After being here in Busselton for three weeks now, it is time to have a look at this town which has consistently been voted as one of WA's best holiday destinations. Judging by the number of 'locals' who have been our neighbours here at the Kookaburra (from Mandurah, Perth and points in between), and the fact that the park is booked out entirely from about now to the end of March, these accolades seem well placed.
I suspect that there is hardly anyone who has ever contemplated travel in WA who would be unaware that the main feature of Busselton is its jetty, its enormous jetty....all 1,841 metres of it.
The jetty precinct is the hub of 'tourist' Busso. The swimming enclosure (open to the sea), the white, fine sand beaches, the parks, BBQ's, restaurants and other facilities are all magnets to visitors and locals alike.
But the jewel in this crown is certainly the jetty. What is its story? Why is it the longest wooden pile jetty in the Southern Hemisphere?
Timber felling was one of the first local industries, both here and further south between the capes (Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin....'cape to cape' is a common local phrase). To export this cut timber by sea, the most efficient method of transport out of this area, docking facilities were obviously needed. Additionally, the many whaling ships which also roamed the seas off this part of the WA coast (apart from the established centre at Albany) were also in need of a wharf.
In 1865, construction began on the first section of the Busso jetty, a mere 161 metres. By 1875, the encroaching sands of the already shallow Geographe Bay demanded an extension, and another 131 metres were added. This process continued over the years until, by the 1960's, the jetty had reached its current mammoth length.
The Busselton jetty was fully operational until the last ship tied up on 17 October 1971. By this time the nearby expanding, and much more efficient, Port of Bunbury had reduced the use of the Busso facility to a trickle of ships. The Government formally decommissioned the jetty, and, of course, took no more responsibility for its upkeep. By this time over 5,000 ships had made use of it.
As could be expected, the jetty subsequently began to deteriorate. Borers, wood rot and fire all took their toll. As if this were not enough, on 2 April 1978, Cyclone Alby, one of the very few to sweep the coast this far south of the tropics, destroyed much of the shore end of the jetty. Its fate seemed all but sealed....demolition loomed large.
The prospect of the complete demise of this incredible structure galvanised the good burghers and citizens of Busso into action. Over the years that followed an initial sum of $9 million was raised and spent on jetty restoration. But its woes were far from over. In December 1999 a fire destroyed 65 metres of the structure. A further $900,000 was spent to rectify the damage.
The tourist value of the jetty was now well recognised and in 2011 a $27 million refurbishment was completed. Of this the WA Government pitched in $24M whilst the remainder was provided by the Busselton Shire and the newly formed Busselton Jetty Environment and Conservation Association. The work carried out included the construction of the 'Beach Hut' Interpretive Centre at the shore end of the jetty (by now probably one of the 'iconic' Busso landmarks) and an underwater viewing facility at the seaward end.
These days the use of the jetty is entirely recreational. One does not visit Busso without walking its length at least once. Many locals actually use it as their daily walking track. And it is a mecca for those wishing to add fish and squid to their larders (although to date I have done much better off the beach...more of that later).
I have to confess to having been highly peeved when we first attempted to stroll its length. We found our way barred by a set of entrance gates. What is this, we asked. All soon became clear....between the hours of 0830 and 1800, when the office of the Interpretative Centre is staffed, an entry fee of $2.50 per person is required. Pay to walk on a jetty!! I was outraged. My ire was cooled somewhat when I discovered that the jetty's current upkeep is highly dependent on these funds, together with those raised by the fares paid by passengers on the small jetty train, and the visitors to the underwater viewing facility. Mind you, all of us 'in the know' go for a constitutional gallop or set up a fishing station outside those hours!
Apart from all the uses to which we mortals put this edifice, the local silver gulls have not been slow off the mark either. I was fascinated to see that they use portions of the old jetty structure
as safe nesting sites. Certainly seems a much safer option than hollows on an open beach or sand hill.
Apart from all the uses to which we mortals put this edifice, the local silver gulls have not been slow off the mark either. I was fascinated to see that they use portions of the old jetty structure
as safe nesting sites. Certainly seems a much safer option than hollows on an open beach or sand hill.
At the shore end of the jetty stands the Busso Information Centre, housed in what I at first took to be an old lighthouse building, which is exactly what I was supposed to think. In fact it is
nothing of the sort. It is neither old nor functional from a seafaring viewpoint. This tower, which was built in the mid 1990's, originally housed Busselton's first water slide. It has now been converted to its current use, but may not have much of a future. I discovered when investigating the origins of this building, that it, and much of the surrounding foreshore area, have been sold to a developer. His plans are not yet well known and many locals are understandably nervous.
Whilst on that mission, I decided to fork out yet another fee ($2.00 this time) to climb the stairs to the observation platform atop the building. It was worth it. Other than by doing this, it is virtually impossible to capture the entire length of the jetty in one shot or to be able to take in the panoramic views on offer from this eerie.
From here the Esplanade park areas can be seen stretching some distance to the west of the jetty.
We were particularly impressed by the standard of maintenance of these parks where the well manicured lawns and great BBQ facilities can be used by all.
This seafront park, which is just one of many which abound in Busselton, is home to a small bust and plaque detailing the exploits of Nicholas Baudin and the part he played in opening the western coast of Australia to the world.
