The Amazing Race Australia 4


The Amazing Race Australia 4 is the fourth season of the Australian reality television game show The Amazing Race Australia, an Australian spin-off of the American series The Amazing Race. The show features eleven teams of two in a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win the grand prize of.
This season is the first to air on Network 10 after moving over from Seven Network and is hosted by former rugby league footballer Beau Ryan, replacing Grant Bowler, who hosted Seven's iteration of the Race.
The fourth edition premiered on Monday 28 October 2019, with the show airing on Mondays and Tuesdays in the 7:30pm time-slot on Network 10.
The season concluded with newlyweds Tim and Rod Sattler-Jones as the winners of the Race, making them the first romantic couple to win in the Australian franchise.

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. The American version airs in the United States on 10's parent network CBS. 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.
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.
The racecourse for this season travelled to eight countries across three continents, racing 45,000 km in total. The Race started outside of Australia at Seoul Plaza in Seoul, South Korea making it the first time for the Australian series and third time in Amazing Race history, after the second Chinese season and the eight Israeli season, which was produced prior to the Australian series in December 2018 yet is set to air in early 2020, in which the Starting Line did not take place in the show's host country.
During the show's visit to Vietnam on Legs 3 and 4, the normal red & yellow route markers were used, unlike the first season in which the route markers were replaced to avoid confusion with the former South Vietnamese national flag, following recent editions of the Race such as the 31st American season where the normal red & yellow route markers were used.
The Speed Bump returned as the penalty for team that arrived in last place during a non-elimination leg. However, instead of a separate task, the Speed Bump added an additional aspect to the first task of the leg much like the Handicap on The Amazing Race Norge and the Speed Bump on the 27th American season.
During the season, Tom & Tyler tied the record for single-season leg wins at 8, a record which is shared with Marc & Rovilson and Rachel & Dave from the second Asian and 20th American seasons, respectively. With Tom & Tyler eliminated prior to the final leg, they also set a record for winning the most legs for an eliminated team as well.

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.
Prior to the start of filming, it was leaked that North Melbourne rookie Tom Wilkinson would be racing with Southport midfielder Tyler Roos, the son of Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee Paul Roos. The cast 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 Act 2017.
A month after filming concluded, influencer Sidney "Sid" Pierucci was arrested and charged with assault and destroy/damage 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 though 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 in exchange for no conviction.

Marketing

served as the major sponsor of the Race, 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.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, each listed along with leg placements and subtitles listed on the program. This table may not necessarily be reflective of all content broadcast on the program, owing to the inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order.
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  1. By the time Alana & Niko reached the Roadblock, the location had closed for the day and all of the other teams had checked into the Pit Stop. Instead of Alana performing the Roadblock as well as the remaining tasks left for this leg, Alana & Niko were instead instructed to go directly to the Pit Stop for elimination.
  2. During the camel task, Chris fell off his camel and broke several ribs, and medics were called out. Long after all the other teams had already checked in at the Pit Stop, Beau came to the ger to inform them of their elimination.
  3. Femi & Nick initially arrived 5th, but were issued a 2-hour penalty for failing to complete the sand dune task during the allotted 4-hour time period. Viv & Joey checked-in during their penalty time, dropping Femi & Nick to 6th. Hayley & Mikayla were eligible to be penalised for the same infraction, but they were the last team to arrive at the Pit Stop, resulting in their elimination.
  4. Tom & Tyler were set to begin the leg in 4th place but were late to the Pit Start and started the leg in last place.
  5. For their Speed Bump, Sid & Ash both had to complete the Roadblock. Since Sid opted to perform the Roadblock before finding out that both team members had to do the Roadblock, only Sid's performance is reflected in their total Roadblock count. Later, they initially arrived 2nd at the Pit Stop, but were issued a 1-hour penalty for speeding. All other teams trailing them checked-in during their penalty time, dropping Sid & Ash to last place and resulting in their elimination.
  6. All five teams had time penalties applied at the Pit Stop based on how many questions they answered incorrectly during the pub quiz task. The initial placements for all teams are as follows:
  7. #1st: Viv & Joey, 2nd: Tom & Tyler, 3rd: Jasmin & Jerome, 4th: Tim & Rod, 5th: Femi & Nick. Femi & Nick were eliminated without the 2-minute penalty being issued.
  8. Due to unfavourable wind conditions, Viv & Joey were unable to complete the skydive task and had to land at the nearby Katherine Airport instead. Since neither teams' time differences nor placements were affected, Viv & Joey were immediately given the next clue without being issued a time penalty.

