Spend the Day in Summer Bay

So, okay, Summer Bay may not be a real place. It’s the fictional setting for the Aussie megahit Home and Away. Even though the soapy drama has been on longer than I’ve been alive, it hasn’t quite caught on stateside. But here are some alums of the show you might have heard of: the late Heath Ledger, Mrs. Borat Isla Fisher, Nip/Tuck‘s Julian McMahon, Dannii Minogue, The Mentalist‘s Simon Baker, Thor‘s Chris Hemsworth, The King’s Speech‘s Guy Pearce, True Blood‘s Ryan Kwanten and Naomi Watts. Notice a theme here?

All you need to know is that it’s filmed in Palm Beach, the northernmost beach in Sydney. The characters change pretty often, but deal with cheating, drug abuse and everything else that affects the teenage cast. I’ve only caught a few episodes since it’s on weeknights when I work, but it’s harmless trashy tv.

The real Palm Beach is a 1 hour drive from the CBD, surrounded by restaurants, stores and presumably expensive beachfront homes. The beach was fairly empty, since winter has reared its ugly head, but you can tell it’s beautiful when it’s warm. Whereas Bondi is surrounded by houses stacked upon houses, Palm is set around cliffs. A few surfers braved the low temperatures, proving their devotion to the sport.

Tommy and I stopped for lunch at Dunes Kiosk, right next to the beach. I picked English Breakfast tea ($3.50) and salt and pepper squid ($11) while Tommy ordered a cappuccino ($4) and a chicken schnitzel burger ($8). There were more dining options closer to town, including a full restaurant at Dunes, but we picked this for a cheap, quick bite.

We walked past one of the primary filming locations of the show, the Summer Bay Lifesaving Club, but no one was there. I guess I’ll have to get my fix on tv. See what you’re missing here:

Getting there

The L90 bus runs from Central Station, but you will be sitting for a good 2 hours. It drops you off in the center of town, so you don’t have to walk far.

By car, you can head towards Manly then continue to Pittwater Road and Barrenjoey Road until you see the signs. It can take anywhere between 45 minutes and 1 hour, depending on traffic.

Parking is paid in most areas, for about $4 per hour. It was empty when I was there, but I’m sure a space is hard to come by in the summer months.