Beauty and the Geek is going to make you smile, no two ways about it. The cute and quirky series returns to Channel Nine and sees 10 geeks and 10 beauties paired up in order to teach each other how to be their best selves through a series of challenges. And if they happen to fall in love in the process? Even better. Oh! And there is also a $100,000 prize for the winning couple.
In an interview with POPSUGAR Australia, host Sophie Monk said, “A lot of these people would probably have never socialised or bumped into each other because their interests are so different.”
Promising that there will be “goosebumps, comedy and tears” she also said, “You don’t have to have a romantic connection…although there is, there is a lot.”
In the first episode, the beauties and geeks are introduced for the first time at a stunning waterfront spot — one that may look familiar to some Sydneysiders.
While the geeks and beauties stay at the Skye Suites Green Square, the introductions were filmed at the beautiful Q Station (formerly known as the Quarantine Station) located on Car-rang gel/Garangalin land in Manly on the Northern Beaches. The secluded spot may have been used for the start of some blossoming romance on Beauty and the Geek, but the site has a decidedly more sombre history.
From the 1830s until 1984, migrant ships arriving in Sydney with suspected contagious disease stopped inside North head, where Q Station is located, and offloaded passengers and crew into quarantine to protect local residents. Having endured the most arduous of journeys, many passengers would perish while contained at the quarantine facility, which is why it is rumoured to be haunted to this very day.
In 1833, the North Head Quarantine Station was established with the construction of the nearby Third Quarantine Cemetery occurring in 1881 — which coincided with a smallpox epidemic. By the time of the cemetery’s closure in 1925, more than 240 people had been interred there, having succumbed to illnesses such including influenza, the bubonic plague, smallpox and scarlet fever.
Despite the sad stories that originated at the Q station, it also marked the beginning of the Australian dream for thousands of people who did not fall prey to the various illnesses of the time and represents an important part of Aussie history.
The location was also a crucial area during the second world war thanks to the North Fort military complex which was established at North Head in 1936. North Fort was strategically placed at the northern entrance to Sydney Harbour and formed part of a defence system that spanned 300km of coastline during World War II. At the height of the war, North Fort was manned twenty-four hours per day.
Located eight metres underground, the site also features the bomb-proof Plotting Room which, despite its name, actually consists of two rooms – the Fortress Plotting Room (FPR) and the smaller Battery Plotting Room (BPR).
The Plotting Room was vital to Sydney’s coastal defences during World War II, receiving enemy craft intel from – and sending it to – artillery batteries located along the coast from Port Stephens to Port Kembla, collectively known as Fortress Sydney.
Today, the Q Station is a must-visit destination for all visitors to Sydney and locals alike, with scenic walks to complete (with spectacular views of the city skyline and Sydney Harbour), plenty of history to soak up on self-guided tours and tranquil spots to sit and enjoy a coffee or a picnic. You may also stumble across another familiar-looking reality TV location while you’re there — the Big Brother Australia house!
The site now also hosts weddings and events and offers a variety of accommodation, dining and package deals. In the summer, the Q Station also hosts Sunset Sessions where you can enjoy live music set against the stunning backdrop of the Emerald City.
If ghosts are more your jam then the site still offers amazing ghost tours and, while we can’t guarantee you will actually see a ghost with your own eye, we can guarantee that you will learn loads and be thoroughly spooked. Sydney’s Quarantine Station on North Head is one of Australia’s most haunted sites, after all!
For more information about the gorgeous and intriguing Q Station, check out their official website.
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.
