Murder, they travelled: Why TV fans are flocking to the Auckland suburb of Helensville
Some call it the “White Lotus effect,” the industry calls it “set-jetting.” It’s the growing trend of travellers choosing holiday destinations based on their favourite movies and television shows.
Locations used in the HBO murder-mystery series The White Lotus have seen an increase in tourism of around 40%, and research from Visit Britain showed that seven out of 10 travellers to the UK visited a film or TV location.
And you don’t have to go far to find examples of destinations experiencing the same boost thanks to their presence on screen.
Helensville, just 40 kilometres northwest of Auckland, has become a popular spot for fans of one of Aotearoa’s biggest television exports, The Brokenwood Mysteries.
The show screens in dozens of countries around the world, including Australia, the UK, the United States, Japan and Canada.
The old Helensville Post Office building doubles as the Brokenwood Police Station, and fans from far and wide have made their way there to pay homage to the fictional sleepy town with its unusually high murder rate.
The show’s creator, Tim Balme, says locations are vital when establishing a fictional small town, especially when the setting becomes a character in its own right.
“Each backdrop adds depth, atmosphere and authenticity to the ever-expanding world of our show.
“Our locations team are constantly scouting for new scenic milieus all over Tāmaki Makaurau, while avoiding iconic features of Auckland’s landscape, including the Sky Tower, the CBD, Rangitoto and the Harbour Bridge.”
Balme says fans often use screenshots from the show to match locations online and identify places to visit.
“It’s been amazing to hear about fans within New Zealand, and many coming from overseas, to visit Brokenwood filming locations. The exterior of the police station is a popular photo spot, along with Kumeū Valley Estate — the now iconic exterior of our local watering hole, the Crocodile and Panther.
“There’s a clear sense of pride within the crew about being part of something people connect with so strongly from all over the world. It only takes one freeze frame and any visual clue will be harvested to get the place to land on Google Maps.”
Matthew Horrocks of Screen Auckland says the trend isn’t new to New Zealand, with earlier examples like The Lord of the Rings, but hosting TV and film productions is playing an increasing role in how destinations are marketed to a global audience.
And with starring roles in recent productions such as Minecraft, M3GAN, Hard Eyes and East of Eden, New Zealand is making sure it’s front of stage when it comes to global attention.
“We know that 60% of travellers say their trips are influenced by places they’ve seen in movies or TV shows.
“Those are very measurable stats, but the qualitative factor is just as important. It really enhances the tourism experience — moving it from simple sightseeing to what you might call ‘story-living.’ Cinematic pictures, urban culture, film-famous landscapes — they all become gateways into a destination. And it’s not always just the big, beautiful scenic backdrops; often it’s the urban experience that resonates with people as well,” Horrocks said.
“The town featured in The Vicar of Dibley sees around 300 visitors a day. Dyersville in Iowa, with only 4000 residents, gets 65,000 visitors a year because of Field of Dreams. That’s not even on a state highway, so people are going well out of their way to visit.”
“So we see this as a big opportunity for Auckland. Brokenwood is a great example — it screens in something like 150 countries, and people do travel for it.
“You’ve got Parakai, Warkworth, Helensville, and locations around West Auckland, and as Tim Balme noted, people are turning up there. It’s a great way to enhance a destination’s offering,” Horrocks said.
Balme says people want to walk the same streets as their favourite characters, and locations such as those in Brokenwood offer a slightly different kind of travel experience.
“Quirky, local and full of bucolic charm. Ironically, Brokenwood — though not a place in reality — has certainly become a destination. And that has to be to the benefit of the Auckland region.”
