It's said word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising and this certainly holds true for Sean Blocksidge, founder of The Margaret River Discovery Company. If not for some rave reviews, and being ranked as the ‘number one thing to do in Australia’ on the TripAdvisor website, the business, which started only weeks before the GFC, may not have made its first anniversary. However, Mr Blocksidge firmly believed there was an opportunity to showcase what the Margaret River region had to offer through a high-end experience that steered sightseers away from traditional wine tasting, instead immersing them in the beauty and culture of the region. The Margaret River Discovery Company offers canoeing, hiking and four-wheel driving, along with introductions to the colonial, indigenous and ecological histories of the area. In 2010 Mr Blocksidge received the state’s highest accolade for a tour guide, the FACET Golden Guide Award, acknowledging the significant contribution he has made to the sector. Mr Blocksidge volunteers with the local bushfire brigade and was among those who fought the recent Margaret River bushfires.
