Whether it’s classics like Skippy or new favourites like Underbelly and Sea Patrol, it’s possible to take on a TV tour of Australia, visiting the sets of the country’s top shows.
Underbelly filming locations
Channel Nine’s controversial hit mini-series was filmed all over Melbourne, and often in locations that have been touched by the city’s gang wars. The Docklands and the Essendon area feature pretty heavily, while there are some specific locations that have been used for certain scenes.
Many of the scenes supposedly set in Carlton are actually filmed in North Melbourne, largely around Errol Street. The most obvious example is the Rubicon restaurant on Errol Street, which acts as a double for the murder scene of La Porchetta in Carlton.
Bizarrely, the jail visit sequences weren’t filmed in a jail at all – they were shot in the dressing rooms at the Telstra Dome.
Neighbours filming locations
Forget all the gritty backstreet action in Underbelly – the most famous street in Melbourne is a small cul-de-sac in deepest suburbia. Pin Oak Court in Vermont is notorious around the world, although it’s better known as Ramsay Street.
The outdoor scenes in Neighbours are filmed in a genuine street, and the residents of Pin Oak Court are compensated handsomely for it. If you’ve ever wondered why the door to the Kennedy household has suddenly changed colour, it’s because the people living there have changed it…
Aside from the filming, however, the residents have to put up with streams of pilgrims popping up from all over the globe (OK, mainly the UK and Ireland) wanting to get photos of themselves prancing around in the street or in Harold Bishop’s garden.
It’s even possible to go on a tour to the street, with other locations used during filming thrown in.
Home and Away filming locations
For Australia’s other classic soapie, you need to head to Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Home and Away is based at Palm Beach (or at least the obligatory scenes of someone running into the sea with a surfboard are).
However, show up during the week, and you’re not likely to see too many teenagers arguing about their love lives on the sand. It’s a big stretch, and is largely empty until the weekend hordes descend.
Just off the beach, of course, is the iconic surf club. Alf Stewart has been known to show up there on occasions in order to film scenes, so you never know your luck…
Skippy filming locations
On a global basis, however, Sydney’s most famous location isn’t Summer Bay – it’s the Waratah National Park, home of Skippy the bush kangaroo.
There’s no such place as the Waratah National Park, of course, but some of the sets are still up at the place that moonlighted as Skippy’s territory. These include the ranger’s hut, and can be found in the Terry Hills area of the Ku-Ring-Gai National Park in the north of the city.
They’re part of the Waratah Park Earth Sanctuary, which is unfortunately closed for renovation at the moment, but is due to reopen soon.
However, the surrounding areas of the Ku-Ring-Gai are great for exploring – a forest oasis in Australia’s biggest city. Just remember to listen if a kangaroo bounds up to you with vital information about a child stuck down a big hole.
McLeod’s Daughters filming locations
The series is coming to an end now, but there’s still something of a tourist industry based around McLeod’s in one corner of South Australia.
Most of it, including the scenes set at Drover’s, was filmed at the historic Kingsford property near Gawler. It’s been running as a genuine station for over a station, and was actually snapped up by Channel Nine when it came up for sale.
After visiting, of course, a cold beer in the Gungellan Hotel is practically obligatory. You’ll not actually find it if you look under that name, though – it’s actually the Railway Hotel in Freeling.
Such is the popularity of the show that it’s actually possible to go on a guided coach tour through locations used in the series. It covers 250km, and also highlights the star scenic attractions of the local area, as well as spots from the show.
Kath and Kim filming locations
Predictably enough, there’s no such place as Fountain Lakes. The hit comedy series is largely filmed in and around Patterson Lakes, in Melbourne’s south-western suburbs. Kath’s ‘townhouse’ is nothing of the sort – it’s in quiet suburbia at Lagoon Place.
Meanwhile, the Fountain Lakes shopping centre is Westfield Southland.
Big Brother filming locations
Arguably the most famous house in Australia – despite it having radical changes of appearance every year – can be found in the Gold Coast’s Dreamworld complex.
Between January and the start of the show, the Big Brother house is revamped with secret rooms, new-fangled gadgets and increasingly perverse bedroom arrangements, and is thus closed to the public.
However, when the show’s on, it’s possible to go up to Dreamworld and be one of those screaming sadsacks on the eviction show.
And, for the rest of the year when it’s not full of wannabe TV presenters and glamour models or being demolished, it’s possible to visit the house itself. For a mere $2,200 you can hire it out as a party venue.
Sea Patrol filming locations
Much of the Lisa McCune vehicle has been shot in Queensland, and put together in the Warner Roadshow studios on the Gold Coast.
A lot of the footage in the first series was gathered around Dunk Island on the Great Barrier Reef, while the Navy HQ is represented by two buildings – the Gold Coast City Council Chambers and the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
This article was originally written for Ninemsn.com.au
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