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| Busselton Jetty Busselton Western Australia Tourism |
Western Australia |
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Fishing off the Busselton Jetty is part of the rite of passage of Western Australians. There are few times of the year when generations of Western Australians cannot be found along the length of this icon.
Busselton Jetty was properly opened up in 1865; some 12 years after it was began. Extended over the years to accommodate drifting sands making the waters of Geographe Bay shallower, dray horses were used to load and unload passengers and cargos until 1909.
The railways came to Australias South West at the beginning of the 20th century. By that time, the Busselton Jetty had grown to be a dog leg jetty and the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere. A rail line was laid along the length of the jetty for the convenience of loading and unloading the ships.
The jetty closed to commercial shipping in 1974 and in 1978 when the unusual phenomenon of a cyclone code named Alby hit Busselton, the jetty was damaged close to the shore.
The Busselton Jetty Preservation Society worked since 1987 to restore the jetty and to develop it to ensure its preservation.
Today, the traditional boat-shed building at the beginning of the jetty houses an interpretive centre that tells the tale of the jetty.
It is a pleasant walk or a mini-train ride to the end of the jetty, some 2 kms from the shore, where a magnificent Underwater Observatory has been built.
Over the years, Busselton Jetty naturally grew to be Australias greatest artificial reef. Western Australia is blessed with the Leeuwin Current, which runs down the coast, bringing warm fertile waters from the tropics into Geographe Bay, which allows sub-tropical coral growth at latitude 33 degrees. A remarkable natural phenomenon.
| Busselton Jetty Underwater Observatory | |
The Busselton Jetty Underwater Observatory 2 kms from shore is a simply massive fish bowl, with a wide staircase covering three levels, down to a depth of some 8 metres below sea level. The difference is that the fish are on the outside of the bowl, and the humans descend a wide staircase, viewing the ocean at different levels.
Vivid forests of corals, sponges, invertebrates and thousands of fish are comfortably spotted in their natural environment, and excitement mounts with each sighting.
Busselton Jetty Busselton South West WA - Western Australia
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Western Australia - Map of Busselton Australia
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