Get ready to celebrate Augusta Tourism Week
Locals and visitors are invited to celebrate Augusta Tourism Week, which coincides with International Lighthouse Weekend.
Augusta Tourism Week, which runs from 11 – 17 August, is an initiative of the Augusta Margaret River Tourism Association, staged for the first time to celebrate Augusta’s important contribution to the Margaret River Region as a world-class tourism destination.
Augusta, located 50km south of Margaret River, is a charming town perched on the banks of the beautiful Blackwood River – a thriving waterway filled with dolphins, fish and bird life.
The Augusta area is also home to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse – the tallest on mainland Australia, located at the point where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet, and Jewel Cave – the largest show cave in Western Australia.
Augusta Tourism Week has been scheduled to coincide with the eleventh International Lighthouse Weekend on 16-17 August, which is held annually across the globe to celebrate the importance of lighthouses and promote our maritime heritage.
To mark International Lighthouse Weekend, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority is encouraging Australians to visit their local lighthouse.
Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse will be open all weekend, and visitors are encouraged to head down and check out the new audio tours of the lighthouse precinct.
Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse Supervisor and onsite caretaker Paul Sofilas said International Lighthouse Weekend was a great reason to visit the lighthouse.
“We’re encouraging everybody, locals and visitors alike, to join us in celebrating the significant role Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse plays for maritime safety, and for tourism in the region,” said Mr Sofilas.
“Cape Leeuwin is a spectacular vantage point – it was just recently named in the world’s top three ocean views by National Geographic!” he said.
“We’ll have local radio station 2 Oceans FM broadcasting from the lighthouse grounds, plus for the ninth consecutive year, a team of amateur radio enthusiasts will be operating out of the lighthouse precinct; communicating with other lighthouses around the world,” said Mr Sofilas.
“The station will be on air from 9am Saturday and will operate throughout the weekend. Visitors are welcome to come past and have a look and even have a go on the two-way radio,” he advised.
In past years the station has communicated with lighthouses all across Australia, NZ, Asia, Europe and beyond, and similar results are hoped for this year.
Augusta Tourism Week is also being marked by the official opening of the newly refurbished Augusta Visitor Centre on Friday 15th August at 5pm.
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