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Dunsborough - Cities, Towns and Localities |
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Dunsborough is a beach town located at the western end of Geographe Bay,
at the entrance to Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park. Only 26 km east of Busselton
the town has much to offer the visitor, from bush walks along coastal scenery,
wildflower displays, beaches, rugged coastlines and a lighthouse. Although the
Dutch named the southern tip of the coast “Leeuwin’s Land” in 1622, there is no
record of them having charted the coastline to the north. It wasn’t until the
French Nicoholas Baudin in 1801 sailed up the coast, around Cape Naturaliste and
then anchored in Geographe Bay did Europeans chart the coast. Both names come
from his two vessels the Geographe and the Naturaliste.
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Settlement of the area
came about with the movement of settlers from Augusta to Busselton in the 1830s,
with some settling around the Vasse River in the 1830s. By 1845, Castle Rock
Whaling Station was in operation, just north of the township. It wasn’t until
1877, when the town was proclaimed, although that was only a few shacks. The
first general store in Dunsborough was not opened for business until 1925, with
the first bakery opening in the 1930s. There is still no clear evidence of how
the town got its name, but it is said that the name came from an American whaler
named Dunn, who settled in the area during the wet season. The area simply
became known as “Dunns Burrow”, “Dunnsboro” or “Dunnsborough”. The second “n”
was dropped in the 1940s. For Dunsborough accommodation
click here. For up-to-date
attractions and tours information visit the local tourism centre. |
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Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse
• Ph/Fax: 08 9755 3955
• Just 13 km out of town, is the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and Maritime Museum. From here, you can get a great view
over the bay and surrounding area. Take the time to rediscover the regions
maritime history in the museum. There are a number of walk trails into the
surrounding Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park.
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Dunsborough Lakes
Resort Golf Course
• DUNSBOROUGH WA 6281
• Ph: 08 9756 8733 • Fax: 08 9756
8711 •
• 18 hole championship golf course, resort, tavern and club rooms.
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Meelup and Eagle Bay
• The drive to Meelup is
picturesque, with trees arching overhead,
dappling the road with light and shade as it winds down to Meelup, a great safe,
white sandy beach. When the weather is good, the turquoise water of the bay is
breathtaking. If you take a walk and follow the creek inland, you will find
yourself surrounded by tall tress and dense undergrowth, with only the sounds of
nature.‘Meelup’ is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘place of the moon rising’.
It is on this eastward facing bay, where if the signs are right, and the night
is clear, you will gasp at the beauty of the moon rising over the waters of the
bay. And on those occasions when the full moon rises twice in a single month, it
is called a ‘blue moon’.
To find out when the moon is rising and when the moon is full, check out
the
Astronomical Information at Geoscience Australia.
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Sugarloaf Rock
• A striking rocky outcrop, near Cape Naturaliste. The
calm, tranquil bays surrounding the outcrop is popular for snorkelling, swimming
and fishing.
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Dunsborough Events |
• Western Australia Events |
Whale and Dolphin Watching
• September to December
• An ideal location for the annual whale-watching, when Southern Right and
Humpback whales move along the coast. They can be seen at play in Geographe Bay, either viewed from a charter tour boat or along a coastal vantage
point. Bottlenose dolphins are also inhabitants of Geographe Bay.
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Dunsborough Tours
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WA Tours • Outback •
Eco • Adventure •
National Tours |
Bay Dive & Adventures
• 26 Dunn Bay Rd, DUNSBOROUGH WA 6281
• Ph: 08 9756 8577 • Fax: 08 9756 7466 •
• Daily dives on the HMAS Swan Wreck, Busselton Jetty
and local reefs. Full
range of PADI learn to dive courses Air and Nitrox fills snorkelling
trips. HMAS Swan Wreck & Busselton Jetty Dives & Snorkelling
trips. PADI Dive Centre.
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Cape Dive
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Shop 3, 222 Naturaliste Terrace, DUNSBOROUGH WA 6281
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Ph: 08 9756 8778 •
Mobile: 0418 923 802 • Fax: 08 9756 8669 •
• Longest established dive store in Dunsborough,
offering a number of dives or range of PADI diving courses.
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SeaEco Yacht Cruises
• Centennial Park, DUNSBOROUGH WA 6281 • Ph: 08 9759 1441 •
• Adventure sailing with an eye for nature. Geographe Bay at Dunsborough,
Western Australia, offers calm clear waters; whale watching and an exceptional
coastal vista from Dunsborough to Cape Naturaliste.
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