Day 43: Tue 30 Apr 24 - Busselton to Bunbury

May 01, 2024

Tue 30 Apr 24 - Busselton to Bunbury (62km)

13 Deg in Busselton reaching 24 Deg with winds up 25 km/h during the day in Bunbury. Despite the threat of rain, we did not see one drop of rain all day. The wind picked up throughout the morning, but thankfully it dropped again by late afternoon. Despite the wet conditions forecast today, it turned out to be another lovely day. We were packed up and drove away from Busselton at 09:00am, covered the short 62km and set up at the Ocean Drive 48hr Rest Area in Bunbury by 10:00am. We arranged a permit through the Visitor Information Centre a couple of weeks ago, and with seaside views (across the road), a 10minute walk into the town centre and toilet facilities across the road, it's a nice place to stay at no cost for up to 48hrs, so long as you are self contained.

There were two available spots when we arrived, and with people leaving and arriving throughout the day, the designated rest area was at capacity by nightfall. We even have a converted 48 seater bus parked behind us for the night. After parking, we locked the car and caravan, then walked the short distance into town for our morning brew - our cafe of choice proving to be a good decision. After our caffeine fix, Noel and I went seperate ways. Noel went to explore the inside of buildings and got a haircut, while I explored the streets of Bunbury.

First impressions of Bunbury are that it is a pleasant town with a good feel about it. Built around the city's port which handles mainly woodchip and alumina, there are a couple of good panoramic lookouts, some interesting street art and a wonderful mix of historical, art deco and contemporary buildings. I thoroughly enjoying walking around exploring the town for more than three hours, and probably took more photos than I needed - but it was very therapeutic. I eventually returned to the van at about 3:30pm where Noel had already returned, and was talking with Colin and Carol from Cambewarra. We met them a few weeks ago, and have crossed paths by chance four times since. They are also staying here for next two nights. We returned to our van to let Colin and Carol go for a walk, then at 5:00pm we met again for sundowners across the park at their van. The sunset was a bit ordinary, but at least the rain stayed away, although it did get a bit fresh. We chatted until it got a bit too fresh, and we got a bit hungry, so we called it the day and returned to the van for the evening. The passing road noise in the late afternoon was noticeable, but not bad, and it did get quieter later in the evening. My thought for the day is caravanning is not only about the new and interesting places or scenery that you see, but the interesting people you meet, and friendships you make, along the way.