Australia Movie

Australia the movie, released in November 2008, is the work of director Baz Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom, Romeo and Juliet, Moulin Rouge). Not only does the movie showcase the talents of Antipodean film makers and actors, but it brings the remote Australian outback to the attention of cinema audiences across the world, much as The Lord of the Rings did for New Zealand.

The Story of the Movie, Australia

The Australia movie is a romantic epic starring top Australian movie stars, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. It tells the story of Englishwoman, Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman) who inherits a sprawling cattle station in the rugged Australia outback. When the station is threatened by a take-over she joins forces with a stockman (Jackman) and together they drive 2,000 cattle over unforgiving and harsh Australian outback territory towards Darwin. There they face the Japanese bombing first hand and put their growing relationship to the test.

The Unknown Star of Australia

The third 'big' star of Baz Luhrmann's movie, Australia, is the rugged red outback of Western Australia including the Kimberley region and the Kununurra township.

It it anticipated that the film Australia will inspire travellers from all over the world to pack their bags and take a movie-inspired tour of the Kimberley region. Tourists and travellers can explore many natural and man-made wonders including:

• Gibb River Road – Originally a beef road constructed in the late 1800s, the Gibb River Road offers adventurous travellers the opportunity to take 4WD driving tours and trips through the heart of the East Kimberley.
• Purnululu National Park – Air tours and 4WD driving tours to the iconic World Heritage site of the Bungle Bungle Ranges, striking sandstone domes banded in orange and grey and estimated to be over 350 million years old.

Movie and Film Tourism Down Under

Read about Tourism Australia's hopes for movie inspired Australia tourism and find out more about film and movie themed tours in New Zealand.