western australian tourism ad

'Walking on a Dream' the slogan for WA's latest international tourism advertising campaign

"Walking on a Dream" will be the catchphrase for selling tourism in WA for at least the next five years after the state launched a new $15 million global campaign.

Key points:

• The new campaign will see adverts shown in 11 countries and interstate
• WA is trying to rebuild its tourism industry after a tough two years
• Musician Luke Steele says it is an "honour" to promote his home state

The 2008 hit song Walking on a Dream by WA's Empire of the Sun has been reimagined for the campaign, which will run interstate and in 11 different countries.

West Australian-born Luke Steele, who is one half of the electro-pop duo, recorded a stripped-back cover of Walking on a Dream with his daughter Sonny and the Gondwana children's choir.

At the centre of selling WA's new "brand" are a series of video advertisements which will run on TV and online, showcasing dramatic landscapes up and down the state.

They also feature the dancing of two West Australian Aboriginal performers, Rika Hamaguchi and Ian Wilkes.

The advertisements, which will first air on the east coast from tomorrow before being launched overseas, include a one-minute video covering multiple locations.

There are also four 30-second clips focusing on individual WA locations — the Kimberley, Ningaloo Reef, the Margaret River region and Perth.

The adverts will also run widely on outdoor billboards, online and on social media.

A WA crew shot the videos on location and the creative direction came from The Brand Agency, based in Perth.

The international markets that will be targeted include the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, USA, India, Hong Kong, Japan, and China.

The campaign was launched at a breakfast for hundreds of people under a giant blue whale skeleton inside Perth Museum Boola Bardip.

Tourism Minister Roger Cook told the crowd the campaign reflected Aboriginal culture being the "beating heart of WA's tourism strategy".

"Eighty per cent of international tourists come here wanting an Aboriginal cultural experience, less than 20 per cent leave having actually had that experience," he said.

"We're changing this, [with] the new tourism campaign guided through close consultation with WA's Aboriginal community leaders and the community at large."

Minister sets lofty goals

Mr Cook said tourism had never been more competitive and the Walking on a Dream campaign would keep WA in the fight.

"The past few years have been unlike anything the tourism sector and the world have ever experienced. International tourism stopped completely," he said.

"Every country, every state is trying to rebuild and refresh their tourism industry, everyone is competing for attention, it is the toughest and most competitive tourism market the world has ever seen.

"Western Australia offers tourism experiences that exist nowhere else in the world, but we can't expect people to find us by accident. We need to be bold, we need to be different, but above all we need to have a strong sense of identity."

While the government would not reveal any specific targets for visitor numbers or financial return it hoped the campaign would bring, Mr Cook did set a goal to double pre-COVID tourism business in WA by 2032.

"In the year before COVID, the total visitor spend contributed $13.5 billion dollars to our economy and provided 100,000 jobs," he said.

"We want to double that in the next decade."

The campaign will also run in WA, with the state hoping to hang on to some of the boosted intrastate travel that COVID and closed borders helped to foster.

"We want the campaign to be adopted with pride by locals, because it is a story about us, it's about the extraordinary place we are privileged to call home," Mr Cook said.

Tourism WA managing director Carolyn Turnbull said the campaign had been catered to the post-COVID era.

"Visitors are really seeking the wide-open spaces, and extremely beautiful experiential journeys that Western Australia offers so beautifully," she said.

"I do believe that Walking on a Dream is going to elevate Western Australia to the world in a highly cluttered and competitive marketplace that the world is facing right now.

"We want to be a bucket-list destination, we want to be seen as an awe-inspiring place to visit."

Steele gets 'keys to the city'

As is standard practice, the government declined to reveal how much Luke Steele had been paid for his music.

While the singer joked that "a couple of jet skis and the keys to the city" had got him over the line, he said it was an "honour" to promote his home state.

"This is where we wrote the song, this where I met my wife, where my kids were born, I mean what a great honour for this song to represent this great state," he said.

"Re-recording a song that's sold millions of records and had an impact on people around the world took a few revisions.

"The main thing we wanted to remember was not losing what is so great about this song in the first place, which is its simplicity, beauty, and power … the original has nothing in it, there's a keyboard, a guitar."

Premier Mark McGowan said the campaign had tried to differentiate WA from interstate competitors and he was confident the videos promoted a uniquely WA holiday.

"Well, it has Western Australia written on it, that's a pretty good sign that it's about Western Australia and the images are all Western Australia, and it'll direct people to our website, there's not much more you can do than that," he said.

"We are very focused on making sure that we differentiate ourselves from the experiences on the eastern states.

"These sorts of things build, and so running this campaign interstate and around the world builds awareness of Western Australia.

"And then you convert by sending people to your website, by tourism operators and travel agents promoting Western Australia, those sorts of things convert these campaigns into actual people coming here."

The Australian Hotels Association's Bradley Woods agreed the later, more specific stages of the campaign that were set to follow would be important.

"These ads form the basis of the brand, they're not the campaign to actually get people to book. That will come," he said.

"The next iteration of this campaign will be the 'travel now', 'book here', 'this is how you do it', 'here's the special', and that's the tactical campaign that will roll out.

"But the initial stage is the new branding, but the music that comes with that, the fantastic dreamlike essence that this campaign will deliver."

WA's image has a long way to go

Mr Woods said while there was no doubt  WA's image elsewhere had a long way to go in recovering from the impacts of COVID-19 and closed borders, progress was being made.

"The closed borders did have an impact on the state, there's no doubt about that," he said.

"As we know regional Western Australian tourism businesses did really well with people staying within the state.

"Metropolitan Perth, hospitality, and accommodation businesses were in a very difficult period but they're starting to recover now. We're seeing more conventions and events coming to the state."

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Wa premier defends state's 'world-class' hospital system, but admits it's under 'huge pressure'.

WA launches $4m campaign to pinch hospitality workers from NZ, interstate

WA may be open, but international travellers are still 'burnt' from the border backflip

• Rural Tourism
• State and Territory Government
• Tourism and Leisure Industry
• Travel and Tourism (Lifestyle and Leisure)

Tourism WA launches new brand campaign ‘Walking On A Dream’ via The Brand Agency

The Brand Agency has released a new campaign that promotes Western Australia to the world for Tourism WA. “Walking On A Dream” invites travellers to visit Western Australia to explore the awe-inspiring attributes that make Western Australia a wondrous, otherworldly, and dream-like place.

The Walking On A Dream brand will underpin Tourism WA’s marketing activities and campaigns into the future and was developed with the support of the WA Government’s $195 million Reconnect WA funding package. Media was handled by Initiative and the campaign is backed by WA based band Empire of the Sun’s hit “Walking on a Dream” and was directed by Clockwork Films’ Hans Emanuel Edwards.

Western Australia’s Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Roger Cook, said the ‘Walking On A Dream’ campaign has been developed in close consultation with WA’s Aboriginal tourism community.

“Walking On A Dream is inspired by WA’s unique Aboriginal culture in an artistic, authentic way, in line with the State Government’s Jina Plan objective to make WA the nation’s premier Aboriginal tourism destination. The past few years have been unlike anything the tourism sector, and the world, have ever experienced before – every country, every State is trying to rebuild and refresh their tourist industry, amid the toughest and most competitive tourism market the world has ever seen. This new campaign will ensure that WA stands out as one of the world’s most unique, memorable and most desirable places to visit, now and well into the future.”

Tourism WA Managing Director Carolyn Turnbull said the new Walking On A Dream creative would elevate the profile of Western Australia as a unique destination within a highly competitive global marketplace.

“Walking On A Dream was built upon the four destination-defining pillars of Time, Space, Connection and Freedom – themes we know are incredibly important to travellers,” said Turnbull. “Tourism WA’s new brand platform is underpinned by our overarching master brand objective, which is to provoke the spirit of adventure in every traveller.

“This brand platform explores our unique State in the form of a dream – it is a metaphor for the natural, deep connection to the landscapes, wildlife, coastline, people and culture, that is felt by those who come here. This new brand will ultimately help turbocharge visitor numbers to WA and provide a significant financial boost to the State’s economy.”

The Brand Agency Executive Creative Director Dean Hunt said: “The extreme competitiveness of the global tourism market, post global lockdown, inspired us to create something unique to Western Australia. Our Walking on a Dream creative is a modern representation of an animistic dream and a true showcase of otherworldly Western Australia, and Western Australian talent.”

Empire of the Sun’s Luke Steele, who has worked with band member Nick Littlemore to re-record their hit single ‘Walking On A Dream’ exclusively for the new brand launch. The re-recorded track features in the new television and digital advertising that will showcase Western Australia’s re-imagined international identity to entice even more travellers to visit ‘WA the Dream State’ – which has also become the State’s new social media hashtag.

“Working with Nick and Luke to create a bespoke version of their famous song was a unique and special experience,” said Hunt. “The melody, the lyrics and Luke’s ethereal voice capture perfectly what it feels like to explore Western Australia.”

Initiative Head of Client Services Steve Hare said the new brand leveraged the success of the previous interim Tourism WA campaign, Wander out Yonder.

“The new brand’s media continues to celebrate the Aboriginal-inspired creative to its maximum and live the strategy of ‘fewer, bigger, bolder.’ Using culturally impactful locations, investing in partnerships and supported by cross-platform activity and previous learnings, means the campaign and its effectiveness will have a significant impact on awareness of all Western Australia has to offer. We are proud to be part of that journey.”

The domestic launch of Tourism WA’s new brand will include television, online video, large format out-of-home, paid social, digital, press, and trade partner activity, all used at different parts of the conversion funnel.

