The new ABC TV series Bay of Fires takes viewers to Tasmania’s ‘Mystery Bay’, but where is it and does it actually exist?
The short answer is no, you won’t find it on any map.
Instead, the series utilises real locations on Tasmania’s West Coast to bring ‘Mystery Bay’ to life.
The main street scenes are primarily filmed in Zeehan, a small town southwest of Burnie, while additional scenes unfold in nearby towns Strahan and Queenstown.
Despite sharing a name with the real ‘Bay of Fires’ on Tasmania’s East Coast, the show was predominantly shot on the opposite side of the state.
The mountainscape that often serves as a backdrop around ‘Mystery Bay’ is Queenstown’s iconic Mt Owen.
Starring Marta Dusseldorp as Stella, the series follows her and her children, who become targets of a murder plot.
In search of safety, they are swiftly relocated to the secluded ‘Mystery Bay’ – a location known for its secrecy and lack of appeal to outsiders, guided by a mysterious police detective named Airini.
Stella’s house and the local school are portrayed in Strahan, while other ‘big city’ scenes are set in Hobart and Melbourne.
A scene in a ‘Melbourne supermarket’, featuring Stella and Airini, was filmed at Sandy Bay’s Lipscombe Larder, with interior shots taken at the Queenstown IGA.
In the latest episode, Stella drove 110km from Mystery Bay to a distant airstrip in a bid to escape the town.
This scene was filmed at the Queenstown Airport, just 36.5km from Zeehan, with the famous Queenstown mountain biking tracks on Mt Owen clearly visible.
The Tasmanian Government provided $1.5 million in funding for the production through Screen Tasmania.
