Kangaroo Valley to showcase Namadgi National Park to the world

Through the pandemic most filmmakers had to simply put up with huge delays to filming caused by lockdowns and border closures. But when the on-screen star was a joey who could quickly enough be having joeys of her own, the story just wouldn't allow that kind of delay. That was the challenge faced by the Los Angeles based film crew behind the Netflix documentary, Kangaroo Valley, shot in Namadgi National Park at the height of the pandemic. Filming for the first part of the documentary had taken place prior to the coronavirus outbreak, despite concerns from ACT Parks over Namadgi's bushfire recovery, and it require high-level exemptions to allow it to continue in January, 2021. International borders were closed at the time and parts of Sydney's northern beaches were in lockdown. Screen Canberra helped facilitate the lengthy approval process required to capture Mala before the joey became a kangaroo. CEO Monica Penders said most film makers wanting to continue projects during that period were just told 'no'. "This one was time sensitive," she said. "We really had to try and make it happen." Ms Penders said the small crew camping out in Namadgi had their groceries delivered and were not permitted to enter Canberra. The majority of filming took place in the Valley of Gudgenby, a remote part of southern Namadgi severely damaged during the bushfires. She said ACT Parks had been worried Namadgi, still recovering from the Orroral Valley bushfire, would be damaged during filming. Ms Penders said, in the end, the importance of showcasing the ACT's spectacular national park won out. "There's something called film tourism, where people like to visit sites of where things were filmed," she said. Ms Penders gave the example of a stretch of road in Ireland which was the location for filming the entrance to King's Landing in Game of Thrones. "It's just a tree-lined road. Thousands and thousands of people flock there to see it," she said. "You cannot underestimate the power of film." More than 300 hours of footage were shot in Namadgi to capture the story of Mala and her relationship with Miro, part of a dingo pack that stalked the kangaroo family. Lead cinematographer, Tom Crowley, whose work includes the hugely popular Planet Earth II and Hostile Planet, said he was enamoured with what he witnessed and filmed. "There's two places with incredible natural beauty that I've wanted to return to film in again," he said. "One is Tanzania, the other is Namadgi National Park." The documentary is narrated by Succession's Sarah Snook with a soundtrack by Australian singer-songwriter Sia. READ ALSO: Jonathan Kobus, Executive Branch Manager at Visit Canberra, said it was expected the film's presentation of Namadgi's unique biodiversity would increase awareness of the Canberra region's great outdoors. "Exposing Canberra to audiences nationally and globally helps potential visitors understand what our region has to offer," he said. "As more people are exposed to the diversity of the Canberra region's natural beauty in broadcasts like Kangaroo Valley, the awareness of Canberra increases. "We welcome visitors to come and explore Namadgi National Park and beyond to see for themselves." We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.