The Amazing Race Australia 6 (also promoted as The Amazing Race: Around the World) is the sixth season of The Amazing Race Australia, an Australian reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race and the third instalment of Network 10's iteration of the show. The season featured the largest cast in Amazing Race History with twenty teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world to win the grand prize of and two new cars (an Isuzu D-MAX and an Isuzu MU-X). Beau Ryan returned as the regular host, with presenter Scott Tweedie guest hosting for episodes 8–11 after Ryan caught COVID-19 during filming.
After the previous season was set in Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this season returned to the standard travel format, visited six continents and seven countries and travelled over during twenty-one legs. Starting in Melbourne and Sydney, racers travelled through Morocco, Greece, Turkey, Colombia, Belize, Mexico before returning to Australia, travelling through Western Australia and finishing in Broome. New twists introduced in this season include a split-city start, a no-switch Detour and an elimination during a no-rest leg. The season premiered on 29 August 2022, with the finale airing on 9 October 2022.
Married couple Heath Curry & Toni Hilland were the winners of this season, while church friends Angel Williams and Frankie Vaaua finished in second place and newlywed teachers Kelly and Georgia Baildon finished in third place.
Production Development and filming
On 20 October 2021, Network 10 announced at upfronts that a new season was set to air in the second half of 2022.
Unlike the previous season, which filmed solely in Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions, Beverley McGarvey, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer of Paramount Global Australia and New Zealand, stated that she intended for the show to resume travelling internationally again after the American version resumed international travel for their 33rd season in September 2021. On 2 February 2022, Daniel Monaghan, 10's Head of Programming, reaffirmed that the show would still be filming internationally as the Omicron surge began to subside.
Filming for the season began in March 2022. This season introduced a new twist involving two groups of ten teams starting The Amazing Race Australia separately, one in Sydney and one in Melbourne, each oblivious to the existence of the other, and racing separately before converging in the next leg. This twist has been used on several seasons of the Israeli edition of the Race. On 5 March 2022, Beau Ryan was spotted in Chefchaouen, Morocco. On 20 March, TV Blackbox reported that a few crew members had tested positive for COVID-19 requiring some of the crew, including Ryan, to self-isolate in hotels while the rest of the crew continued filming. From the eighth to eleventh legs, Scott Tweedie was brought in to temporarily replace Ryan as host. According to TV Tonight, Tweedie was contacted prior to the season to potentially step in as host as part of the production's COVID-safe contingency plan. The show then travelled to İzmir and Alaçatı. Filming wrapped in April 2022. In addition to Morocco, this season included first-time visits to Greece, Colombia, Belize and Mexico.
The Speed Bump, which was not in the previous season, was brought back into this season for teams that returned after self-isolating due to COVID-19.
Casting Casting for the season began in early November 2021. Contestants were required to be fully vaccinated with filming expected to occur from February 2022 over four to seven weeks.
Marketing Isuzu, UBank, Kathmandu and Merrell served as sponsors for this season.
Cast The cast was revealed on 22 August 2022. ContestantsAgeSubtitleHometownStatus 67Dad & Daughter BrokersPhillip Island, VictoriaEliminated 1st(in Ksar Aït Benhaddou, Morocco) 33 56Vegan WarriorsWestern AustraliaEliminated 2nd(in Marrakesh, Morocco) 53 29Model CoupleSydney, New South WalesEliminated 3rd(in Chefchaouen, Morocco) 24 27Flamboyant FriendsAdelaide, South AustraliaEliminated 4th(in Athens, Greece) 28 23The MulletsPerth, Western AustraliaEliminated 5th(in Arachova, Greece) 23 27Middle Eastern MatesNew South WalesEliminated 6th(in İzmir, Turkey) 26 42Scientific Siblings VictoriaEliminated 7th(in Kula, Turkey) 40 Queensland 23Blonde BuddiesGold Coast, QueenslandEliminated 8th(in Alaçatı, Turkey) 23 28Lawyer CousinsSydney, New South WalesEliminated 9th(in Bogotá, Colombia) 27 31Baru Mates Tiwi Islands, Northern TerritoryEliminated 10th(in Cartagena, Colombia) 23 Elcho Island, Northern Territory 28Barista SistersMelbourneEliminated 11th(in Belize City, Belize) 24 20Country KidsCrookwell, New South WalesMedically removed(in San Ignacio, Belize) 20 55Dragon Boat MumsNew South WalesEliminated 13th(in Caye Caulker, Belize) 48 26Engaged ParentsQueenslandEliminated 14th(in Mérida, Mexico) 35 27Cop CoupleWestern AustraliaEliminated 15th(in Ekʼ Balam, Mexico) 34 38HubbiesSydney, New South WalesEliminated 16th(in Perth, Australia) 39 36Aunty & NiecePilbara, Western AustraliaEliminated 17th(in Fremantle, Australia) 21 25Newlywed TeachersBrisbane, QueenslandThird place 25 24Church FriendsBrisbane, QueenslandRunners-up 25Gold Coast, Queensland 33Enduring LoveMelbourneWinners 38 Future appearances In 2023, Jake O'Brien and Holly MacAlpine appeared on the sixth season of MTV's Ex on the Beach. In 2024, O'Brien appeared on the second season of FBoy Island Australia.
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. 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 used the U-Turn and a indicates the team on the receiving end of the U-Turn.
