EXCLUSIVE Channel Nine marketed The Block's 2024 Phillip Island location as a 'tropical paradise' - but what I saw was a dreary suburban street of cookie-cutter houses READ MORE: The Block insider drops couple 'split' bombshell By Kinta Walsh-cotton For Daily Mail Australia Published: 17:40 BST, 10 August 2024 | Updated: 17:40 BST, 10 August 2024 e-mail View comments The Block 2024 promised to build a 'tropical paradise' on the 'idyllic' Phillip Island just a few hours south of Melbourne. But the reality paints a far different picture than the beachside getaway promos Nine has released of the season, dubbed Block Island, in recent months. Daily Mail Australia was given access to the building site on Thursday, expecting a 'slice of heaven' but only to find a cold and windy townhouse complex.
While the completed homes were modern and beautiful, albeit unfinished, the dreary weather and cookie-cutter exteriors made a lacklustre first impression. The most recent trailer sees hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft crash-land on an isolated white sand retreat in the middle of some unexplored jungle. However, this 'pure paradise' actually sits smack bang in the middle of an up-and-coming suburban area, surrounded by modern builds pulled off a similar plan.
'The Aussie dream goes tropical,' the trailer said, but the closest beach is a 20 minute hike up the road at the end of a very typical Australian cul-de-sac. Phillip Island is also thousands of kilometres away from anything remotely tropical - its winters are chilly and its average summer temperatures hover around the low 20s. The Block: Island promised to build a 'tropical paradise' on the 'idyllic' Phillip Island, but the reality paints a different picture than the beachy getaway promos Nine has released of the 2024 season in recent months.
Pictured: host Scott Cam A sign outside the construction site reads 'Island Cove Villa' before a long driveway leads into the heart of the complex, surrounded on all sides by houses that look identical to each other. Originally populated with nine run-down cabins, the team at Nine snatched up the resort for $9.5million in October last year after their preferred location in Daylesford fell through.
A team of five new contestants have now combined the cabins to build four identical townhouses - a common layout for residential property developers nowadays - with only one home boasting completely different architecture. The network has made a decent attempt at making the inside of the complex look tropical with palm trees, rocks and stark white gazebos. While it paints a pretty picture, it fails to live up to the exotic island getaway it was made out to be in the promotional materials.
The home exteriors are nice to look at but are also the latest in a long line of mass-produced architectural designs being sold to the upper-middle class. Daily Mail Australia was given access to the building site on Thursday, expecting a 'slice of heaven' only to find a cold and windy townhouse complex While the completed homes were modern and beautiful, albeit unfinished, the dreary weather and cookie-cutter exteriors made a lacklustre first impression The interior design is where their personalities begin to shine, but the influence of current style trends still manages to paint many of their rooms with the same brush. The Block was forced to change plans for its special 20th anniversary season late last year when they failed to secure a site in the Victorian town of Daylesford .
Delays in obtaining the necessary building approvals forced the production to relocate to Phillip Island. The most recent trailer sees hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft crash-land on an isolated white sand retreat in the middle of some unexplored jungle However, this 'pure paradise' actually sits smack bang in the middle of an up and coming suburban area, surrounded by modern builds pulled off a similar plan 'The Aussie dream goes tropical,' the trailer said, but the closest beach is a 20 minute hike up the road at the end of a very typical Australian cul-de-sac But executive producer Julian Cress recently confirmed the 2025 series will now take place in Daylesford , thanks to a timely intervention by Victoria's Planning Minister. Daylesford is located 114km northwest of Melbourne and its unique combination of natural beauty, historic charm, and vibrant local culture provides a stunning backdrop ideal for the reality show.
Originally, The Block had its sights set on a prime piece of land owned by Hygge Property on the outskirts of Hepburn Shire, where it planned to construct five luxurious homes for the 2024 season. The series has previously been filmed in a range of popular city and regional areas, including St Kilda, South Yarra, Prahran and Gisborne South. A sign outside the construction site reads 'Island Cove Villa' before a long driveway leads into the heart of the complex, surrounded on all sides by identical houses Originally populated with nine run-down cabins, the team at Nine snatched up the resort for $9.
5million in October last year after their first choice of location in Daylesford fell through A team of five new contestants have now combined the cabins to build four identical townhouses - a common layout for residential property developers nowadays - with only one home boasting completely different architecture It comes after co-creator and producer Julian confirmed The Block, which is set to premiere on Monday night, will take a dramatic turn when one of the five teams quits the show halfway through their run. 'We didn't make it through the whole series with all five teams. We had to replace one of them along the way, which was a very dramatic moment,' Julian told TV Tonight.
It was previously revealed that Blue Team lovebirds Jesse and Paige abruptly walk out on the show in the middle of filming, and Julian added there was a huge reason for them to do so. 'It was a very difficult decision for them to come to, but there was a very strong reason why they decided to do it. Very very dramatic, will be unfolding in the coming weeks.
' Julian added audiences will be shocked when they see the drama unfurl onscreen which led to the Blue Team walking out and abandoning their building site. The network has made a decent attempt at making the inside of the complex look tropical with palm trees, rocks and stark white gazebos While it paints a pretty picture, it fails to live up to the exotic island getaway it was made out to be in the promotional materials The home exteriors are nice to look at but are the latest in a long line of mass-produced architectural designs being sold to the upper middle class 'I'm not saying these people left because they were lazy. They wanted to do it, but it just became enormously challenging at some point,' he said.
'Their reasons for leaving are remarkable. I think it will start an interesting conversation amongst the audience.' Fortunately, producers managed to secure sisters Maddy and Charlotte to replace the Blue Team at short notice, ensuring five couples will make it through to the finale.
The Block: Island will premiere on Monday evening at 7.30pm on Nine and 9Now. The Block Melbourne Reality TV Share or comment on this article: Channel Nine marketed The Block's 2024 Phillip Island location as a 'tropical paradise' - but what I saw was a dreary suburban street of cookie-cutter houses e-mail Add comment.
