Hinchinbrook Is Nim's Island

The movie Nim's Island, based on the book of the same title by Australian author Wendy Orr and starring Jodie Foster and that girl from Little Miss Sunshine, Abigail Breslin, is now showing in Australia after having its world premiere in March on Queensland's Gold Coast.

The production company filmed most of the exterior wilderness shots on north Queensland's Hinchinbrook Island with cast and crew "roughing it" for three weeks on the island together with a menagerie of wildlife including sea lions and pelicans from Sea World on the Gold Coast.

Hinchinbrook, a national park, lies opposite the port of Cardwell on the Queensland coast and is some 100 kilometres north of Townsville and 180 kilometres south of Cairns.

Hinchinbrook remains pretty much unspoiled and is particularly attractive for its pleasant beaches and for trekking into the wild. (But watch out for the crocs.)

The waters around the island are part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Photo: Jodie Foster at the world premiere of Nim's Island on the Gold Coast in March. (Paul Broben / Getty Images)