Today, SBS announced the groundbreaking 11-part documentary series Alone Australia will premiere with a double episode on Wednesday 29 March.
Ten Australian survivalists will be dropped in the remote wilds of Western Tasmania/ Lutruwita, completely isolated from the world and each other, stripped of modern possessions, contact and comforts, to self-document their experience – the last one standing winning $250,000. Challenged by the merciless forces of nature, hunger, and perhaps the toughest challenge of all: loneliness, who will survive the longest?
Alone Australia is not your average survival series. There are no scripts, no camera crews, no engineered challenges, no voting, no gimmicks, and no help from the production team.
The 10 must do their best to survive and self-document their respective adventures in total isolation, relying completely on themselves for food, water, shelter, and warmth, to stay alive using nothing but what’s in their pack and what the habitat around them provides, all against the backdrop of a landscape that presents as many dangers as it does wonders – an unrelentingly cold and wet Tasmanian West Coast winter.
With zero information about the other participants and no knowledge of how many still remain, participants will push themselves for as long as they can. Only when they reach their absolute personal or physical limits will they ‘tap out’, one by one, until only one survivalist remains. It is the ultimate test of human will.
ITV Studios Australia Head of Factual Ben Ulm and Executive Producer Riima Daher said: “This documentary series is the real deal. There are no production tricks, just ten individuals making ten self-shot documentaries.
“Every attempt, every win, every mistake, near-miss, loss, and lesson learnt. Every thought, new idea, creation and interaction. Every nostalgic reflection, every wobble, and every victorious celebration is right there on camera, captured by each lone, brave storyteller for us to witness.”
Let’s meet a few of the contestants.
Chris, 39
Army Veteran, TAS
Chris lives a self-sufficient coastal lifestyle alone with best friend Billy, his loyal Jack Russell, his extensive vegetable plot and his chooks. A retired war veteran of Iraq living with PTSD, Chris finds being alone with nature, on the coast and away from the lights and sounds of the city incredibly restorative.
An avid fisherman, abalone and crayfish free diver, a self-sustaining beach, ocean and spear fisherman, Chris started creating and sharing content around his fishing escapades as a way to connect with people going through similar trauma after service.
His goal is to push himself to his limits, and in doing so, to demonstrate to others like him that anxiety disorders do not have to define or inhibit activity and that submerging oneself in nature can be a powerful and effective healer.
“Whether it’s diving in the ocean, camping, or exploring the land, all I know is that a life lived outside in the elements is where we as humans belong. It’s the only way for healthy minds. That’s where I live.”
Gina, 52
Rewilding Facilitator, NSW
Rewilding facilitator, bushcraft teacher, meditation leader, barefoot nomad, singer, dancer, and primitive huntress… for this multidisciplinary creative, the bush is where Gina feels most at home.
Living off the grid in a tin shack with no running water or power, Gina oscillates between the quiet of her secluded coastal property home life and a very loud and colourful work life, running large group rewilding courses and camps for adults and children. After navigating her way back through serious trauma and loss in her life, Gina doesn’t scare easily; any fears she has about testing herself are very practical ones.
“I’ve spent my whole life learning how to be in the wild and be a part of nature rather than apart from nature. A challenge like this, to go out into the wild, full survival, is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid… I can’t think of anything I want to do more!”
Jimmy, 22
Farmhand & Engineering Student, SA
At 22 years of age, Jimmy is the youngest of the 10, but by no means the least experienced. He’s been hunting since he was five years old and has spent most of his years learning to self-provide from the land through practice, trial, and error.
Jimmy is completing a Civil Engineering course but prefers farmhand work to be confined to buildings and offices on campus in the city. He’s a very active member of the small farming community he lives in and volunteers as a CFS firefighter.
At home, Jimmy raises, butchers, and processes his own livestock and grows his own fruit and vegetables on the property.
“I’ve spent most of my life being outdoors and learning what I can from nature and seeing how far I can go just on my own without having to rely on others… Ever since I saw the very first episode of the first US Alone series, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do!”
Alone Australia premieres with a double episode on Wednesday 29 March at 7.30 pm and will continue weekly from 7.30 pm, exclusively on SBS and SBS On Demand.
The American version of Alone S1-8 and Alone: Beast, plus Alone Denmark, Alone Norway and Alone Sweden are now streaming on SBS On Demand.
