Recap: The Amazing Race Australia 7 (Celebrity Edition), Episode 11 – “I’ll smash your eggs!”

The Penultimate Leg begins with teams leaving Kuching International Airport in Sarawak, Malaysia. They must drive themselves to Petanak Central Market in Kuching and pick up fruits to make breakfast for the local orangutans at Semenggoh Wildlife Centre. Alli & Angie are able to move into second place out of the market.

Darren & Tristan are shocked to find an Intersection at the wildlife centre. Teams must pair up to find and feed four orangutan friends. Communicating via walkie, one team will call the orangutans while the other team prepares the breakfast. Teams must pay attention to the details relayed to them by their guides.

Darren & Tristan are relieved that Alli & Angie are the next team to arrive as they would’ve preferred them or Emma & Hayley to pair up with, thinking that Harry & Teddy do not deserve to be in the Final Leg.

Darren & Tristan will go to feed while Alli & Angie will call. The guide tells the daughter and mum which orangutans they will be calling out and they relay that information to the uncle and nephew in order to prepare the correct breakfasts. Two of their new friends are Ritchie and Selina. And teams must remember when they were born, fun facts about them and what their favorite fruit is.

Meanwhile, Harry & Teddy and Emma & Hayley team up. The sisters will call while the bros will feed. Darren messes a bit with Harry & Teddy before they head into the jungle with the food. But Darren soon becomes emotional as they watch the orangutans come to enjoy their breakfast.

After breakfast, the Intersected teams must complete a puzzle board where they need to correctly match up the information they had learned about their orangutan friends from the guide.

Darren & Tristan and Alli & Angie get the thumbs up. Teams must now drive to Kampung Danu River and help build a traditional bamboo raft. When they complete the raft, they must hop on and use a bamboo pole to paddle themselves 6km down the river.

But Alli & Angie must first complete their Speed Bump which requires them to make a rope pathway from the treetops to the jungle floor for the orangutans to use. They will need use a slingshot to fire a weight over a high branch and then use fishing wire and cord to secure a thicker rope. When they have pulled the rope over the branch, they will get the next clue.

Meanwhile, Harry & Teddy struggle to remember which fruits they prepared for which orangutan. So they head back to the kitchen to check the clipboard. Both they and Emma & Hayley leave the wildlife centre before Alli & Angie.

On the way to the river, Harry & Teddy think they’ve gone the wrong way, so they make a U-Turn. They see Emma & Hayley driving in the direction they had been going, but the bros are unsure. That allows Alli & Angie to get to the river before them. But Harry & Teddy are able to correct themselves and all four teams are now building their rafts.

Darren & Tristan get their raft approved and they set off into the river. Alli & Angie move into 2nd after getting their raft approved. Emma & Hayley are right behind them. Harry takes the lead for their team and he and Teddy work to catch up.

Alli & Angie’s raft flips over, but they quickly recover. After some initial difficulties, the teams enjoy the journey down the river.

Alli & Angie are able to catch up to Darren & Tristan just as they reach the flag and cluebox. The waiting clue is a Road Block: Who’s ready to blow the competition away? For this Road Block. Teams must use a traditional Sarawak Blow Pipe to hit three different fruits.

Tristan chooses the longest pipe and gets started with the task. But Angie comes up and immediately hits the dragonfruit. That fires Tristan up and he quickly hits the watermelon, then the squash and finally the dragonfruit.

Teams can now head to the Pit Stop by the river to claim their spot in the Final Leg. After Darren & Tristan leave, Emma and Teddy arrive and begin the Road Block. Teddy hits his first fruit as Alli gets her third. Emma and Teddy hit their 2nd fruits.

Darren & Tristan walk down a path for ten minutes before realizing they have gone the wrong way. That allows Alli & Angie to step on the Mat as Team #1.

The other teams are surprised to see Darren & Tristan come running back through the Road Block location. Emma and Teddy hit their third targets. And it is now a footrace to the Mat.

