Tyler Atkins

Production

Filming and development

Filming began on 5 November 2010 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. One day later, actor and former host of The Mole Grant Bowler was announced as the show's host. The season travelled across four continents, 11 countries and 23 cities. Some of the countries visited during the series include Indonesia and Israel.

Casting

Application deadline for the first series closed on 17 September 2010 (extended from 6 September 2010) initially with the applicants required to be at least 18 years old with citizenship or permanent residency. However, due to insurance issues overseas, the minimum age for applicants was raised from 18 to 21.

Marketing

The Amazing Race Australia was sponsored by Canon, National Australia Bank, Honda, Vodafone and Gloria Jean's Coffees.

Cast

The cast included married fitness entrepreneurs, farmers, friends of Egyptian descent, models, Big W workmates and reunited sisters. Notably, Nathan, who teamed up with Tyler, is the boyfriend of 2006 Miss Australia, Erin McNaught. Renae was also the runner up of Miss Universe Australia 2010. Entrepreneurs Richard & Joey Marc were the authors of Please Mum, Don't Supersize Me! Ryot & Liberty were the brother and sister of Rebel Wilson.

Subsequent appearances

Nathan Joliffe later competed on the second season of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.

Richard & Joey had a television show on Foxtel called Feel Good TV.

After this season, Mel Greig replaced Maude Garrett as a co-host of the Hot30 Countdown on the Today Radio Network, where she later gained international notoriety for her role in a controversial prank call to an English hospital that was treating Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge for morning sickness. Subsequently, she also appeared on the fourth season of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.

Mo El-Leissy had a role on a Muslim sketch comedy show on SBS called Legally Brown.

In 2019, Sam Schoers competed in the sixth season of Australian Survivor.

Results

The following teams are listed with their placements in each leg. Placements are listed in finishing order.

A red placement with a dagger (†) indicates that the team was eliminated.

An underlined blue placement with a double-dagger (‡) indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg and was "marked for elimination" 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 green ƒ indicates that the team won the Fast Forward.

A purple ε indicates that the team used an Express Pass on that leg to bypass one of their tasks.

A brown ⊃ indicates that the team used the U-Turn and a brown ⊂ indicates the team on the receiving end of the U-Turn.

A violet + indicates that the teams encountered an Intersection.

Notes

Race summary

Leg 1 (Australia → Indonesia)

Episode 1: "Nothing's Smooth Sailing with Us" (16 May 2011)

Prizes: A$10,000 and the Express Pass (awarded to Sam & Renae)

Locations

Melbourne, Victoria (Melbourne Cricket Ground) (Starting Line)

Melbourne → Denpasar, Indonesia

Denpasar (BlueWater Express) → Mataram (Tandjoengkarang Fishing Village)

Mataram (Pura Lingsar)

Mataram (Mandalika Market)

Malaka (Malimbu Beach) → Gili Trawangan (Main Beach)

Gili Trawangan (Halik Reef)

Gili Trawangan (Sunset Point)

Episode summary

In this series' first Roadblock at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, one team member had to scale 75 metres (246 ft) up one of the six light towers, retrieve their next clue and then abseil down to their partner.

Teams were instructed to fly to Denpasar on the island of Bali. Once there, teams had to sign up for one of three boats leaving the next morning for the island of Lombok. The first boat carried the first three teams, while the remaining boats, leaving in 30-minute intervals after the first, could carry four teams each. Once on Lombok, teams had to search the Tandjoengkarang fishing village for their next clue, which was hidden under the nets of a fishing boat on Mapak Beach. Teams then went to Pura Lingsar Temple and had to run through a rice cake war ritual called perang topat, where they were pelted with rice cakes and powder by locals, in order to retrieve their next clue.

