Full location guide: Qld hotspots where George Clooney, Julia Roberts shot new film

From HOTA, Carrara Markets to Mt Cotton Rainforest Gardens. See the full guide of which Queensland hot spots were used in the filming of Hollywood blockbuster Ticket to Paradise.

WHILE the pandemic shut off access to most of the world, it led a Hollywood blockbuster right to Queensland.

Ticket to Paradise is the romantic comedy starring two of the world’s biggest stars, George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and follows a storyline set in Bali.

But with the real Bali not an option, Queensland became the next best thing, or better, with the hit movie filming predominantly in the sunshine state late last year.

The best of Queensland is on show featuring it’s idyllic backdrops, clear waters, jungle waterfalls and luxe beachside resorts.

While some of the backdrops are recognisable others might surprise you.

From HOTA (Home of the Arts) on the Gold Coast to a wedding venue in Mt Cotton in Brisbane’s south and Mount Tamborine National Park, locations spans across the state.

Rice fields of Bali were replaced with cane fields in Norwell, north of the Gold Coast, a scene at a US construction was in fact the Queen’s Wharf precinct in Brisbane and the graduation scene is in Brisbane City Hall.

Alongside Tourism and Events Queensland, we have put together a full guide of the Queensland locations used in the movie.

Scene arriving at Katie's Cove, Haslewood Island in the Whitsundays. Picture: Universal Pictures.

Location: Katie’s Cove, Haslewood Island in the Whitsundays

In the film, George Clooney and Julia Roberts’ characters arrive to Bali to greet their daughter. This scene was filmed in what Tourism and Events Queensland describe as a ‘secret spot’ on the northern tip of Haslewood Island in the Whitsundays at Katie’s Cove. It’s not the first time this location has been used in a blockbuster with Katie’s Cove also featuring in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The cove is opposite the more well-known location of Whitehaven Beach.

This scene was filmed at Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island. Picture: Universal Pictures.

Location: Tangalooma Island Resort, Moreton Island

Dolphins swim in the background of picture perfect scenes which can only be one place in Queensland, Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island. This location is known for it’s dolphin experiences and became the backdrop for many of the wedding sunsets in the movie and Tourism and Events Queensland say all the “in-water scenes” were filmed just south of the resort at Lucinda Bay on the western beaches of Moreton Island.

A scene from Ticket to Paradise filmed at Mt Cotton Rainforest Gardens near Redland Bay.

Location: Rainforest Gardens Mount Cotton at Redland City Council

It was where the happy couple Lily (Kaitlyn Dever) and her husband-to-be, Gede (Maxime Bouttier), carried out traditional wedding rituals. In real life, this location, Rainforest Gardens Mount Cotton is a popular outdoor garden wedding venue just 40 minutes from Brisbane’s CBD and 45 minutes from the Gold Coast. With stunning amphitheatre-like seating and a lake backdrop, this film has surely put this wedding venue even further on the map.

A scene from Ticket to Paradise at the Carrara Markets. Picture: Universal Pictures

Location: Carrara Markets, Gold Coast

In the film, it’s a bustling street market in Bali and the Carrara Markets on the Gold Coast proved the perfect location for some of the scenes in the film. The weekend market opens Saturday and Sunday with more than 400 outlets.

A scene from Ticket to Paradise filmed at Palm Bay Resort in the arrival pavilion at the front of the resort.

Location: Palm Bay Resort, Long Island, Whitsundays

This resort was the backdrop for a number of scenes in the movie and, according to Tourism and Events Queensland, it endured the biggest set redesign. The beachfront villas transformed into Balinese-style living quarters with thatched rooves and a seaweed farm out the front. The scene where Lily and Gede are taking part in pre-wedding family rituals, is filmed in the arrival pavilion at the front of the resort while the seaweed farm shots are in the cove in front of the resort.

The ‘seaweed farm’ scenes were filmed at Palm Bay Resort in the cove on front the resort.

Palm Bay Resort general manager Jodie Alford said it was a thrill to see their beloved accommodation on the big screen.

“My husband and I could easily make out our resort features and even other things in the background,” she said.

“We could make out Shute Harbor in the distance, our mooring buoys and other little features that weren’t covered up or taken away.”

A scene from Ticket to Paradise filmed at Hamilton Island near the Bougainvillea Pool.

Location: Bougainvillea Pool, Hamilton Island, Whitsundays

Queensland has never made “Bali” look so good, especially in these scenes. Just before their daughter’s wedding David (Clooney) and Georgia (Roberts) meet by the pool. This is Hamilton Island’s Bougainvillea Pool which is just behind Catseye Beach. It’s one of two pools open to everyone who visits the island which has been made especially to feel like a hidden tropical paradise.

Julia Roberts as Georgia and Lucas Bravo as Paul in a scene at Hamilton Island Airport. Picture: Universal Pictures.

Location: Hamilton Island Airport

It’s tropical, laid-back and for keen eyed locals, can only be one place. Hamilton Island Airport features as the backdrop when David and Georgia arrive in Bali to meet their daughter. Earlier in the film, Brisbane Airport was used to shoot the scenes when the couple were sending their daughter off on a post-graduation holiday to Bali.

This scene is on Hamilton Island. Picture: Universal Pictures

Location: Hamilton Island

From the impromptu soccer match and pre-wedding parties, Hamilton Island played the backdrop to many scenes in the film. None more stunning, however, than the scenes filmed at Qualia, one of the state’s most luxurious resorts, including at the Long Pavilion.

A villa at Qualia in Hamilton Island. Picture: Tourism and Events Queensland

Qualia, on the northernmost part of Hamilton Island, is where David and Georgia stay while in the movie and features Spa Qualia and the resort’s Beach House.

The villas are an incredible advertisement for the private resort showing off breathtaking beach views, pool and luxury accommodation.

Hamilton Island Golf Course located on Dent Island. Picture: Tourism and Events Queensland.

Location: Hamilton Island Golf Course, Dent Island

It’s the scene where David and Georgia are overlooking the cliffs and look down to see their boat floating away. Tourism and Events Queensland say one keen golfer is thought to have narrowed down the exact spot to the edge of a timber boardwalk near the 16th hole of the Hamilton Island Golf Course on Dent Island. It’s also thought the club became a favourite of Clooney’s while he stayed on the island.

Tamborine Mountain, Curtis Falls was a backdrop for the film. Picture: Tourism and Events Queensland

Location: Rainforests in Mount Tamborine

It’s one of the most lush backgrounds in the film and is on our doorstep. The two main characters, David and Georgia, are taken to the jungles of “Bali”. These scenes were filmed at a private property off the Gallery Walk Tourist precinct. In some scenes, Curtis Falls features in the background.

HOTA was the backdrop for a scene in Ticket to Paradise. Picture: Tourism and Events Queensland

Location: Home of the Arts (HOTA), Gold Coast

Georgia (Roberts) is working at an art gallery in Los Angeles but really, she’s standing in HOTA (Home of the Arts) on the Gold Coast. It’s a very believable substitute. The impressive $60.5m gallery opened in May, 2021 and features six levels over 2000 sqm. It’s the largest public gallery outside a capital city in Australia.

Hamilton Island's One Tree hill. Picture: Hamilton Island

Location: One Tree Hill, Hamilton Island

It’s a romantic scene where David and Georgia share a kiss while sitting on a log overlooking an incredible view. The location is One Tree Hill on Hamilton Island and tourism experts say it’s a hotspot for travellers looking to capture the perfect shot at the summit.