Journey over the edges of waterfalls, cross magical coastlines, and venture into the heart of an ancient landscape unlike anywhere else on Earth as the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Museum of Australia brings The Great Kimberley Wilderness to audiences in Canberra from 26 December.
Equipped with state-of-the-art virtual reality (VR) headsets, visitors will marvel at the remarkable sights of the dramatic Kimberley landscape with simultaneous vision and theatrical surround sound.
The Great Kimberley Wilderness is the first of three VR experiences resulting from a $1 million trans-Tasman funding partnership between the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Museum of Australia, the Western Australian Museum and Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum.
³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Museum director Katherine McMahon said she was thrilled to bring The Great Kimberley Wilderness to Canberra, which will be the only venue to show this new VR experience outside of Western Australia and New Zealand.
‘The Museum has a well-earned reputation for embracing new technology and providing innovative ways for our visitors to experience Australian stories. Virtual reality provides a unique opportunity to explore remote regions of the Earth that are difficult to access for the average person,’ Ms McMahon said.
‘Without making the journey, there is no better way to experience the Kimberley than through this new immersive documentary. The Great Kimberley Wilderness allows visitors to explore this part of our extraordinary continent and discover the amazing lives of traditional owners and the scientists who work in the region.
‘This will be an opportunity for people to experience one of the world’s greatest natural and cultural treasures.’
Narrated by actor Luke Hemsworth (known for his starring role as ‘Ashley Stubbs’ in HBO’s Westworld and his appearance in Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder) and produced by award-winning Australian production company White Spark Pictures, The Great Kimberley Wilderness is a 35-minute immersive VR documentary that transports viewers to one of the most spectacular and pristine landscapes in the world.
White Spark Pictures’ founder and creative director, Briege Whitehead, said: ‘The Kimberley is one of the most awe-inspiring, last great wilderness regions we have left in the world, and it’s been a privilege creating this film with traditional owners, scientists and the wider community to showcase it.
‘Through this immersive VR experience, audiences can explore its breathtaking
landscapes, diverse natural wonders and rich cultural history in a way never possible before,’ Ms Whitehead said.
Background
In 2023, Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Museum of Australia and the Western Australian Museum announced a trans-Tasman partnership with $1 million in funding to develop three documentary-style VR films in collaboration with the award-winning White Spark Pictures.
The three new VR films are believed to be a content world-first and feature 360-degree surround sound and breathtaking visuals taking viewers to hard-to-reach places, including remote regional Australia, up-close encounters with whales and remote islands off New Zealand.
Apart from The Great Kimberley Wilderness, the suite of three films, which pushes the boundaries in VR documentary making, comprises two others currently in production.
- Journey of the Giants – from outback to ocean, a deep 360-degree dive into the incredible world of whales, following their migration, exploring their rich history
and creating the feeling of swimming with humpbacks.
- The Kermadec Islands – a chance to experience a once-in-a-lifetime adventure
in a remote and pristine marine wonderland deep in the South Pacific Ocean.
The Great Kimberley Wilderness is screened in the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Museum of Australia’s 100-seat Surround Sync enabled VR cinema within the Visions Theatre from 26 December. Costs apply.
