Inspiration for the settings in Shadows

I’ve loved that so many reviewers have enjoyed the Australian settings in Shadows, so I thought I’d share some of the locations that inspired them.

First up, the track where Gaby is running in the opening chapter. When I wrote this scene, I was picturing one of my favourite places in south-east Queensland, a rainforest track on Mount Tamborine (not far from where I live) in the Joalah section of the Tamborine National Park.

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The fictitious Pandanus Beach of course features a beach (this shot is from North Stradbroke Island, also not far from me):

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(I think the next shot is at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast – I didn’t record the website where I found it…apologies to the photographer. The rest of the shots here are mine, except where noted below)

m-0098-burleigh-sunriseI picture Pandanus Beach as a bit of a Noosa/Byron Bay/Port Douglas hybrid. This image (from www.businesseventscairns.org.au) captures the feel of the town nicely. Just picture a beach right across the road.

port-douglas-wharf-st_www.businesseventscairns.org.au

Here’s a poinciana (a tree that features on the esplanade in Pandanus Beach):

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And a Moreton Bay fig tree, which also gets a mention in the opening chapter (I love these trees):

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The falls, where Tommo’s farewell is held (these images are also from Tamborine National Park):

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And finally, this is the sort of cabin I pictured when I wrote the scene at The Retreat on the mountain (imagine rainforest around it):

A frame cabin

Now, picture some sword-wielding Rephaim…

0 Comments

  1. Nomes says:

    i really love this post, and so much of looks so very similar to what was going on in my head at the time.

    in fact, i pretty much pictured the hinterland behind where i live (maleny, mapleton area). and noosa is perfect. i’ll have this awesome gaby-vibe next time i go to noosa now, haha.

    1. paulaweston says:

      Love it. 🙂

  2. rlsharpe says:

    You did a great job describing things in the book because those pictures are like what I pictured while reading, especially the cabin. Being Australian I do like to read books set in Australia, especially when they are as well written as yours. It’s much easier to connect to a book I guess when the setting is familiar. .

    1. paulaweston says:

      Thanks Rochelle. I agree re reading books set in Australia. There’s something special about having a connection to the landscape. I grew up in a very dry part of South Australia (which has a beauty of its own) so the lushness of Queensland still feels a little other-wordly to me – even 20 years on!

  3. I think I should just move to Australia. It looks beautiful there, AND you have all the best books. 😉

    1. paulaweston says:

      🙂 Come on over!

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About Me

I’m the author of the Rephaim series and The Undercurrent.

For my day job, I’m a writer-journalist-professional communicator, where my writing involves a lot less profanity.

I grew up in regional South Australia and now live in the Scenic Rim with my husband and a retired greyhound.

If you’re interested in how I came to land a publishing deal, you can read the short version in this post from August 2011. There’s a longer version (in a guest post) here.

Paula Weston

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