The opening scene of the Netflix series Irreverent takes viewers into a curiously familiar set; elastic-trunked palm trees are weighted down by a crown of ripe coconuts with fronds that waft gently to reveal a hard-to-believe-its-real turquoise sea. Dog paddling on the horizon is the silhouette of a double-humped island.
This is not a Hollywood construct. It is a real backdrop. And it is Mission Beach in Queensland, Australia, a 13-kilometre stretch of picture-perfect coastline located midway between Cairns and Townsville and hailed for its box-office views over Dunk and Bedarra Islands.
Mission Beach is the setting of Irreverent, one of the best feel-good Aussie dramas to be dropped by Netflix this summer. The 10-part series follows a Chicago crime figure as he clashes with a hot soup of small-town misfits – there’s bogans, bluecoats and busy bodies – played by a raft of Aussie acting greats. Shining even brighter than the oddball characters (if that’s possible!) are epic Queensland backdrops, like the Gold Coast skyline (with plenty of dreamy scenes set in Palazzo Versace Gold Coast) and the shoreline around Mission Beach.
Irreverent is entertainment at its old-fashioned best. Loaded with quintessential Aussie backdrops, it makes perfect viewing. That said, experiencing it firsthand is even better. Here’s nine ways to have your own Irreverent getaway.
Hang out with a Clump (Mission Beach) resident: Patrick Bluett, Executive Officer of Cassowary Coast Tourism in Mission Beach is delighted with how his hometown (known as Clump in the Netflix series) is portrayed and says just like the characters in Irreverent, Mission Beach is an eclectic mix of people who are “very laid back, welcoming and eager to mix with visitors. They are (also) happy to point out secret spots to explore.” No-one knows these hidden gems more than local resident Nancy Lowe, whose Mission Beach Dive operation takes visitors to relatively unchartered reefs. “No pontoon, no semi-sub, not roped off areas. Just the reef as it always was,” says Nancy who also recommends travellers make time to “just sit under a tree. Read a book. Contemplate your navel. Or go for a swim.”
Congregate at the Old Church: In the Netflix series, Reverend “Mack” lords over a timber chapel that is constantly under threat of redevelopment. Just 40 minutes’ drive from Mission Beach, the fortunes of the Church of the Sacred Heart faced a similar fate. That was until local tourism legends, Mark and Judy Evans of Paronella Park fame, breathed life into the parish building, transforming it onto The Old Church – a mid-century retreat with a divine (get it?) loft bedroom, wide timber floors and retro comfort.
Take a walk in the Wet Tropics wonderland: When one of the characters in Irreverent goes missing in the rainforest, the entire town joins a search and rescue mission. Avoid the drama and take one of the well sign-posted hiking trails around Mission Beach such as the Musgravea Track or Lacey’s Creek Walk. Or play it safe and head to Mamu Tropical Skywalk, a 350-metre long elevated walkway that meanders through the World-Heritage wet tropics. True nature lovers can also choose to spend a night deep in 50 acres of lush rainforest in a low-impact hut at the adults-only Sanctuary Retreat, Mission Beach or shack up at Licuala Lodge a Queenslander style B&B surrounded by green and run by friendly owners Dawn and Blair.
Soak up the Irreverent scenes: Visitors to Mission Beach can wake up to the same palm-fringed sea views broadcast in the Netflix series by staying at Castaways Resort & Spa, Mission Beach or lazing around its bar and horizon-edge 25-metre infinity lap pool. For quieter escapes, The Bungalows at Wongaling Beach come with fat tyre bikes perfect for exploring the 13 kilometre long beach. Both offer epic views of Dunk Island that pop in and out of Irreverent.
Experience Murder in Mission: The plot of Irreverent starts with the murder of a Chicago mob boss’s son. Thankfully, the only murder making headlines these days is Murdering Point Winery in the nearby village of Silkwood that has been producing exotic fruit wine for 60 years and is open for tasting. For the record, the name Murdering Point was coined in the late 1800s after a slew of deathly reprisals on the local Indigenous people following a tragic shipwreck. It has since been replaced by Kurrimine which means “rising Sun” in local language.
Still on a Mission for an Irreverent escape, here are more ideas?
Take a tour of Australia’s only cocoa tree farm at Charley’s Chocolate Factory
Go white water rafting with Raging Thunder Adventures or Wildside Adventures on the Tully River rapids.
Visit Paronella Park, Australia’s own Taj Mahal built in the 1930s by cane farmer Jose Paronella as a giant symbol of love for his wife.
Drop by The Australian Sugar Heritage Centre and learn about the industry that also provided jobs for so many of the characters in Irreverent.
There you have it. One of Australia’s most revered road-tripping destinations is now associated with being Irreverent.
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