Who Let The Dogs Out?
SHARK BAY, WA – The rabbit-proof fence of Western Australia has become the ‘feral barrier’ of Nanga Bay, keeping the likes of cats and foxes out of the eco-sensitive peninsula.
As Phase One of Project Eden, the fence lies across the Taillifer Isthmus, just east of the Nanga Bay turnoff in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, and stretches out to the low-water mark on both sides.
Excluded pests aren’t too fond of the new obstacle. What may seem an innocuous stretch of wire is actually one serious fence, with an electric current over the top and a metre of wire below the surface. As for the cattle grid that cars and campervans cross, a hidden sensor will trigger a manic barking soundtrack if any non-vehicle movement is detected.
August 25th, 2005 at 3:01 pm
Speaking of the rabbit-proof fence, in the film of the same name based on the Doris Pilkington novel Follow The Rabbit Proof Fence they steered clear of the WA model.
Due to the difficulties of filming, the Dog Fence in SA stood in for its relative in WA and a lot of the filming was done not far from Parachilna, which has hosted celebs like Harvey Keitel and Kate Winslet when they were making Holy Smoke.
August 25th, 2005 at 3:19 pm
Yeah, Parachilna is the set to end all film-sets. This two-horse town near the Flinders Ranges, with a population of seven people (seriously) has hosted a series of movie crews over the years.
Holy Smoke, Rabbit Proof Fence, Kings in Grass Castles. Gallipoli, Robbery Under Arms, The Lighthorsemen, Disappearance: the list is longer than a roll of Hollywood credits.
If not movies, the ad-guys swoop every few years, making those spooky 4WD commercials along the Arkaroola Jump-Up.
To get the full picture on Parachilna Productions, pull into the town’s one and only Praire Hotel for big-screen stills, Keitel keepsakes and an emu frittata. (That’s the emu egg they use, not the meat.) The pub has a brilliant website as http://www.prairiehotel.com.au.
August 26th, 2005 at 12:11 pm
I had a yarn with a location scout in Parachilna and he was a very down-to-earth bloke in a very strange industry. He had some great stories about driving around in a jeep with the likes of Baz Luhrmann as they worked out if the desert would go with the outfits.
He said his weirdest experience was setting up a Bollywood movie called Road and setting up a stretch of desert to be a scene for many a swirling sari.
Grub at Parachilna Hotel isn’t too bad, but no so great for vegetarians.
August 26th, 2005 at 12:51 pm
Was Road a road movie or a dose of gritty realism? I remember seeing Road to Perdition, and Road to Morocco for that matter, but just plain Road passed me by.
Then again, skimming the Prairie Hotel’s film list, I can’t say I caught Epsilon (a sci-fi morality tale according to Internet Movie Database) or Serenades (an Afghani co-production starring the David Gulpilil as Rain Man).
The other enigma on the Prairie list is Napoleon. Hard to imagine the little man from Corsica swanning around the Flinders Ranges.
Anyone seen these elusive gems? Let us know. We need a good laugh.
August 30th, 2005 at 9:53 pm
Road was the whole straight-up name as far as this location scout had to say. It seemed to involve a Bollywood couple falling in love or being on the run from parents in various locations across the world. Like you do…