Heading South: Bunbury → Busselton

On Sunday 5th October we packed up the camper and officially hit the road, heading south from Perth to Bunbury (about 170km) and then onto Busselton — our first proper stop in the Margaret River region.

Here is a photo of our Indie Camper, definitely the best one we have had in terms of space and overall setup.

Before rolling into Busselton, it’s worth saying a quick word about the Margaret River region itself — because it’s much more than a dot on the map. It stretches roughly from Cape Naturaliste in the north to Cape Leeuwin in the south, with the town of Margaret River tucked in between. The area is famous for its world-class wineries, craft breweries, farm-to-table food, surf breaks that attract pros from around the globe, towering karri forests, limestone caves and a coastline dotted with pristine beaches and dramatic headlands.

Bunbury Bound — and a Famous Farmers Market

First priority: supplies. With the van empty and four hungry humans, we stopped at the Bunbury Farmers Market — which, we’ve since learned, is basically a rite of passage for anyone heading south.

Despite the name, it’s less rustic market, more… Ikea of groceries. One way system, endless local produce, and absolutely no turning back if you forget your Jerusalem artichokes at the start. Quite the experience, but a delicious one. Stocked up and slightly bewildered, we continued on.

Playgrounds, Dolphins & A Quick Climb

Next mission: let the kids loose. Bunbury’s foreshore playground delivered (Australia really does playgrounds well). Bunbury is also home to the Dolphin Discovery Centre, where you can spot or swim with resident dolphins — one for next time.

We did a quick walk up to Marlston Hill Lookout for coastal views, then hit the road again. Bunbury deserved more time, but Busselton — and the start of wine country — was calling.

Busselton: Jetty, Playgrounds & Lazy Days

We arrived in Busselton in time for another run-around at the foreshore playground beside the town’s iconic jetty. At 1.84km long, Busselton Jetty is the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere and home to an underwater observatory. (We’d visit later in the week — worth the wait.)

Ella still declares the pirate-ship-themed playground here her favourite. To be fair, it could entertain kids for hours… and did, repeatedly.

We checked into Lazy Days Caravan Park — simple, friendly, perfect for what we needed.

Buses, Trains & Jetty Plans

Monday morning we decided to leave the campervan at base and take the bus in (packing cupboards every time you move quickly gets old). Public transport here, like in Perth, seems to be used mainly by visitors — everyone else just drives.

School holidays made things busier than expected, and that theme continued: the jetty’s Underwater Observatory was fully booked until Wednesday. Options were:

• Walk the jetty ($5 adult pass)
• Walk + self-guided observatory tour
• Train + self-guided tour
• Train + guided tour

Walking 1.84km each way with kids was… not happening. The guided tours were booked up until Wednesday, mostly I guess due to the school holidays. So, in true flexible-road-trip style, we booked an extra night in Bussleton.

Fishing Drama & One Very Surprised Bird

To fill the afternoon, we tried a little fishing near the jetty. A few small bream, lots of excitement — and then wildlife chaos. As Jacob reeled in a fish, a Little Black Cormorant launched an ambush, tried to steal it, missed, and got tangled in the line. What followed was a blur of wings, sharp beaks and one Dad trying his best to look brave while untangling a very unimpressed bird.

Thankfully we freed him, he sat glaring at us for a bit, then flew off — dignity (mostly) intact. We took that as our sign to call it a day.

Bus Fail → Uber Win

End-of-day transport lesson: always read the tiny asterisks. After waiting almost an hour, we discovered several bus times didn’t run in school holidays. Busselton does have Uber though, so we joined the rest of Australia and abandoned public transport forever.

Next stop: Dunsborough — beaches, lighthouses, and (fingers crossed!) whales.