Feature by: Joe Baker
On Western Australia’s seemingly endless coastline (over 12,500 kilometres), you’ll always find summer, bays more beautiful than belief and cinematic landscapes filled with wild wonders found nowhere else on Earth. So, it’s no surprise that two of Home and Away’s most-loved sweethearts – Brax (Stephen Peacocke) and Ricky (Bonnie Sveen) – found refuge in its serenity when they fled Summer Bay. Go behind the scenes with the cast and crew for their personal take on the Dream State.
Filming began in October 2025 under the infinite blue sky of Australia’s sunniest capital city, Perth (Boorloo), where delighted fans first spotted Stephen Peacocke and co-star Ethan Browne (Tane Parata) in Elizabeth Quay (Goomup). Against the iconic backdrop of the city skyline, the low hum of bustling rooftop bars and laneway boutiques, and the rippling of the Swan River (Derbal Yerrigan), Home and Away’s Series Producer, Lucy Addario, shares her first impressions upon arrival on set.
“I was blown away by the grand pedestrian bridge, the stunning structures and panoramic views. There is a real buzz in the air at the Quay. Glistening water, lots of open space, public art installations, restaurants and bars, people strolling with coffees, tourists taking photos, office workers on lunch breaks. It’s sleek, sunny and very vibrant.”
Reflecting on that first filming day in Elizabeth Quay, in amongst the flow of urban life and the ancient river, Lucy is surprised by how the experience completely reshaped her perception of the city.
Behind the scenes of 'Home and Away' at Bullara Station (Credit: Channel 7)
“I’ve always thought of Perth as a hustling and bustling CBD, yet minutes away is an oasis where this urban landscape meets the stunning Swan River.”
Just a 15-minute drive to the west lies the first in a stellar lineup of 19 pristine metropolitan beaches, all sitting pretty in the glow of an Indian Ocean sunset at golden hour. It’s here where Home and Away’s runaways could have found their own little piece of surfing paradise, away from the crowds. Instead, their story arc takes one of the greatest road trips on Earth, following the Coral Coast Highway to Bullara Station, where the crimson outback plains of cattle station country stretch beyond the electric blue lagoons of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef (Nyinggulu).
“Bullara Station provided the perfect backdrop for our story to unfold,” says Lucy. “The colours of the landscape were so varied and rich. It was a dream to film there and showcase just how beautiful it is. The station has so many spectacular locations, all the cast and crew stayed on site and loved every minute of it.”
Behind the scenes of 'Home and Away' at Bullara Station (Credit: Channel 7)
Taking an open-air shower under the lava tree, kicking up dirt with the Bullara crew for the filming of the cattle muster, and enjoying the warm outback hospitality – especially the scones – were the absolute highlights.
“Red soil, desert shrubs and cattle everywhere!” says cast member Nicholas Cartwright (Cash Newman), who fully embraced station life on and off set. “You have to try a sunrise shower in the tree-shower. Aussie as!”
It was these moments of pure immersion in every ethereal location that brought a sense of calm between takes and intense energy to the explosive storyline. And nowhere was that more acutely felt than while filming in Cape Range National Park, where the dramatic tension between fiery red canyonlands and coral-fringed turquoise coast reaches a breathtaking crescendo.
Yardie Creek in Cape Range National Park
“Being there in the majesty of Yardie Creek gorge was magical. The colours that surrounded us were so potent. The red rocks contrasting with the deep blues and bright greens of the creek water. So uplifting,” says co-star Bonnie Sveen. “I know audiences are going to love the vibrant colours and sweeping shots as much as we adored being there.”
A world away from Summer Bay and the everyday, it was these striking contrasts the crew tried to capture in their visuals, particularly on the full-day shoot in Charles Knife Canyon.
“It felt prehistoric. Like you’re on top of the world in another time,” says series producer Lucy. “As the sun lowers, the canyon walls don’t just change colour, they light up and glow like you’ve never seen before. Let’s just say it was very hard to focus on our filming.”
Brax, played by Stephen Peacocke, and Ricky, played by Bonnie Sveen (Credit: Channel 7)
The Western Australia event also features a sweet scene of Brax and Ricky embracing on the most stunning beach in Coral Bay, which their co-star Maddison Brown (Jo Langham) could only describe as feeling like stepping into a painting.
“You really can’t imagine how beautiful it is until you see it for yourself in real life; photos just don’t do it justice. The most perfect turquoise blue water, white sand and sand dunes that stretch for miles create the most stunning, mind-blowing vista,” says Maddison.
For the scenes out on the water, the crew cruised the exhilarating marine wonderland of the world’s largest fringing coral reef. Here, within minutes of leaving the shore at Coral Bay, Ningaloo’s world-famous lineup of sea life joined the cast.
“The wildlife in Coral Bay was out of control. Whales, manta rays and turtles literally breaking the water’s surface everywhere. It was another scale to what I'm used to,” says Nicholas.
Now, Home and Away fans will finally get to see how Brax and Ricky’s life turned out in their stunning new outback home, and the cast and crew are already planning their own escape to the dream state with their families.
“I can’t wait to come back for a camping trip with my fiancé!” says Maddison.
Published in March 2026.