Darren & Tristan manage to step on the Mat as Team #2. And between the sisters and the bros, it is Emma & Hayley who check-in as Team #3.

That means Harry & Teddy are last and eliminated. They are emotional as they wanted to raise the money for their charity Beyond Blue in honor of three friends that they have lost. They hope that at the very least, their time on the Race will encourage people to check in with each other. Beau is emotional as well as he gives them a hug and echoes their message, encouraging people to reach out if they need someone to talk to. And also reach out to each other as well.

Episode Thoughts

Wow! An interesting, but exciting Penultimate Leg.

I’ll say it right now, even before the finale. This season might even top TARAu1 and 3. Definitely season 2. But my goodness, this season has been such a revelation. And the potential to finally have an all-female team win the Race and two more than worthy candidates as well; it could be an amazing end to what has been an amazing season.

Before we get to this Leg, I wonder if the surprise at the Finish Line is that all Final Three teams will get money donated to their charities. I will assume nothing more shocking than that. Especially when the season has been able to balance the celebrities’ sincere determination for their charities and real, honest competition. They will probably want to end on a positive high note without affecting the idea of having a real, legitimate winning team. Like, honestly, the thought crossed my mind that they could declare all three teams the winner lol But I doubt they would.

Anyway, this was a crazy Penultimate Leg. I actually think it would’ve made for a good early Leg instead with more teams. Especially since the Intersection was more of a fun, touristy, nature docu-kind of task that we would usually get on Non-Elimination Legs. Legs in these tropical, jungle locations though will always have a bit of these kinds of tasks. Sometimes even linear Legs too, which is okay.

And this Leg was certainly a bit linear, especially with the Intersection. But the teams kept it competitive.

I did enjoy the orangutans. Not for a Penultimate Leg though. But still a wonderful moment for the teams. And it was a good Intersection task.

I think the Speed Bump would’ve been a great Detour or Active Route Info task actually. (Stay tuned to see it on a future TARPHDME lolololol)

Bamboo rafts are a staple TAR task of course. And the traditional darts as well. But I do think it would’ve been nice to have an extra task post-Intersection at least.

Still, I think all the teams had a fair shot at the Final Three. And you don’t feel like the Leg was unfair to any team.

Excited, but also sad for the finale tomorrow! I’ve been complaining about the long seasons the last two years. But now I actually want the show to be longer?! What a hypocrite I am! Lololol But that’s what happens when you have a great season of television like TARAu7!

Team Thoughts

Could this have been the best Final Four on TARAu ever? At least, I think it might be my favorite Final Four ever. There hasn’t been a Final Four in which I actually liked all of the teams and would be fine with any of them winning. That’s even rare for me on TARUS, if ever.

Harry & Teddy are a fascinating team. I think of any team, they were the ones that broke any preconceived notions I had of them. I never heard of them before TARAu and only knew that they were on some dating shows. So I assumed they’d just be the typical bro, alpha male types that would either be dumb or just dominate the Race. They were honestly neither. And instead they were quite a likable, underdog team. Their sincerity when it comes to their charity was evident. And aside from their tantrum in Siem Reap, they took the Race seriously while also enjoying it as well. And you can’t ask more from a team.

Darren & Tristan have been the strongest team this Race so far. But they have definitely stumbled a little bit in the last few Legs. It will be interesting to see if they can turn it back on in the finale. But it would be hard to bet against them.

Emma & Hayley are probably the most consistent team. They have been a solid team who you can very much depend on. So if they are able to step it up even a little for the Final Leg, they could easily win.

But I am so excited for Alli & Angie. I really thought they wouldn’t be able to make it to the Final Leg. But for them to actually win this Leg too, that was amazing. And I am really rooting for them the most in the finale. Any team winning would be good, but I’m rooting for Alli & Angie to make TARAu history!

Episode Quotes

Emma: “Gosh those coconuts are hairy.”

Teddy: “I’ll smash your eggs Darren.”
Darren: “Saucy.”