Behind 'The Traitors' filmed in South Canterbury

Screen CanterburyNZ supports production

The road to Claremont Castle winds past paddocks and macrocarpa hedges on the outskirts of Timaru. The 19th-century castle, all stone gables and shadowed verandas, looks more gothic novel than game-show set – which is exactly why it caught the eye of 'The Traitors' production team.

For two seasons, South Pacific Pictures (SPP) has filmed the New Zealand version of the hit international reality series in South Canterbury. This year, the team went one step further – producing both The Traitors Australia for Network 10 and Season Three of The Traitors New Zealand for Sky Free’s Three and ThreeNow – all from the same atmospheric base at Claremont.

Supported by the Screen CanterburyNZ Production Grant, the production has demonstrated the region’s growing capacity for large-scale screen projects. The 2024 shoot of 'The Traitors' injected around $1.5 million into the local economy, employed Canterbury-based crew and suppliers, and filled hundreds of motel nights.

“When we brought 'The Traitors' south, we wanted a location that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the international versions – and South Canterbury delivered,” says Andrew Szusterman, Managing Director of SPP. “Claremont Castle gave us the look, but the support from Screen CanterburyNZ made it possible.”

He adds: “We love making this gripping and addictive format, and now that we’ve established 'The Traitors' Southern Hemisphere hub, our goal is to keep producing multiple versions for years to come.”

Why is South Canterbury the perfect location for 'The Traitors'?

“Timaru is a real treasure trove of history,” says Traitors’ location manager Emma Martini. “When you drive that Christchurch–Dunedin road, you don’t usually go far beyond it, so discovering what’s tucked away out the back here has been amazing.”

Claremont Castle, she says, has the perfect tone for the show – eerie, dramatic, and full of character. Beyond its walls, the crew has filmed in flour mills, wool stores, a lighthouse, an old meatworks, and at St David’s Pioneer Memorial Church – a fortress-like chapel of rough-hewn stone tucked among the limestone hills of Cave. “And the coastline here is stunning,” she adds.

Production grant opens doors

Martini says the Screen CanterburyNZ Production Grant has made a tangible difference. “We’ve definitely had more crew involved from Canterbury this time,” she says. “I’ve had Christchurch-based location assistants working with me – giving them training and experience in the field. A lot of that grant money goes directly back into the region – paying Canterbury crew and local suppliers and covering location fees for all those friendly farmers who’ve helped us out.”

The grant requires at least 40 percent of each production’s crew to be Canterbury-based – a condition that encourages local employment and skills development while anchoring the industry’s regional growth. For Martini, that structure also ensures authenticity. “It helps make sure that SPP keeps coming down here, giving work to Canterbury-based people and putting this part of the country on screen.”

A new reality for Canterbury crew

Head of Sound on 'The Traitors' Chris Cubitt agrees the region offers remarkable value. “With shows like this, which are expensive to make, Timaru actually gives you incredible production value,” he says. “What’s brilliant is how much variety there is within 25 minutes of base. That really helps with scheduling and the budget. You’ve got so many different landscapes and buildings to work with. It’s a bit of a dream, really.”

Cubitt, a UK-born sound designer who’s made New Zealand home, first worked in Canterbury on Holy Days, another Screen CanterburyNZ-supported project. “A few of the runners from that came onto this,” he says. “It’s great – they’re getting to jump into the world of reality TV and scale up what they’re doing.”

Reality production, Martini explains, is a whole different animal. “There’s no downtime – it’s go, go, go! The Australian series filmed for 12 days straight, then we had three days off, and then the New Zealand one ran for another 10 days. It’s full-on, but that’s how reality television works.”

For Canterbury’s crew, that intensity has been a proving ground. “The lighting team’s a great example,” Cubitt says. “This show has been a brilliant way for them to scale up their business and prove they can compete at a national level.”

The ripple effect

The benefits don’t end when filming wraps. “What’s great about shooting here is that Canterbury crew get those opportunities without having to go north,” says Cubitt. “People meet each other on these productions, and that leads to more work. The ripple effect is huge.”

Martini sees the same potential from her side. “If we don’t keep upskilling our local people, productions end up having to pay for per diems, flights, and accommodation to bring in crew – and that’s a lot of extra cost when we could be supporting locals who are already here and capable,” she says. “That’s the big push — to keep building and promoting local capability so more of that work stays here.”

Partnership and place

Cultural engagement has also been central to the Timaru shoot. “As soon as we arrived here last year, I reached out to Arowhenua Marae,” says Martini. “One of the locations we filmed in was the Valley of the Moa (Maungati), which is significant for its Māori rock art in the limestone valleys. We worked closely with the iwi to make sure it was appropriate for us to film there. We had Ngāi Tahu perform a blessing at the castle. That was really special.”

That respect for place runs through the production’s collaboration with Timaru District Council too. “They’ve literally moved boulders to help us access locations and delayed roadworks so filming wouldn’t be disrupted,” she says. “I honestly couldn’t speak more highly of how accommodating and friendly everyone has been.”

More than a backdrop

For both crew and producers, South Canterbury has proven itself more than a stand-in – it’s a distinctive on-screen character. “Even beyond reality TV, this area would be amazing for a period drama,” says Martini. “The old limestone homesteads, the grain and seed buildings, the farms – they’re full of potential for storytelling.”

Cubitt’s admiration is equally practical. “It’s easier down here,” he says. “In Auckland you’re always stopping for aircraft noise; here it’s blissfully quiet. And every mission location we’ve been to – they’ve all been stunning. A lot of the Auckland crew have been genuinely blown away.”

The big picture

For Meg Huston, Head of Screen CanterburyNZ, that combination of infrastructure, accessibility and goodwill is exactly what the Production Grant is designed to unlock.

“Our goal is to help productions take root here,” she says. “By supporting projects like 'The Traitors', we’re creating jobs, training opportunities, and long-term partnerships. Every time a national or international crew films in Canterbury, they see that the capability, professionalism, and landscapes here rival anywhere in the country – and that confidence builds momentum for what comes next.”

The momentum is already visible. 'The Traitors' has stored its sets locally in Timaru, ready for future shoots. Local crew are booking new national projects. And the town’s century-old architecture is taking on a new life in front of the lens.

For Martini, that’s exactly how it should be. “The locals make everything so much easier,” she says. “They’re so accommodating and generous – and the scenery we get to stand in every day is often breathtaking. That’s been really rewarding.”

Cubitt, puts it more bluntly. “All the locations we go to are pretty f***ing amazing, to be honest,” he says. “It’s a massive format internationally, and it’s brilliant to have it shooting down here.”