Leg 2 (Indonesia → Vietnam)

Episode 2: "Like Four Seasons in a Day" (23 May 2011)

Prizes: Two tickets to the 2011 AFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and a VIP tour of the National Sports Museum (awarded to Tyler & Nathan)

Eliminated: Ryot & Liberty

Locations

Mataram (Tandjoengkarang Fishing Village)

Mataram or Denpasar → Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon Opera House)

Ho Chi Minh City → Huế

Huế (Trần Thanh Mại Garage)

Huế (Bằng Chicken Farm or Rice Paddy Field)

Hương Thủy (Khải Định Tomb)

Hương Trà (Tomb of Minh Mạng) & Hương Thủy (Khải Định Tomb)

Huế (Huế Citadel)

Episode summary

At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Teams could either take a fast boat back to Denpasar to book a flight to Ho Chi Minh City or they could book a flight directly from the island of Lombok. Once there, teams had to travel to the Saigon Opera House, where they had to search amongst hundreds of women wearing nón lás and find the one woman who had their team name written on her fan, which they could exchange for their next clue.

Teams were then instructed to fly to Huế. Once there, teams had to go to Trần Thanh Mại Garage, where they had to change the two rear tyres and motor oil of an ex-army jeep in order to receive their next clue. Teams could then use the jeep as their transportation for the rest of the leg.

Leg 3 (Vietnam → Hong Kong → Macau)

Episode 3: "We've Got Pain, But We've Not Lost Any Weight" (30 May 2011)

Prize: A$10,000 (awarded to Richard & Joey)

Eliminated: Anne-Marie & Tracy

Locations

Huế (Huế Citadel)

Huế → Hong Kong

Hong Kong (Aberdeen – Aberdeen Marina Club (in Chinese) → Jumbo Floating Restaurant)

Hong Kong (Causeway Bay – Tin Hau Temple)

Hong Kong (Kowloon – Kowloon Walled City Park)

Hong Kong → Macau

Macau (Cotai – The Venetian Macao)

Macau (Coloane – A Ma Cultural Village)

Episode summary

At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Hong Kong. Once there, teams had to travel by ferry to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, where they had to bite into over a thousand fortune cookies until they found one with a specific message inside telling them to receive their next clue from the waiter.

This season's only Fast Forward required one team to completely have their heads shaved. Richard & Joey won the Fast Forward.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Lion Dance or Kung Fu Stance. For both Detour options, teams had to travel to the Kowloon Walled City Park. In Lion Dance, teams had to dress up and perform a traditional lion dance to the dance master's satisfaction in order to receive their next clue. In Kung Fu Stance, teams had to perform a series of precise kung fu moves to the kung fu master's satisfaction, and then both team members had to break six clay tiles in order to receive their next clue.

Leg 4 (Macau → South Africa)

Episode 4: "A Town That Was 15-20 Letters Long" (6 June 2011)

Prize: A$5,000 shopping spree at Kathmandu (awarded to Matt & Tom)

Eliminated: Richard & Joey

Locations

Macau (Santo António – Ruins of Saint Paul's)

Macau or Hong Kong → Port Elizabeth, South Africa (Port Elizabeth International Airport)

Graaff-Reinet (Camdeboo National Park – Valley of Desolation)

Port Elizabeth (Kragga Kamma Game Park)

Garden Route National Park (Bloukrans Bridge)

Addo (Nomathamsanqa)

Addo (Addo Elephant National Park)

Episode summary

At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Once there, teams had to search the airport parking lot for a marked car with a clue inside the windscreen that instructed them to drive to Camdeboo National Park and search the Valley of Desolation for their next clue.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Smash or Bash. For both Detour options, teams had to drive to Kragga Kamma Game Park. In Smash, teams had to throw a traditional South African club called a knobkerrie from a distance and shatter four suspended pots in order receive their next clue. In Bash, teams had to build a large giraffe feeder, using only the provided tools and materials, in order to receive their next clue.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to perform the world's highest bridge bungy jump off of the Bloukrans Bridge in order to receive their next clue.

