Bunbury to Dunsborough drive: Best stops, distance & time
The best stops on the Bunbury to Dunsborough road trip route are Peppermint Grove Beach and Busselton. By car, the distance from Bunbury to Dunsborough is 81km. That makes for a driving time of around 1h8m.
A Bunbury to Dunsborough road trip connects two of the most appealing destinations in south west Western Australia. For many travellers, this will be a leg on a Perth to Dunsborough road trip.
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.
Meanwhile, at the western end of Geographe Bay, Dunsborough offers gorgeous beaches, whale-watching, coastal sight-seeing tours and wine-tasting tours. To pick out your perfect Dunsborough accommodation, head this way.
This expert-researched guide should help you plan your perfect Bunbury to Dunsborough road trip.
Bunbury to Dunsborough distance and driving time
The distance from Bunbury to Dunsborough by car is 81km. Expect a driving time of around one hour and eight minutes, although you can extend this with a few judicious road trip stops along the way.
The best things to do in Bunbury include going on a dolphin-watching cruise on Koombana Bay. They depart from the Dolphin Discovery Centre.
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.
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.
It’s just 53km from Bunbury to Busselton, but there are some excellent beaches along the way. Try Dalyellup Beach from Dalyellup, Stirling Beach from Stratham and Peppermint Grove Beach from Capel.
There’s also the handsome old trees and night-time possum-spotting in the Tuart Forest National Park.
Once in Busselton, the centre of attention is the absolutely enormous jetty. Get to the end of it, and you can do an ocean floor walk while wearing an emormous diving helmet.
It also makes a good base for Margaret River wine tours.
5 Busselton experiences worth booking in advance
- See ultra-cute, rare marsupials on an after-dark visit to a private wildlife sanctuary.
- Taste wines, beers, ciders and gins on a tour of the Margaret River region.
- See whales up close on a whale-watching cruise.
- Tackle ziplines and a ropes course in an adventure through the forest.
- Discover hidden spots on a coast and wildlife tour.
Top Busselton accommodation choices
The best places to stay in Busselton are:
- For resort villas surrounded by parkland: Bayview Geographe Resort.
- For a solid quality, relatively cheap motel: Busselton Ithaca Motel.
- For more a more luxurious stay with a large pool: Sebel Busselton.
- For family-friendly facilities: Big4 Breeze Holiday Park.
Bunbury to Dunsborough road trip: Busselton to Dunsborough
It’s another 25km from Busselton to Dunsborough. You’ll go past the Sandy Bay Holiday Park and Abbey Beach Resort on the way to Abbey Beach, then continue along Caves Road. Options before reaching Dunsborough include the Locke Nature Reserve, Flametree Wines is in Marybrook and Dunsborough Jetski Tours in Quindalup.
Things to do in Dunsborough include whale-watching tours on Geographe Bay, paddleboarding at Meelup Beach and brewery tasting experiences in neighbouring Eagle Bay. Tour options with Dunsborough pick-ups include Margaret River beer and wine tours, coastal sightseeing trips and nocturnal wildlife-viewing sessions.
The Wise Winery is also here, while the glamorous Pullman Bunker Bay Resort is round the coast towards Cape Naturaliste.
Once at the cape, the walk from Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse to Sugarloaf Rock shows off plenty of impressive coastline.
For Dunsborough accommodation within an easy walk of the central shops and restaurants, try the Bay Village Resort and Spa.
More Western Australia travel
The best things to do in Ravensthorpe.
Visit the white sands of Eleven Mile Beach near Esperance.
Plan the perfect Albany to Bremer Bay road trip.
Where to stop on a Balladonia to Perth road trip.
The best stops on a Busselton to Yallingup road trip.