Waitakeres stand in for Hawaii in Disney film

Stunt riders on the set of the Disney film being shot in the Waitakeres. Photo / Dean Purcell

Crouching awkwardly in dense Waitakere bush, assistant director Jennifer Butcher looks on as three mountainboarders come racing towards her.

As the first two turn sharply, flying around a wooden ramp, the third stops abruptly, narrowly missing the solid structure.

Whoops of delight emerge from the bush where other mountainboarders and cameramen are positioned.

Part snowboard, part skateboard, mountainboarding is the latest extreme sport to catch adrenalin junkies' eyes and is the topic of the new Disney Channel original movie Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board, being filmed in Auckland this month.

The film, set in Hawaii, is the sequel to the 1999 Disney film Johnny Tsunami. Though the original movie was filmed in the United States, executive producer Douglas Sloan decided to head farther afield for the sequel.

"New Zealand looks amazingly like Hawaii. It's pretty astounding how similar the landscape is, the ocean, waves and vegetation," he said.

"We've done a lot of shows here now and we know that we can absolutely rely on the crews and actors down here to do a first-rate job."

Sloan said that of a crew of about 60 people, only four were not Kiwis.

Director Eric Bross was also quick to sing the praises of local film crews.

"New Zealand is one of the most film-friendly places I've ever worked. The crews are amazing. Everyone works really hard, is pleasant and has a great deal of enthusiasm. It's different from other places I've worked."

Kiwi actress Rose McIvor, who stars in the new local drama Rude Awakenings, has a principal role, as does Karaoke High actor Phil Brown.