Day 12 - Margaret River - Rockingham Via Busselton Jetty :)

Hello,

Well today we packed up from Margaret River and headed back to Rockingham for a few more days before taking off up North to see the real stuff!!

On the way we called into Busselton as we wanted to do the Underwater Observatory at the end of the Busselton Jetty. Unfortunately due to the recent rain and rough waters, the ocean is far too churned up and not very much visibility so it was closed. It just means we have to come back in summer!

Rather than turning around and leaving we decided to make it worth while and walk the jetty from start to finish, at the cost of $2.50 per person to enter we had no reason not to :)

1.8km jetty which makes it the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Took us just over an hour return to walk up and back, including spending some time reading the many different information plaques spread throughout the length of the jetty. We also passed the last remaining part of the original jetty, now known as the "Skeleton Jetty" over time it has been damaged by weather, cyclones and fires, that burnt 65m of the jetty, but a small amount of the original still stands today next to the new one, looking very old and has a few rotted pillars which will no doubt in time come away as well leaving nothing of the past.

It was a great walk and with the option of catching a train from start to end and return makes it very accessible for everyone. The train runs every hour on the hour, straight down the middle of the jetty showing everyone the gorgeous waters of Geographe Bay and the extreme length of this jetty.

There is a sign part way up that mentions the bend in the jetty and says, although it appears you are reaching the end, the end is much much further than you think, the jetty goes on and on and on. Once you reach the corner you understand exactly what it was referring to, on all photos and even standing at the start it appears that the bend is near the end and there isn't much left afterward, you are sorely mistaken as it is an optical illusion like nothing you have seen before, once around the bend you can see you have only just touched the half way mark if you're lucky. Truely amazing, and we are both very glad we walked it and experienced it.
Photo's are below of the jetty at the start, at the end (you are not able to pass through to the very end of the jetty unless you have paid for the underwater observatory) and a photo of the start of the jetty looking back from the end, not one of these photos show the true length but it is recommended that if you ever have the opportunity to walk or ride the train, do it!. Also attached is a photo of the Skeleton Jetty.

Now safe in the town of Rockingham once again, and still covered by an awful grey sky, threatening us with more rain yet again, we are relaxing and preparing for the next part of our adventure.

We leave Rockingham early Sunday morning and will be heading for Mount Magnet for the night.

Tomorrow we are going into the City once again to see the Perth Zoo and King's Park and that will probably be it for us in Perth, so much more to see but will need to be another time as our plans and itinery isn't permitting this time!

Until tomorrow :)

Rhianna and Anthony.


                                                 The start of the Busselton Jetty

                                            The Skeleton Jetty 

                                                    The end of the Jetty

                                               The Jetty, looking back to the start from the end.