TWEED SHIRE, AUSTRALIA
PHOTOGRAPHED IN 2018 & 2024
I’m a Celeb has used two former banana plantations as its camp location for the past two decades. These are detailed below, with both sites shown on the map (zoom out to see the original site, as well as Wales and South Africa filming locations).
2002 site
The original filming location was King Ranch (Tully River Station) in Cardstone, Queensland. Here, a studio was built on the banks of Kooroomool Creek, accessed via a scaffold walkway through the trees and a bridge over the creek. The camp was located about a minute’s walk from the studio, with direct access also possible across a bridge from the site access road.
A production village was established at the other end of the access road, with cast and crew staying at Mission Beach. The nearest town of Tully – a half hour drive from the site – was also used for amenities.
The site was cleared immediately after filming and production never returned, despite plans in 2005 to once again film here.
2003-present site
Since 2003, the programme has been filmed on the edge of a sub-tropical rainforest at 366 & 486 Dungay Creek Road in the small town of Dungay, where Granada Productions Pty Ltd (ITV Studios Australia) rent these two properties at a cost of $280,000 (£157,000) each series.
The camp itself is technically at no. 486, but most of the site is on land forming part of no. 366, a cattle farm and homestead owned by Craig Parker who was arrested in 2016 after “slapping” an ITV security guard. Ongoing tensions have led to rumours that the filming location may be set to move, but this so far has only occurred temporarily during the height of COVID-19 when two series were filmed in Wales – and for I’m a Celebrity… South Africa which was filmed along the Blyde River in Mpumalanga.
HARDCORE FACT: The entire production takes up to seven months, including filming of the German edition of the programme, Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus! which is also filmed on site. This is split into:
– the pre-production period (2-3 months of site preparation)
– the production period (up to 3 months, including Christmas break)
– the wrap [up] period (around 1 month of site de-rigging).
Plus the ‘hibernation’ period in between each year’s productions.
The nearby Murwillumbah Motor Inn houses various cast and crew during filming itself, and the Tumbulgum Tavern is said to be a popular watering hole. The coastal towns of Kingscliff, Casuarina and Cabarita Beach also provide accommodation during the production period. The celebrities themselves stay at the JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa before and after their jungle stint (the Palazzo Versace Gold Coast hotel being used previously), and hotels at Coolangatta are also used – one of which houses a production office; pictured below.
Camp map (click to enlarge):
Note: The suspension bridges and associated crow’s nests were renumbered in 2024 to include the two bridges that are connected only to the studio. For the up-to-date bridge numbering, add 2 to the number shown (for example, crow’s nest T3 becomes T5).
Gallery
Studio
Camp
Trials
Tech Base
HARDCORE SETS 