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TOP 4 WAYS TO EXPERIENCE BUSSELTON JETTY’S UNIQUE SEALIFE

coral, which spawn during the warmth of summer and autumn, catch a ride on the Leeuwin Current and head off to populate new areas with life.

More than 300 different species of marine life have made their home just eight metres beneath the decking of Busselton Jetty. Creatures like the beautiful soft Carijoa coral live attached to the submerged pylons. These delicate animals are normally found much further north and in deeper water. However they are able to survive at higher latitudes under Busselton Jetty thanks to the influence of the Leeuwin Current and the shading provided by the decking above.

Over 150 other types of brightly coloured invertebrates, including nudibranchs, sea sponges and sea squirts cover every available space on the jetty piles, creating a wondrous forest-like habitat for resident fishes to spend most of their lives.

A spectacular run of the Australian salmon (Arripis truttaceus) occurs in south west Australia as the Leeuwin Current begins the autumn and winter flows. Salmon begin to swim west and north up the Western Australian coast to spawn and the resulting larvae will be distributed back to the south by the Leeuwin Current.

Schools of hundreds of individuals can be seen from the heights of the rocky outcrops between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste, while many fishers will enjoy the run from locations such as Smith’s Beach or Bunker Bay.

And the best thing of all? These unique marine processes can be experienced right on our doorstep.

Sophie Teede is a Marine Scientist and Busselton Jetty’s Underwater Observatory Manager. Visit busseltonjetty.com.au

This warm water current is unlike any other ocean current anywhere in the world, as it flows in a southerly direction along the west coast of Australia.

UNDER THE SEA Busselton Jetty is the underwater home to

myriad sea flora and fauna.

Referred to as the anti-conference, Emergence Creative transforms the conventional into an imaginative exchange of ideas for those of the creative and digital persuasion.

Running from March 16 to 19, this event marks Emergence’s fourth year generating a rich stream of creative talent, both in the region and beyond, across every discipline within the music, film, advertising, visual arts and digital worlds.

The idea though isn’t to focus on your chosen field but to explore other areas and, as Emergence Chairman Mat Lewis says, to “come away bouncing with ideas, partnerships and collaborations”.

Just imagine the scope for an artist to broaden advertising avenues for their next exhibit or a film maker discovering new musical formats to incorporate in their next movie.

It’s so much more than a networking opportunity, where traditionally you only briefly connect with someone you may consider working with in the future. Emergence actually provides the platform to collaborate and form those partnerships.

Digital technology is the overall theme, but no-one is pigeoned-holed under one broad spectrum. The agility of the event inspires new outlets to move in different directions and I can’t imagine many leaving without a

Emergence Creative is a unique opportunity for WA’s creative talent to share ideas in the beautiful Margaret River region. By CARMEN JENNER.

of minds

Nature & Attractions |

MEET ING

continued over /

BOARD THE JETTY TRAIN and visit the Underwater Observatory - it’s a unique building which allows up to 40 visitors at a time to experience one of Australia’s greatest artificial reefs.Journey eight metres to the ocean floor via a SPIRAL STAIRCASE and discover an underwater world full of wonder. Spot vividly coloured tropical and sub-tropical corals, sponges, fish and other creatures. Eleven viewing windows at various levels give the Observatory unparalleled access to this astonishing marine treasure trove, packed with over 300 different marine species.For those with limited mobility, there’s a lift within the Observatory, making it accessible for all.Get close to the marine wonderland beneath the Busselton Jetty via a SEATREK UNDERSEA WALK.

Place a dive helmet on your head, and you can then descend into the marine world. Its a magical, awe-inspiring place filled with giant pylons, stunningly beautiful and colourful corals, and many different fish and species of sea life. You don’t need any previous diving experience or to be physically fit – and you can wear glasses and contact lenses, and make-up during your tour too!

The Underwater Observatory is located 1.7km along the jetty. A family pass costs $85, $32 for a single adult and $15 for a child. The Jetty Train trip takes approximately 1 hour 45 minutes to complete, and bookings are recommended. Children under three travel free, but must sit on an adult’s lap.

