TV series shows off region

A bird's eye view of the region will be showcased to British television viewers, following a visit by well-known adventure presenter Ben Fogle.

Picture by Becky Felstead: Ben Fogle

The crew from the BBC were in town last week as part of a new series, A Year of Adventure, in which Fogle took his first solo skydive with Southern Skydivers in Busselton.

Fogle told the Times it was his first visit to WA and Busselton.

“I thought the area was beautiful and the people all incredibly friendly; everyone went out of their way to help us with our filming,” he said.

Fogle said the dive was one of the most remarkable experiences of the series so far.

“It was my first experience of a solo skydive and, quite frankly, I was terrified, but Southern Skydivers put me at ease,” he said.

“Of course, what made the jump even more memorable was the incredible landscape all around.

“It was quite something to see the Indian Ocean from two miles high.”

Southern Skydivers owner Glen Stutt said he was thrilled to have been picked from the field of four skydiving businesses across WA to appear on the series.

“Ben was a really nice guy (and) did a really good job with his jump,” he said.

Mr Stutt believed the region would benefit from the television exposure as a lot of the footage filmed from the aircraft before the jump showed off the jetty and coastline.

“They came here specifically for the skydive, but the region also benefited as a by-product,” he said.

Geographe Bay Tourism Association chief executive Matt Walker said the association had approached Tourism WA’s UK office to recommend adventure-based activities that could be filmed in the region.

“There is a huge number of people from the UK who aspire to visit WA and television programs such as this one help to reinforce the idea of taking that once-in-a-lifetime holiday here,” Mr Walker said.

“Showcasing our destination’s spectacular scenery and some of the more exciting ways to experience it will hopefully convert that intention to action.”

Fogle also took part in Sunday’s Anaconda race in Augusta.