Bunbury to Bridgetown drive: Distance, drive time & best stops

The best stops on the Bunbury to Bridgetown drive are Dardanup, Donnybrook and Balingup. By car, the distance from Bunbury to Bridgetown is 95km, with a 1h11m driving time.

Planning a Bunbury to Bridgetown road trip itinerary

The Bunbury to Bridgetown drive links the second largest city in Western Australia to a cute, forest-surrounded, cider-making town. Drivers might come this way if on a road trip from Perth to Walpole or Bunbury to Albury.

Bunbury offers Geographe Region wine tours, swimming with dolphins and dolphin-watching cruises. For more Bunbury tours, browse here. For the best Bunbury accommodation deals, look here.

For the best places to stay in Bridgetown, search here.

This guide should help you plan your perfect Bunbury to Bridgetown road trip itinerary.

Bunbury to Bridgetown distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Bunbury to Bridgetown is 95km. You can expect a driving time of around one hour and eleven minutes, almost entirely along the South Western Highway.

What to book in Bunbury – 5 fabulous experiences.

Koombana Bay dolphin-watching cruise – the dolphins live in the bay, so you’ll definitely see them.
Geographe region wine tours – explore boutique wineries in the up-and-coming region.
Swimming with dolphins. They’re wild – this is not a dodgy aquarium experience.
Forest, wine and brewery day tours.
Dolphin Discovery Centre entrance tickets.

The best things to do in Bunbury include going on a dolphin-watching cruise on Koombana Bay. They depart from the Dolphin Discovery Centre.

Top Bunbury accommodation choices

The best places to stay in Bunbury are:

For Koombana Bay location, near the Dolphin Discovery Centre: Discovery Parks Bunbury Foreshore.
For good quality apartments on the coast: Bunbury Seaview Apartments.
For affordable rates in a city centre location: Rose Hotel and Motel.

The first town of interest along the route is Dardanup. Here, the Dardanup Heritage Park serves up old industrial and military machinery, and you can admire glass art at the 5^th Element Art Glass Studio and Gallery.

Next comes Boyanup, which offers a couple of places to eat and drink. Try the Old Boyanup Bakery Café or the Bull & Bush Tavern.

Fans of old trains can also visit Boyanup’s South West Rail and Heritage Centre.

Bunbury to Bridgetown road trip: Donnybrook to Balingup

On the way into of Donnybrook, you’ll pass Licciardello and Son Orchards, which has a fresh fruit and veg shop by the South Western Highway.

Donnybrook has a few wineries with cellar doors open to visitors. These include Barrecas and Coughlan Estate. Other things to do in Donnybrook include seeing wildflowers on the 5km Sandhills Walk, although the kids will probably prefer the Apple Fun Park playground.

Donnybrook accommodation options include the well-rated Donnybrook Motel, which has a seasonal outdoor pool, and the more characterful Country Charm B&B.

On the Donnybrook to Bridgetown leg of the journey, you’ll pass Western Australian Marron – an aquaculture farm, the Zein Estate winery and a mix of forests and orchards.

Kirup has a couple of places to eat and drink, but not much else to grab the attention. You’ll pass along the edge of the East Kirup State Forest afterwards.

Further along, Balingup has a little more to offer. Things to do in Balingup include wines made from local fruits at the Balingup Fruit Winery and strolling through the botanic garden-style Golden Valley Tree Park.

Bunbury to Bridgetown drive: Balingup to Bridgetown

The next town on the South Western Highway is Greenbushes, on the highest part of the Darling Scarp. Here you can walk the Mining Heritage Trail or learn more about the local timber and mining industries at the Greenbushes Discovery Centre. You can also take in the views from the Mine Lookout.

Greenbushes is the last realistic stop before reaching Bridgetown.

The best things to do in Bridgetown include walking through the Blackwood River Park, admiring jigsaws from around the globe at the Brierly Jigsaw Gallery and tasting locally-made ciders at the Cidery and Blackwood Valley Brewing Company.