The 2013 Australasian Safari will involve competitors tackling a challenging course of up to 3,500km through the State’s Coral Coast, Mid-West and Gascoyne regions in four-wheel drives, motorbikes, quad bikes and side-by-sides.
The endurance event has a strong following among motor sport fans both locally and internationally. Competitors, service crews, officials and media all experience the rigours of the outback once the Safari is underway. While competitors travel up to 600km a day, trying to achieve the fastest times over set courses, the rest of the Safari travels similar distances on tarmac.
Competitors will be drawn from throughout WA and nationally, and also from countries as diverse as the USA, South Africa, France, the UK, Japan, China, Italy, Venezuela, Thailand and the Netherlands.
Tourism WA’s CEO, Stephanie Buckland said the agency, through Eventscorp, was proud to sponsor the Australasian Safari for another two years.
“The Australasian Safari has gained a strong reputation as being the toughest motorsport event in the Asia-Pacific region, and it is an exciting feature of the State’s diverse events calendar,” she said.
“The event provides valuable exposure of Western Australia and its extraordinary landscapes as it is broadcast nationally and internationally in more than 130 countries.”
Justin Hunt, the Event Director says that the secured funding showed Eventscorp’s confidence in the future of the Australasian Safari.
“I believe that the Safari will go from strength to strength. We received a lot of international attention from our connection to the Dakar Rally throughout 2012. The event itself is ideal for WA. People expect that Western Australia is tough and challenging and we can deliver on that.
“We couldn’t do this without the support of the local communities and we are working hard to try to give something back to them. This two year deal will allow us to continue to showcasing WA’s extraordinary outback to local and international supporters, and also provide a direct economic boost as the 500-plus Safari entourage travels through each region.
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