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The region’s beer, wine and food will also be making many guest appearances alongside galleries and beach-lovers chasing their next wave. Emergence Creative is a celebration of creativity. I’ll raise a glass to that.

Arts & Wellbeing |

CreativeTOOLKIT Essentials Workshop.Like most innovative projects, the end

product evolves organically, but here is a run-down of what’s planned so far - just expect a couple of fly-ins at the last minute.

Leading into the festival, Pitch to Play invites ideas, concepts and creations to be pitched to creative collaborators with the aim of demonstrating their key work online. As live projects are developed over the duration of the conference, there’s the chance to win category prizes, not to mention the possibility of performing in front of a crowd of potential partnerships.

The main conference venue is Willy Bay Resort with workshops located all over the region. On opening day there’s an Australian Writers Guild Writers Room as well as mentoring and production sessions for local high school students.

Other workshops will be held in and around Margaret River, covering a broad range of topics from brand development and creative entrepreneurship to photography, typography

and printology.Opening night sets the festive scene with

a creative crawl featuring live music and art, installations and exhibitions. The Big Mouth Brekky invigorates with surfing, a DJ and pop-up restaurant from local culinary students. Masterclasses (CO~LABs) kick off covering on-location film and photography, music production and recording as well as design and illustration.

The iconic Xanadu Wines lights up the night with the Short & Sharp film festival satellite event featuring The Flying Robot International Drone Film Festival (USA) and the soft launch of the Australian drone Film Festival.

Day two presents workshops on post-production, digital media and trans-media and virtual reality as a prelude to Ian Mutch’s art exhibition at Sugarman and the closing party of the official conference at the Driftwood Estate ampitheatre. On Saturday don’t miss the State of Play Music Showcase at Clancy’s Dunsborough, presenting the perfect opportunity to seal those partnerships over a bevvy or three.

And no wall is safe with street artists scouting the area for blank canvases.

Each day ends with Co-Lab sessions and the opportunity to approach your favourite keynote speakers one-on-one with your burning questions.

The line-up of keynote speakers includes Sydney-based design director, blogger, pod-caster, speaker and author Ram Castillo; José Miguel Sokoloff from one of Latin America’s leading agencies Lowe Global Creative Council; and New Zealander Graphic Agitator and author of Spinfluence, Nick McFarlane.

Meanwhile it’ll be keynote speaker Zena Loxton’s (Creative Director at VICE) first time. An Edith Cowan University graduate, Zena is now based in New York.

“Emergence is such a wild idea, finding all the people you’re inspired by and inviting them to the distant and beautiful Margaret River region,” she says.

“The travellers then are in turn inspired by the amazing place they find themselves in, and feed that wanderlust and energy back into the local community.

“It’s great to be coming home in that context, bringing the knowledge and wonder that comes with living in another country to share with the Emergence crew in WA, and spark new creative thoughts.”

As if the anti-conference isn’t already stimulating enough, the gorgeous setting opens the creative floodgates, as Mat says.

“Its location is its signature drawcard with so many great landscapes, workshops and collaborations in venues with pristine environments.”

NEW INSPIRATIONS Emergence Creative will

spark fresh ideas and cre-ative directions in March.

fresh perspective or new avenue to explore.Challenging the status quo, Emergence is a

Creative Corner initiative, and their aim is to connect creative people, businesses, services and events in the South West region with each other and further afield.

Beyond Emergence, the Creative Corner’s reach is broad and the body provides the means to put you in contact with the right people if you were, say, shooting a film in the south west. If you are running a small creative business that you need help with marketing, traineeships or cashflow management these are covered in the

Visit emergencecreative.com. Individual event tickets start at $20. For a range of accommodation options contact margaretriver.com for special Emergence rates.

CAVESYour Margaret River Region is as spectacular underground as it is on top. Venture below to discover the caves of the region, each uniquely decorated with natural crystal formations.

DISCOVER AN ANCIENT WONDERLAND

The more you cave, the more you save!Discounted multi-cave packages are available.Visit margaretriver.com or call (08) 9780 5911 to plan and book your trip.