Bunbury.

Just two hours drive south of Perth, Bunbury is located on a spectacular peninsular surrounded by blue waters of the Indian Ocean, Koombana Bay and the Leschenault Inlet and many of the attractions of the area are nature-based, including the Dolphin Discovery Centre in Koombana Bay operated by the Bunbury Dolphin trust.

Shore or boat-based interactions are available to get to know the wild dolphins in their natural habitat.

Staffed mainly by volunteers the interpretive centre covers many aspects of the dolphins and sitting in the deckchairs watching documentaries on dolphins and listening to the calls of pods of dolphins is an extremely relaxing experience.

Dolphins swim close to the shore on a daily basis and the Volunteers know the individual dolphins by name and are delighted to share their knowledge with all comers to the Dolphin Discovery Centre at Koombana Bay.

Today, Bunbury is one of Western Australias largest towns.

Major industries for Bunbury are farming and agriculture, wine production, woodchips, alumina and of course, tourism.

White mangrove areas around the port of Bunbury are estimated to be 20,000 years old and a 200 metre boardwalk has been constructed to provide a walk over this amazing coastal vegetation.

Big Swamp Wildlife Park has over sixty species of Australian birds and mammals.

Visitors can walk amongst the birds and hand feed the parrots in the large free flight aviary and you can hand feed the free roaming kangaroos and wallabies.

Although the park is fairly small, it makes a pleasant and inexpensive family outing, and an attractive location to enjoy a picnic lunch.

It is also a good place to introduce overseas visitors to some of the Australian birds and animals.

Close to Bunbury is Tuart Forest National Park, which contains the largest remaining stand of Tuart trees in the world.

These slow-growing hardwood trees are unique to the southwest area and are estimated to be 400 years old.

Tuart forest is one of the rarest ecosystems left on Earth and is only found along the Swan Coastal Plain, from Jurien Bay to Busselton in Western Australia.

The dominant species within this forest is the tuart tree (Eucalyptus gomphocephala).

Tuarts are characterised by grey bark and elongated, spiral-shaped leaves, they can grow up to 33 metres high, 10 metres in girth and live over 500 years.

In the 1830s tuart timber was highly valued by millrights, shipwrights and wheelrights, as it is almost impossible to split or splinter the timber.

The tuart forest within Australia's South West is protected by the Tuart Forest National Park and is the largest area of pure tuart remaining in the world.

The park is also home to a number of rare and endangered species including the Carnaby's black cockatoo, chuditch, brush-tailed phascogale, western ring-tailed possum and brush wallaby.

The Ludlow Tuart forest is a fantastic spot for a barbecue or picnic as you unwind under the shade of those ancient tuart trees.

Walk through the forest out to the coast or up to a lookout for fabulous views of Bunbury.

It costs nothing to explore the beautiful and diverse species of flora and fauna in this picturesque, rugged forest landscape.

There are some excellent cafes and restaurants in Bunbury, with many situated along the 'Cappuccino Strip' on Victoria Street.

There is also a selection of accommodation based around the Leschenault Inlet.

Attractions include Kings Cottage Museum with its valuable collection of pioneering material and its recreations of various periods in local history, Boulters Heights with its man-made waterfall and views over the harbour and the Timber Jetty now used for pedestrian traffic, fishing and crabbing.

Award winning wineries, fields of orchard trees in blossom, wildflowers, forests, national parks, beautiful waterways, historic towns, a wealth of art and craft, are all part of the Bunbury experience.

As the entertainment and cultural capital of the south west, the Bunbury Entertainment Centre dazzles audiences with opera, drama and comedy from around the nation while Bunbury Regional Art Galleries hosts exhibitions of state and national significance.

Contemporary public artworks scattered around the city together with nautically themed street scaping add to the cultural experience.

Bunbury also has all the accommodation options you could wish for.

From luxury resorts to hostels and budget accommodation and everything in between, you'll always find somewhere suitable to stay in Bunbury.

Yes, Bunbury is a vibrant, modern city and one you shouldn't miss when you next visit Western Australia.........enjoy

John.

                      Discount Shopping | Discount Travel | Special Travel Deals | Discount Attractions

PLEASE NOTE: If you don't know what an RSS feed is just click this link.

Click here to return from Bunbury to The Discount Travel Guide home page.