Leg 5 (South Africa)

Episode 5: "The Woman-ness to Realize Where You Went Wrong" (13 June 2011)

Prize: A home entertainment system (awarded to Tyler & Nathan)

Eliminated: Mo & Mos

Locations

Addo (Addo Elephant National Park)

Port Elizabeth → Cape Town

Cape Town (Dolphin Beach)

Melkbosstrand (Melkboss Air Strip)

Cape Town (Victoria & Alfred Waterfront – Nobel Square)

Cape Town (Kargo Warehouse)

Cape Town (Khayelitsha – Intyatyambo Orphanage)

Paarl (Valley Gun Club or Nelson's Creek Wine Estate)

Atlantis (Atlantis Dunes)

Cape Town (Rhodes Memorial)

Episode summary

At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Cape Town. Once there, teams had to travel to Dolphin Beach for their next clue.

In this leg's Roadblock, teams had to drive to Melkboss Air Strip. There, one team member had to perform a 9,000-foot (2,700 m) tandem skydive. The non-participating team member had to help guide their partner to the landing zone using signal flares. After team members reunited, the instructor handed them their next clue.

After arriving at Nobel Square, teams encountered an Intersection, which required two teams to mutually join together to complete the following task. The teams were paired up thusly: Tyler & Nathan and Jeff & Luke, Matt & Tom and Chris & Anastasia, Dave & Kelly and Alana & Mel, and Sam & Renae and Mo & Mos. The joined teams had to load two trailers with toys and supplies at Kargo Warehouse and deliver them to the Intyatyambo Orphanage. Once everything was delivered, the teams received their next clue. After this task, teams were no longer joined.

Leg 6 (South Africa → Netherlands → Czech Republic)

Episode 6: "The Last Team Will Spend the Night in the Dungeon" (20 June 2011)

Prize: A$5,000 shopping spree at Kathmandu (awarded to Tyler & Nathan)

Eliminated: Alana & Mel

Locations

Cape Town (Rhodes Memorial)

Cape Town → Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam (Van Baerlestraat – Oud Hollands Gebakkraam (in Dutch))

Amsterdam → Prague, Czech Republic

Prague (Powder Tower)

Prague (Charles Bridge – Statue of St. Vitus)

Prague (Old Town Square & Hotel U Prince or St. Agnes of Bohemia Convent & Kinský Palace)

Prague (Střelecký Island)

Prague (Prague Castle)

Episode summary

At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Once there, teams had to travel to the Oud Hollands Gebakkraam, where each team member had to eat two appelbollen, a popular Belgian pastry that is made out of a cored apple wrapped in puff pastry, in order to receive their next clue. Teams were then instructed to travel by train to Prague, Czech Republic. The first four teams to finish their appelbollen received tickets for a sleeping car, while the remaining three teams were given tickets for standard seats in a passenger car. Once there, teams had to travel to the Powder Tower and search nearby for their clue. Teams were instructed to search the Charles Bridge for a "holey" statue – the statue of St. Vitus – where they found their next clue.

Leg 7 (Czech Republic)

Episode 7: "It's Just Like Where's Wally" (27 June 2011)

Locations

Prague (Prague Castle)

Prague (Dancing House)

Prague (Štvanice Stadium)

Prague (St. Nicolas Church)

Plzeň (Pilsner Urquell Brewery or Formanka Restaurant)

Kutná Hora (Church of the Assumption of Our Lady and Saint John the Baptist)

Kutná Hora (Church of Bones)

Episode summary

At the start of this leg, teams had to travel to the Dancing House and search for a 1982 Škoda sedan, which contained their next clue and also served as their only means of transportation on this leg. Teams were then directed to drive to Štvanice Stadium, where they had to score one goal against a Czech national hockey team goaltender in order to receive their next clue.

Teams had to drive to St. Nicolas Church, where they had to collect cameras and climb to a former Soviet spy post at the top of the cathedral's tower, where they had 30 seconds to locate and photograph a man waving an Amazing Race flag, listed in the clue as a "flagged person of interest," and not the man waving a flag advertising a local museum. If teams photographed the correct man, they received their next clue; otherwise, they had to return to the bottom of the tower and, while climbing back up, count the number of steps in order to receive their next clue.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Stack Up or Stack In. In Stack Up, teams went into the Pilsner Urquell Brewery, where they had to stack two pallets with cases of 45 Pilsner beer cartons each in order to receive their next clue. In Stack In, teams had to consume 18 traditional Czech sausages called játernice in order to receive their next clue.

