busselton
Boy it was bustling in Busselton! Long weekend feels were well and truly alive, so much so that we got captivated by all of the excitement, then we realized that every weekend is a long weekend for us at the moment!
That long weekend really did catch us out! It wasn't a public holiday that we celebrated back in New South Wales so when we went to book three weeks out, everything, literally everything was booked out! From Margaret River, Yallingup and Busselton, there was nothing available. We ended up staying at a Hipcamp in Vasse called Coastal Farm Stay and it happened to be the perfect stay as we explored the south-west region. It was a scenic 3.5hr drive from Denmark that took you through Mount Frankland National Park. We camped in the back paddock amongst the kangaroos, olive grove and goats. $30 per night and only a few minutes away from Vasse Village which had a phenomenal Farmer’s Market with the freshest produce and a wide selection of goodies. Busselton was only 10mins away and Yallingup, Cape Naturaliste and Margaret River were all only 30mins away! The best part was we had our own space and weren’t sardined like the caravan parks, and it was quiet with mad sunsets over the bush lands.
busselton
During our stay in Busselton, we caught the electric, solar-powered train along the jetty. The 1.7km took 45mins and included interesting commentary. We particularly loved the story of the community rallying together to save the jetty from being decommissioned after a storm, and then raised funds to restore the jetty themselves. It costs $4 an adult to walk the jetty, or $17 per adult and $11 per child to catch the train. All of the funds go towards maintaining the heritage listed jetty. The rest of our time was spent eating fish and chips, swimming at the beach and jumping off the jetty.
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cape naturaliste
Cape Naturaliste has some incredible views over Geographe Bay and the Indian Ocean. We listened to and read about some remarkable stories of what life was like as a lightkeeper and a lightkeeper’s wife. We also took our traditional lighthouse door photo. There are so many stunning beaches along this coastline too! We visited Bunker Bay, Eagle Bay and Meelup. They had those clear turquoise waters and white sandy beaches that we are becoming so familiar with and loving! The water temp was mint and so was the weather.
yullingup
We hit up all of the natural beauty Yallingup had to offer! Injidup Natural Spa was pumping! The swell was huge which created a strong waterfall of whitewash that spilled into the rockpool. It was intense and hilarious! The rock scrambling took some time to navigate particularly with the crowds, but it was oh so worth it! Canal Rocks was another awesome place to visit! The Noongar name for this place is Winjee Sam. There is a narrow bridge that walks you across the canal allowing you to take in the beauty of the water below. Our last stop for the day was The Aquarium. This required a ten minute walk from the carpark that led you to a sheltered swimming hole with crystal clear water. Perfect for snorkeling and rock jumping.
margaret river
We spent a day exploring the Margaret River region. We visited Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse which is the tallest lighthouse on the mainland of Australia. It is here where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet! The Heritage Pass costs $7.50 per adult and $3.50 per child for to explore grounds, but there is also the option to purchase the Guided Lighthouse Tour which costs $22 per adult and $10 per child and you do get to climb the lighthouse. We skipped past this one as we were lucky to have climbed the second oldest lighthouse in Australia that is still in use, Cape Bruny Lighthouse.
Our adventure continued, leading us to visit Mammoth Cave which is home to ancient fossil remains of long-extinct Australian Megafauna. The self-guided tour was a win as our warriors loved using the headsets and it gave us all 45mins of independent chill time! It cost $25 per adult and $12.50 per child. It involved some stairs but was quite open so didn’t feel claustrophobic. Our last stop was Surfers Point! There was no way our groms were missing seeing where the annual Margaret River Pro is held and where our local Sally Fitzgibbons competes. The breaks here were mesmerizing!
Our adventure continued, leading us to visit Mammoth Cave which is home to ancient fossil remains of long-extinct Australian Megafauna. The self-guided tour was a win as our warriors loved using the headsets and it gave us all 45mins of independent chill time! It cost $25 per adult and $12.50 per child. It involved some stairs but was quite open so didn’t feel claustrophobic. Our last stop was Surfers Point! There was no way our groms were missing seeing where the annual Margaret River Pro is held and where our local Sally Fitzgibbons competes. The breaks here were mesmerizing!
It was a quick stay of the southwest, but a place that we knew we could fly back to and explore more if we wanted to. We acknowledge the Wadandi people who are the traditional custodians of this Country. Interesting fact, most towns down on the south-west end in ‘up’ such as Meelup and Yallingup. The suffix originated in a dialect of Noongar, in which ‘-up’ means ‘place of'. The waters here were getting us all excited for our stay at Sandy Cape, and with the weather warming up, it was time to hit the road!
Peace + love,
Peace + love,