Valley in the TV spotlight

For the second time in three months, Ferguson Valley will be thrust into the State and national tourism spotlight when it features on an upcoming episode of Destination WA.

Set to be aired in the second half of September, production crews explored the region on Sunday and put special emphasis on Gnomesville and Green Door Wines as go-to locations, just two months after the valley was listed by the RAC as one of WA’s best “easy escape” destinations.

Ferguson Valley Marketing chairman Phil Smith said the area was starting to gain traction but still had a fair way to go in relation to where he wanted it to be.

“Yes we are getting on the bigger stage, but it’s just the beginning of this growth curve,” he said.

“We’re aiming to get traffic through the Ferguson Valley seven days a week and having most of the venues open to accommodate that traffic.”

The South West’s peak tourism body, Australia’s South West, was responsible for the show’s visit to the area and helped put the crew in touch with the relevant business owners, including Green Door Wines owner Kath Keeffe.

“We had a great day,” Mrs Keeffe said.

“A show like that will help put the Ferguson Valley on the map and provide so much great exposure for everybody here in the valley.

“It was such a great opportunity and it’s great Australia’s South West gives us these opportunities.”

The timing of the show’s visit could not have come at a better time for the valley, with the Dardanup Shire Council having allocated $25,000 towards the mobile visitor centre initiative at Gnomesville just this month.

Dardanup shire president Mick Bennett was thrilled by the exposure the area would get when the episode airs and said people were still only just discovering Gnomesville and the rest of the Ferguson Valley.

“I think it’s just a hidden jewel – the whole region that we have here,” he said.

“We need to work on getting more tourist-type developments on board.”