A long way from Summer Bay! Home and Away producers dump sand at a Sydney property to create a ‘fake beach’ after filming relocated due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Home and Away have been shooting their outdoor scenes in Sydney’s Palm Beach for decades.
But during the coronavirus pandemic producers were forced to ‘get creative,’ after being told that they would not be able to shoot scenes in the northern suburb.
Aerial images captured by Daily Mail Australia reveal how an artificial beach in another part of Sydney was built up to mimic Summer Bay’s look.
A long way from Bay of Summer! Home and Away producers used a sand-filled 10-ton truck to create a ‘fake beach’ after being unable to film at the usual location in Sydney
A sand-filled 10-ton truck has apparently been used to make the scenes look as if they were unfolding on the beach.
One photo reveals how a beachside walkway was built using sand and wooden poles, while greenery is in the surrounding area.
It comes only days after it was announced that COVID-19 travel constraints meant producers needed to find a new place to film their ‘away’ shoot, as they were unable to fly to the Northern Territories.
Not Palm Beach: Aerial photographs reveal how an artificial beach was built up to recreate the Summer Bay look in another part of Sydney. Pictured: trucks on set and catering facilities
Cast and crew are believed to be filming around an hour’s drive from Sydney, in the Blue Mountains.
‘Corona won’t get anything in the way of showing the viewer any wonderful stories,’ series executive Lucy Addario told The Sunday Telegraph last week.
‘It helped us think creatively about the square,’ she said.
Change in scene: Home and Away have been shooting their outdoor scenes in Sydney’s Palm Beach for decades. Pictured: Lukas Radovich (left) and Ray Meagher (right) cast members
Home and Away shot a couple of episodes in 2016 in Alice Springs, but production probably won’t be able to come back there for many months.
Currently, the soap opera shoots its indoor scenes at Seven’s Eveleigh Studios and uses Palm Beach for its resort scenes outside.
Thanks to COVID-19 health concerns the series had been temporarily postponed in March.
Home and Away were initially halted in March due to health issues about COVID-19. The stars both practiced mutual distancing and stringent grooming procedures as shooting resumed May 27. Pictured: Cameron Daddo, Georgie Parker & Ray Meagher
After a nine-week break, the stars all observed social distance and strict hygiene practices when filming resumed on May 27.
COVID safety systems are also in place to ensure cast and crew health including routine temperature controls.
Scripts have also been revised to encourage the actors to separate themselves from one another.
Change of plan: Scripts have been rewritten to allow for social distancing between the actors