The Amazing Race Australia 3 is the third season of The Amazing Race Australia, an Australian reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. Officially titled The Amazing Race Australia v New Zealand and hosted by Grant Bowler, it featured ten teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship (five from Australia and five from New Zealand), in a race around the world to win the grand prize of A$250,000.
This season visited six continents and ten countries and travelled over during ten legs. Starting at Uluru, racers travelled through New Zealand, Cambodia, Thailand, Namibia, Russia, Portugal, Croatia, Argentina and the United States before returning to Australia and finishing in Port Campbell. New twists introduced in this season include awarding the winners of the first leg a second Express Pass that they had to give to another team, the Nation vs. Nation task and the Speed Bump. The season premiered on Australia's Seven Network on 4 August 2014 after The X-Factor and on New Zealand's TV2 on 5 August 2014 after My Kitchen Rules 5. The season concluded in Australia on 25 September 2014 and in New Zealand on 7 October 2014.
The finalists were all Australian teams, with intensive care nurses Daniel Little and Ryan Thomas winning this season. Dating turned-engaged bodybuilders Sally Yamamoto and Tyson Smith finished in second place, and newlyweds Ashleigh and Jarrod Jende finished in third place.
Production Development and Filming
On 14 August 2012, Seven Network announced it was looking for contestants for a third series of The Amazing Race Australia. Despite calling for contestant applications, the show was absent in the Seven Network's 2013 upfronts and was replaced by an unsuccessful revival of the Australian version of The Mole.
The series was renewed again on 22 October 2013. It was also announced that Seven's in-house production company, Seven Productions, would produce the series. ActiveTV, the production company involved in the show's first two series, would no longer be involved.
Filming began in March 2014 at Uluru in Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Production wrapped on March 30, 2014, in Port Campbell, Victoria. This season travelled across six continents and ten countries, all of which were first-time visits, covering over .
Instead of being marked for elimination for finishing last in a non-elimination leg, the Speed Bump was introduced on this series. It required the team that finished last in a non-elimination leg to perform an additional task at some point during the next leg. The Salvage Pass also returned; however, it was awarded to the team that arrived first in the sixth leg rather than the first.
Casting Applications for the third edition originally opened during the second season, despite the show not being officially renewed by Seven Network. When the show was officially renewed for 2014, applications opened again, including to citizens of New Zealand. Applicants who applied previously were given a chance to update their application. This second round of applications ended on 18 December 2013.
Marketing Kathmandu, John West Tuna and Virgin Australia were the sponsors for this series.
Cast
The cast included Jesse O'Brien, who was previously a contestant on the first season of New Zealand Idol. He withdrew from the season to attend to the birth of his daughter. He then returned for the second season. Well-known Australian anthropologist Elizabeth Grant participated with her son, Todd. During leg 6, Tyson Smith proposed to Sally Yamamoto on their fourth anniversary, and she accepted.
ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus 27Pageant ModelsPerth, Western AustraliaEliminated 1st(in Mesopotamia, New Zealand) 26 50Mother & SonAdelaide, South AustraliaEliminated 2nd(in Siem Reap, Cambodia) 25 32Feisty FriendsAuckland, New ZealandEliminated 3rd(in Koh Poda, Thailand) 35 24SiblingsChristchurch, New ZealandEliminated 4th(in Khomas Region, Namibia) 26 35Best Mates Christchurch, New ZealandEliminated 5th(in Kostroma, Russia) 35 Wellington, New Zealand 38Foster ParentsHamilton, New ZealandEliminated 6th(in Dubrovnik, Croatia) 36 37Fitness MumsTauranga, New ZealandEliminated 7th(in Tigre, Argentina) 42 27NewlywedsMelbourne, VictoriaThird place 28 33Dating BodybuildersEngaged BodybuildersPerth, Western AustraliaRunners-up 38 28Intensive Care NursesSydney, New South WalesWinners 32 Future appearances In 2019, Jonathan "Jono" Trenberth appeared on the third season of Married at First Sight NZ.
Results The following teams are listed with their placements in each leg. Placements are listed in finishing order. A placement with a dagger () indicates that the team was eliminated. An placement with a double-dagger () indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg and had to perform a Speed Bump task in the following leg. An italicized and underlined placement indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop, but there was no rest period at the Pit Stop and all teams were instructed to continue racing. A indicates that the team won the Fast Forward. A indicates that the team used an Express Pass on that leg to bypass one of their tasks. A indicates that the leg included the Nation vs. Nation task. A indicates that the team used the U-Turn and a indicates the team on the receiving end of the U-Turn. A indicates that the teams encountered an Intersection. A indicates that the team used their Salvage advantage.
