People & Places
Bunbury: Life outside Perth
Think of Western Australia and the chances are you will think of Perth, but there is far more to WA than the capital city perched on the banks of the Swan River, writes Bridie Jenner
Bunbury is WA's second-largest city and one of the fastest-growing areas in the whole of Australia. It's only a couple of hours drive south from Perth and is the gateway to Australia's South West. So how did me and my husband Malc end up there? Well, when we first started the visa paper chase we didn't have enough points for the Skilled-Independent visa, so our only option was to apply for the State/Territory Nominated Independent (STNI) route, and since neither of us felt Victoria or Tasmania was for us we settled on Adelaide in South Australia. However, in between failing our first Trades Recognition Australia assessment and passing our second, Malc's occupation, First Class Metal Machinist, was added to the Migration Occupations on Demand List giving us the additional points needed for a Skilled-Independent visa and meaning we now had a whole range of options as to where we could settle.
Back in 1996–97 Malc went backpacking around Australia and Bunbury was a place he had felt at home in straight away. In those days Bunbury was a small industrial town with a picturesque beach and bay, but when we started our research we discovered it had grown a great deal and was now a thriving city. We arrived in Perth in October 2005 and decided to visit Bunbury during our first week to see whether there were job opportunities for Malc, as where we settled hinged on this vital fact. We stayed with some friends I'd met via the Internet and they showed us around and took us up to the lighthouse where you could stand and see the whole of Bunbury below you.
It had certainly grown in the nine years since Malc had visited, and now boasted, alongside the multi screen cinema and entertainment centre, several shopping malls and big name stores, all set against the backdrop of Koombana Bay (famous for its dolphins) and Back Beach, a popular haunt for local surfers. Within those first few hours we both felt sure that this was the place we'd like to call home, so the next item on the agenda was to find a job for Malc. The following day he started making phone calls to local engineering companies and luckily managed to secure two interviews, one of which resulted in a firm job offer which then enabled us to find a house to rent and start putting down some roots. Finding a rental when you have a pet is not that straightforward in Bunbury as the majority of houses on offer are strictly on a 'pets not considered' basis, so we pretty much took what we could get, which meant upping our weekly rental budget slightly.
There are several large estates in and around Bunbury, many of which are still being developed, including Dalyellup Beach to the south of the city, Millbridge at Eaton, just five minutes drive north of Bunbury, and Treendale and Kingston at Australind, ten minutes from the central business district. All are very different and have their unique selling points and vary in size, from around 1,500 plots at Treendale to over 6,000 at Dalyellup. We noticed house prices were going up fairly rapidly whilst still in the UK, so once we were settled we decided to waste no time in finding the place we'd like to call home.
Building had never been a consideration, it seemed like a lot of time, hassle and additional expense when compared with buying a property already established that just needed redecorating, but in actual fact the cost of buying a plot and building was slightly cheaper than buying an established property, plus we could have the house of our choice to completely suit our needs and lifestyle. We started by driving around all the estates, and we fell in love with Treendale, set on the banks of the Brunswick and Collie Rivers and just a few minutes from the beautiful Leschenault Inlet and the small town of Australind. We secured our plot, picked our builder and are now just waiting for the ball to start rolling. All being well, we should be moved in by this time next year.
Bunbury itself has everything you need but without the hustle and bustle of Perth. Along Blair Street you'll find all the DIY and household shops, including Bunnings, Harvey Norman and Retravision, and many car garages, both brand new and second hand ranging from top of the range 4x4s to budget bangers. You'll also find the Bunbury Farmer's Market, an indoor market where you can buy top-quality fruit and veg offered by local farmers. Further on is Bunbury Forum shopping mall which boasts Big W and Woolworths as well as many smaller shops offering everything from jewellery to mobile phones to household wares. Within the CBD itself are two large malls, including Bunbury Centrepoint, a wide range of both well known brands and independent shops and the cappuccino strip with a host of coffee bars and restaurants.
One of our favourite eating places is Extensions, a restaurant overlooking Back Beach and the Indian Ocean. It really is fantastic to sit and enjoy the view whilst thinking 'I live here'! Bunbury is well placed: Perth is just two hours drive north so not too far for a day trip, and to the south Busselton with its famous jetty is about 30 minutes, with Dunsborough and Margaret River beyond.
So if you're just starting out on the immigration road and like the idea of living in WA but don't fancy the Perth city life, than I would suggest you consider Bunbury. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Read other Western Australia based articles:
Skilled migration to WA
Get to know Western Australia
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