VIEW THE WALKING ON A DREAM LAUNCH FILM VIEW THE KIMBERLEY FILM VIEW THE NINGALOO FILM VIEW THE MARGARET RIVER FILM VIEW THE PERTH BOORLOO FILM

Tourism WA Managing Director: Carolyn Turnbull A/Executive Director Marketing: Melissa Forbes Director Brand and Marketing: Angela Raso Brand and Marketing Manager: Luke Lenzarini

Agency: The Brand Agency Executive Creative Director: Dean Hunt Senior Art Director: Niall Stephen Senior Copywriter: Dan Debuf
 Head of Design: Dan Agostino Designers: Mindy Lee, Janice Law Strategy Director: Emily Colman
 Business Director: Brendon Lewis Account Director: Ruby Broun
 Senior Account Manager: Christina Tilenni Agency Producer: Rylie Bannan Production Companies: Clockwork Films & King Street Director: Hans Emanuel Edwards
 Executive Producer: Heath George (Clockwork)
 Executive Producer: Katie Trew (King Street)
 Producer/Locations: Claire Burton
 Locations Consultant: Mike Montague
 1st AD: Brad Holyoake
 Production Manager: Caeley Wesson
 Production Assistants: Rachel Hawkins & Alexandra Nell, Kate Separavich DoP: Liam Gilmore
 First AC: Austin Haigh
 2nd AC: Brianna Trinidad
 Trinity/Stedicam: Damien King
 Underwater Cinematographer: Rick Rifici
 Drone Pilot: Stefan Kraus
 Drone Camera Operator: Russel Morris
 Gaffer: Grant Wilson
 Best Boy: Alfie Rashid
 Grip: Greg McKie
 Wardrobe: Helen Fitzgerald & Marcia Ball
 H&MU: Kate Farmer and Nadia Duca Choreographer: Amrita Hepi
 Talent: Rika Hamaguchi & Ian Wilkes Stills Photographer: Mauro Palmieri, Ian Regnard Retoucher: Adam Hayes, Nicola Commons Post Production: UPP VFX Supervisor: Mario Dubec GFX animation: Tracey Kim Offline Editor: Giacomo Prestinari Music: Empire of the Sun
 Music Supervisor: Helena Czajka Sound Engineering: Universal Music Audio Post: Massive Music Media Agency: Initiative Head of Client Services, Steve Hare Associate Director: Molly Trumble Investment Executive: Emily Whyte Performance Manager: Agostina Scagliotti Addressable Manager: Julian Speller Strategy Director: Jessy Van Der Geest

75 Comments

Block Branding?

How is it possible that no one at the agency recognised this work is way to similar to the Karinyup stuff? Took me 30 seconds.

Tourism WA came home and reaped the rewards. Not a quokka cliche in sight.

I look forward to The Brand explaining this….

https://www.bestadsontv.com/ad/130139/Karrinyup-Shopping-Centre-WA-on-Stage

A Hollywood remake of an indie original. Love to hear Matso’s thoughts.

Haha what a strange pastiche. It works when you’re selling a fashion-centric shopping centre but not WA, for me.

Planning a trip to Karrinyup this weekend.

someone slap a karrinyup logo on that bad boy

I need to preclude this by saying that in all my years of working in the WA ad industry, I have never commented in this forum. But having been sent this ad yesterday by a colleague, I found myself with a lot to say about it.

Giving credit where it’s due, the campaign that Brand has created is stunning. It’s beautifully crafted, and a testament to their production team. I also know how long a campaign like this would have taken to create, so the team should be proud at what they’ve accomplished now it’s finally live. The creative and comms strategy is also great, so well done to Emily from Brand and also the Initiative Perth team for their work on this- you can see the effort that went into this. I’m sure it will do well on a global stage in achieving it’s objectives.

But let’s be honest, the concept they have devised is completely unoriginal. In fact, if you added a couple of stages and swapped out the logo for Karrinyup’s, you’d almost be mistaken in thinking that it’s the newest iteration of Block Branding’s highly successful and original ‘WA on Stage’ campaign that was released last year (albeit with a much bigger budget).

The resemblance is uncanny- both have almost the exact same concept- a male and female contemporary dancer, dancing in a dreamlike sequence through iconic and stunning WA locations to showcase the best in WA. Block obviously took this further by using this as a parallel to the best in WA being offered at Karrinyup and used the symbolism of the stages to bring to life the newly redeveloped brand platform, but you get the point. Both ads are pushing a destination brand (and yes, Karrinyup was positioned as a destination following it’s redevelopment not merely a shopping centre), the choreography is eerily similar (the touching of the hands in the opening?), the underwater sequence, the visual effects (the fruit?), the dancing through iconic WA locations….the only difference is the budget and the fact that Block created their campaign almost a year ago now.

Now if this ad had been created by Tourism WA’s East coast agency (which I admit when I first saw it on Youtube I had assumed was the case), then you could almost forgive them of this fact given Block’s Karrinyup campaign was WA-based, and those on the east coast may not have seen it. But it wasn’t. It was created by one of the powerhouse WA agencies. Karrinyup’s WA on Stage platform was one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) campaign to come out of WA in 2021, there was absolutely no way that the Brand team would not have seen it.

As I said before, I’m not taking away from the quality of the Tourism WA ad, nor is this post designed to create division as to which ad was better- they are both stunning pieces of work. But as a usual advocate of their work, I’m left simply feeling really disappointed in The Brand Agency in their decision create something so prominent that was obviously rooted in the original concept (whether intentionally or not) devised by another local Perth agency. Not something I would have expected to see.

Would love a side-by-side comparison of this and Block’s Karrinyup ad

I was about to jump onto this to leave some scathing yet witty remark about its similarity to the Karrinyup campaign. But I was clearly beaten to it. So all I’m going to say is when are we going to stop rolling out music and montage ads with the same old places? Kangaroo Island did it best. 100% New Zealand has an idea. The old Melbourne/Victoria ads actually made me want to go there, so I did for 6 years. It’s pretty safe to say this will not increase visitors in any significant way. So if we take the way Brand solved this – find a good song from a WA artist and use the lyric to create a strap line – my suggestion is from Tame Impala: Tourism WA – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards. Other suggestions are welcomed.

Was a single new thought deployed in coming up with this? You can imagine the sweaty creatives getting so deep in the navel gazing that resurrecting a single from a decade ago and introducing a flying whale shark (WTF) made sense. WA taxpayers fund yet another self-licking ice-cream. Fundamentally, you get no sense or feeling of what it means to visit WA – it is stale and lacks authenticity. The only upside for locals is that accomodation rates will not get any more expensive as this campaign will certainly not motivate a single person to visit.

Still waiting to see how WA Tourism tackles the negative rep WA has gained from 2 years with a hard boarder! What’s the actual number of people from East Coast coming to WA as a tourist? And no that doesn’t include visiting family. Isn’t it less than 0.05%?

Beautiful insight, beautiful track, beautiful craft. Love it! Everyone involved should be very proud.

I don’t believe anyone has the proprietary right to dancing, so I’m not sure what all the fuss is about. We should be celebrating a gorgeous WA campaign coming out of WA. This is a win for everyone.

P.s. where’s my credit?!

WA campaign coming out of WA? Lets examine how much of this came from out of town;

Director: Hans Emanuel Edwards
 Executive Producer: Heath George DoP: Liam Gilmore
 First AC: Austin Haigh Trinity/Stedicam: Damien King Wardrobe: Helen Fitzgerald Choreographer: Amrita Hepi Post Production: UPP VFX Supervisor: Mario Dubec GFX animation: Tracey Kim Offline Editor: Giacomo Prestinari Music Supervisor: Helena Czajka Sound Engineering: Universal Music Audio Post: Massive Music

A LOT of money going east and OS 


These comments are so Perth.

Before we get carried away. The idea that The Brand Agency team would blatantly copy another agency’s idea is quite ludicrous. Why would they do that knowing it will launch within the same market? It’s also worth noting that the Karrinyup spot, as good as it is, is not the first campaign to use a couple dancing to contemporary music and post-production: Burberry, Kenzo… there are many. It is okay to be inspired and influenced by genres, this is how trends with communication happen both locally and internationally. We’re better than this WA. Support the work being done by both of these powerhouse WA agencies. It’s good work.

I dont believe anyone is getting carried away. Im reading a lot of valid points. I agree, there’s nothing wrong with being influenced by a genre. But being influenced by something and producing a near identical execution is not the same thing. As soon as I watched the tourism ad I thought Karrinyup. Influenced or not, that’s not a good thing.

And it certainly isn’t original. Classical dancing doesn’t scream indigenous either, in fact, there’s really nothing First Nations about this piece at all. A missed opportunity to connect the unique culture of WA to the rest of the World I think. Hiring indigenous talent doesn’t cut it I’m afraid.

Speaking of significant financial boost to the State’s economy – why not use a WA-based Director & production company? Instead the money is spent flying in a Sydney director and his producers. Not to mention his work is primarily automotive…

Basically every Tourism cliche with a campaign line lifted from a music track. Trying to claim this has any link to WA’s First Nations culture is simply embarrassing.

Tough briefs boy, ignore this comments section and move on to the next brief.

The biggest shame of this campaign is that an east coast production company, and a director flown in all the way from Spain were used. With all the wonderful talent and production companies in WA, you’d think the Brand Agency and the client would understand the value in using WA talent in a job that is promoting WA. Come on Tourism WA, why not walk your talk and ensure that your suppliers are actually using WA creatives for a campaign about WA?! Not only would it contribute to WA’s creative industry and keep work in the state, it would no doubt be far more cost effective too than flying people in from all around the world. Madness!

WA jobs for WA people… remember? Apparently someone forgot… Eye watering amount of money leaving the state.

But most of those credits are WA locals…

Can someone please explain to me how whale sharks evolved to have wings? Maybe, if it stayed in the water this campaign would have made a bigger splash!

Yes it is ludicrous to suggest that the team at Brand sat down and deliberately ripped off Karrinyup. However, it’s equally ludicrous to try and mount the ‘genre’ defender when there are plainly great similarities. My guess is that someone – Minister? Client? – saw the Karrinyup spot and wanted some of that vibe in the TWA spot and inch by inch, through the production process, it got closer to it through no one’s individual fault. Just the system trying to please someone. And it moves from being influenced by Karrinyup (and the other spot you referenced) to being just a little too close to it for comfort.

Surprise surprise. The WA advertising industry bagging a WA tourism campaign. Rinse, wash, repeat. In the 25 years I’ve lived in Perth this type of attack towards a WA Tourism campaign has played out many times. Often the campaigns have been maligned on the back of being created by an eastern state agency. Now a campaign created by a Perth agency is in the firing line. Go figure. But I think we’ve missed the real gem in this release…what a credit list!

Wow! I wish I was part of this. Beautiful work. Unique, emotive and done out of WA. We all had a problem when the TWA work went east. Now they are using a WA agency and WA talent and we still find something to have a crack about. Are we ever happy?

Gosh there are some egos here to match the size of this great State. The concept of multiple discovery has been observed in arts, humanities and science for centuries. Why is it so frowned upon here? No one owns dancing as a distinctive asset.

Different target audiences and different markets means campaign results won’t be impacted by any perceived similarities in creative.

One is about a dream, one is about a performance. Hopefully for both agencies, these clients have committed to these ideas as long term platforms that will continue to grow and evolve and their strategic differences will become clear.