+Team placement (by leg) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Daniel & Ryan4th3rd3rd6th3rd1st1st3rd3rd1stSally & Tyson9th4th4th5th4th3rd4th1st2nd2ndAshleigh & Jarrod6th7th5th3rd2nd2nd2nd1st3rdCarla & Hereni2nd8th6th1st5th5th2nd4th Cat & Jesse8th5th7th4th6th4th3rd John & Murray1st2nd1st2nd1st Emily & Jono3rd1st2nd Aston & Christie7th6th Elizabeth & Todd5th Inga & Tiharna Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (Australia → New Zealand)
Episode 1: "I Gotta Have Two Legs to Run the Race!" (4 August 2014) Prizes: Two Express Passes (one for themselves and the other to be given to another team) and two airline tickets to Los Angeles, California, in the United States (awarded to John & Murray) Eliminated: Inga & Tiharna Locations Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, Northern Territory (Uluru) (Starting Line) Yulara (Ayers Rock Airport) → Christchurch, New Zealand Christchurch (Cardboard Cathedral) Peel Forest (Rangitata River – Rangitata Rafts) Mesopotamia (Rata Peak Station) Mesopotamia (Southern Alps) Episode summary Teams began the race at the Uluru in the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. In the series' first Nation vs. Nation task, the ten teams were divided into two groups based on their nationality to compete in a "Trans-Tasman tug of war". The first group to pull their opponents' flag past a marker was given a 10-minute head start to the airport. This task was won by the New Zealand teams. Teams were instructed to fly to Christchurch, New Zealand. Teams had to drive to Ayers Rock Airport and book one of two Virgin Australia flights, the first of which carried only four teams and arrived an hour before the second. Once in Christchurch, teams had to travel to the Cardboard Cathedral, where they had to choose one of three departure times for the following morning. The next morning, teams were given their next clue, had to find a marked vehicle and drove themselves to Rangitata Rafts on the Rangitata River. There, teams had to raft down grade five rapids and find one half of a ring from The Lord of the Rings in order to receive their next clue directing them to Rata Peak Station. In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to drive a tractor through a slalom course and move four hay bales into a marked area. They then had to go to a sheep paddock and find the sheep who had the other half of their ring. The two halves of the ring told teams to "Continue west to the Pit Stop" in the Southern Alps.
Leg 2 (New Zealand → Cambodia)
Episode 2: "She's Got One Hell of a Body on Her and She Just Used It" (11 August 2014) Prizes: A 10,000 voucher and two Velocity Frequent Flyer cards (awarded to Emily & Jono) Eliminated: Elizabeth & Todd Locations Christchurch (Cathedral Junction) Christchurch → Siem Reap, Cambodia Siem Reap (Penny Lane – Old Market) Siem Reap (Tourist Information Center) Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) Siem Reap (Tjoup Snae Restaurant) Tonlé Sap (Fishing Port Chong Khneas) Siem Reap (Baphuon) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Once there, teams had to travel to the Old Market, where they had to eat seven fried tarantulas, with each individual team member eating at least three, in order to receive their next clue. Teams then travelled by tuk-tuk to the Tourist Information Center in order to buy entry tickets to Angkor Wat, where they found their next clue. They were also provided with step counters that they had to wear for the duration of the leg. At the end of the leg, Daniel & Ryan won a 30-minute time-credit (applied at the start of the next leg) for having the closest number of steps between team members. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to count the monks wearing red and yellow prayer beads. Once they had counted all of the monks, they had to collect an offering and find two other monks inside the temple. The racer had to pick one of the two monks to whom to give their answer and their offering, but one of the monks would lie even if the racer had the right answer. Once the truth-telling monk was given the correct answer, he gave racers their next clue. John & Murray used their Express Pass to bypass this Roadblock. After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to Tjoup Snae Restaurant, where they had to record the readings on their step counters before retrieving their next clue. This season's first Detour was a choice between Shrimp or Shoot. In Shrimp, teams had to collect of shrimp from fish traps in Tonlé Sap in order to receive their next clue. In Shoot, teams had to travel to the floating village of Chong Khneas and find the local pool hall, where they had to level out a pool table and then sink five balls while competing against a local player in order to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Baphuon in Angkor.
Leg 3 (Cambodia → Thailand)
Episode 3: "Proper Preparation Prevents Piss-Poor Performance" (18 August 2014) Prizes: Two tickets from Virgin Australia & Etihad Airways to one of their European destinations and 5,000 (awarded to John & Murray) Eliminated: Aston & Christie Locations Siem Reap (Cambodian–Vietnamese War Memorial) Poipet → Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok (Now Travel) Bangkok → Krabi Ao Nang (Thai Thai Massage) Ao Phang Nga National Park (Phra Nang Beach) Ao Phang Nga National Park (East Railay Beach) Ao Phang Nga National Park (Chicken Island) Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park (Ko Poda) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by taxi to the Cambodia–Thailand border crossing in Poipet, cross on foot and then travel by bus to Bangkok, Thailand. Once there, teams had to find Now Travel in order to receive their next clue, which directed them to fly to Krabi. Once there, teams had to find Thai Thai Massage in Ao Nang, where they had to choose one of eight spa treatments written in Thai and without knowing how long the treatment would take. Once the treatment was complete, teams received their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Climb Up or Drill Down. For both Detour options, teams had to travel by long-tail boat to Phra Nang Beach. In Climb Up, both team members had to scale a sheer rock face to retrieve an Amazing Race flag, which they could exchange for their next clue. In Drill Down, teams had to first build a hand drill and then use it to extract enough coconut juice from a pile of coconuts so as to fill a container in order to receive their next clue.