The Xena Film Locations - XENATOUR

This is a very exciting and never-to-forget experience. Your guide is nobody else then the private driver of Lucy Lawless on the job, John from Bethell Beach Cottages. Yes, for 2 years he was the private driver of Lucy Lawless when she was on the job. He has a lot to tell and ofcourse nothing else but good things about Lucy. I'm jalouse about John. And ofcourse he is the man at the right place with the correct knowlegde for a perfect Xena Tour.

What is the Xena Tour? Well, John will drive you around on the private properties where those exclusive film shootings took place. In fact you can visit those exclusive film locations with im.
As we explored a lot by ourselves we still where amazed what John could show us extra. And ofcourse with the perfect information that goes along. If you are adventurious as we are, you can stand up into the 4x4 jeep. I did and I got some real cool filming shots. To see that take the video link.

Amazone Village
Another suprise you get treated by John is the Amazone village. There are still some things left of what was once an Amazone Village.

Okay let's go below for some more info with pictures. Don't forget to look at the video for the filming during the Xena Tour.
TIP OF THE DAY : FOR XENA FANS A MUST TO DO. GET THRILLED AND DO THE XENA TOUR.

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Outlook Wainamu Lake and Tasmanian Sea.

Connection between Wainamu Lake + Dunes and the Tasmanian Sea.
John took us onto another side of their family property so we could enjoy the marvelous panorama's of the Bethells Valley swamp and the incredible Lake Wainamu. We even could see the connection that the sand dunes to make between Lake Wainamu and the Tasmanian Sea. You can see the full connection at the beginning of the episode Calisto. We had to take the shoot in 2 times. Further on the tour you get to see a speechless view over the West Coast, South and North.

Wainamu Dunes and forest
What me personnaly excited the most was the moment that John took us through the Wainamu stream. So we xent the same direction as when Xena did her horse riding in Return of Calisto and Eternal Bonds. Then full speed through the bushes at Wainamu stream and full speed up the sand dunes. There we went directly into the opposite direction of Adventures in the Sintrade, where Xena and the Amazones came out of the forest and ran upto the sand dunes to fight the Besurker.
We drove by Joxer's hump and went into the forest. The place in the forest is for me best known as the battle place of To Helicon and Back where Xena fights Artemis' son. John told us that this spot has been used many many times.
And indeed, cause afterwards by rewatching the episodes and taking notice of the forest filming place we were amazed how many times this place has been used. Again a perfect filming.

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A 2 piece picture to show the distance between Wainamu Lake and the Tasmanian Sea.		A look-out over the Wainamu Dunes to Wainamu Lake.
The South View towards Bethells Beach over O'Neill Bay	A look on top of O'Neill Bay
	On your right you see the shooting of the Gods as you see it on the DVD's. You will notice that the film production flipped the scenery. On your left you will see the same shoot but flipped in the way it was filmed. And that does match the reality as you can see in the reality picture just above it.

MURIWAI BEACH - WOODHILL FOREST

Muriwai Beach
South you have a beautiful look-out over Bethells Beach and North you have a knock-out view over Muriwai Beach whereafter Woodhill Forest is situated. You can see the place where the Gablaunch of The Bitter Suite took place and where the Gods stood in Looking Death in the Eye.
Muriwai Beach is only accessable by a 4x4 drive if you want to go for a ride onto the beach. But you also have a walking access path. In the surrounding of Muriwai Beach there is a lot of events to do.

Woodhill Forest
At Woodhill Forest some shootings took place of Adventure in the Sin Trade, especially some Alti versus Gabby action. Unfortunately because of nature protection the access to those filming places where closed. We didn't force us in and respected the rules.

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Some nice views towards Muriwai Beach with Woodhill Forest behind it. Watch also the 2 pictures below. Both backgrounds do match.
	Left and right a screengrab out of Looking Death In The Eye. Watch the background of the left picture. It is the same as the background as where we stand in the 3 pictures above. So the wagon went down just behind us.
Here you have 2 views, almost the same, but near by the location where the Gab launch in The Bitter Suite was filmed. You can notice the little rock in the scene. That one can be found in the backscene of the Gab launch. So the filming took place just a little bit further then from where we are standing here.
	The Swamp at Bethells Valley. Waitakere River Swamp

Maori Bay

Maori Bay
Maori Bay is another exclusive film location to be visited. When you are driving direction Muriwai Beach it is the last beach before you reach Muriwai Beach. Arriving at Maori Beach you will be charmed by its mystic presence. I got immediately the flash of the scene before me of the episode Looking Death the Eye, where Xena recovers from the launch and goes searching for her daughter and fools the Gods. Standing on the beach and looking up to the steep natural stone wall, you feel so tiny against this natural wall formation. The cave, which you also can see behind Xena on the screengrabs can be visited aswell. The cave has a very nice window that gives a nice view onto the sea. And at the end you get an exit right into the sea aswell. Don't mind your wet shoes or feet. Just do it! It all gets quickly dry again. When you turn back to the beach, keeping the cave in your back, you have a look out from where Octavius came driving towards Joxer, bringing Eve back.
Only the fooling and the faking death and Ares taking Xena and Gabrielle have been filmed here. The Gods standing up on the hill was filmed on a height a little bit further then O'Neill Bay, going direction Maori and Muriwai Beach.
Maori Beach is a devine small beach with a magic scenery. The Xena scenes have been captures in a nice angle as you get the impression that it is a huge place.
Moari Bay although only a few scenes have been shoot here, there is a lot to tell and to show.

Looking Death In The Eye

Below you find some panoramic shoots versus the filming scenes. All the dramatic scenes after the fall of Xena and Gabrielle have been filmed on this beach. I give you below a serie of pictures versus the filming shoots splitt up in different parts in order to point out the central point of each shoot.
The first 2 pictures are the one of the cave that you will find in the background of the filming shoots and the little rock in the sea can be seen in the background of the filmed scenes as well. I give you a lot of filming shoots just to show how much they could produce on this small area.
Now only 3 panoramic photos. Views in the same direction Octavius came riding towards Xena and Gabrielle. And one l looking into the direction where Octavius came from.
View in the eyes of Octavius riding towards Xena and Gabrielle			Looking towards the place Octavius came from.
Below some shoots in the same direction as I took the photos. You can notice the little rock in the sea in the background.
	And final a view on this magical scenery from the sea towards the land.

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