So today I want to talk about sand. Yep. Sand. I know, I know- “how is sand interesting?” you ask. “How is it related to Xena?”... Well. I will cover all of this.
I know I have hyped up the sand-talk and we will get to it, but I really want to start this at the beginning. Back in 2006 when I was a teen, I visited New Zealand with my family. It really was an incredible trip. We flew into Auckland, hired a car and toured through both the North and South islands before flying home to Australia. Of course, living in Australia means that flying anywhere ‘overseas’ is a big thing- even if it’s only the 3hr flight to New Zealand. Unfortunately, this is the only time I have visited New Zealand, but it is a place I desperately want to visit again when post-covid travel resumes.
After being told about this family holiday, as an avid Xena fan, I spent a lot of time on my old-school brick computer (you know the one – big white monitor with a tower and corded keyboard and mouse) scouring the internet for anything ‘Xena’ I could visit or do. My family saw it as a holiday to go see the Maori culture- I saw it as going to Xena-land. My family was very supportive and told me that if there were some filming sites we could go to that were close to places we stayed at we could of course visit them. I ended up finding two places I was desperate to visit just outside of Auckland – Hunua Falls and Bethell’s Beach.
Bethell’s Beach is the location I want to talk about today. It was a staple set location that was used many, many times throughout the series. Almost any beach scene was filmed at Bethell’s Beach. From the incredible chariot race in Return of Callisto, to the beginning of the beauty pageant in Here She Comes… Miss Amphipolis. It was also used when Xena was crucified in Destiny, when Gabrielle and Joxer arrive at the island in Ten Little Warlords, when Xena first faced off with the gods in Motherhood, and when the Vikings are gathering in Return of the Valkyrie. Not to mention, when Xena and Gabrielle lay down in the ocean at the end of The Bitter Suite. I could go on and rattle off many more scenes but you get the idea.
…cue pictures of course 😄
So of course, this was a place I was desperate to visit. The beach was amazing. It was a trek to get to (we got lost), but once we got there, it was complete with ‘Poseidon’s Rock’ and ‘Callisto’s Cave’. I also remember there being a sheep and a donkey in a paddock adjacent to the carpark for some reason. Memories huh? Strange things.
I was in heaven. While I was there, I collected a jar of sand. Yes, my family thought I was strange- but it was very special to me. And this little jar of black sand has stayed with me ever since. Any time I have had a Xena table or display anywhere, the jar of sand has lived front and centre.
When it first came back with me, I brought it back in those small plastic hotel shampoo bottles that I had painstakingly rinsed and dried to carry my most precious souvenir. It then went through many iterations in the form of glass moccona coffee jars before finding a home in its current jar.
As an adult now with a science degree- this sand itself is fascinating. Unlike sand elsewhere, it is a finely coarse sand known for being ‘black’. The black colouring comes from the high titanomagetite (iron and titanium compound) content that is formed from the volcanic activity around the New Zealand islands and carried to this beach by the Tasman currents. Because of this, the sand is very heavy, and very hot when the sun hits it.
Funny story- when leaving New Zealand I carried the sand in my hand luggage. My mother was stopped because from the x-ray machine, the 5 tube bottles of black powder resembled TNT. So of course we had to explain ourselves to New Zealand airport staff. After that, I wasn’t quite sure if I had to declare it to customs when I brought it back to Australia, so I distinctly remember telling the customs officer that it was sand from the Xena beach. He had never had an instance of someone bringing sand back, but because living organisms didn’t generally live in sand, he couldn’t see why there was an issue so he let me through.
I am sad that I didn’t visit the adjoining sand dunes and river where many scenes were filmed (like in Mortal Beloved etc), but it really is a reason to go back and visit as soon as I am able.
I don’t have any digital images of my holiday, but here is a photo of the obligatory 00’s scrap-book page that I made for that day. Not too sure what the ‘quicksand’ sign is, but I must have taken a photo of it and cut it out for my scrap-book. Very much Callisto in Return of Callisto vibes. PS- loving the picture I took of a random dude- then proceeded to cut out and stick at the bottom of the page. Because why not? 00′s. Was a crazy time. 😂
“You have to enjoy the peaceful moments in life. You know, everything can’t be an adventure all the time. Like right now. I want you to close your eyes and just listen.”
“To nature speaking to us. It’ll give you a wonderful sense of peace. Close your eyes.”
-Gabrielle and Xena in ‘Ulysses’
