Tourism Media founders, Nick and Matt, love nothing better than hanging a ‘Gone Shootin!’ sign on their office door and hitting the wilds for a week, just like the ol’ days when they did everything themselves, from filming to cleaning the office kitchen (which didn’t happen all that often!).
The boys recently spent a week in Australia’s acclaimed Margaret River region, capturing stills and video footage for our latest destination guide. Over the years, they’ve learnt that the goodwill and cooperation from local tourism authorities and enterprises can add much to the shooting experience. Nick and Matt’s Margaret River experience was no exception. “We were blown away by the kindness and hospitality we were met with in Margs,” said Matt. Particularly memorable was the day spent filming at the region’s oldest winery, Vasse Felix, and a morning out on the waters with whale watching outfit, Naturaliste Charters.
After receiving a grand tour of the vineyards, barrel and tasting rooms of Vasse Felix, Nick and Matt were ushered into the winery’s restaurant where they were fed to within an inch of their lives by 2015 West Australian Chef of the Year, Aaron Carr. “The wines, food and hospitality were out of this world,” mused Matt, “but at the end of the day we could barely move!”
The next day the boys took to the high seas with Naturaliste Charters. Not only did the fellas get to film humpback whales and dolphins, they were also treated to the rare opportunity to see the largest living creature on the planet, the blue whale. Throughout the day, Skipper Mal, regaled the boys non-stop with salty stories and Margaret River folklore. “Blokes like that”, Nick later reflected, “are as rare and as special as the blue whale we experienced that day.”
So to the good folk at Vasse Felix and Naturaliste Charters, and indeed to all those passionate and dedicated souls we encounter all over the world, we say, thank you. Thank you for truly appreciating Tourism Media’s mission, and for making our work even more of a joy than it already is!