I have included this close-up of the plaque merely to show the extent to which Baudin charted the Australian coastline...almost half its entire length. His attention to detail certainly matched that of the much more well known (to us, that is) Matthew Flinders.
Twenty three scientists accompanied Baudin in his two ships. Their disciplines included astronomy, zoology, botany, horticulture, mineralogy and geography. The numbers of specimens of flora and fauna his expedition collected and returned to France would rival that of Sir Joseph Banks of Captain Cook's much earlier exploration of the east coast. It struck me as a great shame that Baudin did not live to receive the accolades he richly deserved from his home country of France, and indeed the world at large. He unfortunately died of tuberculosis in Mauritius whilst homeward bound. He was only 49 years of age....a life far too short for a man of such impressive talent and courage.
But back to the present and the jetty precinct. The 'Beach Huts' housing the Busselton jetty Interpretative Centre are probably one of the town's most recognised features. Beyond them,
Opposite the esplanade parks, looking over the roof of The Goose, the fine Busselton town beach continues away to the east along Geographe Bay.
The stubby jetty is used to load a flat bottomed barge like boat used for jetty maintenance, and, to the right of the shot some of the foreshore playing fields come into view. These are extensive, and whilst we were in residence, were being expanded considerably. In fact, in the course of two weeks, a bare earth area the size of at least two normal ovals was laid with new turf.
To the south of the tower, the view takes in the beautifully kept expanse of lawn tennis courts, a small section of the extensive parking area and the roofs of the Busselton CBD, and, panning slightly further to the east,
we look across more expanses of the car parks to Marine Street which lies directly behind the large green Council depot shed a the right of the shot. The front of the Kookaburra Caravan Park abuts Marine Street which hopefully provides some idea of just how close we were to the jetty and beach.
One thing which surprised me, given the extent of the local beaches and the degree to which they are used, was the absence of a large and thriving Surf Club (notwithstanding the fact that Busso is a flat water beach like Glenelg). At this stage the infrastructure provided to the local 'seals' is basic to say the least. These shipping containers, standing next to the Sea Scouts building, are the current Busselton SLSC clubrooms. A much more fitting building is in the offing as part of the redevelopment of this part of the foreshore, according to one of the Clubbies to whom I chatted whilst fishing on the beach.
And whilst on the subject of fishing....this is a pastime much practised in Busselton, primarily from the jetty (not surprisingly) where I was impressed to find a number of these fish cleaning stations dotted along its length. My limited efforts from this venue were unsuccessful as far at hooking anything edible was concerned (I was amazed to see some of our Asian friends actually targeting Trumpeters...known to me since childhood as 'shitties' for a very good reason...they taste revolting and are full of bones)
but the beach near the stubby jetty did prove more productive on one of three occasions the weather made for ideal conditions on the beach.....and it was just great fun.
The picture of this foray was not that from which I returned with fish. That had occurred a few days previously, and of course, as is always the case, we return to the scene of the crime with high expectations. But as they say, "the worst day's fishing is better than the best day in the office"...only problem with that is that this is my office now!
What could be more tasty than a feed of fresh tommies? Wash my mouth out...they are 'herring' over here. In fact the bureaucratic powers that be have declared that all fish will be commonly named throughout the country and we should be calling these fish herring now in SA, but for me they will always be tommy ruff.
Whatever the nomenclature, they were a great feed, grilled that evening on the Baby Q,
after being faultlessly filleted, that is! (no idle boast, by the way....the co-pilot is paranoid about fish bones)
I remain greatly hopeful that the beach to which we are soon to move will be as productive as I have been told it is.
Apart from the Norfolk pines and grass, which did bring a touch of 'Glenelg wistfulness' to our wanderings, there was another reminder of home on the foreshore. The sound of a helicopter will always attract my attention, but to see a Westpac surf chopper making forays to and from the shore not too far from our park was altogether too much. "They're doing training jumps", I proclaimed. It is amazing how derisive "how would you know...this isn't Adelaide" can sound, but she managed!
All the incentive necessary had been provided....I was off. And I was right.
As I pulled into the car park down the coast, I saw a body splash into the water off shore and,
a few minutes later, the aircraft make a landing in a paddock abutting the beachfront roadway. I made myself know to the group watching on and had the pleasure of meeting Peter Scott whose role is the equivalent of many I have had in SA. We had a great yarn which culminated in an invitation to visit their hangar in Perth whenever convenient. I shall certainly do so. What have I said previously about the smell of jet fuel?
The foreshore area will be coming alive in no small way on Sunday next, 8 December, when the town hosts a round of the prestigious International Ironman (triathlon) completion. The event, which is owned and run by the World Triathlon Corporation, is in its 10th year in Busselton. The expected 1,600 competitors will swim around the jetty (3.8 kms) before embarking on a 180.2 kms bike ride and, as if that were not enough, the sheep will be separated from the goats with a final full marathon along the beach front, a mere 42.2 kms. Good luck boys and girls. Liz and I have already planned to make a day of it in Busso central on 8 December and, in the case of your intrepid correspondent, dream of days gone by! (if we are not cavorting with Perth friends in Margaret River, that is....decisions, decisions...life is such a challenge)
Next, a look around Busselton CBD which we have decided must be the 'town parks' capital of the south-west.
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