That’s all folks! The second season of Alone Australia was almost a photo finish as the final contestants starved it out in the brutal South Island winter.

 

Want to know about the latest season of Alone? Check out our guide to Alone Australia Season 3 for everything you need to know!

One thing I don’t know is how many people are reading these recaps to actually catch up on the episode, versus those who come here for the sharp wit and biting analysis (it’s coming soon I swear).

With the season wrapped I think it’s a good chance to reflect on what Alone is and what we get out of it. But more on that later, what the hell happened the other night?

Read more: Interview with the Winner of Alone Australia

 

*Spoilers for Alone Australia Season 2, Episode 10 begin here*

The quote: ‘As man disappears from sight, the land remains’, a Māori proverb. I’m not sure I get it though? I’m trying to pull out a deeper meaning beyond the obvious one but I don’t think there is, it’s just that, a reminder that we are temporary.

Some are more temporary than others though! Andreas, Krzysztof, and Suzan have spent 54 days in the heckin’ wild to get to this point and I have NO idea who actually takes it home. Kudos to commenter Nathan who analysed the preview videos in a comment on the episode 9 recap, we love a bit of detective work.

 

Let’s go, we’ve got an Alone winner to pick!

Tap Recap!

Remember all these people? Remember Mike? Geez it feels like that was so long ago. I’d totally forgotten about poor Jason.

Back-to-back you can see the rationalisations; health, family, family, health, family. Everyone has their reason for leaving but I wonder how well some of those reasons held up in their minds. I’d say that Chace heading back to his pregnant wife is probably happy with his choice, but was Jack?

The final three are not necessarily the final three everyone expected halfway through the season, but at the start, they were all strong contenders. We voted at WAE and Suzan and Krzysztof both feature, however Andreas didn’t get a vote. Might’ve been a stonking mistake that.

I’m pretty sure someone is getting medically tapped, but who?

Day 54 – 12:46 pm – Suzan

Suzan reckons day 54 feels like the hardest yet. She’s mentally clear but emotionally reactive, that’s an interesting distinction.

 

I can imagine, when you’ve gone that long without protein

 

But her resolve is stronger than ever? She’s literally visualising handing the other person left the $250,000 if she goes.

Honestly, I didn’t expect money to be such a strong motivator for her. Maybe under that somewhat hippie exterior she’s a red-blooded capitalist. Nah, just kidding. We all like money.

‘There’s still fat on my body,’ she says. Game on.

Suzan’s foraging to keep her mind occupied, at least she can continue to get a win.

I think she’s the only one bringing in berries too. They look tasty but there’s a risk – food poisoning would write her off now, for sure.

 

Just needs cream

 

Suzan Recap! The theme? Foraging, and all the major wins thus far.

The cut from boiling supplejack to foraging for sedge was pretty large though. Maybe there was more left out of the edit, but stacked up over 10 episodes we’re not seeing heaps of sustenance coming in.

Ok we’re still recapping… new info please.

Day 55 – 9am – Krzysztof

Over to Krzysztof and there’s a close-up of an insect. Is that Chekhov’s Wasp?

I dunno what Krzyzstof is tying up but he doesn’t know what day it is so I think we’re even.

Interestingly, he’s saying that he thought he’d have drop shock. I guess you don’t know until you experience it for real.

We’re being reminded now of how Krzysztof has caught a few huge eels but unlike last season, he’s not allowed to eat them. That must be so frustrating. There are multiple times where the rules have prevented a likely kill actually. We need the rules but gosh do they make it hard.

Headaches make it hard too. It first came on around day 52 and we’re going into day 55 still not feeling great. He’s going to take it easy and see if he can just ride it out.

 

I also do this when I have a headache, except I haven’t been in the wild for 50+ days

 

Honestly, it’s not looking good for a medical tap. Mike lasted to day 72 before a medical tap last season and he was eating somewhat regularly.

It’s not far-fetched to think that Krzysztof, who’s only been eating seaweed, would be a bit further along on the timeline.

Speaking of.

Andreas

Why is Andreas looking so gaunt? That vein is popping out of his forehead Elmer Fudd style.

Oh, it’s been 28 days since he caught a fish. That is so long! It’s the longest continuous period he’s starved for too, given that he caught food relatively early.

Remember sweet, sweet Stonker day? That was only 2 weeks in!

 

Moth to a flame? Nah. Sandfly to a vein

 

But now he’s feeling dizzy, and SBS have the post-production effects on the GoPro so you can come along for the ride.

