Experience the best of Busselton

Busselton lies on the sheltered, shallow water of Geographe Bay in the south-west corner of Western Australia, south of Perth. Its landmark is the Busselton Jetty, almost two kilometres long and one of the longest timber-piled jetties in the world. A small train runs along it, and at the far end an underwater observatory looks onto corals, sponges and fish that have settled on the piles.

The foreshore is a long strip of lawn and gentle beach where the water stays shallow far from the sand. Across the bay, Dunsborough and Cape Naturaliste mark the start of the limestone ridge that runs south to Cape Leeuwin. Within an hour lies the Margaret River region, with caves, tall karri and jarrah forests, wineries and surf breaks on the Indian Ocean side. Whales pass through the bay in spring.

Local produce is the draw at the table: wine, cheese, chocolate and olive oil from Margaret River, with fresh fish and crayfish from the coast. Summers are hot and dry with cooling sea breezes, winters are mild and wetter, and the long autumn tends to be calm and sunny.