A Weekend in Bunbury

Day one — the coast and the city

Morning: Start where Bunbury's reputation does — Koombana Bay. A pod of wild bottlenose dolphins lives in these waters year-round, and the Dolphin Discovery Centre's beachfront is the best place to see them, with sightings most common in the calm of early morning. Walk it off along the Mangrove Boardwalk nearby, through the southernmost mangroves in Western Australia.

Midday: Lunch at the Marlston Waterfront, where cafes and restaurants look over the harbour — or browse our full restaurant guide to pick your spot.

Afternoon: Bunbury's compact centre rewards a wander: the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery — a striking pink former convent housing one of regional WA's best collections — and a growing trail of street art murals through the CBD's laneways.

Evening: Climb Marlston Hill Lookout for sunset over the port and the Indian Ocean, or take it in from Back Beach below the basalt cliffs. Then head to Victoria Street, the city's dining strip, for dinner.

Day two — wetlands and wine country

Morning: Ease into the day at the Big Swamp wetlands, where boardwalk loops pass long-necked turtles and some 70 bird species, or swim at one of Bunbury's beaches while the water is glassy.

Afternoon: Drive 25 minutes into the Ferguson Valley for a long lunch among the vines. Cellar doors, craft breweries and the gloriously odd Gnomesville fill an afternoon easily — our Ferguson Valley guide has the details.

Heading home? If you can stretch the weekend, Busselton's jetty is only 40 minutes further south — see the full Explore section for day-trip ideas.