busselton in Western Australia with out mentioning the Busselton Jetty. The two are inextricably linked - and one's fame seems to come from the other.

The jetty itself is perched picturesquely out on the stunning Geographe Bay which hugs the harbour of Busselton before leading out into the great Indian Ocean.

Taking almost twelve years to build, the jetty had to be extended many times over the years due to the shifting sands of Geographe Bay and the shallow waters some times making the loading and unloading onto the jetty a difficulty.
In the end, the jetty stretches 2 kilometers out to it's end from the shoreline which is a magnificent walk and view - a perfect pleasant stroll on a not too hot after noon. This makes it the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere. And at the end of this incredible feat (it is hard to appreciate just how long a 2 km jetty out into the bay is until you see it first hand - my Ozzie friend's who spoke so highly of it did not do the experience justice.) is not the end of the tour or the experience of the Busselton Jetty.

The fishing off the jetty (though in need of a special permit in which to do it) is exceptional - and known around both Western Australia and the rest of the country as somewhere the must be fished.

It also has a spectacular artificial reef which makes for wonderful diving and snorkeling.

Also at the end you find the Busselton Underwater Observatory - a giant fish bowl in which to experience three levels of the underwater view, eventually getting as deep as 8 m deep. The views you can get down here of both fish and coral and other underwater life are one of the highlights of Busselton. Snorkeling - with out even getting wet...

And I can't fail to mention the incredibly photogenic nature of the area. If your trip photos are a thing that is important to you - be certain to visit the Busselton shore at sunrise or set to get some truly amazing shots of the jetty - stretching long and limber out into the bay against the ripple of the purple and red tides. The fluttering, colourful flags along its sides make for astonishing photos.

Despite the fact that my time in Busselton was generally spent on more adult pursuits than the little family park known as the Nautical Lady Entertainment World - I did think it was worth reviewing as it is something that will be a highlight for many visitors.

My own interest in it is something I will get to in a moment.

The town of Busselton is a great summer spot for Australians and foreign tourist alike. I arrived in their fall, so the beaches and parks were less filled than I had the impression they may be at other times of the year. And still the entire place had the feel of a seaside family stop.

Not that there isn't plenty to entertain the adults (either alone or after the kids have been put to bed) but I thought it was worth mentioning here that there are also plenty of diversions for families and younger tourists as well.

Aside from the wonderful flat sand beaches that stretch along the bay - right off the central beach front is The Nautical Lady Entertainment world. It must be said that the name does suggest a certain grandeur that isn't really there - and yet it is still a nice outdoor recreational area for families with small children.

The various activities that the kids can enjoy range from little 'ladybird' trains, water slides, trampolines, close access to the beaches, BBQs, and soft drinks and ice cream to be had.

Which - brings me to the part of the area that I found so spectacular and why I have included this in the review despite not taking any rides on any waterslides.

Directly on the Busselton Central Beach front (just a few steps from the start of the Busselton Jetty) you can get some great refreshments to sit in the shaded tables and enjoy. Namely, Simmo's Ice cream.

It is hard to compare what Simmo's is to Western Australians from other places. It is an institution. If you threw Baskin Robbins and Chuck E. Cheese together into a more wonderful combination of quality, variety and amusement - you might have some idea of what it is out there.

As an adult, you are thrilled to get a hold of one of the many, many variety of flavours that Simmo's Ice cream has to offer at any chance possible. (I believe they have at least 39 award winning different ice cream concoctions.) I have personally sampled at least 6 of these - and have found None of them lacking in any way.

As a child - Simmo's is more than spectacular ice cream, but an entire culture of fun - and the original Simmo's in Dunsborough has a big yard and play ground including fenced in wild life such as ostriches near by.

Regardless of your reason for visiting the area - be sure to sample some of Simmo's ice cream while sitting in the shade, enjoying the kid’s park, or meandering down the stunning Busselton jetty.