Scratch below the surface and discover the new and the wonderful of this seaside town.
You can easily spend a sublime weekend walking the famous Busselton Jetty, jumping aboard a whale watching cruise and watching the world go by at one of the excellent beachside restaurants.
But we dare you to try something new; discover Busselton’s best kept secrets and fall in love with the jewel of Geographe Bay all over again. You might enjoy it so much that you need to extend your stay!
Not for the faint-hearted, you’ll score incredible views of Busselton right over to Dunsborough and Cape Naturaliste as you loop the loop with Tiger Moth Adventure Tours. It’s a vintage ex-RAAF plane, and pilot Steve can take you for a ‘mild’ or ‘wild’ adventure spotting whales, the Busselton Jetty and performing the loops, barrel rolls and steep turns the Tiger Moth was designed for.
Two hours of climbing swaying ladders, ‘snowboarding’ between treetops and riding countless flying foxes goes really, really fast at Forest Adventures South West. But step off the six-level adventure course and you’ll immediately be planning your next visit, it’s that fun. Dial up the adrenaline and get ready for some serious tree top challenges. Perfect for adults or families with slightly older kids, as you must be 7+ years to take part.
Coral shouldn’t grow this far south, but the Leeuwin current brings warm water into Geographe Bay, helping create a unique maritime ecosystem for coral, sponges, octopus, starfish and fish. See it for yourself at the Busselton Jetty Underwater Observatory, nine metres below the surface at the end of the jetty.
Bit of a local’s secret; 50 metres west of Busselton Jetty is a U-shaped timber jetty, enclosed by a huge net. We love jetty jumping on hot days, jumping in and climbing out, over and over till the kids get tired. You’ll also find Aquatastic set up in front of The Equinox in summer; a huge floating obstacle course – plenty of fun in the sun.
For a close up look of true craftmanship a visit to Busselton Woodturners is in order. Located in the Old Butter Factory precinct, watch as wood is turned into beautiful works of art and have a chat about local timbers and techniques.
Check out the historic ArtGeo complex; tour the old gaol cells, browse the seasonal art exhibitions, meet the artist in residence or take part in their workshops. There’s also a café/shop and the Settlement Art Project – a series of bronze sculptures depicting the people and industries that contributed to the town’s development.
Alongside ArtGeo is the Merenj Boodja Bush Food Garden – created by the Undalup Association, the region’s Aboriginal representative group. The garden creates an ideal path in reconciliation with the community, a place of remembrance for the Aboriginal people, acknowledging the past and moving into the future.
Phil Hollett Gallery features stunning landscape photographs from around the region, presented in his Fig Tree Lane studio. It’s great shopping in the centre of town; surrounded by indie bookshops, boutiques, cafes and kitchenwares. Also in Fig Tree Lane is Jenny Taylor Designs with a pop up studio. Jenny’s paintings and hand-painted glassware are perfectly south west in look and feel and make great travel mementos.
Wednesday night is Film Harvest night at Orana Cinema, featuring a different independent film each week. Book ahead – it’s popular.
Whicher Ridge is a well-kept secret; an award winning cellar door and wine sensory garden (the only one in Australia) about 20 minutes south of Busselton. The garden gives visitors both a wine education and wine and food pairing experience rolled into one. It is also a fascinating garden for garden lovers to visit as it planted out with heirloom vegetable sand a variety of herbs, flowering plants and fruit trees. Take a seated wine tasting or one of their guided garden tours and tastings, some of which include a lunch hamper full of Jersey Farm Olive Grove goodies.
Word is definitely getting out about Origins Market, and it’s easy to see why with this incredible collection of makers, producers, growers and artisans all under one roof. Tip: arrive hungry, you will want to taste everything!
Western Growers Fresh has fresh fruit and veggies as well as a fabulous selection of pre-prepared meals such as pies and salads, perfect for your self-catered holiday.
Another brilliant addition to the craft brewing scene is Rocky Ridge and their chilled-out cellar door near the foreshore. Margaret River Burger Co is often parked out the back, serving up awesome burgers and fries.
Cheeky Monkey HQ Taphouse is Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co’s lesser known cousin; it’s their production facility in Vasse’s light industrial area. Grab a pizza and taste the complete range of Cheeky Monkey specialty beers.
For a different kind of beer experience, while you’re in Vasse stop in at The Sophisticated Beast – a tiny micro brewery doing big things.
Burger Bones on the main strip in Busselton has a cult-like following – we’ve queued next to people who’ve made the journey from Perth especially for one of their burgers.
