Dolphin Alert in Busselton

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We drove our first 200 kms yesterday afternoon to Busselton in our 2002 Toyota Campervan. For the men who want to know, it is standard and diesel. Diesel at the time of this blog, sells for Australian $1.57 per liter, with a one cent variation. Our first stretch of driving in the opposite lane was relaxed, I did not gasp going clock-wise at the round-abouts. Our previous 6 days of cycling helped orientate our road-sense.

Busselton (population 15,000) has an idyllic location on Geographe Bay. My first glimpse of Geographe Bay was on google maps, shivering at my desk on a dark, cold January night with rain drumming on my windows in Port Coquitlam. Yes, it was like peeking into the gift box. When we actually arrived and started unwrapping the real gift, it was beyond expectations. On our morning run along the beach trails along the vast shore of the Geographe Bay my eyes misted over - well, more accurately I wept with sheer joy.

Our newest Busselton friends, Elaine and David welcomed us into their home on the marina. A marina home means the living room opens to the patio which is the edge of your private boat dock. Instead of having a car parked on the driveway, your sailboat is moored in front of your patio. Their dog would keep vigilant watch for the passing dolphin and whenever she barked, it was the signal for us humans to lean over the patio and watch the dolphin cavorting. I could scarcely believe my eyes, this gift box had so many surprises. The dolphin glided so silently our ears did not detect a sound, but the dog's ears and nose were highly attuned to "dolphin alert."

The iconic landmark in Busselton is the wooden jetty which stretches nearly 2 kms out into the Indian Ocean. Noteworthy indeed, it is the longest and oldest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. First constructed in 1865 it was withstood fierce storms, survived a fire and now is the focal point for the famous "Jetty Swim."

The Busselton Swim Club hosts the annual 3.8km "Around the Jetty Swim" which draws about 2000 swimmers from across Australia and even internationally. Since we missed the official event in February this year, we contacted the Swim Club to ask if any swimmers were doing a casual ocean swim. We made tenative plans to do the swim on our return in a few weeks.

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Photos

Our home on wheels!
2002 Toyota (diesel) Campervan

Port Geographe Marina Homes
Staying with our new friends.

Welcome to Geographe Bay
Kiera (the dog) on dolphin patrol!