Busselton

Busselton Travel Wiki

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Travel to Busselton

Read about and get inspiration for a trip to the city, check for the cheapest flights and hotels in Busselton

Travel and vacation in Busselton, Australia

Here you can find information about travel and holiday trips to Australia. You will find travel deals as well as general travel information, guides, “good to know” and facts about Australia. We try to find the best travel video about the city and its surroundings and we write about the best sights, shopping and things to do. You will also find updated current weather and forecasts. The current exchange rates are also updated many times a day.

Best of Busselton

What to see and do in Busselton ?

The beautiful city of Busselton has won several high profile tourism awards over the years, and any first-time visitor will see why in no time at all. It features an exceptionally laid-back atmosphere which lends itself perfectly to relaxing holidays, and the stunning climate encourages everyone to spend time at the superb beach.

Busselton is located on Western Australia’s beautiful coastline at Geographe Bay, some 220 kilometres south of Perth. It’s one of the most attractive destinations in the state, and it attracts day visitors from Perth as well as tourists from across the world.

No visit to Busselton is complete without exploring the city’s wonderfully individual range of shops, and if you have time a tour of the wine region is highly recommended. The wooden pier is a must-visit, because the views of the ocean are truly superb. The beach is home to a number of exciting activities, so be sure to spend as much time there as possible.

Perhaps the most impressive of all the attractions in Busselton, the wooden pier extends more than 1.8 kilometres out to sea, and gives tourists a wonderful opportunity to enjoy some spectacular views of the ocean below. If you’re feeling energetic you can walk from one end of the pier to the other, or if you’d prefer something a little more relaxing you can take a highly enjoyable train ride on this iconic timber construction instead.

Busselton is home to a truly beautiful beach, and lovers of water sports will be delighted by the amount of activities which are on offer. Everything from relaxing sailing journeys to white-knuckle water-skiing trips can be found here. Needless to say, if you only want to relax under a warm sun and enjoy an occasional swim in the ocean when you need to cool down, you can do exactly that in this destination which places an emphasis on pleasure.

One of the most enjoyable ways to spend an afternoon in Busselton is to treat yourself to a few hours of retail therapy. The city’s highly attractive centre is home to a number of fashionable boutiques, as well as several quirky arts and crafts stores. And when you find your energy levels starting to drop, you can always stop for a refreshing drink and a delicious meal at one of the many pavement cafés and restaurants.

Explore Wine Country

If you’re keen to find out more about Western Australia’s highly celebrated wine industry, you can hire a car and tour the wineries and vineyards of the Margaret River region. The local roads are pleasingly quiet, so a driving tour is always an enjoyable experience. As well as wine-making establishments, you will also find some excellent restaurants along the way.

The star of Margaret River is without a doubt its world-class wineries. The wine region stretches from Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin out to Busseltown with plenty of charming small towns in between. Producing both fantastic red and white varieties some of the highlights of the region include its highly lauded chardonnays and shiraz. The best way to explore the vineyards is on one of the many tour buses that operate in the region. Make sure you stop into the internationally recognised Leeuwin Estate and the beautiful Amberley Estate. Beer aficionados should not despair as Margaret River is also home to some excellent craft breweries!

Where there’s good wine you would expect to find great food and Margaret River is no exception. The restaurants and cafés in the area embrace the best local produce on offer and you will find world-class dining at almost every turn. For a real gourmet experience visit Cape Lodge which has been ranked one of the top 10 hotel restaurants in the world. If you are looking for a more casual dining atmosphere, head to Busseltown Jetty and grab some fish and chips.

After all that indulgence, why not explore some of the fascinating caves of the Margaret River region. Lake Cave is one of the biggest and best and is open to the public every day of the year (apart from Christmas). The cave features a permanent lake where you can be amazed by the ‘Suspended Table’ a five tonne calcite column that hangs above the lake. If caving is not for you – why not take a relaxing canoe tour of the river. Sunset tours are also available for those looking for a romantic afternoon.

A brief history

The Noongar people

Prior to todays settlement, this area is the traditional land of the Noongar Aboriginal people with many Noongar names and travel routes still widely used today. The Noongar (which means “man”) people have occupied the south west area of Western Australia for around 38,000 years and their traditional stories tell of the Waagle (or Rainbow Serpent) giving life and sustenance to their people who in return were the caretakers of the land.

The Noongar people are the original human inhabitants of Busselton and the South West area of Western Australia. Today, as locals try to make sense of the established Western seasons, it is worthwhile examing the traditional Noongar seasons that divided the south west’s climate into 6 rather than 4 separate seasons.

In Noongar Aboriginal culture, Boojar (or land) is of the utmost importance. Each tribal group had their own kaleep or favoured camping locality, which held a special significence to them. The culture has a complex relationship to the land and pays respect to the seasons and the bountiful supply of food.

The Noongar year has six seasons

– The first being from December to January. This season is called Birak where hot, easterly winds blow during the day and Noongar people used to burn sections of scrubland to force animals into the open to hunt.
– From February to March, during Bunuru, the dry weather conditions meant Noongars moved to estuaries where fish constituted a large proportion of the seasonal diet.
– During Djeran, in April to May, the weather was becoming cooler with winds from the south west. Fishing continued and bulbs and seeds were collected for food.
– During the coldest season, Makuru (june to July), Noongars moved inland to hunt areas once rains had replenished inland water resources.
– In Djilba, as the weather was becoming warmer from August to September, roots were collected and emus, possums and kangaroo were hunted.
– In Kambarang, when rain was decreasing during October to November, families moved towards the coast where frogs, totoises and freshwater crayfish were caught.

First recordings

The first recorded mapping of what is now Geographe Bay and the eventual town of Busselton, was in 1801 by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin, from the ships the Geographe and Naturaliste. The Bay was named after his ship whilst the river was named the Vasse after a sailor who went missing in mysterious circumstances.

Settlers

The area was settled in 1832 when families from the Augusta area travvelled north to farm the areas around the Vasse River. A growing port serviced the settlers and the subsequent local industries that developed which included the exportation of horses to India. Construction of the Busselton jetty began in 1865 and by 1960 had reached out 2 kilometres from the shore.