The Amazing Race Australia 4 is the fourth season of The Amazing Race Australia, an Australian reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. This season was the first to air on Network 10 after moving from Seven Network and was hosted by former rugby league footballer Beau Ryan, who replaced Grant Bowler. It featured eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race across the world to win the grand prize of .
This season visited three continents and eight countries and travelled over during twelve legs. Starting in Seoul, racers travelled through South Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Thailand before returning to Australia and finishing in Nitmiluk National Park. New elements introduced in this season include an international start. The season premiered on Monday, 28 October 2019, with the show airing on Mondays and Tuesdays in the 7:30 p.m. timeslot on Network 10, and concluded on 3 December 2019.
Newlyweds Tim and Rod Sattler-Jones were the winners of this season, while married Aboriginal couple Jasmin Onus and Jerome Cubillo finished in second place and siblings Viv and Joey Dinh finished in third place.
Production Development and filming
In May 2019, rumours circulated that The Amazing Race Australia would return after five years when casting opened for an "Adventure Travel Competition" to be produced by Eureka Productions that was "looking for personality-packed teams of two to take part in a competitive reality travel series full of great prizes to be won!" On 29 May 2019, Beverley McGarvey, the chief content officer of Network 10, announced that the network was in the process of acquiring two franchises that would air at the end of the year saying, "We are doing The Masked Singer, which is different, a bit crazy and a proper original. The other thing, a franchise I can't talk about yet, will be huge for us too. We are finalising the contract at present," and described the second franchise they were acquiring as "a bit more familiar."
The next day, TV Blackbox reported that CBS Studios International had bought the rights to the Australian franchise of The Amazing Race with the series set to air in the final quarter of 2019. On 27 June, Network 10 officially announced that it would be reviving The Amazing Race Australia with Beverley McGarvey announcing that a new series was set to air in late 2019 and that Beau Ryan would be serving as the new host.
The racecourse for this season travelled to eight countries across three continents (Asia, Africa and Oceania), racing 45,000 km in total. The season started outside of Australia at Seoul Plaza in Seoul, South Korea, making it the first time for the Australian series where the starting line was not located in the show's host country. This season also included first-time visits to South Korea, Mongolia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Casting Applications for the fourth season opened in May 2019 and were open to permanent residents and citizens from Australia and New Zealand, who were at least 18 years old. Applications for the 2019 edition were originally set to close on 31 May 2019 but were extended to 7 July 2019.
Release Broadcast On 3 September, during an episode of Australian Survivor, it was first revealed that The Amazing Race Australia would begin airing in October. The premiere date was later announced on 7 October after cast announcements began to be 28 October 2019.
Marketing Bankwest served as the major sponsor of this season, providing multiple leg prizes as well as Halo payment rings as a primary means of payment during many legs. Other sponsors included Tourism NT, Jetstar and Powerade Active Water.
Cast
The cast included North Melbourne rookie Tom Wilkinson would be racing with Southport midfielder Tyler Roos, the son of Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee Paul Roos, which was leaked prior to the start of filming. It also included two Missionaries of God's Love sisters, the first female firefighter in South Australia Adrienne Clarke, the show's first married Indigenous couple and the show's first same-sex married couple following the passage of the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017.
ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus 21Gen Z SiblingsAdelaide, South AustraliaEliminated 1st(in Seoul, South Korea) 19 53NunsCanberra, Australian Capital TerritoryEliminated 2nd(in Cheorwon, South Korea) 45 42Mum & DaughterSydney, New South WalesEliminated 3rd(in Gia Viễn, Vietnam) 18 58Farmer and FirieMount Compass, South AustraliaMedically removed(in Govi-Altai, Mongolia) 59 29Sisters Townsville, QueenslandEliminated 5th(in Ulaanbataar, Mongolia) 24 Cairns, Queensland 26The InfluencersBondi, New South WalesEliminated 6th(in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe) 30 23NursesSydney, New South WalesEliminated 7th(in Lilongwe, Malawi) 23 23Footy MatesMelbourne, VictoriaEliminated 8th(in Bangkok, Thailand) 23 25Mighty SiblingsMelbourne, VictoriaThird place 28 30Deadly DuoDarwin, Northern TerritoryRunners-up 30 29NewlywedsNewcastle, New South WalesWinners 28
A month after filming concluded, Sidney "Sid" Pierucci was arrested and charged with assault and destroying/damaging property following an alleged domestic violence incident on 14 October in Bellevue Hill, with police issuing an apprehended domestic violence order on behalf of Ashley "Ash" Ruscoe. After these reports came out, Ash stated in an interview that she and Sid had ended their relationship after filming concluded, although she stated that the show was not the cause of their breakup. Sid pleaded not guilty to the charges on 6 November 2019 at Downing Centre Local Court, but later accepted a plea bargain by pleading guilty to a minor charge in February 2020.
Future appearances Jasmin & Jerome appeared during the next season to perform a Welcome to Country ceremony for the teams in Darwin, Northern Territory.
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. A indicates that the team won the Fast Forward. 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.
