Tourists flock to search for unreal town in Australia

Google searches for Agnes Bluff, the non-existent Australian town, reached an all-time high in September after a show aired.

Google Trends data shows that the number of Australian and international tourists searching for and wanting to visit the town of Agnes Bluff has recently increased dramatically. In August, the number of searches for Agnes Bluff increased by 1,640% compared to July and increased by 40% in September, an all-time high. Tourists from Australia, Spain, Canada, the UK, the US, and Italy searched for Agnes Bluff the most.

Tourists flock to find Agnes Bluff, a town that doesn't exist in Australia. Photo: Prime Video — Tourists flock to find Agnes Bluff, a town that doesn't exist in Australia. Photo: *Prime Video*

But Agnes Bluff isn't real. It's a creation of novelist Holly Ringland, mentioned in her book The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. In the book, Ringland describes Agnes Bluff as a remote town located in the Northern Territory.

The name has become even more famous since it appeared in the TV series of the same name on Amazon Prime Video. In the movie, Alice Hart (played by actress Alycia Debnam-Carey) finds the location of Agnes Bluff on a map, travels there and then applies for a job at the nearby Mia Tukurta National Park. Mia Tukurta is described as a place with a beautiful volcanic crater.

However, author Ringland revealed that the locations in the work are based on some real-life locations. The place where the character Alice Hart lives was inspired by the Anangu land in the western Australian desert. This land left a strong impression on Ringland's life. "It's a place I never stopped longing for," she described Anangu.

Ringland feels very happy to know that people are searching for the fictional land she created. For the author, this rush of tourists to find it is the highest compliment she can give to her and her work.

A scene from the film was filmed in the Northern Territory. Photo: News — A scene from the film was filmed in the Northern Territory. Photo: *Prime Video*

The film adaptation of Ringland's novel was filmed in the central part of the country, including Alice Springs Desert Park, Simpsons Gap, Ooraminna Station, Standley Chasm (a popular tourist spot located in West MacDonnell National Park) and Ormiston Gorge.

Accordingly, Ormiston Gorge is the "Janglay Waterhole" in the story. The beautiful volcanic crater in the film is Gosses Bulff Crater, about 175 km west of Alice Springs. Director Glendyn Ivin described the crater as "one of the most beautiful and special places I have ever been".

Thanks to the show, search interest in the crater is at a 15-year high in Australia, with searches increasing 500% in August (compared to July) and another 50% in September.

Gosses Bluff or Tnorala is a sacred site for the indigenous people of the northern territories. Although it is privately owned, visitors are welcome.

Hart is pictured in the fictional Mia Tukurta National Park, which was filmed in the Northern Territory. Photo: Prime Video — Hart is pictured in the fictional Mia Tukurta National Park, which was filmed in the Northern Territory. Photo: *Prime Video*

A Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission representative said it was a short walk to a lookout point on the adjacent ridge to view the crater, and if you wanted a better view, you could hike further around to a higher location.

Anh Minh (According to News )

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