By day 30 his six pack was showing. We know he’s a fit guy and maybe his metabolism is a bit higher and burning more energy. Oh, and he’s also always bloody doing stuff.

Slower metabolism is a key strength women have going into this competition, particularly older women, plus their endurance is known to be higher. Will we see Suzan in a 300-mile race after this? I back it.

‘I’ve wasted 50 days if I quit now’ says Andreas. Such a win-focused mindset, no wholesome ‘I’ve connected with nature’ stuff here.

Andreas just stumbled in the bush and he’s feeling clumsy, a whole hour away from his campsite. That’s a long way to go when you’re not feeling good. He’s stacked it again, and I think it’s getting dark?

Day 55 – 10:25pm

Ok Andreas did make it back to camp. But he’s really been rattled by that experience, his whole body is telling him to go home. His cheekbones might be too.

But he’s still here babyyy.

The ability to tackle these low points again and again while things only seem to get worse is a special one, all three competitors left (and Tamika and Rick let’s be real) were incredibly tough to push through.

Andreas is hunting a possum with a spade again and I let myself get excited, but no, it was a nothing burger. Hope he feels better in the morning.

 

The real winners of this season: possums and deer

Day 56 – 10:32am

Krzysztof is sitting on the beach like a little mollusc haha.

‘This episode is just a bit depressing.’ – says my partner Mary.

Not wrong.

 

Hard to watch everyone crawl to the finish line

 

Alone always does get kind of like this near the end but it’s hard to not see anyone sur-thriving.

Krzysztof is only sleeping 1-2 hours a night! He looks completely ruined. Yet he’s talking about it like he’s out of his body, like it’s happening to someone else.

Oh, now he’s not, he’s begun a soliloquy with a lot of I’s. He misses his pillow, bed, family, I think that’s in order.

‘I’m not leaving until I’m pulled or Erin gets me.’ Krzysztof doesn’t seem to care about the money at all. He’s married to the game baby.

Suzan

She’s on the beach looking frankly, quite upset.

She’s aware she’s riding waves of emotions and ideas, but she’s starting to think she doesn’t want to keep doing it.

 

The blues have well and truly hit our Suze

 

She must be wondering who’s out there. ‘Are there only two of us left?’

Sunk cost fallacy is such a strong motivator this deep in the game. You’ve tried so hard and come so far, what if in the end, it doesn’t even matter?

Suzan is probably looking the healthiest of the three though, for her it seems the challenge is more mental than physical.

Andreas

Andreas is looking at the camera very seriously.

 

‘Hello Andreas, this is Big Brother. What brings you to the Diary Room?’

 

He’s talking about his life as a PT, trying to make people feel better, and how low this show is pushing him.

It’s becoming a trade off – where the stress he’s putting himself through isn’t worth the trade off, even for the win.

Day 57 – 1:15pm

Andreas’ head is leaning against his shelter, he looks hungover.

He’s looking at the back of his axe, where he’s notched every day. It’ll have 57 notches on it.

‘Is 57 days enough? he asks. ‘Yeah.’

He’s pulled out the sat phone.

Damn, that’d be a cool axe to have on the mantelpiece.

 

Emotional support axe in full swing *badum tiss*

 

Day 57 – 3:32pm

Back to Andreas, oh now we’re making the call. Did it take him two hours to make the decision to pull out the phone before? Anyway.

He’s tapped.

Andreas noooo. After such a powerful display of fishing and shelter building many people were sure you had the win. But the fish stopped, the possums got wise, and the mice kept escaping.

Eventually he lost 30% of his starting bodyweight, which is probably in the vicinity of 30kg. It’s a LOT and I wonder how much longer he’d have been allowed to continue.

‘Are you proud of yourself?’ he’s asked on the beach.

‘Not yet, I hate quitting.’

‘Please, no more questions – says his face.

‘This is as far as I’m willing to risk my health and sanity.’ I reckon, he’s going to be proud later, for sure, but right now, not so much.

 

One last look back. Well done Andreas, a stonking effort

Day 58

Suzan’s decided to do a fast where she just hangs out for three days and focuses on her mental health, and doesn’t even focus on foraging. She’s in the end game. I feel like she’s so sure that it can’t be long now.

 

Sleeping could be a winning tactic

 

Day 59

Krzysztof isn’t sure about anything. Both contestants appear listless.

Day 60

Suzan’s getting angry at something as simple as her jumper catching on her head as she pulls it off.

‘I’m dealing with misery every day, while others out there might be fine.’ she says.