Leg 8 (Czech Republic → Poland)

Episode 8: "At Least the View's Nice" (4 July 2011)

Prize: A$10,000 (awarded to Jeff & Luke)

Eliminated: Chris & Anastasia

Locations

Kutná Hora → Kraków, Poland (Kraków Główny Railway Station)

Kraków (Main Square) (Unaired)

Wieliczka (Wieliczka Salt Mine)

Zakopane (Polish Countryside or Karczma Czarci Jar Restaurant)

Czorsztyn (Cape Stylchen)

Niedzica (Niedzica Castle)

Episode summary

At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by train to Kraków, Poland. Once there, teams had to search outside the Kraków Główny railway station for a marked vehicle, which contained their next clue on the windshield. Teams were then instructed to drive to the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to descend 100 metres (330 ft) into a salt mine and push a cart containing rock salt to the end of a mine shaft. They then had to dig through the cart to find crystal keys, one of which unlocked the salt king's crypt, which contained their next clue.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Herd or Hoe Down. In Herd, teams had to travel into the Polish countryside and build a pen using provided fencing and then herd three marked sheep into it in order to receive their next clue. In Hoe Down, teams had to travel to Karczma Czarci Jar Restaurant, where they had to don Polish Highland clothing and perform a Polish axe dance to the satisfaction of the village judge in order to receive their next clue.

Leg 9 (Poland → Israel)

Episode 9: "When I Saw Everyone Freezing to Death" (11 July 2011)

Prize: A personal computer package (awarded to Matt & Tom)

Eliminated: Dave & Kelly

Locations

Niedzica (Niedzica Castle)

Kraków → Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel Aviv (Azrieli Center)

Tel Aviv → Haifa

Haifa (Port of Haifa)

Jaffa (Hasimta Theatre)

Tel Aviv (Jerusalem Beach)

Southern District (Masada)

Episode summary

At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Tel Aviv, Israel. Once there, teams had to travel to the Azrieli Center and make their way to the helipad of the tallest of the three towers in order to find their Roadblock clue.

In this leg's Roadblock, teams first had to travel by train to the Port of Haifa, where one team member had to rig a container truck, drive it through an obstacle course and then reverse the container into a loading space in order to receive their next clue.

After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to the Hasimta Theatre in order to find their next clue. There, one team member had to answer five questions and their partner then had to match the answers in order to receive their next clue.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Find Unseen or Make 13. For both Detour options, teams had to travel to Jerusalem Beach in Tel Aviv. In Find Unseen, teams had to use a metal detector to a search a marked area for the one key that would unlock a chest that contained their next clue. In Make 13, teams had to play matkot, a traditional Israeli bat and ball game similar to beach tennis. They had to hit a ball back and forth thirteen times without letting it hit the ground in order to receive their next clue.

Leg 10 (Israel)

Episode 10: "I Hope We Don't Have to Wear a Crown of Thorns" (18 July 2011)

Prize: A$10,000 (awarded to Matt & Tom)

Locations

Southern District (Masada)

Southern District (Masada – Winter Palace of King Herod)

West Bank (Qumran)

Jerusalem (Central Post Office Building)

Jerusalem (Old City – Via Dolorosa & Church of the Holy Sepulchre or Western Wall & City of David)

Jerusalem (Dung Gate)

Jerusalem (Aish HaTorah World Centre)

Episode summary

At the start of the leg, teams had to take a cable car up to the ruins to find the Winter Palace of King Herod, where they found their next clue, which instructed them to drive to the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered: the Qumran.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to translate a Hebrew message written from right-to-left on a scroll resembling the Dead Sea Scrolls using a translation guide and then transcribe the message left-to-right in order to receive their next clue.

