Busselton Jetty

Busselton Jetty was begun in 1865 to serve the timber trade and extended repeatedly as the bay silted, reaching 1,841 metres, the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere. Shipping ended in 1972, a cyclone and a fire damaged it badly, and a long community campaign funded its restoration. Visitors walk the length or ride a small train along it. At the end, an underwater observatory descends eight metres to windows looking onto the pylons, which have been colonised by soft corals, sponges and fish in an unusual temperate coral community, described as one of the largest artificial reefs in the world. The bay itself is shallow, calm and safe for swimming.

What you actually see

• The jetty walk - 1.8 kilometres of timber decking over Geographe Bay.
• The underwater observatory - windows eight metres down onto the coral-covered pylons.
• The jetty train - the small train running to the end and back.
• The calm bay - shallow, sheltered water along the foreshore.

When to go

November to April for warm weather and swimming; the observatory operates year-round on timed tours that book out in holidays. The jetty is exposed, and wind or rain makes the walk unpleasant. Sunrise over the bay is a local ritual.

Honest expectations

Walking the jetty is charged, as are the train and observatory separately, and the full experience is not cheap. The observatory is a small chamber with timed entry and limited numbers. The walk is 3.6 kilometres return with no shade.

Nearby

Dunsborough and Cape Naturaliste lie west; Margaret River is southwest.