The Amazing Race Australia 2 is the second season of The Amazing Race Australia, an Australian reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. Hosted by Grant Bowler, it featured eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world to win the grand prize of . The show was produced by activeTV Australia.
This season visited five continents and nine countries and travelled over during twelve legs. Starting in Sydney, racers travelled through the Philippines, India, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, France, Cuba, Canada and China before returning to Australia and finishing in Fraser Island. New twists introduced in this season include the U-Turn Vote, the Anonymous U-Turn, the Yield and the Salvage Pass, which was awarded to the winners of the first leg and gave them a choice between a one-hour head start or saving the last team from elimination. This season premiered on Australia's Seven Network on 30 May 2012, one week after the last episode of the twentieth season of the American version aired in Australia. The show moved back to its old Monday schedule at 7:30 p.m. on 25 June 2012. The season then concluded on 15 August 2012.
Police officers Shane Haw and Andrew Thoday were the winners of this season, while workmates Paul Montgomery and Steve Scale finished in second place and cheerleader twins Michelle and Jo Troy finished in third place.
Production Filming and Development
On 17 July 2011, the Seven Network announced that the show was renewed for a second edition.
Filming began on 18 November 2011, in Sydney. This season travelled across four continents, nine countries and 17 cities and was over long. The 2012 edition marked a first time visit by a Eurasian or Australian edition of the franchise to the Americas, including the first visit by an Amazing Race franchise to the nation of Cuba, a country the original American edition couldn't visit at the time as the United States embargo against Cuba prevented Americans from visiting the island.
Three new twists were introduced in this season. The Salvage Pass was awarded in the first leg, giving the recipient team a choice between a one-hour head start or saving the last team from elimination in that leg. A U-Turn vote in the fourth leg required all teams to vote for the team to be U-Turned at the start of the leg and an anonymous U-Turn in the fifth leg, where the team who elected to use it would remain anonymous. In the sixth leg, a Yield was present for the first time in the Australian version.
Casting Applications for the season ended on 19 August 2011.
Broadcasting The show was on hiatus from 30 July to 6 August 2012 to avoid clashing with the 2012 Summer Olympics. The final three episodes aired from 13 August 2012 on consecutive nights.
Marketing Honda, Bing Lee and PUMP Water continued their sponsorship. The new sponsors for this series were Zuji Australia, a sister company of Travelocity at the time, and Swisse Vitamins.
Cast
On 20 April 2012, the teams were announced by the Seven Network. The cast included Indigenous Australian cousins, cops, a pair of hairdressers, identical twins and St. George Illawarra Dragons cheerleaders Michelle and Jo Troy, former Australian rules footballer Ross Thornton and his daughter Tarryn, and the franchise's first disabled contestant, Sticky, who was born without a left forearm. Lucy & Emilia were originally cast for the previous series, but dropped out at the last minute after their mother was diagnosed with cancer.
ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus 30Cousins Coolangatta, QueenslandEliminated 1st(in Delhi, India) 29 Tweed Heads, New South Wales 40HairdressersGeraldton, Western AustraliaEliminated 2nd(in Jaipur, India) 44 46EngagedBrisbane, QueenslandEliminated 3rd(in Dubai, United Arab Emirates) 42 55Father & DaughterMelbourne, VictoriaEliminated 4th(in Istanbul, Turkey) 25 24Flatmates Launceston, TasmaniaEliminated 5th(in Ciénaga de Zapata, Cuba) 24 23DatingMelbourne, VictoriaEliminated 6th(in Vancouver, Canada) 32 36SistersSydney, New South WalesEliminated 7th(in Banff, Canada) 30 22Brother & SisterSydney, New South WalesEliminated 8th(in Inner Mongolia, China) 21 26Cheerleader TwinsSydney, New South WalesThird place 26 27WorkmatesMelbourne, VictoriaRunners-up 29 43CopsMelbourne, VictoriaWinners 35 Future appearances In 2018, Sarah Roza appeared on the fifth season of Married at First Sight. In 2025, Shane Haw participated in Deal or No Deal, with Andrew Thoday joining Shane as his companion on the podium.
Results The following teams are listed with their placements in each leg. Placements are listed in finishing order. A placement with a dagger () indicates that the team was eliminated. An placement with a double-dagger () indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg and was "marked for elimination" in the following leg. An placement indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop, but were saved by a team with the Salvage Pass. An italicized and underlined placement indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop, but there was no rest period at the Pit Stop and all teams were instructed to continue racing. A indicates that the team won the Fast Forward. A indicates that the team used the U-Turn and a indicates the team on the receiving end of the U-Turn. A indicates that the team used the Yield and a indicates the team on the receiving end of the Yield. A indicates that the team used an Express Pass on that leg to bypass one of their tasks. A indicates that the teams encountered an Intersection. A indicates that the team used their Salvage advantage.