    Voting history

Teams participated in two U-Turn votes during the Race. The team with the most votes was penalised with the U-Turn. Both votes were secret ballots.
Unlike previous seasons, only some legs featured prizes awarded to the first team to check-in at the Pit Stop. The prizes were:

Leg 1 (South Korea)

Airdate: 28 October 2019
In the first Roadblock of the Race, one team member had to ride a Flyboard on the Han River and reach a height of at least to receive their next clue.
In the first Detour of the Race, teams had a choice between Fold 'Em Fast or Stack 'Em High. In Fold 'Em Fast, teams had to roll, fill, and fold 50 dumplings to the dumpling master's satisfaction 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 to receive their clue from sport stacking world record holder Si Eun Kim.
;Additional task
Airdate: 29 October 2019
The 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, which contained their clue. In All Thumbs, teams had to participate in the relatively new sport of drone soccer at the Cheorwon Gym. Both members had to pilot a drone through a soccer course and score a goal each before receiving their clue from the drone master.
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Airdate: 4 November 2019
The Detour was a choice between Escargot and Make Boat Go. In Escargot, teams had to harvest 100 snails from a paddy field to receive their clue. In Make Boat Go, teams had to row a Vietnamese-style boat using the soles of their feet to a giant rock with their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, teams had to travel to Lãng Khanh Hostel & Restaurant, where they would find 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 before receiving their next clue. If a parcel didn't have a coin in it, they had to consume the contents of it, some of which had additional fillings including chillis.
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Airdate: 5 November 2019
For their Speed Bump, Rowah & Amani had to prepare five bundles of incense sticks instead of four during the first task.
The Detour was a choice between Short Strokes or Long Strides. In Short Strokes, each team member had to wear a Full Moon Festival mask and replicate the pattern of the mask worn by their partner on another mask. Once teams completed the task to the judge's standard, they would receive their next clue. In Long Strides, one team member at a time had to walk a circuit on the temple grounds on stilts without falling to receive their next clue.
With their Detour clue, teams were also offered their first Fast Forward of the Race. In the Fast Forward, teams had to load a bicycle with 320 shrimp baskets and deliver them to a fisherman. The first team to complete this task would be able to go directly to the Pit Stop.
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Airdate: 11 November 2019
The Detour was a choice between Milk the Best or Herd the Rest. In Milk the Best, teams had to milk a goat until they reached the marked line on the cup to receive their next clue. In Herd the Rest, teams had to use traditional Mongolian tools to capture and mark four goats with paint to receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: 12 November 2019
For the Roadblock, one member of the team had to learn a traditional Mongolian chant, used to introduce a Mongolian wrestling match, and successfully reiterate it to receive their next clue.
The Detour was a choice between Dance and Deliver. In Dance, teams went to Ulaanbaatar Ensemble Theatre, where they had to learn and correctly perform the Durvun Oird, a traditional folk dance, with a dance troupe in front of an audience to receive their next clue. In Deliver, teams had to deliver boots, furniture and an oven, which teams had to assemble after delivering it, consecutively to specific stalls, while navigating through thousands of stalls within Narantuul Market, Mongolia's largest market, to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: 18 November 2019
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to fly in a microlight above Victoria Falls and spot six letters on the ground that they had to unscramble to identify the location of their next clue: Mukuni Village.
The Detour was a choice between Cultivate and Separate. In Cultivate, teams had to attach a plow to two oxen and then lead them to cultivate a field by creating 8 straight furrows to receive their next clue. In Separate, teams had to assemble a dividing thatch fence along a house of a newlywed couple to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: 19 November 2019
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to don a gorge swing harness before free-falling headfirst into the Batoka Gorge and swinging across the hippopotamus-filled Zambezi River. After returning atop the ledge, teams would receive their next clue.
For their Speed Bump, Sid & Ash both had to ride the gorge swing into the Batoka Gorge.
In the second Fast Forward of the Race, teams had to correctly identify 10 sets of animal droppings using a list with brief descriptions and place them in front of the correct animal carving. The first team to do so would win the Fast Forward award and could go directly to the Pit Stop.
The Detour was a choice between Build It and Serve It. In Build it, teams had to properly assemble 2 pieces of playground equipment from a choice of swings, a seesaw, and monkey bars to the satisfaction of the school's principal to receive their next clue. In Serve It, teams had to cook a traditional Zimbabwean meal, mielie-meal porridge, for 10 school children to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: 25 November 2019
The Detour was a choice between Stack and Stitch. In Stack, teams had to pack a bag with charcoal until it overflowed yet was held in place by sticks and strings. Once the stack was secure, the sticks would be removed, and teams then had to deliver the bag to a vendor to receive their next clue. In Stitch, teams had to sew together two traditional shirts using a sewing machine powered by a treadle to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: 26 November 2019
For their Speed Bump, Viv & Joey had to empty their waterlogged canoes before commencing the canoeing task.
The Detour was a choice between Dirty and Smelly. In Dirty, teams had to wash 30 items of clothing at a washing station on the beach and lay them out to dry to receive their next clue. In Smelly, teams had to bring a bucket of fish to a drying table and sort the fish into three separate species to receive their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to make two pairs of sandals made from recycled items including a tyre to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: 2 December 2019
The Detour was a choice between Water and Wheels. In Water, teams had to ride a long-tail boat on the Chao Phraya River and memorise 12 riverside landmarks. Then, teams had to place images of the landmarks in the correct spots on a map to receive their next clue. In Wheels, teams had to properly attach parts to a tuk-tuk and decorate it to receive their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to fit three patients with a set of dentures to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: 3 December 2019
In the final Roadblock of the Race, one team member had to train a Cattle Dog to run through a figure eight course and then tame a wild horse by touching it to receive their next clue.
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Ratings

Ratings data is from OzTAM and represents the viewership from the 5 largest Australian metropolitan centres.
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