On Wednesday we headed out to Busselton, which is about 20km away from Dunsborough.

It is famous for its Jetty which is the longest wooden structure in the Southern Hemisphere.

We had seen pictures of it in the tourist books and longed to go walking on it – the entire 4km’s there and back.

The day was bright and sunny, blue skies mainly and we were up and out by 9am.

Listening to Paul Simon’s Graceland album on the way and enjoying each others company, we arrived to see the spectacular sight!

The jetty was indeed beautiful. We paid our $2.50 entry fee for walking the length of the pier.

You can catch the little train that runs hourly up and down, but we wanted to take a leisurely stroll and soak up the atmosphere and see the people fishing.

We took a leisurely stroll along the full length, chatting to local fishermen on route.

They are allowed to take 24 crabs each for the day.

The men we met had caught 5 so far and they had nets and lines out in several locations along the Jetty.

The sunshine made the trip a delight.

We moved out of the way for the little train to pass by, waving at the friendly driver.

Here's an idea of how long it is.

This photo is looking back to land.

The photo below is facing the other way.

It's HUGE.

At the far end they are building an Underwater Observatory.

It is scheduled to open this Spring [2003]. You will be able to descend 11 metres to the seabed below into an amazing colourful submarine world of swirling fish and coral.

Viewing windows at various levels within a 9 metre diameter observation chamber will allow us to the touched by nature as we look out onto an underwater garden teeming with life.

SOUNDS GREAT EH!!

Busselton Jetty is highly recommended. A beautiful walk out onto the ocean, great sights and fresh air. Fun for the family!!

We had a great time.

THE HISTORY:
The history of the Busselton jetty can be traced back to the early days of the settlement when the American whalers came in their old square-rigged ships. In 1839, Governor Hutt appointed “the place in Geographe bay opposite the Settlement at the Vasse to be the legal place for loading and unloading of goods”, but it was some time before a jetty was constructed.
Further extensions were made over the years up until the 1960’s. Horse drawn trucks were used for loading until 1911 when the railway jetty came into being. The Jetty was then believed to be the longest in the Southern Hemisphere. Its present length is 1841m.

In 1972 the jetty was closed to shipping by the then Government and funding ceased. The jetty deteriorated. On April 4th 1978, Cyclone Alby, swept down from the coast and destroyed a large part of the Jetty. Subsequently townspeople banded together to try and save the Busselton Jetty and eventually persuaded the Government and Shire council to provide some much needed funds for repair. Community fundraising started in 1987.

The jetty gracefully stretches almost 2 kms northwards into Geographe Bay and is a mecca for snorkellers and scuba divers.