The Wainamu lake is a devine place to be. It is very special as no where in the world you find black dunes that make a connection between the lake and the tasmanian sea. You can see a picture of that on the Xenatour site. Although from a distance or height you get the impression that it is a flat, reality is really different. You have huge dunes and you can walk a long way. But you never can get lost there! If you are lodged wih Trude and John at Bethells Cottages they can take you through the private family tracks to the Lake. If you like to walk you can start at the parking which is at the last bridge you cross when hidding for the beach (see Bethells Cottage side for more info how to get there)
The Wainamu lake is a fresh water lake and you will certainly see a lot of places that you recognize out of the Xena episodes. Take a swim in the lake and feel yourself a bit of a warrior on the fun side of life. Or try to run up a huge dune and become an Amazone ready for the attack. The dunes give you a natural acces to the Wainamu river. Going down the dunes is fun and easy. At the Wainamu river it might be that it is full of water or just an almost dry one, depending on the weather and season. February/March will give an almost dry river which makes it very interesting to walk in the footsteps of Xena.
Get thrilled to walk through the river and feel the mystery and the power that goes out of it, when you know that you heroes filmed here. You get drifted away.
Personally Wainamu with his lake, dunes and river is my special place on earth. It is like a magnet and I could stay there for hours.
Below will find a huge heap of pictures versus the screengrabs. A lot has been filmed there. And therefore it will a fully load site below. For that purpose I had reduce the dimensions of the pictures. But what it makes so interesting is that sometimes this locations has been used in a continues scene that started at Bethells Beach. If you have the love for nature and admire the Xena show and Lucy this place will reveal the secrets of it all. Treasure it for eternity.
In 2009 I will take some additional pictures as sometimes we are standing just in the opposite way of the camera. Meaning that we are walking or driving the same way as Xena and Gabrielle did. So you get the view of the actresses. Some pictures are exactly the same as the screengrabs as we are standing on the side of the filming crew. But that makes it all so interesting and is an invitations to improve it by the next visit.
Very interesting and amusing to know is that with this chariot race at the Wainamu river they filmed it up and down stream. So one time you have the dunes on your rigt side and the other time they are on your left side. Funny to see! If you haven't been at this locations you would not see it or know it. So in fact they just drove up and down the stream in order to show you a long chariot race. The Chariot race is all filmed in the Wainamu stream which is just below the Wainamu dunes.
The pursuite of the two chariots after Gabrielle. This time I had good weather and the filming crew some darker. All depends on the moment of the day.
Now this is one of the very good pictures that shows the same film location. You have so much to see and you have to be very focussed. There was much more water at that time so I assume that it was filmed during another season.
Another perfect comparison. Watch where Gabrielles is going to and see the real picture. The bushes changed a bit but it is still the same spot.
Gabrielle and Xena do fall out of the chariot a bit further on my picture. Just right behind the bend.
After falling out of the chariot the ready for fight Xena. After the turning as mentioned above and on this picture
The episode Calisto has some nice shots of the Dune plateau of Wainamu with a super view that shows you the connection this plateau makes between Wainamu lake and the Tasmanian sea. The horse race between Xena and Calisto has been filmed on the sand dunes as well. Allthough you get the impression that is flat, it isn't. It is formed by a lot of Dunes, low and high ones.
Left Xena and Gabrielle walking on the mountain that is on the left in the background of my picture.
On the left picure you see both woman riding horses. My picture is take from the other side and gives you the full overview of the same film location
On the left the horse race versus the reality picture. On the right side you sea the place where Xena return with the prisoned Calisto on horse.
With Mortal Beloved we come to my favourit spot of Wainamu. Lake Wainamu. A unique place on earth. A fresh water lake that invites you to swim in it. Do it and experience a Xena feeling. It is devine!
The sitting place and same as in FFG. We come to that later on. This spot is also used in Sacrifice.
And what do you think about this view. Wainamu lake is unbelievable beautiful. I had not that nice weather as during the filming.
The only spot where you can walk easily out of the lake. The other goes from your knees directly into the deep.
Return of Calisto has been filmed partly on Bethells Beach and on Wainamu Dunes and Stream.
