All roads lead to South-West events
Thousands of visitors are expected to flock to the South-West over the next week for three exciting events - the Great Escapade WA bike ride, the Drug Aware Pro surfing competition and the Quit Forest Rally.

Tourism Minister Liz Constable said she hoped the events would provide the impetus for Western Australians to take a break and spend some relaxing time in the region.

“The South-West and its surrounds are world-class, with inviting beaches, a spectacular coastline, award-winning wineries, gourmet eateries and stylish accommodation,” Dr Constable said.

“These three events over the next week are the perfect excuse to take a short holiday in the South-West.”

The first event begins tomorrow with the Great Escapade WA, a cycling tour that takes participants through the towns of Busselton, Bunbury, Donnybrook, Bridgetown, Manjimup, Pemberton, Nannup and Augusta, before returning to Margaret River nine days later.

Nearly 1,500 interstate and international participants and about 750 Western Australians will cycle through the region, enjoying the scenery and sampling the offerings along the way.

The second event is the Drug Aware Pro Margaret River surfing competition, which runs from March 30 to April 5.

The Minister said the event had attracted some of the world’s leading surfers, including Mark Occhilupo, Jake Paterson and Leanne Curren.

“The pro is one of the most prestigious World Qualifying Surfing events in the world and one of Australia’s top tournaments on the Association of Surfing Professionals world tour calendar,” she said.

“We expect 128 men and 60 women from more than 20 countries to be competing in the event for an increased prize pool of $270,000.

“The event is a wonderful way to showcase Margaret River through the worldwide media attention it will attract. The international television broadcast will be shown in more than 48 countries and streamed live on the internet to millions of viewers.”

The third event is the Quit Forest Rally, which will be held from April 3-5. Drivers will visit Busselton and Nannup as part of this round of the Australian Rally Championship.