Day 61

We get a timelapse of Krzysztof just lying there, not sleeping at all. Staring into the camera at all hours of the night.

Sleep, the one reprieve that lets you skip through a third of the day, has abandoned Krzysztof, and is surely a sign of very poor health.

He looks like a little statue sitting outside, just warming in the sun. Waiting.

Day 62 – 6:38pm

Suzan is thanking the land, she has a fire and she puts in a final stick.

‘And land, I release you.’

Suzan you are so close. Don’t do this.

Day 63

Suzan’s got the sat phone out. Mary is screaming.

‘No Suzan, you are so close, just like you thought!’

But she’s officially tapped out. She’s going home.

 

NOOOOO (I just lost the work bet) – but a truly wonderful run from Suzan

 

A super thin Suzan is on the beach, looking way more sorted than Andreas was, she’s just so happy to be going home, it’s charged her up.

I’m not going to recap the reunion episode, but it turns out that 12 hours after this, Suzan was in hospital with a drip. It’s hard to see on screen, but she was definitely at her limit.

Day 64 – 11:48am – KRZYSZTOF ERA

Krzysztof is straight up nauseous and his vision is blurred, I wonder what the medical team would think?

He’s ‘rickety wrecked’. Even now he can crack a Rick and Morty reference.

Krzysztof is doing a medical check, which we can only assume was scheduled as normal, or he’d be pretty suspicious.

 

 

And there’s no way he’s going to pass, he’s just thrown up.

What is happening?!

Are they gaslighting him that he’s being medically tapped?

Omg, they are.

It’s unsafe for you to continue, but this is not a medical extraction.’

What is it? He’s realising. He’s done it!

‘Cool.’

I guess Krzysztof would have failed the medical today but, since he passed the last one and no other contestants remain, it doesn’t matter. Suzan headed home 24 hours ago. After all this it really did come down to the day.

‘Erin’s on her way but you’re the last person standing. But we’re pulling you out now.’

The complete dialogue here is absolutely sublime from Krzysztof.

‘Really?

Oh wow, really? I was not expecting that.

Awww.

Cool!

Well I wasn’t gonna quit.’

Haha this is so wholesome. Someone get the man some nuggets. Imagine feeling that shit and trying to take on that information.

Read more: Interview with Krzysztof – Winner of Alone Australia

 

Merry Krzysztof to those who celebrate!

 

For Krzysztof the experience was the win. He was battling himself more than anything.

Cut to Krzysztof recovering in isolated medical care. He still doesn’t quite believe that he’s won, but he’s glad that Erin wasn’t there as he’d just thrown up and would’ve wanted a kiss.

Aww, she’s snuck up on him! I’m not crying, you’re crying!

This was the best

Congrats man, you did so well

And that’s it. Krzysztof is the first ever Alone contestant to not be met by their partner, but they’re heading back out on the boat to check out his shelter before it’s dismantled.

The shelter is gone, but the memory lives on.

Fort Kickass Forever.

Thanks for Reading

Wow, another season of Alone Australia done. I’d wondered whether I’d write the recaps again. Back in season one they started as a joke (they’re still a joke – Ed.) but the way people discussed and shared them kept me going.

I’ve always set out to add some context, have a laugh, but most of all approach the contestants with kindness. Even the ones who last one night, are doing something more hardcore than most of us will ever do, and the experiences are deeply personal.

As Krzysztof said at the end of our interview (check out the We Are Explorers Podcast next week for the full thing),

‘There’s a lot of footage that we shoot, and they only show a small section. So when you’re looking at the TV and you’re thinking ‘Why aren’t they doing more fishing? Why aren’t they looking for XYZ? Chances are, we’re all doing it, but you’re not going to be watching that for an hour. If you’re thinking it, it’s probably been done.’

That being said, I wonder about another season. The winter environments, the starvation to the finish. You’re telling me the guy who won spent 64 days trying to catch food and he couldn’t? That seems too difficult to me.

Maybe it’s a comment on our environments down here in the Southern Hemisphere, or maybe it says more about what we’ve done to them.

In any case, I’m not alone (heh) in saying that we want to see more hunting, more fishing, more bushcraft, and more shelters. Maybe the Alone format that we’ve got from the US isn’t quite right – can we preserve elements of what makes the show so great while tweaking the rules?

I’m not sure, but in any case, thanks for reading, let us know what you thought of the show in the comments.

Until next time, stay stonkin’.

Alone Australia Recaps So Far

 

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