Margaret River & the Southwest Coast - Perth and West Coast Australia - page 262

Hwy (to the Margaret River wine region) and the South Western Hwy (Rte 1, to the south-
ern forests and south coast). It's also the southernmost stop on the train network and a hub
for regional buses.
Situated 170km from Perth, Bunbury has plenty of eateries and a few interesting attrac-
tions worthy of a stop. The town centre has basically one main street (Victoria), and a few
blocks to the west lies the beach. Immediately to the north, the redeveloped port features
waterside restaurants.
The city lies at the western end of Leschenault Inlet. The area was named Port Les-
chenault after the botanist on Nicolas Baudin's ship Le Géographe in 1803, but in a clas-
sic case of colonial one-upmanship, Governor James Stirling renamed it Bunbury in hon-
our of the lieutenant that he placed in charge of the original military outpost. The first
British settlers arrived in 1838.

1 Sights

Bunbury Wildlife Park
(Prince Philip Dr; adult/child $8/5; 10am-5pm) Parrots, kangaroos, wallabies, possums, owls and
emus all feature. Across the road, the Big Swamp has good wetlands walking tracks and
stops for birdwatching. Head south on Ocean Dr, turn left at Hayward St and continue
through the roundabout to Prince Philip Dr.

ZOO