Pittwater Life June 2019 Issue

is usually sung on the bus. A
visit to the North Palm Beach
Surf Club which has featured
in the show for more than 31
years, is an obvious highlight,
as is Alf’s Bait Shop and the
exterior of The Pier Diner (aka
The Boathouse).
Photos, re-creating scenes,
and video messages all help to
make a memorable experience;
and there is a drive past the
exteriors of character homes.
Filming tends to take place
early in the week and although
they can’t guarantee photos
with the cast, fans are always
thrilled when the opportunity
arises. Occasionally cast members
will jump on the bus: “The
squeals of delight can be heard
in Avalon,” Tania laughs.
Spontaneous reactions are
hard to control.
“Sometimes we are instructed
to be quiet, so we don’t
interrupt filming,” explains
Avalon local Holly. “My bus
must’ve been told this about
five times one day before we
arrived. We quietly took our
spots to watch a scene being
shot. The moment Ray (Alf)
stepped out, though, the tour
gave him a spontaneous,
noisy round of applause. I was
worried we’d be in trouble
for stopping filming, but Ray
turned around with a big
smile and waved. It’s not every
day Alf gets a standing ovation
on location.”
One man proposing to his
fiancé also received a standing
ovation, as Tania recalls: “We
often get honeymooners on
the tour and many customers
are celebrating anniversaries
and birthdays. We have even
had a couple of proposals
and luckily I managed to
capture them on video. One
was at the end of the pier and
when all the diners at The
Boathouse realised what was
happening, they stood up clapping
and cheering the happy
couple... luckily she said ‘Yes’!”
One of the guides, Elke,
even lives in a cottage used
in the show; the Morgan’s
house. Filming has been done
outside and inside Elke’s cabin
– which was home to Ziggy
and Brody and the location
for their emotional break-up
scenes… Justin and Leah had
their first kiss in the front
garden…and the garage has
recently been used by Mason
and Raffy to produce medical
cannabis.
The guides’ connections
to the show go way beyond
property though – three of
them have worked behind the
scenes for years either writing
scripts, promoting or designing
for the show. Partners
and sons have variously also
filmed or created for Australia’s
longest-running drama. It’s
almost a show in its own right.
The tour has become a
wonderful day out for families
who enjoy sharing their
memories about watching the
show with their children and
grandparents. And it’s not
unusual to meet children who
have been named after characters
like Brax.
Special needs customers
come from far and wide; and
one school group from Dubbo
had never seen the ocean
before. “The sheer joy of jumping
in the waves was wonderful
to witness.” Recalls Tania,
“and they were also very
excited to meet Alf.”
Lisa perhaps sums up the
joy of her job best of all: “I get
to spend days watching Australia’s
longest and best loved
drama being filmed in the
most stunning location whilst
showing excited fans around
iconic Summer Bay!”
The Guiding Stars
Tania Seager
With Channel 7 since 1994.
Tania spent 11 years creating
‘behind the scene’ videos for
‘Home and Away’ and producing
the website and social
media pages; her first interview
was with Chris Hemsworth!
Elke Avis
Grew up a real-life Summer Bay
local. Elke lives in the home
used on the show as the Morgan
House. It gives her a unique
insight into the wonders of
location filming and she has a
bit of a soft spot for the Morgan
family.
Lisa Gaupset
Began as a Cadet Graphic
Designer for magazines such as
Cleo and Cosmopolitan, before
moving to broadcast design
with Channel 7 in 1989. She
worked designing promos and
titles for shows including ‘Home
and Away’.
Holly Lyons
A television drama writer,
her first broadcast credit
was for ‘Home and Away’ in
1999. After working in the UK
on shows such as Emmerdale,
she returned to Summer Bay’s
script department in 2011 for
several years, before becoming
a freelance writer for the show.
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
JUNE 2019 17