Busselton, Western Australia

The Tuart forrest at Busselton is one of the rarest ecosystems left on earth. It is known as the Ludlow Tall Tuart Forest: what makes this ecosystem particularly special is that tuart trees grow taller then anywhere else in the state.

The Ludlow Tuart Forest is the only remaining Tall Tuart Forest in the world and is therefore one of the rarest ecosystems left on earth.

The area is habitat for a number of rare and endangered and vulnerable species including the endangered Carnaby's Black Cockatoo, the Chuditch, Brush-tailed Phascogale, Western Ring-tailed Possum, Brush Wallaby and contains 1739 Tuart trees and their associated eco-systems.

You can actually travel through the Tuart Forrest to get to Busselton if you take the Tuart Forrest Tuart Drive about 15km before you reach Busselton.

This is a rare opportunity that is available right on our doorstep.

SOUTHBOUND
Date: Saturday January 1st to Monday January 3rd
Venue: Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton
Contact Details:

www.southboundfestival.com.au

Southbound will be held in Busselton from the 1st to the 3rd of January.

TICKETS ON SALE FROM 9th SEPTEMBER

The 7th Annual Southbound will be starting off 2011 with a bang - what better way to celebrate the start of a new year than three days of music, beach, camping, fun and frivolity?

For a list of Artisist, http://www.southboundfestival.com.au/artists. Follow on Facebook and Twitter to keep your finger on the Southbound pulse.

FESTIVAL OF BUSSELTON
Date: January
Venue: Various venues around Busselton

Throughout the month of January, The Festival Of Busselton Committee will conduct a number of exciting activities - sure to please every age group and every interest!
Other community organisations will hold activities throughout January,as well.

2011 will be the 47th Festival of Busselton. For detailed, schedule information click here.

* Southbound Music Festival - Saturday 1st to Monday 3rd
* Trots - Friday 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th
* Vasse Markets - Saturday 1st, 15th,
* Rotary Club of Busselton Geographe Bay - Quiz Night - Saturday 8th
* Rotary Club of Busselton Geographe Bay Railway Markets (Causeway Road) - Sunday 9th, 23rd
* Birdlife on the Vasse Wonnerup Estuaries and 2km walk through the Tuart Forest - Sunday 9th, 30th
* Busselton Senior Citizens Centre Art Exhibition - 10th to 16th
* Sideshows and rides on Busselton Foreshore - 11th and onwards, daily till 10pm
* Battle of the Young Bands - Heats Wednesday 12th and 13th
* Festival of Busselton "Young Ambassador Entrant" - Welcome function at the Busselton Tennis Club - Friday 14th
* South West Fun Fair - Friday 14th to Sunday 22nd at Signal Park
* Festival Log Chop, Vasse - Saturday 15th
* Festival Float Parade - Saturday 15th in CBD
* Opening of Festival - Saturday 15th at Signal Park
* Lions Market Day (Mitchell Park) - Saturday 15th
* Tiny Tots Competition - Saturday 15th
* Tribal Mix workshops,performances and fireworks - Saturday 15th
* Boules competition - Children's Event - Sunday 16th
* Battle of the Young Bands and other bands - Finalists Sunday 16th
* Sandcastle Building Competition - Sunday 16th
* Deckchair Theatre - Monday 17th , Tuesday 18th, Thursday 20th (gold coin donation)
* Children's Chalk Art Competition- Tuesday 18th
* Boules competition (open doubles) - Tuesday 18th
* Petticoat Lane - Wednesday 19th
* Boules competition (open singles) - Thursday 19th
* Powder Puff Derby - Friday 21st at Churchill Park Trotting Track
* Art in the Park - Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd
* Veteran Car Club Rally - Saturday 22nd
* Songwriting workshop with Keith Potger - 23rd
* Children's Treasure Hunt - Saturday 22ndLog Chop - 23rd
* Fire Fighting aerial water bombing display by Department of Environment and Conservation - Saturday 22nd
* Boules competition for children - 23rd
* Closing event and crowning of Festival Queen - 22nd
* Burning of the Festival Spirit - Saturday 22nd
* Fireworks display - Saturday 22nd
* Skate Boarding Competition - Sunday 23rd
* Australia Day Weekend Yachting Regatta - Saturday 22nd to Tuesday 25th
* Australia Day Breakfast - Rotary Club of Busselton Geographe Bay - 26th

If you miss this lot you will be kicking yourself!!!

Jetty Fiesta
5th Feb - Kate Cebrano in FREE concert!!!
Official reopening of Jetty!!!
Yes there will be literal fireworks!!!!

