In October 2013 we went on short family holiday to Busselton with my youngest sister’s family.
Busselton is just over a 2 hour road trip from Perth.
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Our arriving into Busselton our first stop was to meet at Busselton Jetty.
Busselton Jetty is the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. It is also a great day trip for families young and old.
There are several ways to explore the jetty.
- There is a train that runs on the hour taking you to the end of the jetty.
- At the end of the jetty you can go down into the Underwater Observatory to discover the marine life attached to the jetty.
- You can visit the Interpretive Centre where you can not only purchase a souvenir but also enter the free cultural museum to learn about the jetty’s history
- Or you can walk the length of the jetty – like we did.
Exploring Busselton Jetty with Kids
It looks a bit of a daunting task when you stand on the foreshore and look out at the jetty.
But we forge ahead anyway and buy our $2.50ea tickets from the Interpretive Centre and begin the 1.8km walk with a child out to the end of jetty.
I see some people pushing prams, and think it would be a bit of a task not continually falling through the cracks of the wooden jetty. Or stepping out the side when the train came slowly chugging along.
As we walk along the jetty we read many plaques giving excerpts of history about the bridge. Including how it was originally used for commercial purposes with horse and carts taking produce out to the end of the jetty ready to load onto the ships, in later years as the bridge was continually extended a train was introduced.
Today however the jetty is just for tourism and recreational purposes. The are plenty of fisherman with lines cast along the jetty. They are catching an array of seafood including: crab, squid and fish.
It take us nearly half an hour before we reach the end of the jetty. Lewis feels quite proud he made it.
But now we have to walk back. What surprises me that whilst it is a sunny day it is still quite cold, yet there are still kids keen to jump of the jetty and into the cold netted swimming zones.
For us though we are quite happy to just let Lewis have a play in the playground on the lush green foreshore before making our way to our accommodation the Mandalay Resort and Holiday Park.
Would your family enjoy a day trip out onto the Busselton Jetty?
Tell me about it in the comments.
Linking Up With:
- Tanama Tales #TravelPhotoThursday
- My 2 Morrows #URH (Ultimate Rabbit Hole)
- Reflections Enroute #WkendTravelinspiration
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Amazed at how long this jetty is. We have tons of piers in California but not this long. This one even has a train!
I think the train just gives it that bit oomph to make it an interesting day trip.
I just looooove Busselton Jetty. That walk on a perfect day is just bliss!! Last time we walked the jetty and around town with the pram and 2 little ones and clocked up 17km!!! Legs went into shock that night. I must visit again, thanks for the reminder 🙂
Wow that’s a huge walk Jo especially for little ones.
That’s my old teenaged summer holiday stomping ground! I’ve walked out on that jetty many times!
I didn’t know you were once a West Aussie Fairlie. What made you move to Melbourne?
Oh yes, WA born and bred! But I moved to Melbourne straight after uni for a job…and, apart from one year when we moved back to Perth for 12 months, I’ve lived in Melbourne ever since.
Well Fairlie if you have to live somewhere other than Perth Melbourne is pretty good. I lived their for a few months in my early 20’s when I was travelling around Australia. Loved the restaurants, local bars got top name artists (lucky if they even come to Perth) and of course there is the shopping.
Jetty walks are pretty cool. I love walking along them just for the tranquility they often bring. We have not even been to WA so no visit to this jetty yet but we are headed to Sopot in Poland next year and they are known for one of the longest piers/jetties too. Thanks for linking up with #snapshotstory
I agree Holly the walk out even with a young child was quite therapeutic and relaxing especially after a 2 and half hour drive.
We went to Busselton before they did the jetty up (no train back then!) I really liked the vibe of the town, it was like stepping back into time (in a good way). I’d go back in a flash….
Things have changed a lot since then Lydia, the whole area has had a huge boom in housing however it still has that country town feel.
Bussleton looks fantastic must put it on my too do list one day when we get to the west.
(On an off topic your pop up to subscribe makes it really hard to comment when u are using a mobile device )
Thanks for letting me know Mark, I will take it off the mobiles setting.
By the way the whole South West is a great family friendly destination.
Hi Mark, just wanted to get back to you further on the email subscribe pop up. Unfortunately I can’t deactivate it for mobiles, but I had a look on my mobile. If the pop appears close it down with the X in the top right corner before typing, or close your keyboard down, close the pop up and continue typing.
I loved walking out on the Busselton Jetty. Such a pretty spot. Despite growing up in Perth I’ve only visited Busselton a few times and it was always fleeting.
For some reason Sam whatever is closest to us seems to get a little neglected and we seek to explore something further away with the allure of being more exotic.
There is something extra fun about walking a jetty, over the water, to the end and there you are. Sounds like fun!
Yes Corinne there is something extra fun about a walk on jetty. Before you head off you just feel ho hum about it. But there was so much to look at on the way, it was really fun.
I think we would love to come and spend a day on Busselton Jetty. My son would go wild for the train ride! It’s great they have designated swimming zones too, but it does look a little cold! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes
Yes it was cold when we visited, it was the end of winter. This is one of the great things about Busselton fun stuff to do in winter and summer. PS my son keeps asking to go back down to Busselton and take the train ride this time.
I’ve never been to the Pacific NorthWest but this looks fab! I have friends in Seattle who keep inviting us to visit (but warn us the weather is the same as London) so we keep opting for sunnier options. I’m thinking we have to do a PNW road trip soon.
Well Laura Busselton is in South Western Australia, so lots of warm sunny days (except mid winter). Another option for you to check out.
I’m such a dumbo! I saw Perth WA on the map and thought it was near a town called Perth in Washington State USA. What does the WA stand for?? Clearly I don’t know the geography of Australia or the Pacific Northwest.
WA stands for Western Australia (an Australian state) Shobha.