Gesture helps push tourists north

Coin donations — which begin in the mouth of a whale and end, well, where most things end — will eventually promote getaway destinations in the Mid West and Gascoyne. A major South West tourist operator, a tad embarrassed its part of the world has returned to normal while the north of WA is still locked as a tourist destination, is asking visitors to help. Tourists to the world-famous Busselton Jetty are being urged to donate gold coins, which will be used to market the Coral Coast. “We have set up a whale-shaped donation box at the jetty for tourists to put coins into,” Busselton Jetty chief executive Lisa Shreeve said. “The money goes into the mouth, down to the tummy, and out. It is our way of getting our tourists to help the tourist locations on the Coral Coast who are doing it tough. “Whatever money is raised will go towards marketing for tourist operators in the north. “A major tourist association is going to match dollar-for-dollar to the project what our visitors donate. Busselton Jetty ... want to do what we can to assist the north of WA.”