A CREW of six from the UK based British Broadcasting Company (BBC) visited the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital on February 18.
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Visiting from London, a team consisting of the presenter, Michael Portillo, a producer, camera man, sound recorder and two administrators arrived at the Hospital at 8am in time for the koalas’ morning feeding.
Michael spent time interviewing the hospital’s clinical director, Cheyne Flanagan, before meeting ‘Mini’ an eighteen month old koala joey, feeding resident koala, Breeza Grant, and finally accompanying one of the volunteers on a koala release.
“Michael was interested in understanding the plight of koalas in Australia and the threats they face. He wanted to know about the Hospital, and to showcase the work we are doing to rescue and protect koalas,” Cheyne said.
The BBC team was here to film part of a travel and history documentary series Great Continental Railway Journeys.
The program is a popular returning series that is broadcast worldwide and has been filmed across continental Europe, North Africa and India since 2012. It runs alongside other established programs, Great British Railway Journeys and Great American Railroad Journeys.
It is the first time the presenter, Michael Portillo, has travelled the railroads of Australia using a guidebook from 1913, Bradshaw’s Continental Railway Guide, which tells stories about places the guide recommends.
Michael is a well-known and much loved broadcaster, a former Defence Secretary and former Minister for Transport in the UK.
When researching places to visit as a part of the program, its producer said the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital was a “must see destination”.
The completed program will be aired in the UK towards the end of the year and will screen in Australia in 2019.