3 July 2013 - Riverview Tourist Park, Margaret River, Western Australia

The sound of rain woke me this morning and I had visions of us packing up in the rain; something that neither of us enjoys very much. However by the time we had finished breakfast, the weather had broken, or so we thought, and we were not bothered by the rain again until we were well on our way.

We travelled south down the same road we had taken to visit Lauren last week, but carried on until we reached Busselton, fifty five kilometres south of Bunbury. 

Busselton is a substantial town with 18,000 inhabitants and was one of the earliest settlements in Western Australia. It was another of Baudin’s discoveries and he made sure he left his calling card by naming geographical features; the River Vasse which empties out into Geographe Bay to the east of Cape Naturaliste, Vasse being a favoured sailor and the Naturaliste another of his ships.

In 1832, after two years of settlement at Augusta, to the south, the Bussels, Molloys and other original settlors applied for grants along the Vasse River and so the settlement was born. The town is, of course, named after the Bussel family and was soon established as a leading port. By 1850 timber was being exported and work had started on the two kilometre wooden jetty, which would in time become the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere.

For the next century and more, dairying, beef cattle, sheep and other farming products were the source of the region’s wealth, and over the past twenty years, vineyards have started to take over the landscape.

We pulled into the Information Centre, or that which was formerly the Centre, to learn, after messing about levelling the caravan so that we could leave the fridge on while we walked about the town, that it had moved to the foreshore near the jetty.

We were not alone making the mistake, and would suggest that the council remove the I Site signs at the western edge of the town. So off we went to the correct location and found excellent parking near the old lighthouse in which the Centre is now located. Inside we were greeted by friendly staff who were most helpful and we left still without decisions but a little more informed.

A good brisk walk a day helps keep the doctor away, so we were keen to take in Busselton’s most popular tourist attraction. There was quite a crowd hanging about the shore end of the jetty and when we arrived, we discovered they were all waiting for the jetty train to take them out to the end of the jetty and the underwater observatory. Of course this is all at a cost, as is the simple passing through the gateway and walking the length on one’s own feet. 

The new Information Centre

Now, it is not the cost, because in all fairness $2.50 is but a token contribution toward the maintenance, but the fact that one should have to pay to walk upon a public facility. Next thing we will have to pay to take a walk along a river, or anywhere else. Such charges offend our sensibilities and so we chose to cut off our noses to spite our faces and not walk the jetty after all. But we did go into the interpretative centre where tickets for the jetty activities are sold, and found some excellent informative displays.

After the jetty closed to commercial shipping in 1972, the Government proposed its demolition to avoid future maintenance costs. The alternative was that the local community bear the cost. In 1987 the Busselton Jetty Preservation Committee was established and the local community and interested volunteers began work on restoration.

Then in 1999 fire broke out on the jetty and destroyed seventy metres of the timber deck, isolating the last 150 metres. Curiously it was reported that the fire was “difficult to manage” and you really wonder how hard it can be to put out a fire when there is an ocean full of water beneath. In 2009 the State Premier and his followers granted $24 million dollars to assist with the rebuild. How incredibly generous of them to hand out tax payers’ funds thus!

Busselton Jetty

I am sure if the walk of the jetty was free, people would be far more willing to splash out for the observatory and the train ride back, and all manner of other services in town to stimulate the town’s economy.

Instead we decided to walk back down the main street toward the old Information Centre and suss the town out. We decided Busselton was just lovely, bustling, friendly, a good place to visit and an excellent place for family holidays. We returned to the rig with newspaper and a bag of fresh crisp bread rolls and decided we could resist them no longer, so had lunch then and there before moving on.

The sun had shone while we checked out Busselton but gave way to dreary rain as we pulled out and headed west toward Dunsborough, a seaside town of about four thousand folk. I had imagined a tired seaside place, a satellite settlement, where people return year after year, or retired fishing enthusiasts settle. How wrong I was; it is a charming bright modern settlement rivalling any seaside town found down this western coast, and this all ascertained simply by driving about the main streets.

Dunsburough is the gateway to Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, thirteen kilometres to the west, which provides views of the Geographe Bay and whale watching in season. Given the dodgy weather, we were averse to heading on out, so instead headed south along Cave Road, choosing the road closer to the coast than the Bussel Highway which cuts through further inland.

The Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park covers 19,092 hectares in total but is strung out over one hundred and twenty kilometres of coastline stretching from Cape Naturalisite to Cape Leeuwin in the south, larger sections south of Margaret River, narrow sections to the north close to the sea and small patches further inland, acquired from vendors as the land has become available. 

The seaward road we took runs a distance of sixty four kilometres from Busselton to Margaret River whereas the alternative more direct route would have been only thirty six kilometres. We chose to take the longer route because of the fact the Cave Road appeared to run through sections of forest and National Park. We were not disappointed; this narrow but sealed two lane road runs up, down and over the undulating coastal hills and also passes through numerous pastoral holdings and even more vineyards, most adorned with grand entrances and even grander houses and cellar doors, most offering meals to accompany the bottles of wine you will feel obliged to purchase. There were Baby Farm Animal zoos, olive soap cottage industry, and venison for sale complimented by herds of beautiful deer out in the adjacent paddocks to give credence to the source of the meat.

Margaret River below our camp

We crossed the Margaret River before turning east toward the town of the same name. Here the river was but a disappointing rain swollen rushing creek, not at all the significant river which the fame of the entire region suggests.

Seven kilometres on, we arrived at this small town, home to about 4,500 people and centre of a massive tourist industry which attracts yuppies from afar in the same way the Barossa Valley does in South Australia.

Margaret River was relatively recently developed; a Government Scheme in the 1920s set about one hundred settlors up in the area, however the town, named after the river, which was named in 1831, first appeared on a regional map in 1839. European migrants did live in the area as early as the 1850, with timber logging commencing around 1870. No doubt we will learn more about the place tomorrow because, despite our dismissive comments earlier in the week, we have decided to base ourselves here for a few days.

Our camp, as always selected for price, is actually quite delightful. The property runs down to the river, which here is calmer and wider than seen earlier. Perhaps tomorrow we will find a weir further downstream. This afternoon after we had set up camp we wandered a little along the river between showers and discovered a footbridge across small rapids and a path leading away into the forest. Better weather may encourage us to explore this further.

In the meantime, we are happy to find that we have good television reception, so we will be able to continue watching Le Tour de France. I had wondered on waking this morning and learning of Australia’s triumph in the team time trials, whether everyone would be sickeningly patriotic all about. The reality was the reverse; even the newspaper was silent on the matter but the it would have been printed before the result. I am sure the pre-race chat tonight on SBS will make much of the success.