Where were the vfx and post done…. Czech Republic ??? Brand agency – please explain….

Man, WA’s Beef Industry is booming!

Was the post for this seriously done in the Czech Republic? Far out guys, this sums up the industry here. Agency’s bitch and moan when a client takes work east but then local agency’s are more than happy to screw over local production and post and then flaunt it right in their face. And for a tourism WA campaign mind you.

I’d like to see the brand campaign Rare came up with and produced over covid but got canned by Roger Cook. Word around production circles is it was a good campaign.

That b….. whale shark! AGAIN?

For a creature that doesn’t even ‘belong’ to WA, is potentially inaccessible to 99% of visitors (especially those that can’t swim) now has to fly?

And yes, its Karrinyup reimagined.

Experience Very Ordinary.

It’s frustrating that local prod companies are required to spend hours and hours if not days completing complex and convoluted tender documents to be added to the yearly list of Tourism WA approved production suppliers yet in the end, they don’t get used??

Honestly.. If you take out the:

– The contemporary dancing couple – The intimate hand touching moment at the beach – The scenes running through the vineyards and the sand dunes – The EXACT fruit used for the VX in the vineyards – The near identical underwater scene

… It’s actually nothing like the Karrinyup masterpiece tbh

About as original as a Balinese DVD store

I went back and checked – the Karrinyup contains no vineyards. It is clearly an orchard. I rest my case.

And there’s clearly a pomegranate in the Karrinyup spot. Grapes in the TWA spot. Plenty of ads use fruit. Completely different.

Can some please explain to me how tax payers dollars are funnelled through a production company owned by the agency. Isn’t this an inherent conflict and severely disadvantages the other independent production companies bidding on this work. Seriously, can someone please answer this?

People say it’s easy to bag out tourism WA on Campaign Brief but my god they make it easy with campaigns like this. Not only is it an almost identical campaign to Karrinyup but it doesn’t even make WA look appealing. I know that the target audience most likely will have never seen the Karrinyup campaign but seriously it’s just an excuse to use a whole bunch of crew that aren’t even from WA and spend a ridiculous amount of cash creating something that is totally unoriginal but even worse than that, doesn’t even sell WA. This could honestly be advertising anywhere in the world. The advertising industry in WA as well as the tourism industry is in a very sad way right now.

It’s a beautiful ad, with a beautiful sound track. Well done to everyone involved.

Would the general public ever think this is a copy of the Karringyup ad? Probably not.

Lets be proud of WA talent and showcasing our beautiful state 🙂

Yeah, but… “to entice even more travellers to visit ‘WA the Dream State’ – which has also become the State’s new social media hashtag.”

Are we going to ignore that Lotterywest has owned the ‘Dream State’ positioning and hashtag for the past few years?

This work isn’t anywhere near the quality of thinking behind Tasmania, and it needed to be. We bitch that the big accounts are sent East but then produce stuff like this, which just proves to the industry that WA advertising isn’t in the same league. This was an important job for all agencies in Perth.

The majority of this thread is a reflection of everything wrong with the WA marketing industry. A creative “community” plagued by ego, jealousy, sniping, insecurity and toxicity. I’d be embarrassed for colleagues interstate and overseas to see this. Time to grow up, Perth.

It’s beautiful guys, and I reckon it’ll work. Esp. love the song choice. Well done.

“This commentary is embarrassing”

Maybe keep the jobs in the state then… No reason why it couldn’t have been done here…

It’s undeniably beautiful but why would I actually holiday here?

Tough brief, it’s always an account with a lot of vested interest from blog posters! Take everything on here with a grain of salt, is there some truth to some of the comments, probably. Is it beast of a brief that you have created a visually beautiful spot for, sure is. Is it a politically charged minefield that you’ve successfully navigated, 100%. A lot went into this from some genuinely good people, if you don’t feel it hit the mark, consider how you express that, because there are real people behind this job with real emotions. Big effort team, congrats on launching something beautiful.

I know it must be hard at The Brand reading this, but there are a very good points raised here. And I’d love to learn more about this place where the marketing industry is mature and egoless and without jealousy – have you worked in any other markets?

The quality post houses we have in WA: -Siamese -Last Pixel -Double Barrel -Boogie Monster -Frame VR -Whats This? Studio  -Sandbox  -Head Office Studio  Not to mention the great freelancers like Tim Harris…

The post house Brand Agency used: -UPP, Prague, Czech Republic

We are all so lucky to be surrounded by such a wonderful and supportive industry. It’s so great that we can really get behind incredible work that really puts WA on the map, a global campaign, showcasing incredible local talent, a campaign with Aboriginal culture at its core…. But hey, a girl can dream.

Before the production or after? Selling in a piece that you know will move the needle and isn’t what the client has asked for, is painful. But it’s no where near the pain you’ll experience after you’ve made a stinker. That pain lasts a lot longer and is so much more intense.

I spent many years in tourism before joining MF & always found that dealing with the WA Tourism hierarchy was like trying to light a fire with a wet box of matches. Roger Cook said in his press conference that the Ad was about reinforcing the WA Brand & they were relying on their web site to convert interest into activity. I googled “WA Tourism” today & was directed to a site promoting AP tours to New Zealand & the east coast of Aust. Once again it won’t matter whether the ad works or not, the execution by our WA Tourism Commission will let us down.

Sure the local production industry should be supportive of using taxes to pay a Brazilian director $100k+ through a Sydney production company in a ‘joint production’ with the agency-owned ‘local’ production company with all key production talent being flown in (hell, it took a choreographer from QLD to redo the Karrinyup dance) and to post it in Europe. Yeah let’s all get behind it because a WPP agency did the creative. At least they have the good manners to be ‘influenced’ by a fully local production.

The one word to take from any tourism brief on Western Australia is UNIQUE. That direction or clue if you like is entirely missing from here. There’s a trap in letting the “yartz” take over the strategy unless of course ballet oficianados are your target audience. And if all the research tells you a major part of the UNIQUE appeal of WA is our Aboriginal and Noongah heritage why impose European/American dance forms into the communication when there is nothing more striking than a full on corroboree.

I get it, I’ve worked with WA government before and yes I know they can be an absolute nightmare of a client. I know there are real people behind this with real feelings that we need to be mindful of and of course I know it’s easy for people to just think everyone here is having a go due to jealousy or egos or whatever but if this campaign flops and the Tourism WA account and others like it are taken to an east coast agency then we all lose.

There is a fundamental issue with the industry here in Perth which must be addressed and it’s on display in this campaign. It’s not good enough anymore to just create beautiful pictures, anyone can do that. It’s not good enough to use international crew for so much of the work, it shows an incredible amount of arrogance and ignorance and I see absolutely nothing here that couldn’t have been done using local crew and artists. I know an incredible amount of work must have gone into this which makes it all the more frustrating that it’s fallen so flat. It’s unoriginal, uninspiring and ineffective. Between taking the visual style and concept from Karrinyup and pairing it with Lotterywest’s slogan of The Dream State, I really wonder what went through the creative’s heads.

These comments may be difficult to read but they are not wrong. We need a big wake up call and hopefully this is the start of turning this ship around. If we are ever going to grow and improve as an industry we need to do better.

@This commentary is embarrassing Really? I have read through all of these comments several times and I find them informative, (mostly) constructive, certainly interesting and sadly, hard to disagree with. It’s certainly not as you say “a reflection of everything wrong with the WA marketing industry”. Very valid points. Very valid discussion. Also fair enough for our production industry to question the support the WA government gives them as soon as there’s an (ego) budget involved that must require a Spanish director because no one in WA, or even Australia can handle this job. We all know the long term “Walking On A Dream” branding will last as long as Roger Cook is the minister. How long did “Wander out yonder” last?

But I finally figured out where I’d seen this case study video. Thanks to The Work. Bravo Karrinyup. Bravo all involved.

https://thework.awardsplatform.com/gallery/JkpobOKY/rbdRDQzd?search=b027e284a44820c4-43

And to whoever Sad But True is, 8 minute standing ovation from this old film guy. Bloody well put.

@ Sadbuttrue Yep, many of the comments have valid points and setting a higher benchmark is important; I’d suggest the way to go about that isn’t 56 unattributed comments in a blog feed. While there are a few balanced and reasonable points here, there are also a lot of cheap shots and unnecessary snideness. Like I said, if you don’t think it hit the mark, consider how you express that, and let’s try putting the substance we value in our work into our comments as well.

How can an agency expect a supportive response from an industry they rarely show support back to? Let’s take production in house, fly in a director and HOD’s from overseas and interstate, send VFX to Europe and audio post elsewhere but then wonder why we get an ice cold response from the local industry who’s taxes helped pay for the production? Is this really that hard to comprehend?

Dude, your compassion is commendable, but misguided. The hard working folk at The Brand Agency are the perpetrators not the victims here. We can argue over the intentionality of it, but they ‘borrowed’ the work of others without acknowledgement. Then add insult by rolling out the old genre excuse instead of owning their f-up. It is a small production and post community here and we are sick and tired of endlessly quoting and having to kua tua to your TBA-WT beast to get work only to see GOVERNMENT projects go to, not to our local competition, but to your own production company and east or overseas. Hell, during lockdown you somehow managed to convince the same government that a director from the east was so important that they should be able to cross the hard border to shoot a spot telling us the government was going to be doing lots of roadworks and that we need to be patient. Tim, you are a nice guy, but you work for an organisation whose economic influence over the local industry is not healthy. Tim, to paraphrase you, there are real people, real livelihoods being destroyed by this behaviour. Did you really think that this anger is about this one Tourism campaign? Take you TBA-WT corporate hat off and go back and read the ‘snarky’ comments again from the point of view of someone trying to keep a production company they have built and love from going under. From someone trying to make payroll.

Have a little think about why the comments are unattributed.

Matt Eastwood recently posted a pic of him with some of Perth’s legends in the day. He attributed his interest in advertising and {possibly success} to what the Perth adverting family brought him at the time. Let’s be nice. It’s in our nature.

1. The unintentional comparisons to an earlier brand spot are unfortunate, but worthy of a chuckle at best. No vitriol necessary – especially to a couple of creatives who are just trying to get through what was undoubtedly a tough process.

2. The fact that the Karrinyup spot was entirely (and intentionally, to fulfil the promise of ‘WA on Stage’) produced by a Western Australian crew, director, post and VFX etc, and this ad (for one of our biggest taxpayer-funded government accounts) wasn’t, is not ideal.

