VIDEO | Dive Club hits Australian screens this weekend

Dive Club, the 12-episode teen drama series shot in Port Douglas last year is set to make its Australian television premiere this weekend.

The Douglas Shire will be showcased around the country as the series kicks off with a movie-length premiere, Saturday, 29 May at 6:00pm on Network 10’s 10 Shake and on 10 Play on Demand for those outside metropolitan areas.

Newsport recently spoke with one of the stars of the show, Mercy Cornwell about her time filming in the region.

Dive Club is centred on a group of teenage girls, who are also skilled divers, navigating life, friendship and romance, when their idyllic existence is suddenly shattered after the fictional town of Cape Mercy is battered by a cyclone and one of the girls goes missing.

The mystery of her disappearance and suspicious holes in the official investigation plunges the girls into a desperate search of their own that raises more questions the deeper they dive.

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Ms Cornwell plays Izzie, a newcomer to the group who joins the search for answers.

“My character is new in town, and she is initially very hesitant, she's not an outdoor girl but her inquisitive mind finds her at the heart of a mystery and the Dive Club girls take Izzie under their wing,” she said.

The cast and crew spent over four months in the region between October and January filming in iconic Douglas Shire locations such as the Sugar Wharf, Macrossan Street, the Clink Theatre, the Iron Bar, Thala Beach, the Mossman Cemetery, Wonga Beach, and the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

Ms Cornwelll said filming in the Douglas Shire felt like a dream.

“I remember during our first couple of weeks we did dive training before we started filming. We went out to the Great Barrier Reef every day and I just couldn't believe that that was my job.

“To get to spend so much time out on one of the natural wonders of the world was really special.

“I had no dive experience beforehand, but I was lucky because my character was basically learning at the same time as I was.

“I remember being in my scuba gear down there acting on the Great Barrier Reef and I had a bit of an out of body experience, it was really quite cool.”

“We also spent a lot of time at the Iron Bar filming, that was one of our main sets, we also filmed a lot around Saint Mary's church, and we spent some time in Mossman as well,” she said.

Ms Cornwell said the cast and crew enjoyed the local attractions while living in the region for four months.

“We really got to know the town, we had our favourite little spots, and we were really lucky to get to be locals in Port Douglas for a period of time.

“We also got to spend a lot of time on set with Port Douglas locals, who were extras, which was great, they were all very welcoming,” she said.

To catch the show, Douglas Shire locals can stream it on 10 Play on Demand. Dive Club will also make its global debut to over 190 countries on Netflix later this year.

“I'm excited for audiences to see the show, especially for young audiences to see women at the forefront of the action,” Ms Cornwell said.

“I think it's a little bit different in that way as we're so used to seeing males cast in that genre and so I'm really excited for it to be the girls turn.”

And as for a second season, we will just have to wait and see.

“I hope so,” said Ms Cornwell

“I would love to, and I know the other girls would love to be on board for a season two as well. I think that season one definitely does lends itself to a second season.”