Bunbury

Bunbury is a coastal city of 74,000 people (2018) in Western Australia. It draws many tourists who come to see the dolphins.

Understand
It's a little town with a big town attitude. Aimed at tourists, this place can seem to be 'closed down' in winter.

By car
Bunbury is around 90 to 120 minutes south of Perth by car — depending on the route you decide to take, coastal or inland. The "Old Coast Road" has a lot of two lane roadway in each direction now, with multiple 'overtaking lane sections' as well.

It can be a stopping point to or from the Margaret River, very popular with the surfing community and wine lovers alike. It is also a good base for exploring the beautiful south west region — the mining community of Collie, the giant trees of Pemberton (where you can still climb to the top of one of the highest tree based fire lookouts -the Gloucester tree.)

By train
There are two trains per day in each direction between Bunbury and Perth, operated by Transwa. The train station (called Bunbury Passenger Terminal) is about from the town centre.



By bus
Both Transwa and South West Coach Lines run road coach services to Bunbury. Transwa only stops at the train station (see above), but SWCL buses go right into town. There are a number of local bus routes from the train station.

The Passenger Terminal serves as a hub for buses going to and from many destinations in the south west.

Get around
There is a bus service that runs around the city and surrounding suburbs, but do not expect regular (or even handy) transport. It's best to have a car or be prepared to shell out for a few taxis here and there if you have travelled down from Perth via the train service (which is very comfortable and reasonably priced!).

The three timetables (each covering a few routes) for the local buses can be found on the.

Do

 * There's a good diving wreck called the Lena and you can dive on it with just your basic Padi Licence.
 * Leschnault inlet is great for Kite Surfers and there are classes available.

Eat
Restaurants are concentrated along Victoria St.



Drink
3 monkeys, Barbados, Exit & Fitzgerald's are the places to be on Friday and Saturday nights.

Sleep
Accommodation is varied and can be a bit sparse in the peak times - especially around the horse racing carnival time. Plenty of the hotels and pubs offer basic accommodation - which is fine if you are only looking for a bed to sleep in and plan to explore the surrounds during the day.

The Lord Forrest Hotel is the largest commercial hotel and probably offers the higher end of the accommodation scale

Go next

 * Busselton &mdash; A seaside town with a very, very long jetty.
 * Collie &mdash; A small coal mining town surrounded by bucolic and natural beauty.