3. Considering that the biggest reason agencies or clients give for not supporting local production is that ‘we couldn’t do it here’ and this comparison, as coincidental as it might be, demonstrates clearly that this is not the case, deserves a conversation. You really couldn’t ask for a better case study of the problem.

4. It is up to the client, especially a government client, to establish the rules of procurement when producing ads. It’s not Brand’s responsibility to ‘buy local’ as a supplier if that’s not their business plan – but it should be government policy when ‘buy local’ applies to every other part of the government supply chain. When ‘buying local’ can be interpreted as ‘use a local network agency’s internal production company to outsource to a non-WA (or non-Australian) crew’, we have a major problem with the robustness of the procurement system. Again, not really Brand’s problem.

Josh, sorry, but it IS ‘Brand’s responsibility to ‘buy local’’ when spending WA taxes. It is just a moral responsibility not necessarily a legal one. Everyone understands the intent of the ‘Buy Local’ policy is obviously to buy local wherever whenever possible. To do otherwise then would be irresponsible. That is self-evident.

Further, I doubt an agency would use a wholly-owned production company to deliberately circumvent their clients’ (ie the State Government of Western Australia’s) Buy Local procurement policy by concealing the true supplier from those running the procurement process. No agency would do that, surely.

It’s amazing how, for so many years, the Perth industry has been crying out for clients to return home to WA. I think the sentiment around these comments is nothing short of sad. We should be celebrating local work, especially a global campaign to come out of this town. Well done on a brave client having the faith in a Perth agency to provide a world class production and huge ups to the Brand for bringing it home.

Big budgets don’t make tried and tested concepts good. Karrinyup and Tourism included.

‘Dancing montage’ shouldn’t really get to the client.

The dancing people script was in the first round and was high-fived by everyone. This wasn’t forced on the agency by the client. It was sold in. People here can draw their own conclusions based on this fact.

There are a lot of unfair comments but saying you were in the room and doing it under a pseudonym is up there.

I don’t think this is an issue of the majority of the industry not supporting local work-we WANT campaigns like these to succeed because it benefits the entire local industry at the end of the day and shows the talent we have in our state.

Regardless of whether you like the spot, if this had been an entirely original and locally produced campaign I’d wager the comments above would be singing a different tune.

The issue is that the campaign was so heavily ‘influenced’ by Karrinyup (and Lotterywest it seems) that it borders of being perceived as being part of the same campaign. And it isn’t supporting local talent if half of the production and post is not being done locally-that’s the simple truth of it.

I love what we do, but if agencies want the local industry to support its work, they need to show the same support towards the WA industry by utilising the immense talent we have here and not pushing ideas into client that another local agency has achieved success with.

@Off the hook then: I’ve put my name, face and career on the line (and the television) many times in recent years to make this exact point. Between Revive WA, PADC and IN:WA, this message has been made publicly and often. So don’t worry, I know full well what is *supposed* to happen. However, from endless conversations with Government, agency and client stakeholders (which I got off my own arse to have), the answer is not going to come from agencies – particularly not network agencies. The reasons are numerous, predictable and slightly depressing. It’s much simpler, fairer and more responsible for the clients to take a proactive interest in how and where their work is being created – the same way they have a supply chain policy for every other part of their business. If agencies choose to take an active interest in a ‘Buy Local’ policy and use it to build brand differentiation and grow their business, all the better.

Great discussion about the importance of supporting local industry. Just leaving this link here for anyone who is interested enough to become members: https://www.in-wa.com.au/ . IN:WA advocates for the importance of the local, independent sector and the benefits of having a thriving and diverse market.

Why didn’t the whistleblower put their name? There might be a few examples of ‘unfairness’ here, but that’s not one Lachy. It’s an important insight from someone who’d like to keep their job. We can’t always blame the client for uninspired, familiar creative. Yes, it’s a tough brief, with multiple stakeholders, but this could have been so much better. Sure it’s beautifully crafted, but dancing, in this context, is not enough of a concept to say anything meaningful.

I saw this the other day… great work.

Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

Name or pseudonym (required)

Email (optional)

Website (optional)

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

GET THE CB DAILY BULLETIN

Register for Free and receive the Campaign Brief Daily Bulletin. Type your email address in the space below.

GOLD SPONSORS

• Azerbaijani
• Chinese (Simplified)
• Chinese (Traditional)
• Haitian Creole
• Kinyarwanda
• Kurdish (Kurmanji)
• Kurdish (Soranî)
• Odia (Oriya)
• Scots Gaelic

Daniel Ricciardo promoting WA road trips with global campaign

• F1 star fronts new tourism campaign promoting Western Australian road trips
• Drive the Dream features the Grand Prix winner's journey with his best mate from Perth to Exmouth along the Coral Coast Highway
• Campaign to inspire and attract interstate and international visitors to take a Western Australian road trip of their own
• Complements the State's global tourism brand Walking on a Dream

Western Australia will be showcased as the ultimate destination for road trips in a new global tourism campaign led by famous Western Australian and Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo.

The Drive the Dream campaign invites travellers to explore Western Australia as the ultimate destination for a self-drive holiday, and follows Ricciardo and his best mate Blake on their roadtrip from Perth to Exmouth along the Coral Coast Highway.

The pair enjoy a number of iconic Western Australian tourism experiences, including swimming with whale sharks, catching and cooking fish as part of an Aboriginal cultural experience and camping out at Bullara Station.

The campaign will be rolled out over the next 12 months across Australia and the State's key international markets, including Europe, the UK, South East Asia and Japan, aiming to attract visitors to WA and inspire them to take their own road trip.

Drive the Dream will also include partnerships with Qantas, Trip.com and Expedia, to encourage travel bookings to Western Australia.

The campaign is a follow up to last year's launch of WA's global tourism brand Walking on a Dream, and was supported by an all-Western Australian crew to bring it to life.

Find out more about 'Drive the Dream' at www.westernaustralia.com/roadtrips .

Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:

"Western Australia is a spectacular tourism destination, brimming with stunning landscapes best explored from behind the wheel.

"Drive the Dream is the latest instalment of the Walking on a Dream campaign, to further entice travellers to experience our State via the open road.

"Daniel Ricciardo is the perfect talent to front this campaign, as a proud Western Australian and global Formula 1 superstar, to help draw thousands of out-of-State visitors to WA to explore the one-of-a-kind adventures on offer – creating local jobs and supporting local business right across the State."

Comments attributed to Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:

"WA has incredible, vibrant communities and destinations across the State which are just waiting to be explored by travellers from far and wide.

"It seems only fitting that such an iconic road trip is experienced and showcased to the world by proud Western Australian and Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, and we're thrilled to have his support to encourage people from around the world to experience what WA has to offer.

"'We can't wait to welcome travellers to our beautiful State as a result of this campaign, which will support local businesses and boost our local tourism and hospitality industries."

Hon. Roger Cook

Hon. Rita Saffioti

Acknowledgement of country.

The Government of Western Australia acknowledges the traditional custodians throughout Western Australia and their continuing connection to the land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all members of the Aboriginal communities and their cultures; and to Elders both past and present.

6PR - Perth's Best Talk Station

• 6PR – Perth’s favourite news and talk station
• Australia Overnight
• The Camping & Off Road Radio Show
• 6PR Breakfast
• 6PR Mornings
• Perth Live with Oliver Peterson
• Healthy Living – April 21st
• The House of Wellness – Full Show Sunday April 21 2024
• Life and Technology – Saturday April 20 2024
• Money News with Deborah Knight – 18th April
• Money News with Deborah Knight – 17th April
• Money News with Deborah Knight – 16th April
• Word on the Street
• Perth’s Cash Drop with 6PR & Tipping Point
• 6PR’s Walk Club
• 6PR Supports
• Advertise with us

Thanks for logging in.

You can now click/tap WATCH to start the live stream.

You can now click/tap LISTEN to start the live stream.

You can now click/tap LATEST NEWS to start the live stream.

Latest News

Create a 6PR account today!

You can now log in once to listen live, watch live, join competitions, enjoy exclusive 6PR content and other benefits.

Joining is free and easy.

You will soon need to register to keep streaming 6PR online. Register an account or skip for now to do it later.

Find out more about registration.

• WATCH: New $15m WA tourism..

WATCH: New $15m WA tourism campaign TV ad released

Roger Cook joined Oliver Peterson in the studio to take listeners’ calls and explain the messaging behind the WA government’s brand new tourism campaign.

Speaking on  Perth Live , the Tourism Minister said they are “looking for really iconic experiences and unique opportunities to really get out there in our pristine wilderness.”

“And that’s what Western Australia has.”

Tap PLAY to hear the full interview with Roger Cook.

Here’s your first glimpse at the 60-second advertisement the McGowan government hopes will inspire global tourists to Western Australia.

The $15 million ‘Walking On A Dream’ campaign launched today features two WA-born Aboriginal performers, Rika Hamaguchi and Ian Wilkes, and a recreated hit song from global superstars Empire Of The Sun, led by WA-raised frontman Luke Steele.

The intrastate, interstate and international campaign will underpin Tourism WA’s marketing activities for at least the next five years, with shorter 30-second videos highlighting unique WA destinations like Ningaloo Reef, Margaret River and the Bungle Bungle Range.

Tap PLAY below to hear the rumour of Luke Steele’s involvement confirmed on Breakfast  

Cookie and privacy notice

We use cookies in order to personalise your experience and improve our services. See our privacy policy for more information.

• Macquarie Sports Radio

• Skip to content
• Skip to main navigation
• Mumbrella Pro
• Market Review
• Other Industry Events
• About Mumbrella
• Freelance Directory
• Business Directory

Tourism WA launches global tourism campaign via The Brand Agency & Initiative

The WA Government, through Tourism WA, has teamed up with Perth-based creative organisation The Brand Agency and media agency, Initiative, to launch WA’s new global tourism brand ‘Walking On A Dream’.

