The amazing 10 part mini-series called The Pacific of which a lot was filmed in our area, here in far north Queensland has won the prestigious Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy for the Outstanding Mini-series of 2009/10.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences on Sunday, August 29, 2010 awarded one hundred 2009-2010 Primetime Emmys for programs and individual achievements on the “62nd Primetime Emmy Awards” originating on the NBC Television Network from the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

The whole event was broadcast on Monday evening on Channel 10 here in Australia and it was brilliant to see all the productuion staff on stage collecting the award that surely our area should give ourselves a big pat on the back for helping them win.

The Official award for Outstanding Miniseries went to 'The Pacific' from HBO TV and was collected by Tom Hanks, Executive Producer, Steven Spielberg, Executive Producer Gary Goetzman, Executive Producer Tony To, Co-Executive Producer Graham Yost, Co-Executive Producer Eugene Kelly, Co-Executive Producer Bruce C. McKenna,  Co-Executive Producer Cherylanne Martin, Producer Todd London, Producer Steven Shareshian, Producer Tim Van Patten, Supervising Producer.

The disappointing part to this wonderful award is that we don't seem to be taking advantage of the unique situation we find ourselves in as being the exclsuive location for the filming of the action sequences for the mini-series. 

when the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was shot in New Zealand, the production lot of Hobbiton Village was turned into one of the biggest tourist attractions the world has ever seen and let's face it, it was a bi-product which very astutely the owner of the picturesque private farmland near Matamata in the North Island capitalised on, and why not?  The movie company had done all the hard work, they conveniently left everything onsite.  

And this is not an isolated case.  Almost all production locations that have had to be constructed for movies around the world generate huge interest.  When the film company moves out, the tourists move in to see where the stars and the action was filmed.  

Remember Leonardo DiCaprio's early blockbuster, The Beach at Ko Phi Phi Lee in Thailand.  This location still attracts visitors some 10 years after release. And it should be remembered that the production team for "The Beach" were accused of doing all sorts of destructive things to the area resulting in a 6 year lawsuit but in the end the area came out on top. 

So if even uncomfortable experiences can be turned to an advantage why not good ones such as that enjoyed with the amazing Pacific cast and production team.

There was even a case in England when a television series that has run from 1973 to present day, entitled "Last of the Summer Wine" attracted a huge tourist population each year to an obscure, sleepy little West Yorkshire Village called Holmfirth around which it was filmed.  West Yorkshire is famous for it's beautiful landscapes and it's persistent rain in the winter months, which sounds familiar to here except it gets very chilly there, but it doesn't stop either international or domestic visitors, who arrive in their thousands throughout each year.

In Australia, there are many other examples of movie and television attractions that pull in the crowds.  A couple that spring instantly to mind are the Neighbours TV set at Pin Oak Court, in Vermont South, which is the real cul-de-sac that doubles for Ramsay Street and Summer Bay is an ideal setting for popular TV soap 'Home and Away' and the mass of visitors it attracts.  

So perhaps we should be asking the question why our tourism bodies aren't doing all in their power to assist the landowners, where the action sequences for this award winning miniseries was filmed, to promote the region around the world. 

How often do we have such an easily accessible global audience as the one that has made this television miniseries such a success.  Surely the film set, plus the latest Emmy Award would make it a massive tourist attraction, especially in the United States or is this going to be another wasted opportunity for our region?

It just takes a little thinking outside the box and let's face it, if we could tempt tourists to come to see the Pacific movie sites, then surely it wouldn't be much of an effort to complete their tropical experience with a whole plethora of other life-changing tours and attractions to captivate them during their visit.  Hey, how many other television or movie sets can boast the Daintree River and Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, which of course have been film sets of their own on occasions, in such close proximity.  What a trip for a movie buff!

Maybe, here at Newsport Daily, we're missing something as to why this situation isn't being exploited 'cos on the face of it, it sure looks like a great opportunity to us!