+Team placement (by leg) Team123456789 Heath & Toni5th14th11th1st4th10th2nd5th Angel & Frankie1st9th1st9th3rd1st1st1st Kelly & Georgia1st5th10th5th6th11th8th8th Tiffany & Cynthia4th15th6th9th3rd10th7th Pako & Mori2nd2nd4th2nd1st2nd4th10th Lauren & Steph3rd8th2nd11th2nd8th7th3rd Chelsea & Jamus9th6th8th6th5th6th11th6th Jodie & Claire6th17th9th8th11th12th9th4th Fliss & Tottie8th7th12th4th10th9th6th9th Flick & Gabby3rd1st3rd3rd7th5th3rd2nd Stuart & Glennon8th10th7th13th14th Kathy & Chace2nd3rd Morgan & Lilli9th11th13th12th8th4th5th Tammy & Vincent5th4th15th7th13th7th Crystal & Reem4th16th5th14th12th Sam & Stu7th12th14th10th Sam & Alex6th13th Jake & Holly7th Bren & Anja Paul & Rachel +Team placement (by leg) Team101112131415161718192021 Heath & Toni5th2nd2nd1st1st2nd2nd1st1st3rd1st Angel & Frankie1st2nd3rd4th3rd3rd3rd3rd4th4th2nd2nd Kelly & Georgia 5th5th5th1st5th3rd1st3rd Tiffany & Cynthia 6th4th4th6th3rd2nd Pako & Mori4th1st1st3rd2nd2nd1st4th2nd Lauren & Steph 7th6th5th Chelsea & Jamus3rd5th5th1st4th6th7th Jodie & Claire 7th Fliss & Tottie Flick & Gabby2nd4th4th Stuart & Glennon6th3rd Kathy & Chace Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (Australia → Morocco)
Episode 1 (29 August 2022) Prize: A holiday to the Mornington Peninsula (awarded to Kelly & Georgia) Eliminated: Paul & Rachel Locations Melbourne (Flemington Racecourse) (1st Starting Line) Melbourne → Ouarzazate, Morocco Tifoultoute (Kasbah of Tifoultoute) Ouarzazate (Old Town) Ouarzazate (Atlas Studios) Ksar Aït Benhaddou (Riverbed) Episode summary At the start of this leg, ten teams were instructed to fly to Ouarzazate, Morocco. Once there, teams had to travel to the Kasbah of Tifoultoute, where they had to identify five spices by taste to receive their next clue. This season's first Detour was a choice between In a Line or Off the Line. In In a Line, teams had to find a specific date vendor and order five dates from least expensive to most expensive to receive their next clue. In Off the Line, teams had to sort a pile of laundry by identifying five family name tags written in Arabic and then fold each set of clothing to receive their next clue. In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to complete a series of challenges relating to the filming of The Mummy at Atlas Studios: mummifying themselves using bandages with assistance from their partner, walking on hot coals with a torch, carrying a spear across a balance beam and placing the spear on a statue, jumping through three fiery hoops and then smashing through a brick wall. Once they completed the stunt course within 45 seconds, they received their next clue. For safety reasons, racers had to start over if their bandages came off during the sequence. After the Roadblock, teams had to find the 16 sphinxes at Atlas Studios, identify the king using a riddle and then retrieve a rock below the king to receive their next clue, which directed teams to the Pit Stop: a riverbed at Ksar Aït Benhaddou.
Leg 2 (Australia → Morocco)
Episode 2 (30 August 2022) Eliminated: Bren & Anja Locations Sydney (Hickson Road Reserve) (2nd Starting Line) Sydney → Marrakesh, Morocco Marrakesh (Koutoubia Mosque) Marrakesh (Jemaa el-Fnaa Souk Kharrazine El bali) Marrakesh (Hotel Cecil) Marrakesh (Souk Zitoun Place) Marrakesh (Dar Dbagh Lakbira Tannery) Marrakesh (Koutoubia Gardens) Episode summary At the start of this leg, ten new teams who did not compete in the first leg were instructed to fly to Marrakesh, Morocco. Once there, teams had to travel to the Koutoubia Mosque, where they had to load a cart with forty clay pots and then transport them through the alleyways of the souk to a pottery shop to receive their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Splash or Dash. In Splash, teams had to find six water sellers wearing red and yellow tassels and total the brass cups that they were wearing to receive their next clue. In Dash, teams had to find one of four lanterns flashing Morse code and translate the message – ENLIGHTENING – to receive their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, teams first had to sign up for a departure time at the Hotel Cecil. Once at the Souk Zitoun Place, one team member had to eat three preserved lemons to receive their next clue. At the Dar Dbagh Lakbira tannery, teams had to scrape the hairs off of five goat hides and lay them out to dry to receive their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop: the Koutoubia Gardens.
Leg 3 (Morocco)
Episode 3 (31 August 2022) Prizes: Two pairs of Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultras, Galaxy Watches and Galaxy Buds (awarded to Flick & Gabby) Eliminated: Jake & Holly Locations Chefchaouen (Spanish Mosque) Chefchaouen (Plaza Uta el Hamman) Chefchaouen (La Botica de la Abuela Aladdin) Chefchaouen (Stairs) Chefchaouen (Place El Haouta) Chefchaouen (Restaurant Triana) Episode summary At the start of this leg, both groups of racers from the first two legs met at the Spanish Mosque in Chefchaouen. Teams were then instructed to travel to the Plaza Uta el Hamman, where they had to join a group of Gnawa dancers and both team members had to use their heads to continuously twirl the tassel on a fez for 90 seconds to receive their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, teams had to find La Botica de la Abuela Aladdin and choose a number. They entered the shop the next morning in groups of three, where one team member had two minutes to search for a stack of Moroccan black soaps marked with an Amazing Race flag; otherwise they had to go to the back of the queue before they could try again. After memorising the stack, they had to replicate it using the soaps outside to receive their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams had to use small paintbrushes to paint a step with blue colour wash to receive their next clue.