Shooting on Baz Luhrmann's much-talked-about big budget epic "Australia" will wrap this Friday reports The Herald Sun.

Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman star in the project which began filming late April across Darwin, Sydney and remote areas of West Australia and Queensland.

The film's budget is widely rumoured to have blown out well over original estimates of AUD $130 million (USD $111 million) and to have overshot its filming schedule by more than a month.

It is expected further scenes will be shot next year to complete the epic as both stars have commitments to other projects about to commence.

Jackman's "Wolverine" for example will begin filming in Sydney in less than a month and continue on through til June.