SBS’s Alone Australia returns in late March, dropping ten new survivalists into the brutal West Coast Ranges of Tasmania (Lutruwita). This season promises record-breakers, unique skills, and unprecedented challenges, all for a shot at the $250,000 prize. This season also sees gender parity with five women in the cast. There will be a double episode to kick things off on Wednesday March 26 at 7.30pm on SBS, and double episode finale to conclude the season on June 4.
Here’s the Lowdown: This season introduces the oldest contestant yet and boasts a cast with diverse skills, from bush poetry to traditional Indigenous hunting. Participants will face extreme isolation, dangerous wildlife, and previously unseen survival tactics.
What This Means Now: Alone Australia continues to push the boundaries of survival television. The diverse backgrounds and motivations of the contestants suggest a season filled with both personal journeys and impressive bushcraft displays.
The Bigger Picture: The series highlights the growing interest in self-sufficiency and reconnecting with nature. By featuring contestants with varied skill sets and cultural backgrounds, Alone Australia shows the many ways humans can interact with and survive in the wilderness.
Meet the Contestants:
Ben (38, English Teacher, SA): A South Australian English teacher, bush poet, and former A-Grade SANFL footballer. He’s a Christian, a family man, and is used to dry conditions, so it will be intriguing to see how he copes. Key question: Can his dry-outback skills translate to Tasmania’s wet forests?
Ceilidh (34, Disability Services Officer, QLD): A Sunshine Coast resident, deaf since birth, who finds connection through nature. A certified carpenter, BMX champion, and skilled fisher/forager. Key questions: Will her lean build be a disadvantage? Can she handle the isolation?
Corinne (38, Food Safety Consultant, TAS): A Tasmanian resident, originally from Scotland, with a passion for foraging and bushcraft. She runs a bushfood business and is skilled in butchering but untested in taking an animal’s life. Key questions: Can she overcome her reluctance to kill? Will boredom be a factor?
Eva (31, Rewilding Facilitator, NSW): Lives off-grid in a NSW cabin and runs an outdoor education school. Experienced in bushcraft, foraging, and processing wild meat, but untested in hunting larger game herself. Key questions: Can she rely on fishing/foraging alone? How will she manage extreme hunger?
Karla (35, Expedition Leader, QLD): A nomadic adventurer with a background as a wildlife zookeeper, helicopter pilot, and army reservist. Experienced in big game hunting but will be without firearms or her bow. Key question: Will a lifelong nomad struggle with being confined to one location?
Matt (31, Indigenous Youth Worker, WA): A Yanyuwa, Waanyi/Garawa man with traditional hunting skills (goanna, stingray, pig) and bushcraft knowledge. Used to the Kimberley, so this is very much a new environment. Key question: Can his coastal Kimberley expertise adapt to Tasmania’s cold, rugged terrain?
Muzza (63, Bushman, VIC): The oldest contestant in Alone Australia history. A professional bushman with a lifetime of experience in various outdoor professions. He’s a gifted storyteller and skilled hunter/fisher. Key question: Can his body handle a Tasmanian winter despite his experience?
Shay (30, Professional Trapper, NZ): A New Zealander, experienced in trapping possums and living off wild game. He’s preparing by sewing possum skins into his jacket. Key question: Will his slight frame and difficulty gaining weight be his downfall?
Tom (33, Ecologist, NSW): An at-home dad and ecologist who lives a self-sufficient lifestyle. Born without his right hand, he’s adapted to many physical challenges. Key question: How will the isolation and being separated from family impact him?
Yonke (52, Farmer & Permaculturalist, VIC): A single mother running a permaculture farm. She has a strong connection to forests and plant life and is a skilled forager and fisher. Key questions: Will she struggle without a community? Will she find the deep connection she seeks?
