Netflix's big-budget retelling of John Steinbeck's East of Eden may be set in 19th-century California, but the seven-part series — starring Florence Pugh as Cathy, with Mike Faist, Christopher Abbott and Ciarán Hinds — was shot on New Zealand's South Island. The show, created by Zoe Kazan (granddaughter of Elia Kazan, who directed the 1955 film version), landed on the streaming service on 1 October, and its filming locations are already becoming a draw for fans.
The reasoning is straightforward. Modern Salinas Valley looks nothing like the farmland Steinbeck described, and California's Victorian-era buildings have largely vanished. New Zealand, by contrast, still has whole streets of 1800s architecture — a legacy of the region's own gold rush — plus the kind of unspoiled pasture the story needs.
The star location is Ōamaru, a small town in the Waitaki District of Otago. Its Historic Precinct is packed with limestone buildings from the late 1800s, including Smiths Grain Store and The Criterion Hotel, both of which appear on screen. The Criterion is still a working pub and hotel, complete with high ceilings, parlours, a dining room and a Gentleman's Lounge with leather chesterfields — so you can eat, drink and sleep inside a filming location.
The local tourism board has put together an hour-long self-guided walking tour that threads through the spots used in the series. It takes in The Penguin Club, a live music venue, and the volunteer-run Oamaru Steam and Rail Society railyard, home to vintage steam engines. Property manager Jacob Barwick says the production has already boosted visitor numbers and expects more once word spreads.
Beyond the town, the Trask family farm scenes were shot in the foothills of the flat-topped Hawkdun Range, the centrepiece of Oteake Conservation Park — a mountainous backcountry that's popular with hikers and mountain bikers. Production designer Grant Major also noted that Auckland, where interior sets such as the story's brothels were built, has one of the world's largest collections of wooden Victorian houses, which came in handy for filming.
For travellers, this is a neat template for a screen-tourism trip: a walkable historic precinct you can cover in an hour or two, a heritage hotel to stay in, and serious walking and biking country within reach. Ōamaru sits on the coastal road between Christchurch and Dunedin, so it slots easily into a South Island road trip — and it's also known for its resident blue penguins, which come ashore at dusk.
