Busselton, Western Australia. Voted WA's top tourism town in 1995 and 1996 and has sinced emerged as the premier sea-side resort town and is the gateway to the Margaret River Wine Region.
Sheltered from the strong prevailing winds of Cape Naturaliste, it boasts over 30km of white, sandy beaches.
Busselton is situated on the west coast of Australia's South West tourist region. Busselton faces north-west to the Indian Ocean and is on the shores of Geographe Bay where the ocean is very calm and sheltered. The Vasse River flows through Busselton to the ocean.
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Busselton Jetty and Underwater Observatory
Explore the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere! From 1865 it took over 95 years to build and stretches 2km into the ocean. It also has an Underwater Observatory which dives to the ocean floor allowing the colourful corals and fish to be seen without getting wet.
Geographe Bay
The tranquil waters of Geographe Bay, a noticable feature on the Western Australian coastline is an attraction within itself. The beautiful beaches which stretch endlessly in each direction are remarkable. Great for water skiers, windsurfers and especially snorkelling and diving.
Vasse River
Named after a French sailor, the river is a delightful mecca for birdlife and fish. The grassy banks provide a great walking trail and many parks lie adjacent to the river including Rotary Park, an excellent picnic area serviced with electric barbeques and children's playground.
Nautical Lady Entertainment Park
Being a holiday town, there is no shortage of year-round entertainment for the whole family including the Yoganup Playground on the town foreshore for children and the Nautical Lady Entertainment Park, with it's huge waterslide, go-carts, mini golf, archery and mini railway.
Again, typical for the area, Busselton has a mediterranean climate with warm to hot Summers and cool winters. Rainfall comes during winter from the cold-fronts which cross the South-West. For much of the year, clear, blue skies prevail, ideally suited to this resort town. In Summer (December to February), the average maximum temperature is 30°C with an average minimum temperature of 16°C. In Winter (June to August), the average maximum temperature is 17°C with an average minimum temperature of 8°C.
A French expedition by Nicholas Baudin in 1801, with his ships Geographe and Naturaliste saw the naming of Geographe Bay and Cape Naturaliste. He also named the Vasse River after one of his missing sailors. Founded in 1832 as "Vasse" by settlers from Busselton, namely the "Bussel Family", the area was depicted as "a kind of paradise".
The settlement grew as a result of the port facilities available in Geographe Bay and the fact that produce from the area, particularly horses, was being exported to India. By 1835 people were starting to call settlement Busselton, after John Garrett Bussell who was the first European settler in the area and in the same year the official name was adopted.
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