busselton jetty

i haven't actually been to busselton since i was in high school. when i was in year 9 or 10 and staying with my cousins in bunbury in the summer, they had a bus service, called the runaway bus that went to busselton and back for the day, twice a week. i went with my cousin and her friends and had the best time wandering around, looking at the shops and just hanging out. that was actually the last time i was here!

but being here with the kids was so much fun! we booked tickets on the jetty train and to the underwater observation centre at the end. because it's really interesting, here's some information about the jetty from busseltonjetty.com.au

"Just two and a half hours drive south of Perth, the Busselton Jetty is situated at the northern gateway to the Margaret River Wine Region, in the seaside resort town of Busselton.

Extending 1.8 kilometres over the protected waters of Geographe Bay, the heritage listed Busselton Jetty is the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere.  As one of the most popular tourist attractions in Western Australia, it is a must see for any visitor to the Capes Region.

Construction of the Busselton Jetty began in 1865. Beginning as a mere 161 metres, sand drift resulted in an additional 131 metres being added in 1875.  Further extensions were made throughout the following 90 years creating the remarkable 1.8 kilometre length.

After more than a century of use and servicing over 5000 vessels, the Busselton Jetty officially closed as a Port in 1973. Once closed to shipping, government maintenance ceased.

Following the decline of government funding and the crippling effects of Cyclone Alby in 1978, a community group was formed to raise funds for much needed restoration and maintenance. Between 1987 and 2003, the community organisation now known as the Busselton Jetty Environment and Conservation Association (BJECA) raised sufficient funds to replace 50% of the Jetty structure, establish the train service and construct the iconic Underwater Observatory and Interpretive Centre.

In 2011 a $27 million refurbishment of the jetty structure was completed. $24 million was contributed by the Western Australian State Government with the balance contributed by the Shire of Busselton and BJECA.

The Busselton Jetty stands as a monument to the spirit and dedication of the Busselton community."

joseph and grandad getting ready for our train ride.

it actually takes a long time to get out to the observatory but the ride is so nice, with the ocean air and a speaker in the carriage telling us information about the jetty and its history. we just sat back and enjoyed the ride.

alex especially. although he has more energy that 14 people combined, he loved sitting with us as we cruised along in the train. his little face all lit up.

i mean seriously. how amazing is that view!

as you can see from the photos, alex climbed from person to person as we went along haha.

the underwater observatory was incredible.

built at the end of the jetty, it is a cylinder built into the ocean, then emptied out, to allow public access and education - providing an incredible 360 degree view of the ocean life there.

"Explore one of only six underwater observatories in the world at the Busselton Jetty.

Your Underwater Observatory tour starts with a relaxing train ride on the Stocker Preston Express along the length of the Jetty with 360-degree views across Geographe Bay. One of our friendly tour guides will greet you at the end of the Jetty to guide you through the Underwater Observatory. As you descend 8 metres below the oceans surface you will be lead through the natural wonders that lie beneath the Jetty where it’s piles create Australia’s greatest artificial reef host to an inspiring forest of vividly-coloured tropical and sub-tropical corals, sponges, fish and invertebrates. 

Discover more than 300 individual marine species in their natural habitat through eleven viewing windows at various levels within the 9.5 metres diameter observation chamber.

Each year during autumn and winter, the Leeuwin Current brings a narrow band of warm water down the Western Australian coastline. This warm southerly current is responsible for introducing an incredibly diverse array of tropical and sub-tropical species into Geographe Bay, resulting in coral growth at a latitude of 33 degrees south. This is a remarkable phenomenon when compared to the western coastlines of other southern hemisphere continents such as Africa and South America which have no coral growth below 5 degrees south."

look at the incredible views from the windows at the lowest level. the ocean floor is brimming with life and is incredible to watch.

this kid was obsessed. he stood at the huge windows just watching as the time went buy, loving on all the ocean life.

and even letting his little brother look on too

i love this pic. it's honestly like something from a painting or a movie still, just so calm and beautiful.

maddie loves anything to do with the water. she was in heaven and loved every second of this part of our day. i feel certain she would have stayed until close if we could have.

as the sun began to set, we made our way back. what a view. not a day goes by that i don't feel so blessed to live in western australia. we have so many beautiful places here to explore.

oceans, beaches, caves, coast, gorges. our state truly has it all. what a blessing to it is to be here. we could spend our whole lives exploring and i am certain we would still never see it all.

little mate watching the ocean as we made our way back

and a photo with my love. i hope this weekend away is doing him some good.

the kids had a little play on the shipwreck playground (so cool! i love the way it's even lying on it's side!)

while i walked a little way along and took some snaps of the jetty buildings. the sunsets here are just stunning. it's all so beautiful - i never want to leave. ❤