13 Fun Things to Do in Busselton, WA Besides Wineries

Busselton is most famous for being the gateway to the Margaret River region, a luscious area where wine, craft beer, gourmet food, beaches and surfing are part of daily life.



But you should not use Busselton as a pit stop, there are so many things to do in this town that you will find it an enjoyable destination in its own right.



From nature sites to museums and outdoor adventures, don’t miss these fun things to do in Busselton for an enjoyable vacation!



Things to Do in Busselton, WA



1. Take the Jetty Train on the Busselton Jetty (or walk)







Besides being a major “Down South” town, the Busselton jetty is a famous landmark that attracts people from all over. It extends 1,841 metres out to sea, but what makes it unique is its one of the few jettys in the world with a passenger train on them.



The timber piled pier is the longest one in the Southern Hemisphere and the second longest-timber-piled jetty in the world.



The iconic wharf draws a crowd all year round, and undeniable one of the coolest things to do in Busselton, WA is hop aboard the old-fashioned steam-engine replica for an easy-breezy trip to the (almost) end of the long jetty.



At the start of the jetty is a Visitors Center, where you can learn about the attractions on the pier, before you disembark the train at the Underwater Observatory, where you can view an artificial reef 8 meters under the sea without getting wet.



If you want to up the adventure, do the Busselton Jetty Undersea Walk, where you strap on an oxygen helmet and walk along the Indian ocean floor. If you’re into scuba diving, there are snorkeling and dive tours for all skill levels , where you can get up close to the marine life and corals below the jetty.



Or, you can walk the High Ropes Course.



Remember to walk the short distance to the very end and take a picture of yourself “out to sea” on your Busselton vacay.



2. Skydive over Busselton Jetty







What better way to get good visuals of the entire jetty than from 14,000 feet above it.



Skydive Geronimo is the only skydiving company offering tandem jumps over the Busselton Jetty and believe me, it’s a holiday activity you’re not going to forget in a hurry.



Besides getting a spectacular view of the jetty sitting in Geographe Bay, you’ll also get a natural rush of adrenaline and a shot of bravado as you free-fall toward earth.



3. Fun at the Busselton Foreshore







During the summer months, the Busselton foreshore goes off (in a good way). It’s a hive of activity for families and beach bums.



The beach itself is enough of a drawcard, but from mid-December until school goes back, Aquatastic , an inflatable water park is set up daily to offer hours of laughing fits and giggles.



There’s also SUP boards, see-through kayaks and pedal boats for hire.



There are a couple of decent restaurants, a giant skatepark, youth centre, playgrounds, picnic area, life-saving club and of course, the Busselton Jetty all within a short distance of each other to keep everyone entertained.



4. Capture a Sunset







Western Australia is blessed with incredible, ga-ga-worthy sunsets and Busselton attracts many photographers trying to capture an Instagrammable one.



After a day of fun in the sun is there anything better than a cold beer or a glass of Margaret River wine while overlooking a glowing horizon?



Red sky at night, sailors delight.



5. Step Back In Time at the Busselton Museum



The Busselton Museum is one of the few museums in the town, but it’s quite a quirky and interesting place!



Housed in the one hectare Old Butter Factory Precinct, the museum tells the story of Busselton’s agricultural, forestry and maritime history.



The Museum began in 1975 and is now run entirely by volunteers.



It has a lot of exhibits to see, but it’s also in a picturesque spot next to the Vasse River, which makes for the ideal picnic spot.



6. Cast a Line







Fishing in Busselton is a favourite pastime of the locals and you’re guaranteed to see fishermen casting their lines over the jetty at any given time of day.



You don’t have to be a sea dog to enjoy the meditative practice of tossing a fishing hook in the water and reeling it in over and over.



Kids love catch and release fishing and you know what they say, “Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you’ll feed him for a lifetime.”



There are several tackle shops in Busselton and the jetty’s Interpretative Centre also sells gear and bait.



7. Catch an Event in Busselton



Busselton is the event capital of WA, which means its event calendar is pretty full and full-on.



Each February is the Sunsmart Busselton Jetty Swim , an event that packs the foreshore full of real keen-bean solo swimmers and teams.



The challenge is to complete a 3.6-kilometre ocean swim around the 1,841-metre-long jetty. Hundreds compete each year and there’s even a kids’ 222-metre swim around the square swimming jetty.



