The Mercury
THU 28 APR 2005
Actor evokes forest magic
By SIMON BEVILACQUA

AUSSIE heart-throb David Wenham yesterday called on the magic of Gandalf's
staff to help save Tasmania's ancient rainforests from the bulldozers.

The actor, who has been voted Australia's sexiest man, visited the Styx
forest with Greens MP Bob Brown.

Dr Brown took Wenham on a forest track called Tolkiens Trail to a massive
80m-tall eucalypt dubbed Gandalf's staff.

``It's awesome,'' reckoned Wenham.

The tree was named after the walking stick used by the great magician
Gandalf in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

Gandalf uses the magical staff as a shield against the attack of Aragorn,
Gimli and Legolas.

Wenham played Faramir in the second Lord of the Rings film, The Two
Towers, in 2002.

He spent months filming on the South Island of New Zealand.

``Tasmania looks very much like Lord of the Rings country,'' Wenham said.

``There is a real similarity between Tasmania and the South Island.''

Wenham said he was awestruck by the beauty of the Tasmanian rainforest.

The Gandalf's Staff tree was home to The Wilderness Society's Global
Rescue Station in the summer of 2003-2004.

It was earmarked for felling before being measured by Victorian tree
enthusiast Brett Mifsud and found to be big enough to be protected under
Forestry Tasmania's giant tree policy.

Forestry Tasmania has said it will put an appropriate buffer zone around
the tree.

``I hope many more trees can be saved,'' Wenham said.

``There must be a better way than to log these ancient forests.''

Wenham signed up as an ``Ancient Forest Guardian'' in Sydney, along with
fellow actor Sam Neill.

But the main purpose of his Tasmanian visit was to promote his new film,
Three Dollars.

Wenham, who has featured in films such as The Brush-Off, Van Helsing,
Gettin' Square, The Bank, Moulin Rouge and Better Than Sex, first came to
prominence as Diver Dan in the top-rating television series SeaChange.