The Wilds Island Filming Location: Where was The Wilds filmed?

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The Wilds is a Lost-esque Amazon series about a group of Californian teen girls flying to Kona, Hawaii, for a female-centric retreat, getting stranded on a deserted island after an airplane crash.

The inhabited island portrayed in the show was entirely filmed in New Zealand.

The main cast

Soon we'll learn that the group of girls, coming from different backgrounds, did not end up here by accident.

They are part of a twisted experiment called The Dawn of Eve, developed by ambitious researcher Gretchen Klein (played by Rachel Griffiths).

Here is the real filming location of The Wilds island and all the beaches featured in the series:

Where is The Wilds filmed?

Where was The Wilds filmed
Most of the show takes place in Piha Beach, a stunning large black-sand beach located on New Zealand's North Island west coast.

The iconic Lion Rock is sitting pretty right in the middle. The view in the lower pic was shot at the Tasman Lookout to the south of the beach.

Piha is a laid-back village located 45 minutes west of Auckland city. Although the beach is very popular with surfers, it has strong and dangerous currents.
(You can open all the locations on Google Maps by clicking on the links below in the captions ↴)
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map


The Wilds island
In the first episode, the girls are washed up on the beach in the Taitomo Rock area, located also in Piha Beach.

This is one of the surfers' favorite spots to flock to the water for the opportunity to ride a wave back in.

If you are not busy with your survival duties, you can hike one of the scenic Waitakere Ranges walks like the Mercer Bay Loop and the Comans Track.

You can also explore and have a splash at the dramatic Kitekite Falls.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map


The Wilds beach
IMDb reported that the Te Henga or Bethells Beach in Waitakere Bay also served as the location for several scenes.

The shoot was set near the rocky Ihumoana Island, an area dotted with cliffs, dunes, and caves.

In real life, this is a dreamy destination, although in the series the beach appears like a rough environment that radically changes the lives of the girls.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map


Location in Auckland
The scenes with Rachel Reid (played by Reign Edwards) as a diver in the swimming pool were filmed in the West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre in Henderson, a suburb of Auckland.

Leah Rilke's house (Sarah Pidgeon) was shot near Karaka Lakes Park in the Papakura neighborhood.

Auckland was home to our favorite vampires from What We Do in the Shadows.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Maps: West Wave Pool - Karaka


The high school
The flashback scenes with Nora (Helena Howard) and Quinn (John Berchtold) at high school were filmed at the Auckland Girls' Grammar School in Newton, the city's central business district.

Founded in 1888, this historic building hosts one of the oldest secondary schools in the country.

After the good reception of the series, the second season has been officially greenlit by Amazon.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map


The Wilds drehorte
The waterfall in the middle of the jungle is the Okiritoto Falls in Muriwai. It is located on private land and is not accessible to the public.

The fall was also used as a filming location for Xena: Warrior Princess series.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map

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1 comment:

1- Anonymous - Sep 2, 2023, 12:25 AM
Where were the underground bunker scenes filmed? It looks like brutalist architecture.


2 comments
  1. The waterfall is Okiritoto Falls, in Muriwai. It is located on private land, and is not accessible to the public. It has been used as a filming location for Xena and Hercules.

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