The announcement:

Walking On A Dream invites travellers to visit Western Australia to explore the awe-inspiring attributes that make the State a wondrous, otherworldly, and dream-like place. Tourism WA is the WA Government agency charged with promoting Western Australia as an incredible holiday and events destination. The Walking On A Dream brand will underpin Tourism WA’s marketing activities and campaigns into the future and was developed with the support of the WA Government’s $195 million Reconnect WA funding package. Western Australia’s Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Roger Cook, said the ‘Walking On A Dream’ campaign has been developed in close consultation with WA’s Aboriginal tourism community. “Walking On A Dream is inspired by WA’s unique Aboriginal culture in an artistic, authentic way, in line with the State Government’s Jina Plan objective to make WA the nation’s premier Aboriginal tourism destination. “The past few years have been unlike anything the tourism sector, and the world, have ever experienced before – every country, every State is trying to rebuild and refresh their tourist industry, amid the toughest and most competitive tourism market the world has ever seen. “This new campaign will ensure that WA stands out as one of the world’s most unique, memorable and most desirable places to visit, now and well into the future.” Tourism WA managing director Carolyn Turnbull said the new Walking On A Dream creative would elevate the profile of Western Australia as a unique destination within a highly competitive global marketplace. “Walking On A Dream was built upon the four destination-defining pillars of Time, Space, Connection and Freedom – themes we know are incredibly important to travellers,” said Ms Turnbull. “Tourism WA’s new brand platform is underpinned by our overarching master brand objective, which is to provoke the spirit of adventure in every traveller. “This brand platform explores our unique State in the form of a dream – it is a metaphor for the natural, deep connection to the landscapes, wildlife, coastline, people and culture, that is felt by those who come here. “This new brand will ultimately help turbocharge visitor numbers to WA and provide a significant financial boost to the State’s economy.” Assets were shot on location with a Western Australian-led film crew, with the creative concept developed by The Brand Agency. The Brand Agency executive creative director Dean Hunt said, “The extreme competitiveness of the global tourism market, post global lockdown, inspired us to create something unique to Western Australia. Our Walking on a Dream creative is a modern representation of an animistic dream and a true showcase of otherworldly Western Australia, and Western Australian talent.” The new brand is backed by Australian electronic superstar act Empire of the Sun, led by WAraised frontman Luke Steele, who has worked with band member Nick Littlemore to re-record their hit single ‘Walking On A Dream’ exclusively for the new brand launch. The re-recorded track features in the new television and digital advertising that will showcase Western Australia’s re-imagined international identity to entice even more travellers to visit ‘WA the Dream State’ – which has also become the State’s new social media hashtag. “Working with Nick and Luke to create a bespoke version of their famous song was a unique and special experience,” said Mr Hunt. “The melody, the lyrics and Luke’s ethereal voice capture perfectly what it feels like to explore Western Australia.” Initiative head of client services Steve Hare said the new brand leveraged the success of the previous interim Tourism WA campaign, Wander out Yonder. “Initiative is proud to partner with Tourism WA to globally launch ‘Walking On A Dream’, which celebrates Western Australia’s otherworldly experiences,” said Mr Hare. “The new brand’s media continues to celebrate the Aboriginal-inspired creative to its maximum and live the strategy of ‘fewer, bigger, bolder.’ “Using culturally impactful locations, investing in partnerships and supported by cross-platform activity and previous learnings, means the campaign and its effectiveness will have a significant impact on awareness of all Western Australia has to offer. We are proud to be part of that journey.” The domestic launch of Tourism WA’s new brand will include television, online video, large format out-of-home, paid social, digital, press, and trade partner activity, all used at different parts of the conversion funnel. Credits Tourism WA Managing Director Carolyn Turnbull A/Executive Director Marketing, Melissa Forbes Director Brand and Marketing, Angela Raso Brand and Marketing Manager, Luke Lenzarini Creative Agency, The Brand Agency Executive Creative Director, Dean Hunt Senior Art Director, Niall Stephens Senior Copywriter, Dan Debuf Head of Design, Dan Agostino Designers, Mindy Lee, Janice Law Strategy Director, Emily Colman Business Director, Brendon Lewis Account Director, Ruby Broun Senior Account Manager, Christina Tilenni Agency Producer, Rylie Bannan Production Company, Clockwork Films & King Street Director, Hans Emanual Edwards Executive Producer, Heath George (Clockwork) Executive Producer, Katie Trew (King Street) Producer / Locations, Claire Burton Locations Consultant, Mike Montague 1st AD Brad Holyoake Production Manager, Caeley Wesson Production Assistant, Rachel Hawkins & Alexandra Nell, Kate Separavich DoP, Liam Gilmore First AC, Austin Haigh 2nd AC: Brianna Trinidad Trinity / Stedicam, Damien King Underwater Cinematographer, Rick Rifici Drone Pilot, Stefan Kraus Drone Camera Operator Russel Morris Gaffer, Grant Wilson Best Boy, Alfie Rashid Grip, Greg McKie Wardrobe, Helen Fitzgerald & Marcia Ball H&MU Kate Farmer and Nadia Duca Choreographer, Amrita Hepi Talent, Rika Hamaguchi & Ian Wilkes Stills Photographer, Mauro Palmieri, Ian Regnard Retoucher, Adam Hayes, Nicola Commons Postproduction, UPP VFX Supervisor, Mario Dubec GFX animation Tracey Kim Offline Editor Giacomo Prestinari Music, Empire of the Sun Music Supervisor, Helena Czajka Sound Engineering, Universal Music Audio Post, Massive Music Media Agency, Initiative Head of Client Services, Steve Hare Associate Director, Molly Trumble Investment Executive, Emily Whyte Performance Manager, Agostina Scagliotti Addressable Manager, Julian Speller Strategy Director, Jessy Van Der Geest Source: Tourism WA

Comments are closed.

The Weekend Mumbo: Dig up, Seven! How did it all go so wrong for the TV giant?

‘no one else understands what happened at that time’: tim ross dismisses reported bad blood with former radio partner merrick watts, dynamic duos: 'from day one we developed a mutual respect', ufc 300 showed why promotion is ‘on track for another record-breaking year in australia’, 'australians deserve the full picture': calls for kelloggs, pepsi, nestlé to front aussie senate into supermarket mark-ups, get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox., sign up to the free mumbrella newsletter now..

This website uses cookies for proper functioning and enhancing the user experience. By clicking 'Accept' on this banner or using our site you accept our use of cookies. You can also 'Read More' to view our Cookie Policy and learn how to control them. Read More

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.

The West Australian

• Breaking News
• Western Australia

New Tourism WA video

Wa launches stunning new global tourism brand walking on a dream.

WA’s new global tourism brand Walking On A Dream has launched with the release of a new video inspired by the State’s Aboriginal heritage that showcases a number of our stunning destinations, including Ningaloo Reef, the South West, Perth and the Kimberley.

Electronic band Empire of the Sun – led by WA-raised frontman Luke Steele – has re-recorded their global hit single to feature as the backing track for the $15 million campaign.

Two West Australian Indigenous performers Rika Hamaguchi and Ian Wilkes also star in the marketing material, which will hit screens in the eastern states from Wednesday.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

The campaign – which will run across TV, print, digital, radio and social media – will then also be launched in 11 overseas markets as WA looks to entice travellers back to the State following more than two years shut behind a closed border during the COVID pandemic.

Tourism Minister Roger Cook said every country around the world was trying to “rebuild and refresh” their offering and pitch to travellers.

“It is the toughest and most competitive tourism market the world has ever seen,” he said.

“In the year before COVID-19 the total visitor spend contributed $13.5 billion and 100,000 jobs to the WA economy.

“This new campaign will ensure that WA stands out as one of the world’s most unique, memorable and most desirable places to visit, now and well into the future.”

Premier Mark McGowan said the campaign – which was developed by a WA’s The Brand Agency and shot on-location by a local film crew – would make WA “truly shine in a crowded global marketplace”.

“WA’s wonderful landscapes and heritage, which are unique to each region, are illustrated in the campaign and it’s expected these dreamlike experiences - which are a reality here in WA - will appeal to visitors from across the country and all around the world,” he said.

Register and have your say.

Already have an account?

Your Local News

Home » Western Australia’s Latest Road Trip Campaign ‘Drive the Dream’ Launches With Daniel Ricciardo

Western Australia’s Latest Road Trip Campaign ‘Drive the Dream’ Launches With Daniel Ricciardo

The WA Government, through Tourism WA, has teamed up with Perth-based agency Rhythm, and media agency Initiative Perth, to launch the new global ‘Drive the Dream’ campaign.

‘Drive the Dream’ invites travellers to experience Western Australia’s diverse road trips itineraries that make WA the ultimate destination for a self-drive holiday. The new road trips campaign builds an association between Western Australia and road trips holidays by connecting and showcasing the diversity of iconic destinations and experiences on offer in WA.

The campaign features West Australian Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, who recently enjoyed the state’s dreamlike landscapes and wondrous experiences through a road trip from Perth (Boorloo) to Exmouth (Warnangoora) along the Coral Coast Highway with his best mate, Blake. The campaign activity will be rolled out domestically and in Tourism WA’s key international markets, supported by the WA Government.

Western Australia’s deputy premier and Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Rita Saffioti, said “’Drive the Dream’ is designed to turn awareness into action and move a Western Australian road trip to the ‘must do’ list, by showing that WA is the best destination for this adventure and now is the time to do it.

“There’s nothing like a good road trip, but the ‘Drive the Dream’ campaign takes road tripping in Western Australia, as seen through the eyes of F1 driver and Perth-born Daniel Ricciardo, to a new level. “The campaign will help Western Australia to stand out as one of the world’s most unique, memorable and desirable places to undertake a road trip adventure, now and into the future.”

Tourism WA managing director Carolyn Turnbull said the new ‘Drive the Dream’ creative echoes elements of Western Australia’s global brand, ‘Walking On A Dream’, in that it neatly encapsulates all the awe-inspiring attributes that make the state a wondrous, otherworldly and dream-like place to explore.

“An overarching objective of Tourism WA’s brand platform is to provoke the spirit of adventure in every traveller – and there’s no better way to do that than through the lens of Daniel Ricciardo and the ‘Drive the Dream’ campaign as he takes in the state’s wondrous landscapes on his way from Perth (Boorloo) to Exmouth (Warnangoora).

“This new campaign will ultimately entice visitors from all over the world to come to Western Australia and enjoy a road trip like they’ve ever experienced, and provide a boost to the state’s economy.”

Tourism WA engaged Perth-based agency, Rhythm who led a West Australian cast and crew to create the film and hero photographic assets.

Rhythm’s founder and leading Perth-based director Adam Rule said, “It was fantastic working with Daniel Ricciardo as he travelled up the spectacular route from Perth to Exmouth with his best mate.

“Embracing those quiet, reflective moments coupled with the many adventures you can have on a drive up north was a joy to experience.

“The short film is designed to capture the stripped-back authenticity of two mates enjoying the freedom of a Western Australian road trip for the first time.

“It was a privilege to lead such a devoted and talented group of West Australian creatives, producers, managers, crew, and Australian musicians.” Initiative head of client services Steve Hare said the new brand extension leveraged the success of the previous Tourism WA campaign, Walking on A Dream. “Western Australia’s road trips are awe-inspiring and otherworldly – and what better way to tell this story than through the eyes of proud West Australian and cultural zeitgeist Daniel Ricciardo.

