Recap: The Amazing Race Australia 6, Episode 14 – “Why is the car moving?!”

The 14th Leg begins with Stowaways the COVID teams returning to the Race. Actually, only four of them. Lauren & Steph are still in isolation. The four and four teams have a reunion and Beau arrives to hand each of them a clue before flagging them all off at the same time.

The first clue tells teams to drive to Santa Cruz in the Toledo District and find the school. At the school, teams will pick up a bucket and tools to help clean up the greenhouses that have been left in need of care because of COVID. They must pull out weeds and then plant chili, lemongrass and ginger. After then fixing the walls of the greenhouse, they’ll get the next clue from Ms. Bell, the principal.

While working, teams scream when they see tarantulas.

After the gardening, teams will encounter the Detour at a historical Mayan site in Cahal Pech: Score or Solve. In Score, teams will play pok-a-tok where they must score ONE goal using any part of their body except for their hands. If they fail six in a row, they must go to the back of the line. In Solve, teams must complete a puzzle made up of 36 pieces each with six Mayan numbers on it. Each of the numbers can only appear once horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Teams will get a couple of blocks to help get them started.

Pako & Mori, the first team to finish the greenhouse task, decide on the balls. Heath & Toni are next followed by Angel & Frankie. Tiffany & Cynthia, however, want to quit because their garden plot is in the sun.

Chelsea & Jamus are next to finish followed by Jodie & Claire. But as Jodie & Claire are a returning COVID team, they must first complete a Speed Bump involving cleaning 10 chair desks.

The four non-COVID teams arrive at the pok-a-tok task and get started. Fliss & Tottie are the first COVID team to arrive at the location, but Fliss twists her ankle and medics are called in. Because Fliss can no longer compete on the Race, they have to be eliminated.

Kelly & Georgia decide to use their teaching skills and choose the puzzle Detour instead. Tiffany & Cynthia also choose the puzzle while Jodie & Claire get lost on the way. The Dragon Boat Mums end up choosing the ballgame, but remain in last place.

Meanwhile, Angel & Frankie move into first place and open the next clue directing teams to Hawksworth Bridge in San Ignacio. Teams must canoe down the river and collect engraved pieces to recreate a Mayan calendar based on memory from a completed example at the start of the canoe route.

The other non-COVID teams arrive and they all take notes before hopping into their canoes.

Heath & Toni move into first place after assembling their calendar and can now make their way to the Pit Stop at Xunantunich. Angel & Frankie and Pako & Mori finish next. Chelsea & Jamus have to go back to the start to study the example again, but the other teams have now arrived as well.

On the way, Toni reads the clue saying that everyone in the car except the driver must get out and travel by foot on the bridge. Only four cars at a time can ride on a ferry raft across the river. Angel & Frankie drive past the rafts allowing Pako & Mori to move ahead.

Back at the calendar, Tiffany & Cynthia, Kelly & Georgia and Jodie & Claire finish before Chelsea & Jamus who have now fallen to last. It is now a Race to the Pit Stop.

And that is where Heath & Toni have already arrived at to claim the Leg win. They’ve won a trip to Bali thanks to Bali Bible. Pako & Mori are Team #2. Angel & Frankie are 3rd.

Tiffany & Cynthia and Jodie & Claire drive past the ferry raft. That allows Chelsea & Jamus and Kelly & Georgia to get on the next ferry before them. It’s an exhausting, slow footrace to the Mat. But Chelsea & Jamus claim 4th while Kelly & Georgia are a close 5th behind them. Jamus is about to pass out and Beau has to hold on to him to keep him from falling off the side of the mound.

Meanwhile, the final two teams arrive at the Pit Stop. They hold hands and decide to step on the Mat together at the same time. Beau cannot believe what is happening. He points out that Claire’s foot landed “one millisecond” after Cynthia’s. That means Tiffany & Cynthia are 6th and Jodie & Claire are last. But they are not eliminated because Fliss & Tottie have already been eliminated this Leg.

Episode Thoughts

Lol at Beau having to reintroduce the COVID teams like they’re brand-new teams we’ve never heard of.

Well, it is what it is. But WTF at releasing them all at the same time? Just because you bring the teams back doesn’t mean you don’t still release teams 30 seconds apart like you usually do.

The school greenhouse task was a good task as it helped out the local kiddos, but was good manual labor. Especially in the heat.

Cleaning the furniture was also a good enough task for a Speed Bump. And again, a way to help the childrens.

The Detour was pretty good as well. Except for the ballgame side. Only one goal? At least have both team members score a goal at least. I like TARPHDME’s use of the Maya ballgame. First as a Duel Duel in TARPHDME16 where they maximized their time at Xunantunich with lots of tasks and the Pit Stop. TARPHDME20 also did the Maya ballgame in Mexico at Chichen Itza, but as an Active Route Info task involving bouncing the ball against the wall and then both team members scoring. It was also the site of a shocking elimination. Lol

Anyway, the Mayan calendar task was pretty good as well… if teams weren’t allowed to take notes that is. What was the point of the task then if teams could just draw the example and copy it at the end? Though I don’t understand some teams having to go back. Did they not draw good enough copies?

Once Fliss & Tottie were eliminated, this Leg would obviously not feature another elimination at the Mat. Perhaps they could’ve saved the suspense for the end and break the news that Fliss & Tottie were out once the last team arrived on the Mat.

Overall, minus the Stowaways… I mean COVID-negative teams returning, this was a good Leg. And one of the better designed Legs this season. Just a few tweaks to the tasks as they were would’ve leveled it up even more.

Team Thoughts

I legit don’t even remember much of the COVID teams anymore. So again, Beau introducing them at the beginning actually helped. Lol

It sucks for Fliss & Tottie to have been quarantined and then come back only to get eliminated because of a sprained ankle. That’s just how it goes I guess.

The way Jodie & Claire and Tiffany & Cynthia stepped on the Mat at the same time in the end made me think they just wanted to give up. Like, their hearts aren’t in the Race anymore. Or they’re just over it. Which is sad considering they were given a free pass to Leg 14. I dunno. That’s just the impression I got. And it annoys me a little considering other teams were eliminated while these teams were in isolation.

All the other teams were fine. This episode focused more on the wonderful locations and the Ehh? factor of having teams return from isolation.

Episode Quotes

Heath: “The sweat is real.”

Beau: “Man, maths is hard. So’s English. Science as well.”

Pako: “You’re good with balls.”

Claire; “Little gingers in the heat don’t do well.”

Chelsea: “Why is the car moving?!”

Beau: “Watch the hill. Watch the mountain goats. Watch the Mayans.”

Beau: “We say it every single year, someone goes to hospital. That’s the way the Race goes.”