Beach Getaway at Busselton, Western Australia

When I spend too much time in the office or city, I always dream of leaving the paperwork behind and start planning for a beach getaway. I know I am very fair, and it looks like I am someone who doesn’t enjoy a beach holiday. But in actual fact, I love beach holidays – spending the afternoon away chilling at the beach with a book & beer (just that I can’t swim). Especially it’s summer now in Australia, having a seaside vacation is definitely a good idea.

Busselton is a regional city in the South West region of Western Australia. It is home to the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere, stretching almost 2 km out to sea. The beautiful white sandy beach is located along Geographe Bay, the drawcard of this relaxed town is its picturesque foreshore. Here, you can smell the breeze and soak up the sun, while having a meal and enjoying the uninterrupted views of the expansive coastline.

Upon arrival, we had lunch at The Goose Beach Bar + Kitchen, which is situated directly on the beachfront in Busselton Jetty. Having been around for the past 17 years, it offers an unparalleled views of Busselton Jetty. The menu is inspired by premium locally sourced produce, catering for breakfast, lunch, dinner, bar snacks and everything in-between. There is also an extensive list of local wines by the glass and a large selection of craft beers and ciders, or maybe a cheeky cocktail, will complete the Goose experience.

A great antipasto is WA Pickled Octopus ($13.50), beautifully marinated with white vinegar. Because I miss Asian food so much, I like Calamari with Udon Noodles ($27.50) mixed with Asian herbs and sweet ginger dressing. It’s a refreshing dish, good for the hot day.

Portions at Australia is really huge. Look at this plate of Crab Fettuccine Pasta with herb butter ($38.50), featuring fresh sharp bay shredded crab with tomato, lemon, capers. It packs both familiarity and dullness, would probably livened up with slices of chilli and sliced garlic. I like the Steak Sambo ($28.50) better, with swiss cheese, zucchini, pickle, fat hippo relish, chips, and of course, flavourful beef. The Goose is open 7 days a week.

The Goose
Address: Geographe Bay Road, Busselton (Next to the Jetty)
Contact: (08) 9754 7700
Website: www.thegoose.com.au
Opening Hours: Breakfast menu 7am-11am // All day menu 11.30am-9pm

After a good lunch, we jumped on board this red vintage train from the jetty to see the magnificent view of the Geographe Bay. It was about 45 minutes ride or so but the beautiful calm clear waters make the ride feels shorter.

At the end of the jetty (which is about 1.8km from the shore), we arrived at The Underwater Observatory. There is a spiral staircase that goes all the way down to 8 metres to the ocean floor. The section above the water is filled with massive piles, so as to support the weight of the railway.

As we walked down, we can see vibrant colours forming on the piles. Some creatures live closer to the surface while others are closer to the ocean floor. For instance, coral species can be found just below the surface. You need to look carefully to see the marina life, because they are well camouflaged, plus some of the species are quite small. Catherine actually spotted one octopus but I caught none except for corals and fish life. LOL!

Manage to grab some nice view on our way back. The wonderful seaside architecture and spectacular views of the sky across Geographe Bay gives a sense of calmness and serenity. Plus me, posing with the train!

We happened to catch the Busselton Jetty Swim 2015 on our day of visit. It’s an internationally recognized event attracting close to 2000 competitors for the jetty swim. There’s a full weekend of entertainment and activities. As you can see, it gets quite crowded and many locals came over to just spend a weekend here, enjoying the music while eating Simmo`s Ice Cream on a hot day like this.

If you are looking for an Australian beach life – enjoying a glass of cocktail over sunset, this is probably one of the best destination. It’s a pity that we are here during the day, because I heard Busselton has one of the best sunsets in Australia. Hope to be back here soon!

ADMISSION PRICES:

The Jetty
Jetty Adult Day Pass – $3.00 (+17 years)
Jetty Child Day Pass – Free (0-16 years)

The Jetty Train Ride
Adults – $12.00 (+15 years)
Child – $6.00 (3-14 years)
Infants – Free (must sit on adult’s lap)
The train departs the interpretive centre on the hour. Ticket include return trip and Jetty Day pass. Bookings recommended. Duration: approx. 45minutes

The Underwater Observatory
Family Pass – $85.00 (2 adults, 2 children)
Adult – $32.00 (+15 years)
Child – $15.00 (3-14 years)
Ticket includes return train ride, 40min guided tour of the Underwater Observatory and a Jetty Day Pass. Extra children $5 per child, max of 2. Departs: On the hour. Duration: Approx. 1 hour, 45 minutes

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Thank you Scoot Airlines, Tourism Western Australia, and Accor Hotels for making this trip possible.