HALF MARATHON FUN RUN & WALK
Date: Saturday 5th February
Venue: Signal Park, Busselton
Contact Details:
t: 0400 181 567
w: www.busseltonhalf.com.au

The Athlete's Foot-Saucony Busselton Half Marathon and Walk is a fundraising event conducted for a selected local charity.
It will be held on the Saturday 5th February, the weekend of the Busselton Jetty Swim.
Enjoy a 21km run, 10km run, 5km run or 5km walk on a flat course along the shores of Geographe Bay.

SUNSMART MASTERS KIDS TRIATHLON
When: Friday 30th April 2010
Time: 4pm - 5pm
Where: Barnard Park, Busselton Foreshore
What: Hosted by Busselton Tri Club the SunSmart Masters Regional kids' triathlon is a great opportunity for children aged 7 - 15 years to participate on part of the course that many of their parents and fellow Half Ironman Triathlete will compete on, on 1st May. This is a great event and it's all about participation. Our Half Ironman Pro Athletes and family will welcome all participants across the finish line. For more information click here.
Entry Cost: TA/TWA members: $10, non members $16.

SKINS SUPERSPRINT FUNRUN
When: Friday 30th April 2010
Time: 5:30pm
Where: Barnard Park, Busselton Foreshore
What: Family and friends, join the Half Ironman competitors including Skins athletes Lajos Vargas and Brad Hosking in warming up their legs in a 1mile sprint on the beautiful Busselton foreshore with a sprint finish up the finish chute
Entry Cost: Entry on the day at the Skins Marquee for $5: full entry fee will be donated as part of fundraiser to the Tour of Duty Fundraising PMH Foundation Children's Burns Unit.
Regsitration: Skins Marquee, 30th April from 10am.

BUSSELTON JETTY SWIM
Date: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th February
Venue: Geographe Bay - Busselton Beach - near Jetty
Contact Details:
www.busseltonjettyswim.org.au

The Busselton Jetty Swim is the premier ocean swim around the iconic Busselton Jetty, in the south west of Western Australia. Since 1996, the Busselton Jetty Swim has grown from a local event to an internationally recognized event attracting in excess of 1000 competitors.

The Be Active Busselton Jetty Swim 2011 event will take place over 2 days with entertainment, activities and family-friendly fun, with the swim taking place on the morning of Sunday 6th February 2011.

The course is a swim of 3.6 km around the Busselton Jetty. Singles and teams of two and three are welcome. Be a part of the atmosphere and enter the best jetty swim in the world.

WA BEACH VOLLEYBALL STATE SERIES TOURNAMENT
Date: Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th February
Venue: Busselton Foreshore
Contact Details:
www.volleyballwa.com.au/

Busselton will again host the final round of the State Series Beach Volleyball Tournament, a platform for state players to compete with others at their ranking level and to qualify for the Australian Volleyball Series.

BUSSELTON ROTARY CLUB RAILWAY MARKETS

Date: 2nd & 4th Sundays of each month
Venue: Railway Building Park, Causeway Road
Contact Details:
For further information please call - Malcom Howes - 97543731 or 0409543731

Time: 7am to Noon

Ironman Busselton, Western Australia
Sunday, December 4, 2011
3.8 km swim / 180 km bike / 42.2 km run

Busselton is only 40m mins further south than Bunbury, which was the Top Tourist Town for 2009 and on your way to Margaret River which was a finalist. in both 2009 & 2010. This whole region is recognised for its beauty, tourism, friendliness and standing out from the crowd.
Bunbury is famed for the dolphins at Koombana Bay, its natural beauty and cosmopolitan downtown area but it still maintains its regional and historic character.

"With the opening of the new Forrest Highway it is 30 minutes closer to Perth, making it even more desirable as a destination."

Busselton itself has won top tourist town 3 times in recent years and Dusborough won in 2007.

GEOGRAPHE BAY HAS WA'S BEST BEACHES!

Busselton, Dunsborough and Margaret River have the best beaches in Western Australia according to a recent survey conducted with visitors to WA.

The Local Guru Travel Survey released by ZUJI.com.au recorded the favourite holiday experiences of 8000 travellers.

Respondents were asked to name their Top 10 experiences for their home state, with West Australians overwhelmingly selecting South West beaches as their favourite place to spend a day.

There is a lot to do in and around Busselton. In this section I will list some of these and also add links on where you can find out more. (In no particular order)

First, let's go grab a coffee and begin planning what to do. A great place for coffee that is frequented by the locals is the Olde Chapel Cafe, this is located at Coles end of Prince Street, in the Boulevarde Shopping Arcade. It is an old church that is now a Cafe, they also have great artworks on display which are available for purchase....your first souvenier of your trip!!! Not far from there down Fig Tree Lane is a fantastic bookstore called Barefoot Books, yes we have the other bookstores in town, but this one has character and friendly service. Now to work out an itinary......

New to Busselton SKYDIVING .... Southern Skydivers 1300449669 ...new equipment, new aircraft, instructor with over 13 500 jumps. Lessons & tandem jumps at Busselton Airport.