For Bethells Beach see the related site. It is so cool to see how the put difference scenes in connection with eachother. At a spectactor you do have a clue how but after being at the film locations it is so interesting to figger out how they did it. Gives more appreciation for everybody in that team.
You will now start noticing that the same locations are returning in different episodes. Now experience the great talents of the complete film crew. Watch how they use the same locations and still come out with a total other result. Amazing!
For the Bitter Suite, the beginning scene where Xena take Gabrielle on the rope behind the horse we are back at the Wainamu stream. The Gablaunch is further north to Muriwai beach (see Xena tour site). But the end then again, where Gabby and Xena are lying in the water is back at Bethells Beach. Speaking of turning into rounds!!!!
The way where Xena took Gabrielle along. As you can see there was much more water then when we were there. Change of season or weather can make a huge difference. That makes this locations so unique.
Lake Wainamu is mostly known because of this episode. It has been filmed on a very small location but the result shows you a huge panorama. Really a very good job done. As mentioned before a lot of the same spots have been used in other episodes and I'm sure you know by now which ones. So I will not repeat them all here again. As FFG is a very humoristique episode you get that naughty and laughing feeling yourself when you are at that spot. I surely did! He he he! LOL!
Fishing Xena next to the lake view. You have to go swimming. I did and it is such a splendid feeling. Get total Xena crazy and jump into the lake.
Discussion friends at the waterfront. Remember the spot from ........
This spot is at the very right side when you come to the lake. You cannot miss it.
Rescue place! No, no, no we both stayed calm and did not copy any performances. Just in case you get naughty thougths about us.
Another episode where the Lake, the Dunes and the river of Wainamu are a unique scenery for filming. Next time we have to visit the green flats of the other film shots, which are near by.
Oh yes, some super scenes filmed here. You also have to visit the video page as I split up some videos in order to show you more about this location.
Horse riding in this river must be great. Watch also the video page as we are driving in the 4x4 the same direction as Xena is going.
Above the screen shot of the episode and below our picture taken. You get a nice view of how big and wide it this there.
Xena coming out of the woods and ready to cross over the dunes. On the video page see the video of the Xena tour or Wainamu and you will see how we end up on that place to go into the forest. We just drove the opposite way.
Above and below Xena and the Amazones running across the Dunes. I tried it myself (see video page) and you have to be very fit and in good condition. Lucky I'm doing sports. The black sand is easy to run on (not that difficult as white sand) but you get very fast tired. So get fit before you try it. Those girls were fit.
Above and below Xena fighting against the Besorker. Knowing how though it is on black sand Lucy must be in a very good condition during all these years of filming. Woaw!!!!!!
Above and below some pictures where Xena and Pao Su walked. On the second screengrabs (right) Xena is only a few steps away of the track that has been used in Eternal Bonds where Xena and Gabrielle go into the forest. The same way we took by car to go the amazone village
And here the place where Xena is tracking down the enemy. By the time we were there they surely were gone! LOL!
Oh yes I love this shot. On our picture you see the turning. On the left side of the picture is the way to go into the forest towards the Amazone village.
What makes this episode so interesting is that the first scenes have been taken at Bethells Beach. Remember my note on that site? Here you find the next scene shots in this episode. If you didn't see the film location you get tricked thinking you are still at the beach. No my friends, they take you to the Wainamu dunes and river. Very nice done by the filming crew. Nicely done as Priestress Leah said.
This is something you must do! Try running op the dune. You end up using your hands as well. Watch this scene on your dvd and you will see that the girls ended up using there hands aswell.
The fight in the forest at the end of the episode. Crossing over the dunes with the 4x4 we ended up here.
Some different shots versus the real pictures. This place in the forest has been used many many times. Lucy's private driver and our guide knows all about it.
DISCLAIMER - POLICY
Loyaltoxena (former Lotolux) is a fan run, non-profit web site. All articles, images and other works are copyrighted to the original owners.
Loyaltoxena (former Lotolux) is a fan run, non-profit web site. All articles, images and other works are copyrighted to the original owners.
©2006/01/25 All rights reserved - Martine De Grauw
Bethells Beach Cottage site and Xena-Lucy-Land site created on 22/5/2007.
©2007/5/22 All rights reserved - Martine De Grauw