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This Australian reality game show is based on an American series called 'The Amazing Race'.
Seven Network purchased its format rights for production of the Australian version back on July 19th of 2010. Active TV produces the program in association with ABC Studios. Disney Media Distribution Asia Pacific is the distributor.
Grant Bowler is the acting host. He is a New Zealand born actor. This is the 3rd Asia-Pacific version since The Amazing Race Asia (Active TV also produced that show) as well as 'The Amazing Race: China Rush'. That makes this the very first oceanic franchise.
Amazing Race Australia features a reality TV version of the competition that is between teams of two who are racing around the world. The race has been divided up into several legs where the teams travel and must complete specific tasks for obtaining clues to help them move on to the Pit Stop where the teams are then given a chance to rest up and recover. They will have to begin the next leg of their race 12 hours after their rest. The first team making it to a Pit Stop usually gets some sort of prize and the last team usually gets eliminated (however, there are non-elimination legs as well). The last and final leg of every race consists of the last three teams standing. The first one arriving at their final destination will be awarded the $250,000 cash prize.
The are two people on each team that share some sort of relationship. There are 44 participants all total in the race.
Route markers are marked yellow flags and the red flags mark the places each team has to go. Most of the Route markers will be attached to boxes containing clues in envelopes. However, some of them might mark a place where teams have to go to complete certain tasks. Or they can be used for nothing else but to line out a course for the teams to follow. During the 2nd leg of the first series the Route markers were of yellow and green colors in order to avoid any confusion with the South Vietnam flag.
At the start of each leg the teams get an allowance in cash (Australian dollars generally) to help them cover their expenses along the way. This money cannot be used for purchasing airline tickets because all airline tickets necessary for them are put on credit cards provided to the teams by the race.
All teams have to follow the clues along with the Route markers leading them to different destinations and types of tasks to perform. Their modes of transportation between each destination can be anything from boats, chartered airplanes, rented cars, taxis, trains, buses, and vehicles that the show provides. Sometimes they simply go on foot. Each leg ends giving the team a 12 hour Pit Stop. They can rest there and also find out who gets eliminated when the last team arrives. This continues until only 3 teams are left to compete.
Most of these legs are made up of a roadblock, three or more challenges, a detour, and some type of Route Info task. The first teams arriving at the end of each leg ends up receiving some type of award from one of the sponsors of the show.
This show is the winner of the most consecutive Asian TV Awards. This includes the 'Best Adaptation of an Existing Format' as well as the 'Best Direction' award given to Michael McKay back in 2011. It won for the most consecutive Asian TV Awards.
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