1. Wildflowers

People flock to the areas surrounding Busselton to view the wildflowers, which include golden feather flowers, the vivid reds and pinks of boronia , orchids, striking, felty kangaroo paws in different colours, and many more. Usually the season is from Sept-Dec, depending on weather conditions.

2. Busselton Jetty

It is one the top 10 dive jetties in the world. Dive classes as well as dive trips are organized through The Dive Shed at www.diveshed.com.au/ as well as other operators in the area.

It is is a wooden structure that extends 2km out into Geographe Bay. It is heritage listed and at the moment is undergoing renovations as it was badly damaged in Cyclone Alby. The first 200m of the jetty is still open so everyone can enjoy the wonderful pastimes of fishing and swimming from the jetty. Restoration completed and opening ceromony "The Jetty Fiesta" featuring Kate Cebrano & fireworks 5th Feb 2011

3. Lighthouses

There is the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and The Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse which is situated on the most Southern Westerly tip of Australia, where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet.

4.Fishing

Catch whiting, skipjack and herring off the beach. Blue manna crabs and squid can be caught in abundance during season. or fish by boat to reach the deeper waters and reel in fish such as dhufish, small sharks, crayfish, salmon, and other reef-dwelling fish.

The Blue Water Classic fishing competition runs during March and April and brings many international anglers to our shores.

5. Just laze in the sun or walk on the beach.

Geographe Bay is a very calm lagoon style area that makes up the direct coastline in Busselton, its shallows are great for small children and the clear shallows are perfect for snorklers. White beaches, calm waters and plenty of sunshine make it the perfect summer playground.

6. Busselton Jetty Underwater Observatory (Closed for Jetty Refurbishment)

The Underwater Observatory is like a giant reverse fish bowl, with people on the inside, looking out at the fish and sea creatures in an underwater wonderland. Once the jetty refurbishment is complete a train will run the length of the jetty to take you to and from the Observatory. It will reopen when the jetty reopens (Feb 2011) It has been described as a "dry dive". Going underwater without getting wet!

7. Activities for the kids

Busselton is a great place for a family holiday, there is animal farms, archery parks and ice creameries. Right next to the Busselton Jetty is the child's fantasyland at the Nautical Lady Entertainment World. Featuring water slides, racing cars, a skate park, flying fox, mini golf, trampolines, a fantasy castle, a haunted hollow, and soft-play area for the tiny tots, it's fun for children of all ages.
There is mini-golf at Simmos, a flora and fauna park at Quindilup and the Bird park at Mettricup.

8. Dinning Out

After all this activity you will be looking for a break, there are many great coffee shops in and around Busselton and more in Dunsborough as well as many great restaurants. In Busselton there is the Equinox and The Goose right down at the waters edge or a great priced meal for the whole family at the Esplanade Hotel. Other hotels include the Vasse, Albies and The Pines. There are also many restaurants dotted around the countryside in the many wineries that call this area home.

9. Chocolate!!!

Who doesn't love chocolate, make a day trip to Margaret River and stop at the Margaret River Chocolate Factory and Providore right next door for all you jams, sauces and preserves. As well as many other places to stop, the Nut Factory, the Cereal Factory, The Olive Oil Soap Factory.

10. Movies

Visit the last Drive-In still operating in WA (link below) 50 yrs old this year!! Bring back an era nearly gone, reminisce or show the kids what it was like.
Or there is also a cinema complex right in the heart of town.

11. Too many to list.....

As you can see there is just to many things to do in Busso to list them all so heres a list of a few more: swimming, boating, canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, jet skiing, snorkling, scuba diving, whale watching, kite surfing, golfing, camping, caving, bush walking, caving, horse riding, The Mythic Mazes, Whale watching.Experiences/Activities

* Beach:
* Caravan and Camping:
* Farm Stay:
* Fishing:
* Flora/Fauna:
* Food and Wine:
* Historic/Heritage:
* Indulgence/Luxury:
* Industry/Mining/Agriculture:
* Marine:
* Sport:
* Birdwatching:
* Bushwalking:
* Caravan and Camping:
* Cycling:
* Farm/Station:
* Fishing - Beach:
* Fishing - Deep Sea:
* Golfing:
* Horseriding:
* Jet Boating:
* Mountain Biking:
* Off Road Driving:
* Sailing:
* Sandboarding:
* Scuba-Diving:
* Seakayaking:
* Self-Guided:
* Shopping:
* Snorkelling:
* Surfing:
* Swimming:
* Tennis:
* Train Ride:
* Water Skiing:
* Wind Surfing:
* Wine Tasting: plus much more. (see monthly link below for more details on all these)

South West Western Australia has been named on the "blue list" a list of the top ten world destinations to visit. To read more http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/southwest-cracks-lonely-planet-top-10-20091102-hseq.html