Unveiling the Majestic Filming Locations of Surviving Summer: Dive into the Scenic Wonders of Australia

Summary

The second installment of "Surviving Summer" was shot at diverse Australian beach destinations, such as Anglesea, Point Roadknight Beach, Bells Beach, Jan Juc Beach, along with Byron Bay and Kingscliff in New South Wales.

Anglesea, located on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, served as the primary location for the fictional town of Shorehaven in the series. The selected beaches, renowned for their excellent surfing opportunities, successfully showcased the show's central theme while authentically portraying the characters' thrilling surfing escapades.

Surviving Summer, a popular Australian production on Netflix, is set in Australia and therefore, it was a natural choice for the cast and crew to film season 2 in the Land Down Under. This teen drama series follows the story of a rebellious teenager who is expelled from her prestigious private high school in New York City and sent to live with her family's friends in the fictional town of Shorehaven, located on the Great Ocean Road in Wadawurrung Country, Victoria, Australia. It is here that she discovers a new group of friends and begins her journey into competitive surfing.

Following the positive response to the first season, which premiered on Netflix in June 2022, the show was renewed for a second season. Season 2 was released in September 2023 and features an ensemble cast including Sky Katz as Summer Torres, Kai Lewins as Ari Gibson, Lilliana Bowrey as Poppy Tetanui, Joao Gabriel Marinho as Marlon Sousa, Savannah La Rain as Bodhi Mercer, Annabel Wolfe as Wren Radic, Josh Macqueen as Baxter Radic, and Olympia Valance as Elo Radic. Just like the previous season, season 2 of Surviving Summer made use of various beach locations throughout Australia.

Anglesea, Victoria, Australia

According to Netflix Life, the cast and crew of Surviving Summer came back to Anglesea in Victoria, Australia for season 2, which serves as the real location for the teen drama show. Anglesea is situated on the Great Ocean Road in the Surf Coast Shire in Victoria, just like the fictional city Shorehaven in the Netflix series. Despite its relatively small population of over 2,500 people, Anglesea is renowned for its excellent surfing conditions, making it an ideal choice for the production team to use as the inspiration for the show's fictional town.

At the end of Surviving Summer season 1, Summer Torres returned to New York City with a newfound passion for surfing. She couldn't wait for the next summer to come so that she could return to Australia and surf with her friends from the previous year. However, upon arriving in Shorehaven (or Anglesea), Summer encounters numerous obstacles, including relationship issues and a desperate need to prove herself as a surfer.

Point Roadknight Beach, Victoria, Australia

One of the significant locations featured in Surviving Summer season 2 was the Point Roadknight Beach in Anglesea, Victoria, Australia. This beach, among others, appeared in the second season of the Netflix teen drama television series, which is centered around surfing. However, despite its inclusion, the Point Roadknight Beach is technically not spacious enough for some surfers to practice there and the waves are not particularly impressive. Therefore, it is possible that the production team chose to use Anglesea's beach for scenes on land, rather than showcasing characters surfing in the water.

Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia

While Point Roadknight Beach wasn't an ideal location for filming surfing scenes in Surviving Summer season 2 on Netflix, the town of Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia proved to be a much better choice. Situated on the Great Ocean Road in Wadawurrung Country, Bells Beach is renowned for its impressive surf beach. It only made sense for the cast and crew to make the most of this pristine spot for the scenes depicting Summer, Ari, Poppy, and the rest of the friend group in the teen drama television series as they practice the water sport and compete in exhilarating surfing competitions.

Bells Beach derives its name from William Bell, an entrepreneur and rancher from Geelong, who possessed significant land holdings in the town during the 1800s. Despite its relatively small population of just 300 people according to the 2016 census, the Australian city serves as the venue for several esteemed surfing competitions, namely the Rip Curl GromSearch National Series and the Rip Curl Pro. Consequently, Bells Beach attracts numerous tourists each year who eagerly come to witness and participate in these two thrilling contests. Additionally, Bells Beach has also provided the backdrop for a handful of film and television productions, such as the renowned Surviving Summer and the action-packed Point Break.

Jan Juc Beach, Victoria, Australia

Jan Juc Beach, located in the suburb of Jan Juc in Victoria, Australia, served as the third beach utilized by the Surviving Summer cast and crew for shooting the eight episodes of season 2. It is worth noting that the production chose to primarily focus on shooting in Victoria for the second season of the Netflix series. Similar to Bells Beach, Jan Juc Beach is widely recognized as a prominent surfing spot on the Surf Coast.

Jan Juc Beach, home to a Surf Life Saving Club, is renowned for its volunteer program in Australia that provides essential surf lifesaving services. With beach patrols during the summer months, this dedicated team has successfully rescued and assisted countless individuals. Beyond its rescue efforts, the club also hosts a wide range of beach sports activities, including thrilling surfing competitions and vibrant carnivals. It is precisely because of this vibrant atmosphere that the Surviving Summer producers selected Jan Juc Beach in Victoria as one of the captivating filming locations for the second season of the television show.

New South Wales, Australia

The final filming destination for Surviving Summer season 2 was New South Wales in Australia. This was the only location outside of Victoria that was used for the series. The principal photography happened in various spots throughout the Australian state, including Byron Bay and Kingscliff, two coastal towns. While it is unclear which scenes were specifically filmed in Byron Bay and Kingscliff, it is reasonable to assume that they might be related to surfing, considering the cities' proximity to the water. Both Byron Bay and Kingscliff are renowned for their beautiful beaches, so it is likely that the Surviving Summer cast and crew made the most of these coastal settings for the Netflix teen drama series.

Source: Netflix Life