WA’s Exmouth readies welcome mat for Eric Bana, Mia Wasikowska for filming on Blueback

Hot on the heels of being named WA’s top tourist destination by a leading travel website, Exmouth has declared it is ready to welcome Hollywood superstar Eric Bana in the coming weeks. Bana and Alice in Wonderland star Mia Wasikowska are in WA to shoot director Robert Connelly’s adaptation of the beloved Tim Winton novella, Blueback. The production is currently filming in Bremer Bay in the State’s Great Southern region but is then scheduled to venture north after Easter to film at Ningaloo. Exmouth shire president Matthew Niikkula said the locals were ready to embrace the stars when they wander out yonder. “We welcome everyone, we’ve got so much to offer, and any especially high-profile visitors who come only enhance the excitement about visiting this wonderful place,” Niikkula said. The shire president highlighted swimming with whale sharks as one of the region’s iconic attractions but said he wouldn’t need to extend an official invitation to Bana to have a crack at it. “I’m sure there’ll be people putting their hands out everywhere to have him experience everything that we have on offer up here,” Niikkula said. The resort town was named WA’s Aussie Town of the Year by Wotif, an Australian domestic travel service. Exmouth came in eighth place nationally. Australia-wide, Cairns took out the top spot. Connolly’s last collaboration with Bana, The Dry, just surpassed $17 million at the Australian box office, and the best mates are hoping lightning will strike twice with Blueback. “It’s just this long-term collaboration that we’ve built and I think it’s exciting to bring to Australian audiences, when we finish this film, another big work of cinema that Eric and I have worked on as friends,” Connolly said.