An epic nine-week Australian taxi journey to promote tourism Down Under ended on Sunday after taking in pristine beaches, desert wilderness and the rugged Outback.
The campaign, similar to last year’s highly successful “Best Job in the World” promotion which netted a young British man to publicise Queensland’s attractions, included competitions to select the trip’s driver and passengers.
Doug Slater, chosen to be the driver for the 13,650-kilometre journey from the Western Australian capital Perth to the northern coastal town of Broome, said it was the “opportunity of a lifetime”.
“The driving wasn’t the real concern for me... the rest of it kept me pretty busy,” he said, referring to the constant commentary on Western Australia’s attractions he maintained throughout.
Mr Slater said the 11 couples who were his passengers, who came from Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Britain, New Zealand and Germany, were amazed at the amount of wildlife they saw — including deadly snakes, sharks and crocodiles. “My passengers’ minds were boggled by the wildlife we saw on the journey,” said he, who was used to travelling the state thanks to his previous job as a livestock agent.