The Kimberley region offers travelers a taste of the authentic outback experience
and is the “heart and soul” of this epic adventure
(PERTH; WESTERN AUSTRALIA; Nov. 13, 2008)—The Kimberley, the northwest region of Western Australia, makes its big screen debut this month starring alongside Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in Baz Luhrmann’s epic Australia. Inspired by the magnificent color palette and breath-taking natural landscape, which he calls the “heart and soul” of the movie, Luhrmann traveled to Western Australia’s Kimberley region with more than 400 cast and crew to film pivotal scenes of this epic romantic adventure.
Covering an expanse of over 260,000 square miles with an estimated population of just 30,000, Western Australia’s Kimberley region is one of the most mysterious and captivating regions on earth. The sweeping and dramatic landscape brings to life several themes explored in the movie, including adventure, romance, and Australia’s Aboriginal culture.
Like Nicole Kidman’s character, Lady Sarah Ashley, Western Australia’s Kimberley region offers travelers the opportunity to embark on a journey of self-discovery and explore the unspoiled outback. Kidman has been quoted saying that her time spent in Western Australia “was a spiritual experience. There is a strength and power to this area that I haven’t seen elsewhere.” Whether in search of adventure, cultural enlightenment, or romance, the Kimberley region is home to the following not to miss destinations and attractions, including:
The Aboriginal Experience
Aboriginal culture is central to the storyline of Australia. As the world’s oldest continual culture and the first people of Australia, travelers to the Kimberley region can experience Indigenous art, safaris, and more. Intrepid travelers can explore the indigenous rock art galleries on the Mitchell Plateau and see the famous Gwion Gwion art, also known as the Bradshaws. A fantastic base for exploration of this area is Faraway Bay. For more information, please visit – www.farawaybay.com.au
Kununurra – Purnululu National Park
Kununurra, meaning ‘big water’ in the local Indigenous language, is the eastern gateway to the Kimberley region. Traversed for centuries by Aboriginal people, the Australia cast and crew based themselves in Kununurra, which is home to the World Heritage listed Purnululu National Park. This remote wilderness experience is famous for the Bungle Bungle Range, where constant erosion and river movements have formed its huge black and orange striped domes over the last 20 million years. Travel further into the range and a hidden world of gorges and pools are revealed with fan palms clinging precariously to walls and crevices in the rocks, perfect for a romantic sojourn. Stay overnight at one of the permanent tented accommodations. For more information, please visit – www.kimberleywilderness.com.au
El Questro Wilderness Park – Cockburn Range
Luhrmann chose to film some of the pivotal scenes for Australia at El Questro, a working cattle station on more than one million acres. This wilderness park encompasses some of the Kimberley region’s most breathtaking and untouched scenery including wide tidal flats, fields of boab trees, and pockets of lush gorges and waterfalls. El Questro is also home to the Cockburn Range, a fortress-like rock formation rich with deep gorges and permanent pools that can be explored by four-wheel drive, on private bushwalking tours, or via scenic helicopter flights. Also at El Questro, travelers can relax in Zebedee Thermal Springs, warmed by water rising up through the earth from the tectonic plates below.
For a luxurious and romantic adventure, visit El Questro Homestead—an exclusive six-suite retreat cantilevered over the magnificent Chamberlain Gorge. Sitting in contrast to Western Australia’s rugged Kimberley landscape, El Questro offers five star service to travelers seeking relaxation and privacy. Guests can choose from a selection of romantic, outdoor dining locations—including a private cliff top or the Homestead’s spacious verandahs—to dine under a canopy of stars. For more information, please visit – www.elquestrohomestead.com.au/
Home Valley Station
The backdrop to many key scenes in Australia, including Lady Sarah Ashley’s crossing of the Pentecost River, Home Valley Station is an outback adventure playground filled with towering gorges, sparkling waterholes, rivers, untouched beaches, waterfalls, and stunning ancient landforms and ranges.
For the ultimate combination of adventure and romance, Home Valley Stations’ Grass Castles offer the newest and most luxurious accommodation in the Kimberley. The large, freestanding guest rooms are located along the banks of the beautiful Bindoola Creek and shaded by towering eucalypts abundant with birdlife. Reminiscent of sturdy steel and timber homesteads designed by the Kimberley’s early pioneering settlers, each Grass Castle effortlessly combines historic touches with ultra-modern amenities. Design features include floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors, polished timber floors, private verandahs, and unobstructed views of the water. For more information, please visit – www.homevalley.com.au/accommodation/grass-castle-rooms.php
Digger’s Rest Station
An adventure accessible only by four-wheel drive, Digger’s Rest offers warm hospitality amidst the gorgeous scenery of the Kimberley and is the location where the cast and crew spent 21 days filming Australia. The property is well known for its extended horse treks, which take visitors back in time to when the original settlers of the land moved cattle throughout the Kimberley. Whether embarking on a two or 11 day trek, travelers can explore the magnificent scenery and stop each night near a watering hole for a dip, dinner, and stories around a campfire.
For more information on the travel options and itineraries in Western Australia’s Kimberley region or Australia the movie, please visit: www.westernaustralia.com/kimberley
About Western Australia
Western Australia, the largest state in Australia located in the western half of the country, is divided into five distinct regions: Australia’s North West, Australia’s Coral Coast, The Golden Outback, Experience Perth, and Australia’s South West. Unspoiled, unpretentious, and full of adventure, the travel experiences in Western Australia are as diverse and spectacular as the landscape itself. The North West region is a vast wilderness area home to spectacular natural attractions including the Bungle Bungle Range in World Heritage Listed Purnululu National Park, the world-famous white sands and turquoise water at Broome’s Cable Beach, and the million acre El Questro Wilderness Park. Travelers to the Coral Coast can dive with the world’s largest fish – the whale shark, snorkel with manta rays, and see wild dolphins at play. Western Australia’s Golden Outback, the Gold Rush country of the 1890’s, offers the ideal blend of history and heritage. Travelers can explore mines and museums, pan for gold, or visit one of Kalgoorlie’s historic pubs. In spring, travelers to The Golden Outback can see brilliantly colored wildflowers in full bloom. Western Australia’s capital city, Perth, and the surrounding region is a microcosm of the whole state boasting vineyards, fantastic restaurants, a lively and original music and arts scene, and stylish accommodation. Perth is also home to Kings Park, the world’s largest inner city park. Featuring beautiful beaches, tall tree forests, and award winning wineries, the South West is also home to the Margaret River region, which produces almost 20% of Australia’s premium wine. With over 220 wine producers in the region, travelers can explore more than 100 cellar doors which are open to the public. For more information on Western Australia, please visit www.westernaustralia.com
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