Cariba Heine (born 1 October 1988[1]) is a South African-born Australian actress and dancer. She is known for her roles as Rikki Chadwick in the Network Ten show H2O: Just Add Water, Bridget Sanchez in the third series of Blue Water High, and Caroline Byrne in A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne.
Heine was born in Johannesburg[2] to South African parents Michelle, a former showgirl, and Kevin Heine.[3] She moved to Australia at the age of three with her parents and older brother Kyle (born 1985).[3][4]
Her early days included training in jazz dance, tap dance, classical ballet, acrobatics and rhythmic gymnastics, and studying acting and singing at National Capital Acting School.[4] She danced at her mother's dance school in Canberra,[5] where she later attended Telopea Park School and St Clare's College. She was the youngest dancer to perform at the Stargazers Convention in Sydney, Australia.[6] She was homeschooled to focus on her dance career, and performed in many stage productions, including a tour in the United States, where she featured in the music video for Will Young's song "Leave Right Now".[4] After a serious hip injury, she was suggested to turn temporarily to acting by her manager.[4]
Heine began her acting career in 2006 by being cast on the television series, H2O: Just Add Water, where she played Rikki Chadwick, one of the lead roles.[7] Heine next portrayed Caroline Byrne in the television film A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne which was broadcast on Network Ten in Australia on 4 November 2009.[8]
In 2011, she joined the cast of the indie film Lord of the Crows,[9] though the film ultimately failed to get crowdfunded.[10] In 2012, she portrayed Heather in Bait 3D,[11] and Delvene Delaney in Channel 9's biographical TV miniseries Howzat! Kerry Packer's War.[12] In 2016, Heine reprised her role as Rikki Chadwick in the final two episodes of the third series of Mako: Island of Secrets, a spin-off of H2O: Just Add Water.[13] The same year Heine had a starring role in the short film How'd I Get in This Field which premiered at the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival.
Heine joined the cast of Home and Away in 2018 as Ebony Harding.[14] In 2020, she appeared in the thriller-drama series The Secrets She Keeps with Laura Carmichael and Jessica De Gouw.[15][16]
Cariba was born in South Africa on the 1st October 1988 and moved to Australia 1991 [sic].
The three girls (played by delightful actresses Claire Holt, Phoebe Tonkin and Cariba Heine) wander too far out into the water and become enchanted, so to speak.