A pig in space? Babe and the problem of landscape

I was for the Pig before the Pig was famous.1 Oprah Winfrey

Every fairy tale requires a grand opening, a 'Once upon a time' delivered with panache. Births, deaths and marriages are effective, but Oprah has to be there to explain the meaning of it all. So, let's go with the big opening. My parents spent the early years of their marriage in Broome, a town in the north-west of Western Australia. This ocean-side paradise features palms, boab trees and the chalkiest of white sand. Like all paradises, Broome possesses its own legends which details the fall of man. Many young Australians go to Broome, with the pioneering intention of making their fortune. This path to riches however, is always littered with tragedy. My parents, too, were tripped by the palisades of this evil landscape. The harsh, weathered terrain taught them a lesson. On their return from the north-west, my mother always reminded her children that 'whatever Broome gives you, it takes away before you leave'.