+Team placement (by leg) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1112 Tim & Rod4th4th3rd5th5th2nd2nd2nd3rd4th1st1st Jasmin & Jerome6th5th4th4th1st3rd5th3rd2nd2nd3rd2nd Viv & Joey2nd2nd2nd7th7th5th3rd5th3rd2nd3rd Tom & Tyler1st1st1st1st2nd4th1st1st1st1st Femi & Nick5th9th7th8th3rd6th4th4th4th Sid & Ash9th7th6th3rd4th1st Hayley & Mikayla3rd3rd5th2nd6th Chris & Adrienne7th6th8th6th Rowah & Amani8th8th Judy & Therese10th Alana & Niko Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (South Korea)
Episode 1 (28 October 2019) Eliminated: Alana & Niko Locations Seoul, South Korea (Seoul Plaza) (Starting Line) Seoul (Namsan Park – Namsan Tower) Seoul (Namsangol Hanok Village – Seoul Millennium Time Capsule) Seoul (Yeouido Hangang Park – Han River) Seoul (Jongno-gu – Gwangjang Market Sageun-dong – Hanyang University Gymnasium) Seoul (Hoehyeon-dong – Seoullo 7017 Bridge) Episode summary Teams set off from Seoul Plaza in Seoul, South Korea and travelled to Namsan Tower, where they had to search from the observation deck for yellow and red Amazing Race flags in the city below. After finding the flags, teams had to search the gift shop for a postcard that matched the location and contained the address on the back. Teams then had to travel there on foot and find a "message from home" – an inscription from former Premier of New South Wales John Fahey on the Seoul Millennium Time Capsule – in order to find their next clue. In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to ride a Flyboard on the Han River and reach a height of at least in order to receive their next clue. This season's first Detour was a choice between Fold 'Em Fast or Stack 'Em High. In Fold 'Em Fast, teams had to roll, fill and fold 50 dumplings in order to receive their next clue. In Stack 'Em High, both team members had to take part in sport stacking by stacking twelve cups in a demonstrated formation within eight seconds in order to receive their next clue from Si Eun Kim. After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Seoullo 7017 Bridge. Additional note Alana & Niko fell so far behind that by the time they reached the Roadblock, it had closed for the day and all of the other teams had already checked in at the Pit Stop. Alana & Niko were instructed to go directly to the Pit Stop for elimination.
Leg 2 (South Korea)
Episode 2 (29 October 2019) Prize: A$1,000 for each contestant, loaded on two Bankwest Halo rings (awarded to Tom & Tyler) Eliminated: Judy & Therese Locations Seoul (Cheonggye Plaza – Spring Sculpture) Seoul (Gwanghwamun Plaza) Paju (Imjingak Peace Park – Prayer Ribbon Fence) Cheorwon (Duroowell Bootcamp Cheorwon Gym) Cheorwon (Hantan River – Goseokjeong Pavilion ) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams had to count the number of fountains at Gwanghwamun Plaza and give the correct answer to a gardener in order to receive their next clue. Teams were then directed to the Imjingak Peace Park in the Korean Demilitarised Zone, where they had to write a message of hope on a prayer ribbon and tie it to the fence before receiving their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between All Heart or All Thumbs. In All Heart, teams had to travel to a Korean military boot camp and complete challenges under a drill sergeant that involved carrying two tyres up a steep hill, navigating a high-rope course and crawling through a mud pit with a weighted backpack that contained their next clue. In All Thumbs, teams had to participate in drone soccer at the Cheorwon Gym. Each team member had to pilot a drone through a soccer course and score a goal before receiving their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to raft down the Hantan River to the Pit Stop at the Goseokjeong Pavilion.
Leg 3 (South Korea → Vietnam)
Episode 3 (4 November 2019) Locations Seoul (Namdaemunno) Seoul → Hanoi, Vietnam Hanoi (Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre) Hanoi (Giáp Bát Bus Station) → Ninh Bình Ninh Xuân (Hành cung Vũ Lâm – Paddy Fields Ngô Đồng River ) Hoa Lư (Tam Cốc Wharf) Hoa Lư (Lãng Khanh Hostel & Restaurant) Hoa Lư (Hang Múa) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Hanoi, Vietnam. Once there, teams had to travel to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre and sign up for one of three water puppet shows, which could accommodate three teams each and took place ten minutes apart. Once inside, teams found a clue instructing them to watch the show to determine the location of their next clue. Teams had to figure out that the dragon puppets in the show had words on their necks – Ben Xe Giap Bat (Giáp Bát bus station) – where teams found their next clue, which instructed them to travel by bus to Ninh Bình. This leg's Detour was a choice between Escargot or Make Boat Go. In Escargot, teams had to harvest 100 snails from a paddy field in order to receive their next clue. In Make Boat Go, teams had to row a Vietnamese-style boat using the soles of their feet to a giant rock, where they found their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to travel to the Tam Cốc wharf in Hoa Lư, where they found their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, teams had to travel to Lãng Khanh Hostel & Restaurant, where they found 300 banana leaf-wrapped young green rice parcels, nine of which contained a golden coin. One team member had to find a parcel with a coin in order to receive their next clue. If a parcel didn't have a coin in it, they had to consume the contents before unwrapping another. After the Roadblock, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Hang Múa in Hoa Lư. Additional notes