After the Roadblock, teams had to drive to the Central Post Office in Jerusalem. During the previous Pit Stop, teams recorded messages to their loved ones at home and had to hold onto the memory cards until they reached the post office, where they had to mail their messages home in order to receive their next clue.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Pilgrim's Trail or Holy Grail. In Pilgrim's Trail, teams had to travel to the Old City, pick up an 80-kilogram (180 lb) wooden cross and carry it along the Via Dolorosa – the path Jesus is said to have taken to the site of His crucifixion – passing by the nine Stations of the Cross, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in order to receive their next clue. In Holy Grail, teams had to travel to the Western Wall and enter an active archaeological dig site in the Kotel tunnels. There, teams had to unearth a clay pot and then walk through the tunnels to deliver it to an archaeologist in the City of David in order to receive their next clue.

Leg 11 (Israel → Sri Lanka)

Episode 11: "You the Nice Cowboy" (25 July 2011)

Prize: A home entertainment system (awarded to Sam & Renae)

Eliminated: Matt & Tom

Locations

Jerusalem (Dung Gate)

Tel Aviv → Colombo, Sri Lanka

Colombo (Gangaramaya Temple)

Colombo (St. John's Fish Market)

Colombo → Galle (Galle Railway Station)

Galle (Galle Fort)

Galle → Ambalangoda (Ambalangoda Train Station – Mask Vendor)

Nugegoda (Trendy Connections Garment Factory)

Colombo (Independence Square)

Episode summary

At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Once there, teams had to travel to Gangaramaya Temple and receive a blessing from a monk before receiving their next clue.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Count or Carry. In Count, teams had to find a marked stall with a basket full of fish and correctly count the number of fish in order to receive their next clue. In Carry, teams had to use a wooden trolley to transfer fifteen blocks of unbroken ice through a busy market to a marked stall in order to receive their next clue.

After the Detour, teams were instructed to travel by train to Galle. They then had to make their way to Galle Fort, where they found their next clue. Teams had to unlock a chest; the combination of the lock was the year Sri Lanka gained independence from the United Kingdom: 1948. Inside the chest was a clue that asked for the birth year of Sri Lanka's first prime minister, D.S. Senanayake: 1884. That combination opened a second chest, which directed teams to travel by bus to Ambalangoda. At the Ambalangoda train station, teams had to find a mask vendor. There, teams had to study a mask and then search a nearby street festival for a person wearing an identical mask in order to receive their next clue.

Leg 12 (Sri Lanka → Singapore → Australia)

Episode 12: "You're Good at Spending Money" (1 August 2011)

Prize: A$250,000

Winners: Tyler & Nathan

Runners-up: Sam & Renae

Third place: Jeff & Luke

Locations

Colombo (Independence Square)

Colombo → Singapore

Singapore (Goh Chor Tua Pek Kong Chinese Temple)

Singapore (Marina Bay Sands)

Singapore (Hong San See Taoist Temple)

Singapore (Jurong Chinese Gardens)

Singapore (Singapore Flyer)

Singapore → Perth, Western Australia

Perth (City Centre – Kings Park Overlook)

Fremantle (Fremantle Prison)

Perth (Cape Peron)

Perth (Heirisson Island)

Episode summary

At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Singapore. Once there, teams had to travel to the Goh Chor Tua Pek Kong Chinese Temple, where they had to break open durians until they found one with red-coloured flesh inside in order to receive their next clue.

This season's final Detour at the Marina Bay Sands was a choice between Dare or Stair. In Dare, teams had to take an elevator to the 55th floor of Tower 1. There, both team members had to traverse a tightrope to Tower 2 and then go back in order to receive their next clue. In Stair, teams had to climb the stairs to the 55th floor of Tower 1, collect a Singaporean plush toy souvenir, take the stairs back down and then climb the stairs of Tower 2 to the 56th floor, where they could exchange their toy for their next clue.