“Strategically we have targeted environments which ‘collectively connect’ replicating the shared environment of a road trip; long form content and premium contextually relevant placements will help position Western Australia as a premium lifestyle brand and leverage Daniel’s magnetism for resonance.” Tourism WA is the WA Government agency responsible for promoting Western Australia as an incredible holiday and events destination. The launch of ‘Drive the Dream’ also includes partnerships with Qantas, Trip.com and Expedia with conversion-led trade offers.

Credits Tourism

WA Managing Director: Carolyn Turnbull

Executive Director Marketing: Melissa Forbes

Director Brand and Marketing: Angela Raso

Brand and Marketing Manager: Luke Lenzarini

Brand and Marketing Officer: Josh Colum

Producer/Editor: Evan Scott

Content Agency: Rhythm

Creative Client Services Director: Laura Morano

Account Manager: Jodie Hameister

Creative Director / Art Director: Stef Langton

Creative Lead / Copywriter: Gordon Haynes

Production Company, Rhythm Films

Director/Editor: Adam Rule

Executive Producer: Candice Shields

Director Of Photography: Justin Griffiths

1st AC: Arthur Bienkowski

Photographer: Jason Capobianco

1st Assist: Michael Tartaglia

Underwater DOP: Andre Rerekura

Underwater Photographer: Brooke Pike

Groomer: Kate Farmer

Stylist: Clare Ryan

Sound Recordist: Brett Stayt

Drone: Jadro Silic, Salty Davenport

Grip / Vehicle Rigging: Tim Whitlock

Colourist: Angela Cerasi

Music Production & Composition: Andrew Wright

Sound Design: Justin Braine

Retoucher: Adam Hayes

Media Agency

Head of Client Services, Steve Hare

Communications Design Associate Director, Molly Trumble

Investment Partnership Manager, Yamila Cano

Investment Partnerships Associate, Danielle Miaris

Associate Performance Director, Agostina Scagliotti

Manager, Addressable Activation, Julian Speller

Talent Hero Talent: Daniel Ricciardo

Hero Talent: Blake Mills

Talent Management: Blake Friend

Featured Operators: Kalbarri Quad Bike Safari, Darren ‘Capes’ Capewell from Wula Guru Eco Tours, ‘Damper John’ Fozard from Bullara Station, Sarah Ellis from Ningaloo Discovery Australian musicians: South Summit, Boox Kid, Kilian Albecht, Grace Woodroofe, Riley Pearce & Bjear

Special thanks to Ford Australia

Please login with linkedin to comment

Latest news, tv ratings (18/04/2024): i’m a celebrity wins prime time and key demos.

Aussie viewers can be a harsh lot at times. Only days after Ellie Cole bled her heart out, she has been sent packing.

Effie&co Launches New ConnectAsia Division To Help Aussie Brands Market To Asian Consumers Overseas & At Home

Not provided is advice on using chopsticks and not spilling ramen down your shirt.

Cashrewards Sets Out Stall For New CMO

Thinking of applying for the Cashrewards CMO gig? Here are some insider tips that, yes, are tantamount to cheating.

‘I Ask For The TV Industry To Stand Up And Defend Itself’ – Seven Boss James Warburton Steps Down

The Seven supremo heads for the exits after five years. Here's hoping the Spotlight team organised the farewell bash.

Poh! Jamie! Adriano! Paramount ANZ reveals its tasty plans for this year’s MasterChef

It's your fan's guide to this year's MasterChef! Although no tips on how to pronounce crudités or use a un fait-tout.

• Advertising

Dentsu’s iProspect Partners With MOOD Tea Ahead Of May Campaign Launch

We love a Mood Tea here at B&T. Although we do store old screws and nails in the International Roast caterer's tin.

Opinion: When Culture Starts Eating Itself: Navigating The Age Of Self-eating Nostalgia

Born boss David Coupland asks is adland going through a nostalgia period? But please, no repeats of Best Of Red Faces.

by B&T Magazine

• B&T Exclusive

Who’s Going To Cannes?! The TikTok Young Lions Winners!

It's Aussie adland's next gen! They're off to Cannes with high hopes of bringing back a Lion & a foot-long Toblerone.

Adobe Launches Express Mobile App With Firefly AI

Want to be the coolest kid at Friday staff drinks but forgot your retro Nikes? This new Adobe wizardry may do the trick.

ThinkNewsBrands & IMAA Extend News Publishing Education In Brisbane

Industry duo takes its publishing roadshow to Brisbane. Was disappointed no male attendees were wearing walk socks.

B&T Chats With Wavemaker’s Provocative Pioneers On Their Cross-Pacific Sojourn

B&T TV heads to Wavemaker's Sydney digs to interview two staffers from its New York & LA digs. If that makes sense?

HoMie & Champion Launch “Give One. Get One” Campaign Supporting Youth Homelessness Via Town Square

Much like the fête's prized chutney wears a blue winners sash, so too should this top initiative from HoMie & Champion.

Thinkerbell Takes Us Back To Summer In Latest Work For XXXX

This beer ad wants to take you back to summer! Just minus any chance of a shark attack on your morning bus commute.

Cannes Lions Unveils 2024 Programme Featuring Queen Latifah, Jay Shetty & P&G’s Mark Pritchard

Are you one of the lucky ducks heading to Cannes in June? Check out the headliner acts you'll be queueing hours to see.

Scroll Media Recruits Costa Panagos From Twitch

Costa Panagos set to bring South American flair to the Scroll offices. Assuming that he is, indeed, South American.

Year13, Microsoft & KPMG Australia Launch AI Course For Gen Zs

Born around the 2000s? Need to amp up your AI creds? This guide's for you (although it's not really that age specific).

General Motors Snares Heath Walker From Scania

Do you rage about oversized American cars on our roads? You need to bail up Heath Walker at parties & industry events.

VML Launches New “Envoyage” Brand For Flight Centre

VML unveils new brand for travel operator Flight Centre. Alas, no sign of those paid actors pretending to be pilots.

Subaru Places Media Account Up For Review

Subaru puts media up for review, as adland journos get set for mandatory "agency drives off with..." headline.

TV Ratings (17/04/2024): Contestants Faced With Harsh Realities As Alone Australia Heats Up (Or Cools Down)

Alone still doing the business for SBS. Overly long train journeys not doing the business, but they persist anyway.

Ben Fordham Loses Number One Spot As Ray Hadley Celebrates 156th Ratings Win

The radio numbers are in! Discover who's off for a boozy lunch today & who's waiting for the dreaded HR death knock.

Gourmet Ice Cream Brand Connoisseur Launches New “Thrill Your Senses” Iteration, Via SICKDOGWOLFMAN

Rattling the old "truth in advertising" adage comes this ice-cream spot full of noticeably thin people.

Paramount’s Global Sales Boss: ‘Australia’s Converged Model Is A Blueprint For How I’d Like All Of Our Markets To Be’

Paramount's global sales boss gives local sales ops the thumbs up. Didn't weigh-in on the Lisa Wilkinson debacle.

TikTok Starts Testing Its Instagram Rival In Australia

In exciting news for piano playing cats & brattish pranks in shopping centres, TikTok unveils its Insta rival plans.

Man Wrongly Named By Seven As Bondi Killer Hires Lawyers

Struggling to save for a house deposit? Why not get wrongly identified by Sunrise!

Smartsheet Appoints Indie Agency Sandbox Media To Its Media Account

Can't stand your colleagues? Like to dob them in when they miss a deadline? These work management platforms are ideal.

Boss Not Letting You Come To Cannes In Cairns? Use This Business Case To Convince Them!

Stingy boss won't spring for a ticket to Cairns? Add this to your persuasive argument repertoire. Or grovel.

Alt/shift/ Brisbane Builds Portfolio With Ausbuild Creative, PR, Content & Social Account Win

The Brisbane comms/PR agency lands constructor Ausbuild. Also hoping for a discount on its new glass conservatory.

Young Guns Versus The Old Guard: Who Adds More Value to Our Industry?

Cannes In Cairns poking this hornet's nest in a lively debate. Just so long as the oldies can get up the stairs.

70% Of Aussies Don’t Have Green Power Plans ENGIE Says In Major Brand Campaign Via HERO

Are you the notorious "light leaver on-er" in your flatshare? Quell any infighting with this green energy news.

PrettyGood Launches Offering Brand & Media Solutions For Australasian SMEs

B&T applauds the charitable nature of this new agency. Although we'd hate to see it impact any Chrissie present sends.

A Blunt End: Dolphins Medicinal Cannabis Sponsorship At Risk

Yes, it's another NRL drug story. Yet, thankfully it doesn't involve coke in Kuta during the off-season.

Slew Of New Creative Hires At Leo Burnett Australia

Ahhh, all black! The outfit of choice for agency creatives, David Jones staff and everyone in Melbourne.

Under Armour Unveils Local “Live in UA” Campaign

American apparel brand set for yet another tilt at the Aussie market, as Nike declares "we'll see about that".

Pepsi Launches New Look, Refreshing Classic Fashion Staples Via Special PR

Are you always the bridesmaid, never the bride, as the old saying goes? How do you think Pepsi feels?

Pure Blonde Returns To A Place Purer Than Yours In New Campaign Via The Monkeys

B&T's always been a huge fan of the 'drink yourself thinner' diet plan. So big thanks to Pure blonde, vodka & tequila.

You are using an outdated browser

Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

Signing in with LinkedIn

Please wait while we sign you in with LinkedIn.

This may take some time.

Please be patient and do not refresh the page.

(A new window from LinkedIn should open for you to authorize the B&T login. If you don't see this please check behind this window, and if it is still not there check your browser settings and turn off the pop-up blocker.)

SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR FREE

Never miss a story again. Sign up for B&T's daily newsletter now.

