Western Australia · Coastal

Busselton

Home to the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere at 1.8 kilometres

location_on South West

A relaxed coastal town on the shores of Geographe Bay in the south-west corner of Western Australia. Busselton is best known for the Busselton Jetty, the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere at 1,841 metres, and for its position as the northern gateway to the Margaret River wine region.

Busselton is a town of roughly 40,000 people on the sheltered northern shore of Geographe Bay, about two and a half hours south of Perth. It has been a popular holiday destination for Perth families since the railway arrived in the 1890s, and its combination of calm water, long white beaches and easy access to the Margaret River region has made it one of the fastest-growing towns in regional Western Australia.

The Busselton Jetty is the centrepiece of the town and the longest timber-piled structure in the southern hemisphere at 1,841 metres. The jetty was originally built in 1865 to service timber and wool ships and was extended in stages over the following century. A small tourist train runs the length of the jetty, and at the far end a purpose-built Underwater Observatory sits eight metres below the waterline, giving visitors a window into a surprisingly rich artificial reef that has formed on the jetty piles over 150 years. More than 300 marine species have been recorded on the jetty structure.

The foreshore on either side of the jetty has several kilometres of calm, shallow beach that slopes so gently children can wade out a long way. The water in Geographe Bay is warmer than the exposed south coast beaches because the bay faces north and is protected from the prevailing south-westerly swell. This makes Busselton a better family swimming destination than the surf beaches further south.

Busselton is the standard base for visitors exploring the northern half of the Margaret River wine region. The Vasse Felix, Voyager Estate and Leeuwin Estate cellar doors are all within 30 minutes drive. The town also hosts the annual Busselton Jetty Swim in February, a 3.6 kilometre open-water race that draws around 2,000 swimmers and is one of the largest ocean swims in the country.

The town is at its busiest in summer (December to February) when the population swells with Perth holiday-makers. Autumn (March to May) is the pick for quieter visits with warm days and smaller crowds. Winter brings the occasional storm but the bay is remarkably sheltered even in rough weather.