Holiday houses in Dunsborough

A bustling town on Western Australia’s southwestern coast, Dunsborough is an idyllic beach holiday destination. It’s large enough to have a serious food scene and nightlife, with some great cafés, seafood restaurants, pubs, and wine bars. The town is also a handy base for exploring the nearby Margaret River wine region, which is as famous for its surfing breaks as it is for its robust reds and refined white wines. Dunsborough sits on a long stretch of sandy beaches at the base of Cape Naturaliste. Directly north of town are the rocky headlands and secluded beaches of the cape’s Meelup Regional Park.

The western side of the cape is given over to Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, a spectacular nature reserve with rugged cliffs and headlands that are continually battered by huge waves. Dunsborough is on the sheltered side of the cape, facing the comparatively calm Geographe Bay, which attracts large numbers of migrating whales that linger here on their way back to Antarctica each year.

The town enjoys a mild climate all year long, with the heat of the dry summer days kept down by sea breezes. These cooling breezes mean summer nights tend to be brisk as well. The three-day Sculpture by the Bay outdoor-art event in late February marks the end of summer, although the heat extends into early autumn. By late autumn, the rainfall increases ahead of a wet winter. Whales visit Geographe Bay in spring; the season is also marked by the 16-day Margaret River Region Open Studios program from mid-September. During this event you can check out the studios of sculptors and painters from the vibrant Margaret River creative community, including Dunsborough-based artists. The last of the whales depart for the Antarctic around late November to early December, just as the heat of summer returns.

Biking

Cape Naturaliste is a mountain-biking hotspot, with a network of twisting trails through the coastal bushland of Meelup Regional Park directly north of Dunsborough. You also take the more sedate shared bike and walking path from town all the way to Busselton further west along Geographe Bay.

Geographe Bay

The bay’s waters are relatively calm and clear, making it ideal for snorkelling close to shore. There are some great diving spots, too. Experienced divers can check out the HMAS Swan wreck, a navy destroyer escort sunk north of Dunsborough. It’s a great technical dive site and an artificial reef teeming with fish. Diving tours operate from Dunsborough and nearby Busselton.

Whale watching

The calm waters of Geographe Bay are a natural rest stop for whales migrating back to the Antarctic with their calves for the summer. Between September and November, humpback and southern right whales come close to shore all along the coastline from the bay to the tip of Cape Naturaliste; whale-watching boat rides depart from the old Dunsborough Jetty.