Diving & Travel Guide to Western Australia – South West

About Western Australia – South West

Western Australia's South West, stretching from Bunbury to Augusta along the state's southwestern corner, is one of Australia's most biodiverse marine environments, sitting within the internationally recognized biodiversity hotspot where the warm Leeuwin Current meets the cold Southern Ocean waters. The region offers extraordinary diving characterized by dramatic granite and limestone underwater formations, vibrant kelp forests, and an exceptional diversity of marine life including over 300 fish species and numerous endemic species found nowhere else. Margaret River, the region's most famous town and host of the World Surf League championship, provides access to outstanding dive sites including the offshore reef systems and the Margaret River mouth, where nutrient-rich currents feed diverse marine ecosystems. Augusta, at the mouth of the Blackwood River, offers sheltered river mouth diving and access to the dramatic Flinders Bay reefs. The Ngari Capes Marine Park protects outstanding marine environments including the Cape-to-Cape diving area, with limestone caves, swim-throughs, and vibrant invertebrate communities. The region's famous wine industry, with over 120 wineries producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, provides an outstanding culinary complement to the diving experience. Busselton, with its iconic 2-kilometer Busselton Jetty (one of the longest wooden jetties in the world), offers unique jetty diving with an artificial reef created beneath the structure supporting over 300 marine species. Dunsborough and the Geographe Bay provide sheltered bay diving with excellent visibility and diverse marine life. This unique meeting of currents means that divers can see tropical species that have been carried down from the north living alongside temperate species that are native to the southern coastline. The underwater landscape is a testament to the power of the ocean, with massive boulders and intricate cave systems that have been shaped by the relentless Southern Ocean swells over millions of years. For the adventurous diver, the South West offers a sense of rugged beauty and biological variety that is truly world-class.

Highlights

• ✓Busselton Jetty – 2km wooden jetty with artificial reef and 300+ marine species
• ✓Margaret River World Surf League coastline with dramatic underwater formations
• ✓Ngari Capes Marine Park with limestone caves and swim-throughs
• ✓World-class wine region with 120+ wineries providing exceptional post-dive dining
• ✓Biodiversity hotspot with 300+ fish species and endemic marine life
• ✓Geographe Bay sheltered diving with excellent visibility

Getting There

The South West is accessed via Busselton Margaret River Airport (BQB), receiving direct flights from Perth with flight time approximately 45 minutes. Busselton is approximately 220 kilometers south of Perth via the Forrest Highway (approximately 2.5 hours drive). Margaret River is approximately 30 minutes further south. Dunsborough and Augusta provide additional bases with dive operators running trips to the marine park sites, the Busselton Jetty, and the offshore reefs. The region is best explored by car, with the scenic drive from Perth through the jarrah forests and vineyards being one of Western Australia's most enjoyable road trips. Multiple dive operators are based in Busselton, Dunsborough, and Margaret River.