A face familiar to rural WA was seen at the launch of WA's new tourism brand, Experience Extraordinary.
The face was none other than former Elders manager and auctioneer Doug Slater.
Experience Extraordinary is the new brand positioning for Tourism WA.
It highlights all that is unique about WA including many natural wonders exclusive to the state such as the Bungle Bungle Range in the World Heritage Listed Purnululu National Park, the Horizontal Waterfalls in the Kimberley, Ningaloo Reef, which is the largest fringing reef in the world and WA's wildflower season, which features the largest collection of wildflowers on Earth.
The Extraordinary Taxi Ride will be brought to life for travellers with an epic journey, the likes of which has never been seen before.
Over nine weeks, 22 lucky people from Australia and around the world will explore WA in a taxi.
The journey itself is broken into 11 stages that are easily achievable but cover the entire state.
Doug is one of five taxi drivers selected as a finalist from 460 nominations for the trip and the only country taxi driver selected.
Many people throughout the state would know him only as the pink-shirted Elders man and auctioneer, but he has had a secret life driving a taxi in Bunbury for the past 11 years.
But it is his time with Elders which Doug believes will stand him in good stead to provide the most extraordinary experience in the journey which will showcase WA.
During his 42 years with Elders, Doug worked across the state and was based at branches including Katanning, Kojonup, Cranbrook, Toodyay, Mullewa, Bruce Rock, Merredin and Bunbury.
But its not only these places Doug can relate to, as his job with Elders also took him through the Kimberley, Pilbara, Gascoyne and Murchison areas in the north and down to Esperance in the southeast buying livestock.
"There really isn't too many places I haven't covered in my work over the years," Doug said.
He said his ultimate objective was to show WA to the tourist public of the world.
"With my background knowledge and contacts throughout the state, my aim would be to venture off the beaten track and give the tourist an experience of the real WA, like spending a night on a station," Doug said.
And when it comes to safety I certainly wouldn't want to be sitting in anyone else's cab bar Doug's if his driving time with Elders is anything to go by.
In all his time with the stock firm he had 25 company cars and never had one accident, except a couple of run-ins with kangaroos.
The taxi game is in Doug's blood with numerous family members having been involved in the industry.
Doug and wife Bev are shareholders in the Bunbury Taxi Co-operative, which operates 27 taxis in the Bunbury area and they have the plates to one which Doug now regularly drives on Friday and Saturday nights.
Being a taxi driver is very much like being a stockie for Doug because he gets the opportunity to talk to people and hear their stories.
Doug said it was his mission on every trip to ensure passengers had the most enjoyable ride possible.
To vote for Doug go to www.extraordinarytaxiride.com Voting closes on March 11.
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