Some other noteworthy festivals and events to take part in on your Busselton holiday are:




January: Taj’s Small Fries Surfing Comp (Yallingup)



February: Busselton Fringe Festival



March: South West Craft Beer Festival



July: Cabin Fever (Margaret River)



August: Cinefest Oz



November: Margaret River Gourmet Escape (Margaret River)



December: Ironman Triathlon Western Australia




8. Sip Craft Beers at a Brewery



The craft beer scene is huge in the Margaret River region, and there are 20 breweries in the entire area. So no trip to Busselton will be complete without checking out a brewery or two.



Rocky Ridge Brewing is the first Certified Sustainable Brewery in Australia, and is on track to have Net Zero emissions in the brewing process by 2025.



They have their own farm where they grow their crop and use that to brew their beer.



Shelter Brewing Co is another cool place. They are a brewery and restaurant with rotating beers on tap, so you’ll be able to try something new every time you visit. You can also take tours of their brewery if you’re interested in the brewing proess.



9. Get Artsy at Artgeo Gallery



Located in the Old Courthouse and Police Complex, is the Artgeo Cultural Complex , a creative hub known for putting on visual and performing arts.



Inside the complex is ArtGeo Gallery, which is a former bank turned into a modern art gallery housing exhibitions of regional and country-wide artwork.



Visitors can enjoy wandering one of the few art galleries solely devoted to regional and State artists.



10. Go on a Whale Watching Tour







The whale watching season in Busselton is from September until November, so if you happen to be visiting this time of year, be sure to hop onto a guided tour to see these majestic creatures in their natural home.



It’s possible to see both Humpback and Southern Right Whales, who frequent the area around Geographe Bay, which is a known calving ground between Busselton and nearby Dunsborough.



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Check out this whale watching tour from Busselton here!





11. Admire Views from Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse



Credit: Tourism WA



If you don’t want to get out on a boat to see whales, head to the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse where there is a whale viewing platform just a short stroll along the walking trails from the building.



The Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse is well worth a visit for the incredible views it offers. Climb up 59 steps to see breathtaking ocean views from 360 degrees.



12. Go Bird Watching at Vasse Wonnerup Wetlands



If you’re a bird watcher, you might want to make your way to Vasse Wonnerup Wetlands, one of 12 estuaries in the region known for its 75 species of native, nomadic and migrating birds.



It’s also home to one of the largest ibis breeding colonies in Western Australia, and has one of the world’s last great tuart forest where you’ll find parrots, bandicoots, and kangaroos. Some rarer species you might find are kites, eagles and osprey.



Bird watchers will find a bird hide on the southern side of the estuary by Layman Road.



In the spring, it’s possible to see ducklings emerging on the waters, and in the summer, more than 30,000 migratory birds arrive.



13. Admire the Tuart Forest National Park



Nature lovers will enjoy the peaceful forest of Tuart Forest National Park, the largest remaining pure forest of Tuart trees in the world.



It’s known for having the tallest and largest Tuart trees on the Swan Coastal Plain, some reaching over 33 meters high. These trees are unique to the region 200km either side of Perth, and won’t be found anywhere else in the world.



It’s also home to Western Australia’s largest remaining wild colony of endangered western ringtail possums, which are best seen at night. Bring your torch and hit the hiking trails, and see what you can find!



Best Time to Visit Busselton







The South West’s Mediterranean-like climate has four seasons, each with its own offerings, so there’s never really a best time to visit Busselton as every season has something worth visiting for.



Busselton weather can be hit and miss from May to August, but if you love donning a woolly jumper and snuggling down in front of a warm fireplace with a red wine, winter is for you.



Expect brisk mornings and evenings and warm days, when it’s not raining.



Spring is for wild flowers and whale watching with mild temperatures.



If temperatures of 25-32 degrees celsius is your idea of holiday heaven, visit Busselton from December to March when you’ll be spoiled with bright, sunlit days and cooler evenings.



Final Thoughts



The beauty of Busselton makes any holiday a magical one. Add in the the many choices of things to do, places to see, wine and craft beer to drink, and the overflowing amount of fresh, gourmet food to eat in the entire Margaret River region, and you’ve struck gold!



As the gateway to this wine-famous countryside, Busselton is a top choice for your holiday hub, and I hope this guide gives you some inspiration for things to do and convinces you not to simply pass through.



You may also like these ideas on things to do in Bunbury and things to do in Margaret River.



Tours of Busselton