Bunbury, Western Australia
Created | Updated Dec 9, 2008
Bunbury is a medium sized city approximately 160km south of Perth in Western Australia. Though it has a good industrial base, it also relies quite heavily on tourism, and is a good place to relax if you're in this neck of the woods.
There are two beaches, the so-called "back beach" on Ocean Drive facing the Pacific Ocean and Koombana bay, by the harbour. While the water is usually warm, there is an occasional problem with rips and undercurrents, so be careful if you're in the water. Koombana bay is dead flat all the time, because it's sheleterd by the harbour. This is also where Bunbury dolphin centre is, although the dolphins (and occasionally whales) have been seen off both beaches. However, the water is a bit murky and absolutely stone cold the whole year round. I mean :-( STONE COLD :-( , absolutely freezing!
The city center is easy to find your way around, although it's a pain in the neck trying to get a car out of the Centrepoint (The city centre shopping mall, such as it is) car park next to the bus station without wanting to apply inventive and painful torture to some of your fellow drivers on occasion :-P . There are a number of restaurants and coffee shops, mostly congregating around the lower end of Victoria street (the main street of town) all of which are good (Though I don't go often, my favourite is Henry's, about half way down Victoria street on the left).
Don't try getting through that part of Victoria street late on Thursday evening (which is late night shopping and all night bog laps and loud stereos) in a hurry, especially if you're driving. For those of you extremely low on cash, the :-) In Town Lunch Centre :-) is a good place to stop. It's open from 10am to 1.45pm Monday to Friday (except public holidays), although lunch isn't served until mid-day. For 50 cents you get soup and sandwiches, plus endless tea/coffee/milo and whatever freebies are in at the time. On Friday, some kind of hot meal replaces the sandwiches, sometimes on other days too if you're lucky. There is also a pool table ($2 deposit) and at the time of writing (20th June 2000) regular chess playing as well.
To find it (from the top of Victoria Street) go down Victoria Street on the post office (left) side. Sooner or later you will find the National Australia Bank on your left (Prinsep Street), next to a mini-roundabout. Turn left. It's the first door past the bank's customer car park. From the bus station, the quickest way would be to go directly to Prinsep Street (go past the cafe, it's the first road you come to), turn left, keep going across the roundabout and past the bank customer's car park and you're there.
There is an additional shopping centre at the end of Strickland Street. One word of warning, keep your eyes open, Strickland street can be tricky to get down, especially on foot or by bicycle. The road is narrow and without any pavement for almost its entire length. There is a mini-centre at the south end of Minninup road, between Knight street and Hudson road. This has a supermarket, chemist, baker, and fish and chip shop.
There a high concentration of pubs and clubs abound in Bunbury, none of which I go to, but the Burlington Hotel has a repututaion for frequent fights.
The bus station is right in the middle of town, along with the toruist bureau and booking office for south west coach lines, across the road from the previously-mentioned Centrepoint pain-in-the-neck car park. There is also a cafe with internet access there, but at $5 Australian for half an hour, don't hang about, the bill mounts up quick. The train station is about 5 minutes out of town (Picton road), so be prepared for a short walk or bus/taxi ride to the town centre.
There are a fair number of hotels and motels strewn about the city for those needing somewhere to stay. I have never been to any of them though, so you're own your own there. For the financially challenged (most of us, I would think), there are about three or four backpackers hostels and approximately the same number of caravan parks. Bunbury Village is currently the most expensive (and also furthest from the town centre) but is the only one with a swimming pool on site. Bunbury's one cinema complex and theatre are easily found. From the bus station, go out the opposite end to Centrepoint shopping centre and turn right. Keep going until you reach a T-junction, where you turn left. Continue down the street and you will find the theatre (Bunbury regional entertainment centre) and after that the cinema complex (Grand cinemas). Cinema prices are currently $10.50 (adult), $8 (concession) and $9 (I think) for children over 6. Cheap day is Tuesday, when prices are a flat rate of $7 all day.
There are two beaches, the so-called "back beach" on Ocean Drive facing the Pacific Ocean and Koombana bay, by the harbour. While the water is usually warm, there is an occasional problem with rips and undercurrents, so be careful if you're in the water. Koombana bay is dead flat all the time, because it's sheleterd by the harbour. This is also where Bunbury dolphin centre is, although the dolphins (and occasionally whales) have been seen off both beaches. However, the water is a bit murky and absolutely stone cold the whole year round. I mean :-( STONE COLD :-( , absolutely freezing!
The city center is easy to find your way around, although it's a pain in the neck trying to get a car out of the Centrepoint (The city centre shopping mall, such as it is) car park next to the bus station without wanting to apply inventive and painful torture to some of your fellow drivers on occasion :-P . There are a number of restaurants and coffee shops, mostly congregating around the lower end of Victoria street (the main street of town) all of which are good (Though I don't go often, my favourite is Henry's, about half way down Victoria street on the left).
Don't try getting through that part of Victoria street late on Thursday evening (which is late night shopping and all night bog laps and loud stereos) in a hurry, especially if you're driving. For those of you extremely low on cash, the :-) In Town Lunch Centre :-) is a good place to stop. It's open from 10am to 1.45pm Monday to Friday (except public holidays), although lunch isn't served until mid-day. For 50 cents you get soup and sandwiches, plus endless tea/coffee/milo and whatever freebies are in at the time. On Friday, some kind of hot meal replaces the sandwiches, sometimes on other days too if you're lucky. There is also a pool table ($2 deposit) and at the time of writing (20th June 2000) regular chess playing as well.
To find it (from the top of Victoria Street) go down Victoria Street on the post office (left) side. Sooner or later you will find the National Australia Bank on your left (Prinsep Street), next to a mini-roundabout. Turn left. It's the first door past the bank's customer car park. From the bus station, the quickest way would be to go directly to Prinsep Street (go past the cafe, it's the first road you come to), turn left, keep going across the roundabout and past the bank customer's car park and you're there.
There is an additional shopping centre at the end of Strickland Street. One word of warning, keep your eyes open, Strickland street can be tricky to get down, especially on foot or by bicycle. The road is narrow and without any pavement for almost its entire length. There is a mini-centre at the south end of Minninup road, between Knight street and Hudson road. This has a supermarket, chemist, baker, and fish and chip shop.
There a high concentration of pubs and clubs abound in Bunbury, none of which I go to, but the Burlington Hotel has a repututaion for frequent fights.
The bus station is right in the middle of town, along with the toruist bureau and booking office for south west coach lines, across the road from the previously-mentioned Centrepoint pain-in-the-neck car park. There is also a cafe with internet access there, but at $5 Australian for half an hour, don't hang about, the bill mounts up quick. The train station is about 5 minutes out of town (Picton road), so be prepared for a short walk or bus/taxi ride to the town centre.
There are a fair number of hotels and motels strewn about the city for those needing somewhere to stay. I have never been to any of them though, so you're own your own there. For the financially challenged (most of us, I would think), there are about three or four backpackers hostels and approximately the same number of caravan parks. Bunbury Village is currently the most expensive (and also furthest from the town centre) but is the only one with a swimming pool on site. Bunbury's one cinema complex and theatre are easily found. From the bus station, go out the opposite end to Centrepoint shopping centre and turn right. Keep going until you reach a T-junction, where you turn left. Continue down the street and you will find the theatre (Bunbury regional entertainment centre) and after that the cinema complex (Grand cinemas). Cinema prices are currently $10.50 (adult), $8 (concession) and $9 (I think) for children over 6. Cheap day is Tuesday, when prices are a flat rate of $7 all day.
