www.theage.com.au

Boxed in at the bay

The Home and Away scenes, which viewers will see on television from Monday, star Lincoln Lewis (son of football legend Wally) and Tessa James. They were filmed at the remote Box Beach, Shoal Bay.

It's the next beach around from Fingal Beach, whose claim to screen fame was as the backdrop for model Lara Bingle's sequence in Australia's controversial "Where the bloody hell are you?" international tourism commercials.

Hugh Jackman also considered shooting scenes for X-Men Origins: Wolverine at the sleepy Fingal Beach location before deciding on Blacksmiths Beach for his June shoot this year.

Lewis and James took scuba diving lessons to prepare for their storyline. Cast and crew headed to Port Stephens about four weeks ago to film one of the show's largest-scale location shoots.

Viewers last saw Nicole (Tessa James) sink to the ocean floor and the show will return with Geoff (Lincoln Lewis) washed ashore on a desolate island desperately searching for a sign of life.

The Home and Away crew faced plenty of logistical challenges throughout the Port Stephens shoot including lugging equipment from boat to boat and continually trekking around the perimeter of Box Beach to avoid leaving footsteps.

The story allowed for a big production complete with sweeping chopper aerials, which are currently seen in the Home and Away promos being televised.

In its milestone 20th year, Home and Away returns to Prime at 7pm on Monday.