Winter on Wellington’s moody south coast brings the drama

A TV drama series based on the Rachel King novel, ‘Secrets at Red Rocks’, has put Wellington on screens once again. The eight-part series was released in March 2025. It follows twelve-year-old Jake, who is visiting his father on Wellington’s rugged south coast. While exploring the beach, Jake finds a sealskin that belongs to Cara, a shapeshifting selkie (half-seal, half-human). 

For director David Stubbs and executive producer Richard Fletcher, the series was a love letter to the city they both call home. “I think we forget how beautiful it is out there,” says David. “It had to be [filmed] at Red Rocks. We followed the novel very closely in terms of the locations.” 

Filming took place over the winter months, giving the series a distinct and moody tone. “It worked out well,” says David. “Winter was reasonably mild, and it’s quite sheltered on the south coast. We had some epic scenes in the background.” Those include snow-capped mountains, wild southern seas, and rugged rock formations. 

The vast majority of the crew was based in Wellington. “Ted, played by Jim Moriarty (Ngāti Toa), lives on the south coast. One of the locations we shot at was pretty much opposite his house.” The production team worked with Ahi kaa from the get-go. Jim, being Ngāti Toa, and his daughter, who came on as an advisor, brought a great deal of knowledge to set. “Before we even started, we engaged with them [Ahi kaa] to make sure they were okay with us telling this story in this part of their rohe ,” says David. “That’s the lovely thing about the novel,” he adds. A Celtic mythology is placed in New Zealand and works in dialogue with a Māori context. “It plays really nicely.” 

Wētā Workshop also came on board to build two animatronic seals. ‘‘We wanted to get as much in camera as possible,” says Richard. “We felt that animatronics were more realistic and we also thought it was really important with young actors as they could interact with the seals.” 

“A big challenge for Wētā was the seals had to work on the land as well as in the water,” explains David. Underwater filming also presented its own hurdles but ultimately added a richness to the series. To capture the underwater shots, they brought on Simon Baumfield, a specialist cinematographer based in Wellington. 

Another partner on the production was Screen Wellington. “We had Department of Conservation land, Wellington Regional Council land, private land. Particularly on the coast, you can step a few feet and you’re on something different,” says Richard. “[Screen Wellington] were incredibly helpful, even to the extent of moving a helicopter [working in the area].” 

A new season of ‘Secrets at Red Rocks’ is already in the pipeline. “In theory, that’s set in the summer,” says Richard. “There’s only one book, so the second series will be entirely original.” There’s no question in their minds, the shoot will be coming back to Wellington.