Australia Recommends 2024

Come and Say G'day

G'day, the short film

Discover your Australia

Travel videos

Deals and offers

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

Northern Territory

South Australia

Western Australia

External Territories

The Whitsundays

Mornington Peninsula

Port Douglas

Ningaloo Reef

Airlie Beach

Kangaroo Island

Rottnest Island

Hamilton Island

Lord Howe Island

Tiwi Islands

Phillip Island

Bruny Island

Margaret River

Barossa Valley

The Grampians

Hunter Valley

McLaren Vale

Glass House Mountains

Alice Springs

Uluru and Kata Tjuta

The Kimberley

Flinders Ranges

Kakadu National Park

Eyre Peninsula

Karijini National Park

Great Barrier Reef

Blue Mountains

Daintree Rainforest

Great Ocean Road

Purnululu National Park

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park

Litchfield National Park

Aboriginal experiences

Arts and culture

Festivals and events

Food and drink

Adventure and sports

Walks and hikes

Road trips and drives

Beaches and islands

Nature and national parks

Eco-friendly travel

Health and wellness

Family travel

Family destinations

Family road trips

Backpacking

Work and holiday

Beginner's guide

Accessible travel

Planning tips

Trip planner

Australian budget guide

Itinerary planner

Find a travel agent

Find accommodation

Find transport

Visitor information centres

Deals and travel packages

Visa and entry requirements FAQ

Customs and biosecurity

Working Holiday Maker visas

Facts about Australia

Experiences that will make you feel like an Aussie

People and culture

Health and safety FAQ

Cities, states & territories

Iconic places and attractions

When is the best time to visit Australia?

Seasonal travel

Events and festivals

School holidays

Public holidays

How to get to Australia's most iconic cities

How long do I need for my trip to Australia?

How to travel around Australia

Guide to driving in Australia

How to hire a car or campervan

How to plan a family road trip

How to plan an outback road trip

Cape Leveque , Western Australia © Dan Paris

• Share Share on Facebook Share on Messenger Share on Twitter Share on WhatsApp Copy Link
• Top things to do
• Getting to Western Australia

Swim with the ocean’s gentle giants, savour some of Australia’s best wines and marvel at larger-than-life landscapes in Western Australia.

Western Australia is incredibly vast and diverse; as the largest state, it covers nearly one-third of the country. From baffling rock formations and ancient Aboriginal sites to sweeping green vineyards of world-class wineries and unbelievably clear ocean waters, Western Australia is the land of endless exploration.  

Your style of travel may very well dictate where you visit in Western Australia. Those looking for adventure and wide open spaces should head north of Perth to explore the Coral Coast, Ningaloo Reef and The Kimberley. If you love a bit of indulgence, secluded beaches and fine food and wine, make sure you visit South West Western Australia for its laid-back luxury.

• Swim with whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef
• Sunbathe with kangaroos at Lucky Bay in Esperance or meet a quokka on Rottnest Island
• Sip wine and relax in Margaret River

You can fly directly into Perth from some international hubs, and there are daily flights here from most capital cities.

From Perth, you can fly to regional airports including  Broome  (the main hub for the  Kimberley ), Busselton (for Margaret River ) and Learmonth (for Ningaloo Reef ). After you arrive, hire a car to venture further afield. Western Australia is what  road trip  dreams are made of; explore the state on the  Gibb River Road  or  South West Edge road trip .

Popular destinations in Western Australia

The Coral Coast

South West Western Australia

Trips and itineraries

From Perth: A 10-day trip of colourful attractions

10 days along the Coral Coast

Crossing the Nullarbor

Australia's South West Edge in 14 days

A foodie road trip from Swan Valley to Margaret River

8 days exploring the Kimberley’s natural wonders

Gibb River Road: a 12-day adventure

Things to do in western australia.

7 breathtaking sights to see in the Kimberley

The best Margaret River wineries

8 of Perth's best museums, galleries and theatres

Looking for more inspiration? Go to westernaustralia.com

Travellers' stories, explore australia's states and territories.

We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience.  Find out more . By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies.

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners of the land, sea and waters of the Australian continent, and recognise their custodianship of culture and Country for over 60,000 years.

• New Zealand (English)
• United States (English)
• Canada (English)
• United Kingdom (English)
• India (English)
• Malaysia (English)
• Singapore (English)
• Indonesia (Bahasa Indonesia)
• Deutschland (Deutsch)
• France (Français)
• Italia (Italiano)
• 中国大陆 (简体中文)

*Product Disclaimer:  Tourism Australia is not the owner, operator, advertiser or promoter of the listed products and services. Information on listed products and services, including Covid-safe accreditations, are provided by the third-party operator on their website or as published on Australian Tourism Data Warehouse where applicable. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator’s website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD). Tourism Australia makes no representations whatsoever about any other websites which you may access through its websites such as australia.com. Some websites which are linked to the Tourism Australia website are independent from Tourism Australia and are not under the control of Tourism Australia. Tourism Australia does not endorse or accept any responsibility for the use of websites which are owned or operated by third parties and makes no representation or warranty in relation to the standard, class or fitness for purpose of any services, nor does it endorse or in any respect warrant any products or services by virtue of any information, material or content linked from or to this site.

Local news:

Sign up to the 7NEWS newsletters

‘like no other’: new tourism campaign launched to lure travellers back to wa.

‘It’s like no other’: WA Government launches marketing campaign targeting tourists, students and workers

Western Australia may not be opening its doors to the rest of the country - and the world - until February 5 year , but that hasn’t stopped the state government from starting its tourism recruitment drive early.

It’s been almost two years since the state allowed free movement across its borders.

Watch the advertising campaign in the video player above

Now, it’s launched a new advertising campaign to remind the rest of the world that it exists.

Called “Western Australia - it’s like no other,” the campaign, announced on Wednesday, aims to lure international tourists, students, migrant workers and investors back to the state.

The key element of the campaign? WA is a safe place to visit, with a strong economy, plenty of urban and regional attractions, and loads of natural beauty.

“Our wealth of natural beauty and resources is so vast there is always something new to be discovered,” the commercial states.

“A sense of connection flows through us.

“From Perth – one of the safest, most liveable cities in the world – to our welcoming, charming regional communities.

“We are lucky to enjoy the kind of lifestyle most people only dream about.

“No matter how much you know about Western Australia, there are many new opportunities to be discovered.”

The international video campaign includes images of Cable Beach in Broome, waterfalls in the Kimberley, Indigenous rock art, sporting crowds at Optus Stadium and Elizabeth Quay lit up at night.

On a new website, likenoother.wa.gov.au , other videos target prospective migrants, describing WA as the nation’s “most affordable capital city to buy a house.”

The website even includes links to available job opportunities on Seek.

The WA government is pouring $65 million into its tourism marketing strategy as part of its larger $186 million ReconnectWA package.

“Western Australia is safe, stable and strong, and we are looking forward to welcoming the world back to our shores,” Premier Mark McGowan said.

“We’re proud of what we have achieved together to make Western Australia one of the most attractive places to live, work, study, and visit.”

Perth-Rome direct

The campaign was launched on the same day that Qantas announced its first direct Perth-Rome flights , beginning mid-2022.

From June 22, the national carrier will operate the only direct service between Australia and continental Europe, flying three return Sydney-Perth-Rome flights per week to meet demand over the peak season.

The flight is expected to cut more than three hours off the current fastest travel time to Rome, using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

In a statement, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said strong travel demand since borders re-opened had given the airline confidence to explore new destinations.

“We’ve seen amazing demand on our direct service from Perth to London and on our new services to Delhi from Melbourne and Sydney,” he said.

“These are exciting destinations and there’s strong evidence the pandemic is making non-stop flights between Australia and the rest of the world even more desirable as we learn to live with the virus and its variants.”

Qantas will also partner with Tourism Western Australia to boost inbound tourism and promote Perth as a stopover for those travelling from the east coast.

Stream free on

Drive the Dream: Formula 1 star Daniel Ricciardo in new TourismWA campaign, selling WA as ultimate road trip

Home-grown Formula 1 superstar Daniel Ricciardo is the face of a new global tourism campaign selling WA to the world as the ultimate road trip destination.

Duncraig-raised Ricciardo is joined behind the wheel by best mate Blake Mills for a self-drive escape from Perth to Exmouth that includes stops in Kalbarri, Shark Bay and Bullara Station.

Subscribers with digital access can view this article.

Already a subscriber?

Enjoy exclusive member discounts, giveaways and competitions with our subscriber rewards program.

Subscribe to updates

First Name *

Please choose at least one newsletter * Talking Tourism eNewsletter This is WA eNewsletter

• Accessibility

{{curatedHeading.Title}}

• {{curatedContentLinkItem.Title}}
• Reset text size
• Increase text size
• Our Story: The Spirit of Adventure

In 2019-20, Tourism WA developed and launched the unique tourism brand narrative  Our Story: The Spirit of Adventure  to bring more travellers to Western Australia. 'Our Story: The Spirit of Adventure' was created in consultation with more than 500 tourism industry business owners and leaders from across the State, and tested with more than 110 local, national and international consumers.

'Our Story: The Spirit of Adventure' is a narrative framework that outlines what makes Western Australia so special. It does this through five key pillars designed to provoke the spirit of adventure in every traveller - these five story pillars outline what Western Australia is, at its core: Ancient Tracks, New Journeys ™ ; barefoot luxury; otherworldly phenomena; majestic landscapes and big skies; and full of characters.

The aim of Our Story   was to identify a storytelling roadmap to give Western Australia a competitive advantage and inspire future marketing campaigns, events, destination development, partnerships and policy, and:

• For the tourism industry,  strengthen individual efforts, and create a tourism brand that commands greater attention and value.
• For travellers , motivate potential visitors to choose a holiday here in Western Australia over anywhere else in the world.

‘Tourism WA's new global brand, 'Western Australia - Walking On A Dream', is inspired by the  ' Our Story: The Spirit of Adventure' narrative. 'Walking On A Dream' uses the same founding principles to underpin a new creative approach for a bold new brand, to make WA shine as a world-leading destination of choice in a competitive global marketplace.

While the Our Story   pillars still represent what makes WA unique and differentiates us from other destinations, we have added the themes of Time, Space, Connection and Freedom into our narrative. These thematic pillars represent key attributes that global travellers are seeking from a destination in a post-pandemic world, and through the Our Story pillars, we can show the world how Western Australia delivers on these critical themes. 

Download the following 'Our Story' documents

 Western Australia Tourism - Our Story presentation (PDF 21.5MB) Our Story - The Spirit of Adventure, Positioning Statements (PDF 11MB)

• Western Australia - Walking On A Dream
• Access Walking On A Dream Toolkit

Last Reviewed: 2023-11-09

Acknowledgement of Country Tourism Western Australia acknowledges Aboriginal peoples as the traditional custodians of Western Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal West Australians and honour their continuing connection to Country, culture and community. We recognise and appreciate the invaluable contributions made by First Nations peoples across many generations in shaping Western Australia as a premier destination.

• Travel to Western Australia

All contents copyright © Government of Western Australia. All rights reserved.

