The Amazing Race Australia

Shane Haw and Andrew Thoday have won The Amazing Race Australia 2012! The Melbourne police officers won $250,000 prize money, beating “alpha males” Paul Montgomery and Steve Scale, and cheerleading twins Michelle and Jo Troy, to the finish line on Fraser Island along the coast of Queensland. The three teams had travelled more than 65,000km across four continents. Andrew said of their victory, “The adrenaline rush running into the final pit stop with that chest in our grasp and the other contestants cheering for us was exhilarating. To win is absolutely mind blowing. I am very proud of Shane and myself.” Congrats to Shane and Andrew!

If you’re interested in applying for The Amazing Race Australia, Channel Seven is already casting for a third season.

Photo courtesy of Channel Seven

Surfing buddies Tyler Atkins and Nathan Jolliffe have won the first series of The Amazing Race Australia! The friends, who are also models, ran a fantastic race, proving from the beginning that they were the team to beat. Their luck started during last night’s durian-cutting challenge in Singapore, where as the first team to cut into a coloured durian (with some help from their trusty beanies to protect their hands) they had a considerable lead ahead of models Sam Schoers and Renae Wauhop, and father-son team Jeff and Luke Downes.

Keep reading for more of their win . . .

One of our favourite teams was eliminated from The Amazing Race Australia last night: farmers Matt and Tom! A sewing challenge in Colombo proved to be their downfall after what has been a spectacular effort from a team that included a farmer who had never travelled outside Australia prior to the show. Their elimination unfortunately meant that they just missed out on a place in the top three — the remaining contestants competing for the $250,000 cash prize are models Sam and Renae, surfers Tyler and Nathan, and father-son duo Jeff and Luke.

Keep reading for why we loved Matt and Tom . . .

Channel Seven better leave plenty of room in their mailboxes (the electronic and old-school kind) because The Amazing Race Australia has been renewed for a second series to air in 2012! You know what that means: applications are now open! If you’re a fan of the current series or simply love travelling and are an adrenaline junkie, this is something you should put on your to-do list now. The success of the show is proof that it’s a brilliant localisation of the format, and the variety of contestants means they’re open to anybody! Of course, there are some restrictions: you and your teammate must be over 21 (they’ve upped it from 18), and media can’t apply. More than 100,000 forms were downloaded in the first week last year, with numbers expected to be greater this time ’round. Head to The Amazing Race Australia’s website for more information and how to apply.

The timing of Anastasia Drimousis’ admission yesterday that she had broken up with boyfriend — and Amazing Race Australia team member — Chris Pselletes coincided with the episode where they were eliminated in Poland. It was a bittersweet moment for the Sydney couple, who were the first team to reach the pit stop in Prague last week before being told the leg of the race wasn’t even over. Along with the other contestants, they made their way to Krakow in Poland to continue racing, where their challenges were:

Roadblock: One team member had to push a cart through Wieliczka Salt Mine and dig through its contents for a key to unlock a crypt.
Detour: All teams opted for ‘Herd,’ which involved herding uncooperative sheep into a paddock in the Polish countryside. (I wish someone had picked ‘Hoe Down,’ where the challenge was to learn and perform a Polish axe dance in costume.)
Intersection: Teams had to pair up for a tandem wood saw challenge that involved cutting four slices of wood and switching partners after each slice.

Keep reading for more of the recap . . .

Chris Pselletes and Anastasia Drimousis, the young dating couple on The Amazing Race Australia, made headlines last week after an episode showed Chris, 23, losing his temper at Anastasia during a Detour challenge in South Africa. Their task was to fill a huge barrel with rosé, and after Anastasia, 22, accidentally spilled a bucket of wine Chris flipped and hurled a series of verbal insults at his girlfriend. In an online chat with fans on the Daily Telegraph’s website, the hot-headed Sydney engineer admitted that he was “disgusted” by his actions after seeing the footage in third person, and he and Anastasia have presented a united front since the show debuted in May.

Keep reading . . .

It took a whole lot of focusing, believing and achieving for The Amazing Race Australia contestants Richard and Joey to get out of sticky situations on last night’s episode. After being the first team to reach the Macau pit stop last week thanks to a Fast Forward challenge that saw the married entrepreneurs shaving their heads, they lost their valuable lead when flight departure times meant the other teams were able to catch up to them. All the contestants headed to South Africa for the next leg of the Race, where they landed in Port Elizabeth and had to drive to Camdeboo National Park for the Detour.

Keep reading for the rest of the recap . . .