+Team placement (by leg) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12Shane & Andrew8th7th6th5th5th6th3rd2nd2nd1st3rd1stPaul & Steve10th6th5th6th1st1st1st1st1st4th2nd2ndMichelle & Jo7th2nd3rd4th2nd2nd2nd3rd3rd3rd1st3rdJoseph & Grace6th8th7th3rd4th3rd7th6th4th2nd Lucy & Emilia10th9th8th6th5th5th5th5th James & Sarah3rd9th8th1st7th7th4th4th Sticky & Sam5th1st1st2nd3rd4th6th Ross & Tarryn1st4th2nd7th Kym & Donna2nd5th4th Sue & Teresa4th3rd Adam & Dane9th Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (Australia → Philippines)
Episode 1: "Don't Need More Friends, Always Need More Money" (30 May 2012) Prizes: A$10,000 and the Salvage Pass (awarded to Ross & Tarryn) Locations Sydney, New South Wales (Royal Botanic Garden) (Starting Line) Sydney (Man O'War Steps → Barangaroo Wharf) Sydney → Manila, Philippines Manila (Plaza Miranda) Quezon City (Bicol Isarog TSI Bus Terminal) → Daraga (Cagsawa Ruins) Daraga (Cagsawa Ruins) → Bacacay (Luyang Beach) Bacacay (Luyang Beach → Mosboron Beach) Episode summary Teams set off from the Royal Botanic Garden and made their way to the Man O'War Steps. From there, teams had to travel by boat, each of which carried only one team, to Barangaroo Wharf. They then had to remove a marked car from a large maze by moving the 24 surrounding black cars in either a forward or backward direction. Once they had freed a car, teams were given their next clue, which instructed them to fly to Manila, Philippines, and could drive themselves to Sydney Airport. Once in Manila, teams had to make their way to Plaza Miranda, where they had to find a marked stall and eat eight baluts before receiving their next clue. At the Bicol Isarog TSI bus terminal, teams had to sign up for one of three charter buses to Daraga. The first three teams were on the first bus, the next four teams on the second bus and the remaining teams on the last bus. Each bus left half an hour apart. Once in Daraga, teams had to find a snake charmer near the Cagsawa Ruins, who gave them their next clue. This season's first Detour was a choice between Jig or Pig. In Jig, teams had to don traditional costumes and then perform a traditional Ibalong Festival dance to the satisfaction of four judges before receiving their next clue. In Pig, teams had to compete in a game called Agawan Baboy (Catch the Oily Pig). After covering each other in oil, both team members had to enter a muddy pen, catch two pigs each for a total of four pigs and then put them in another pen before receiving their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to board a jeepney that took them to Luyang Beach in Bacacay, where they had to build a raft using provided materials and then paddle themselves to the Pit Stop at Mosboron Beach. Additional note Lucy & Emilia arrived last at the Pit Stop; however, Ross & Tarryn used their Salvage Pass to save them from elimination.
Leg 2 (Philippines → India)
Episode 2: "We Only Picked Good Looking Ones" (6 June 2012) Prizes: A trip for two to the Japan MotoGP with VIP backstage passes and the Express Pass (awarded to Sticky & Sam) Eliminated: Adam & Dane Locations Bacacay (Mosboron Beach) Bacacay (Misibis Bay Resort and Casino) → Manila Manila → Delhi, India Delhi (Agrasen Ki Baoli) Bhalswa (Jabbar and Laallu's Dairy) Delhi (Old Fort – Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque) Delhi (Khari Baoli) (Unaired) Delhi (Qutub Minar) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to return by bus to Manila and then fly to Delhi, India. Once there, teams had to travel to the Agrasen Ki Baoli, where they had to search through a group of men wearing turbans for one who had the word CORRECT hidden within his turban to receive their next clue. If teams chose an incorrect turban, they had to re-wrap it before they could continue searching. This leg's Detour was a choice between Pull or Poo. In Pull, both team members had to milk a cow until they each collected a half-litre of milk, which they could exchange for their next clue. In Poo, teams had to make 50 fuel bricks out of cow dung and hay and then stick them to a wall before receiving their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to travel to the Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque in Delhi. There, teams had to perform a Bollywood dance and then recite a Hindi script to the director's satisfaction before receiving their next clue. Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Qutub Minar. Additional notes In an unaired Roadblock, one team member had search Khari Baoli for a marked store, where they had to fill Hessian bags with chili peppers and then carry the bags through the market's alleyways and load them onto a cart before receiving their next clue. Sticky & Sam were awarded an Express Pass at the Pit Stop that was not mentioned in the episode but was briefly visible in Sticky's hand.
Leg 3 (India)
Episode 3: "I Don't Really Like to Use My Brain" (13 14 June 2012) Prize: A state of the art home entertainment package (awarded to Sticky & Sam) Eliminated: Sue & Teresa Locations Delhi → Jaipur (Shiv Vilas) Jaipur (Red Elephant Temple) (Unaired) Jaipur (Bharat Driving and Maintenance Training School) Jaipur (Jaipur Market) Amber (Panna Meena ka Kund) Jaipur (Nahargarh Fort – Madhavendra Palace) Episode summary During the Pit Stop, all teams were transported by bus to Shiv Vilas in Jaipur, where they began this leg. Once there, teams were instructed to travel to the Red Elephant Temple and receive a blessing from the priest before being given their next clue. In this season's first aired Roadblock, teams had to make their way to the Bharat Driving and Maintenance Training School, where one team member had to sit through a driver's education course on Indian road signs before driving through the chaotic streets to the Jaipur Market, where they received their next clue. At the Jaipur Market, teams had to stack an ox-cart with 75 clay pots and deliver them to the other end of the market in exchange for their next clue. If teams broke more than 15 pots, they would receive a 15-minute penalty before receiving their next clue.