Article New and what's in store for 2024

Australia’s largest state continues to welcome a mix of dreamlike new projects, products and experiences. read on to discover what’s new and what’s to come in western australia (wa) for the year ahead..

Feature by Western Australia

Bigger dream stays

Next year will see the opening of Australia’s first Hyde Hotel. Hyde Perth will offer 120 bohemian-chic guest rooms with 18 spacious suites, two dedicated meetings and event spaces, and innovative dining concepts with a restaurant, bar, and specialty café that opens onto a lush outdoor pool area.

The first of the newly refurbished rooms at Pan Pacific Perth are bookable now. The hotel’s $50 million transformation is due to be completed by mid-late 2024. Work includes the 392 guest rooms and suites, revitalisation of 96 Pacific Club rooms and suites, and a redesign of the ballrooms and meeting rooms, the lobby and exclusive Pacific Club lounge.  

Premier River View Room at Pan Pacific Perth, Perth

Smaller dream stays

In the Margaret River Region, Edge Luxury Villas will start welcoming guests this month to four adults-only luxury villas built over the property’s stunning lake. All the luxury villas are equipped with self-sufficient kitchenettes, lounge area, king beds, bathrooms with freestanding stone baths; with one of the villas also fully accessible.

In Karijni National Park , Karijini Eco Retreat is adding four new deluxe eco tents in time for the 2024 season. The tents include fully enclosed ensuite bathrooms, king sized beds and a front decks with views over the park. Access to Karijini National Park and its ancient gorges and water holes will also be improved, with 41 kilometres of road to be sealed between Weano Gorge , Dales Gorge and Karijini Eco Retreat.  

Heyscape Tiny Cabins has launched four tiny cabins in the coastal town of Esperance (Kepa Kurl) , with two located near the spectacular coastline of Cape Le Grand National Park , and the other two located on Yirri Grove olive farm.

Heyscape Cabins, Esperance

Rottnest Island / Wadjemup Adventures

The Lodge Wadjemup is a $40 million redevelopment of the former Rottnest Island Lodge. Due to open in 2024, it will offer a range of new accommodation, including affordable and premium options with 46 new boutique-style rooms and 56 refurbished rooms. It will also feature a new restaurant, café, gelato bar, community space and two pools.

Also adding to the island experience are several new tours launching for summer including Fly Perth which is offering scenic flights from Perth to Rottnest ; and Cicerellos Jet Adventures is now running parasailing tours to experience the wonders of the island from a new perspective.

Cheers to that  

Perth’s (Boorloo’s) beating heart of Yagan Square is undergoing a multi-million-dollar redevelopment that will see it transform into a five-storey hospitality mecca, with a beer hall, live music and a retractable roof. ‘Stories’ is due to open in early 2024, and will see the complex more than double in size, with a capacity of 1,500 people.

In Perth’s northern beachside suburbs, Hillarys Beach Club is set to open this month. The huge 1,400 square metre multi-level venue will be home to multiple spaces including a restaurant, gastro-style pub, a kiosk for grab-and-go food, large function space and balcony for watching Indian Ocean sunset.  

Meanwhile, Gibney will offer a new level of luxury dining when it opens at Cottesloe in March 2024. The brasserie and grill will be a multi-million-dollar bespoke build, offering a 45-metre oceanfront façade with stunning beach views.

In Broome (Rubibi) , Spinifex Brewing Co will open its new multi-million-dollar venue at the iconic Cable Beach on December 22, 2023. Spinifex Ale House Cable Beach will cater for up to 600 guests, offering a unique family-oriented venue with children’s playground, and gubinge beer garden for outdoor dining.

Busselton boom

In the coastal town of Busselton (Undalup) in the Margaret River Region, the highly anticipated Hilton Garden Inn Busselton will open its doors this summer. Ideally located on the shores of Geographe Bay , the five-storey property will offer 110 rooms, heated outdoor pool, a 24-hour fitness centre, and event space, and is located directly adjacent to Busselton Jetty , Shelter Brewing and recently reopened The Goose.

Busselton Jetty has installed 13 underwater sculptures to create a sculpture trail and artificial reef at the end of the 1.8-kilometre icon. This submerged experience is for divers, swimmers and snorkellers, with special signage and maps are provided for the underwater journey, while the sculptures create new habitat for local marine wildlife.

Busselton Jetty Underwater Sculptures, Busselton by Laura Nicol

A $45 million redevelopment of the Busselton Central Shopping Centre has seen a new level of shopping, entertainment and dining options for the region, including Inara which is serving up the unique flavours of Levantine cuisine. The Busselton Pavilion will in early 2024, offering a new destination dining experience which will boast a restaurant and bar, local wine store, providore and distillery.   

Cultural Connections

Set above-ground at the site of the historic Ngilgi Cave, the Ancient Lands Experience takes visitors on a journey to discover 600 million years of stories associated with the Margaret River Region and its people. The new $3.6 million attraction officially opened in November 2023, and offers a series of interactive installations woven throughout the natural bushland, paying homage to the landscape and the 60,000-year custodianship of the Wadandi people. Visitors seeking a deeper cultural experience can explore Wadandi country with traditional custodian Josh Whiteland from Koomal Dreaming at a new purpose-built Meeting Place.

Ngilgi Caves Ancient Lands Experience with Koomal Dreaming, Margaret River

On the Dampier Peninsula near Broome (Rubibi), the seventh Camping with Custodians campground is due to open at Lombadina in 2024. Lombadina will have up to 35 campsites, a camp kitchen and ablution facilities. Several Aboriginal cultural tours are also available, including mud crabbing tours, ancient footprint tours to discover the Lombadina history, kayaking tours, and four-wheel-drive tours to Cygnet Bay , Swan Point and One Arm Point .

Adventures over and under the water

Perth’s Swan River Seaplanes has released a luxury seaplane tour departing from the iconic Swan River (Derbal Yerrigan) , flying over the bubble gum pink hues of Hutt Lagoon to the marine wonders of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands . The tour touches down near Abrolhos Island’s Post Office Island and includes a behind-the-scenes tour of Liddon Pearl Farm, a seafood barbecue lunch and a flight over the Batavia shipwreck and Pink Lake at Hutt Lagoon

Trek the wonders of the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park (Nyinggulu) on a five-day adventure tour with Off The Beaten Track starting in June 2024. Based in Exmouth , the tour includes swimming with gentle whale sharks, sea-kayaking, hiking Yardie Creek and Mandu Mandu Gorge, and trekking the Badjirrajirra Walk through Charles Knife Canyon in Cape Range National Park.

Exmouth Adventure Co has also launched a multi-day expedition tour in partnership with Trek Ningaloo . The Ningaloo Odyssey Tour is a four-day camping adventure, which includes guided trekking in Cape Range National Park, guided sea kayaking and snorkelling over Ningaloo Reef . Exmouth Adventure Co has also launched a new six-day Dampier Archipelago and Murujuga National Park sea kayaking and island camping expedition .

Exmouth Adventure and Trek Ningaloo, Ningaloo

A new World Heritage-listed park

Murujuga National Park has been nominated for a World Heritage-listing, as lodged by the Federal Government, in partnership with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and West Australian Government. Located near Karratha in the Pilbara region, Murujuga is presented as a living cultural landscape, with potential 'Outstanding Universal Value' demonstrated through the extensive petroglyph collection, the living cultural traditions and the deep time histories of land and sea use. Murujuga has the densest known concentration of hunter-gatherer petroglyphs anywhere in the world, with an estimated one to two million images in an area of more than 100,000 hectares. The earliest the nomination is likely to be considered by UNESCO is mid-2024.

New Great Southern wonders

In Denmark and Frankland River , a collective of businesses are working together to establish new tourism product in the Great Southern Region. The collective includes Upland Farm and Chimes Spa Retreat; wineries Singlefile and Alkoomi; plus restaurant and distillery The Dam . New tours include bespoke experiences at Alkoomi and Singlefile – with progressive wine tastings and behind-the-scenes insights into the history, production and growth of the vines, as well as masterclasses. For accommodation, Upland Farm has launched two new one-bedroom cabins set on the 107-acre farm. In Albany , a new scenic helicopter tour will soon take off – launching from the town jetty. Scenic Helicopters will work with the collective to package tours to the wineries and restaurants, as well as offering scenic flights over Albany’s stunning coastlines.

Upland Farm, Great Southern

Easier connections

Sydneysiders will soon be able to fly non-stop to the iconic Margaret River Region thanks to a new Jetstar route connecting Sydney and Busselton-Margaret River Airport , taking off from March 26, 2024. This new service will operate three times a week, providing east coast visitors with easier access to the premium wines, spectacular coastline, dazzling caves and towering forests of the region.

Parisians will say bonjour to WA when a new direct flight to Perth launches in 2024. From July 12, the 17-hour Qantas direct flight service from Paris and Perth will operate four days per week during the European summer and the Paris Olympics, moving to three per week from mid-August 2024.

For eco-conscious road trippers, Australia’s longest EV highway is set to launch in 2024. When complete, the WA EV Network will include 98 new electric vehicle fast charging stations and back-up chargers at 49 different locations. The charging stations will connect Perth and regional WA – stretching over 7,000 kilometres from Kununurra in the north, to Esperance in the south, and all the way east to Eucla, with the average distance between charging stations around 160 kilometres.

Published December 2023.

Tourism Western Australia acknowledges Aboriginal peoples as the traditional custodians of Western Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal West Australians and honour their continuing connection to Country, culture and community. We recognise and appreciate the invaluable contributions made by First Nations peoples across many generations in shaping Western Australia as a premier destination.

Our Organisation

Our Careers

Tourism Statistics

Industry Resources

Media Resources

Travel Trade Hub

News Stories

Newsletters

Industry Events

Business Events

Our campaigns

There’s Nothing Like Australia is Tourism Australia’s global brand platform, highlighting some of the very best attractions and experiences Australia has to offer.

Link Copied!

Come and Say G’day

Latest campaign news

Discover more.

We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience. Find out more .

By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies.

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners of the land, sea and waters of the Australian continent, and recognise their custodianship of culture and Country for over 60,000 years.

*Disclaimer:  The information on this website is presented in good faith and on the basis that Tourism Australia, nor their agents or employees, are liable (whether by reason of error, omission, negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any person for any damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or may occur in relation to that person taking or not taking (as the case may be) action in respect of any statement, information or advice given in this website. Tourism Australia wishes to advise people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent that this website may contain images of persons now deceased.