Introduction → Meet the Teams → Race Tracker → Leg 1 → Leg 2 → Leg 3 → Leg 4 → Leg 5 → Leg 6 → Leg 7 →
Leg 24.05 – “Over the Moon and Under the Outback”
During the Pit Stop, teams are magically transported back to Bangkok where they will begin the 5th Leg of the Race at Queen Sirikit Park. The first clue tells teams they will be racing in Coober Pedy, Australia!
To get there, teams will fly from Bangkok to Sydney, arriving at 11:20am and then on to Adelaide arriving at 5:35pm.
Once in Adelaide, teams will purchase tickets for an overnight bus to Coober Pedy.
Upon arrival in Coober Pedy, in the order of their finish on the last Leg, teams will choose a brand-new 2025 Kia Tasman and drive themselves to the Church of Saint Elijah the Prophet.
The waiting clue there tells teams to head to this opal mine where they will encounter the Detour: Above or Below.
Coober Pedy is known as the Opal Capital of the World. For this Detour, teams will choose between two aspects of the coal mining industry.
In Above, teams must load 100 buckets of mullock into an opal noodler to receive their next clue. Also hidden amongst the mullock is an Express Pass.
In Below, teams will descend 40 feet into an opal mine and search for an opal using only a blacklight torch. Once they find one, they must figure their own way out and find the secret entrance to an underground hotel to exchange the opal for their next clue. Also hidden in the underground maze is an Express Pass.
This is also the Trigger Point for this Leg. If both Express Passes are claimed, the U-Turn or Yield will be activated on the next Leg.
Speaking of, after the Detour, teams must check-in at the Double U-Turn Board!
Then, teams must drive to the Coober Pedy Hybrid Renewable Power Station. Here, teams must clean 50 solar panels to receive the next clue.
Once their panels are approved, they will open the next clue revealing a Roundabout.
Because of the extreme climate and challenging living conditions in Coober Pedy, many residents live in underground homes known as dugouts. For one of the tasks, teams will be able to explore these unique homes by helping to deliver and set-up new furniture and appliances. Teams will pick up the furniture and then carefully navigate the underground home to properly set everything up.
For the other task, teams will head to the Umoona Community Arts Centre where they will learn about the Antakirinja people, the traditional owners and custodians of this land. Teams will get the chance to create original art pieces inspired by the aboriginal art of the people.
When teams have completed both tasks, they must drive themselves to The Dog Fence. Also known as the Dingo Fence or Wild Dog Barrier Fence, it is one of the longest structures in the world, stretching over 5,600 kilometers. It was originally constructed in the 1880s to protect livestock from dingoes. Teams will be given coordinates which they will enter into Google Maps to find the area to search for the next clue.
That clue will include a rudimentary map and a compass which they must use to drive through the Moon Plain in Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park.
This otherworldly landscape has been compared to the surface of the moon and has become a popular filming location for many filmmakers. And it will lead them to Two Dogs. This culturally significant location holds spiritual importance to the local Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara. Resembling two dogs sitting side by side, they are said to represent two ancestral beings who turned to stone. And this will serve as the Pit Stop for this Leg!
The first team to check-in here will win P200,000 courtesy of Shell V-Power Nitro+.
The last team to check-in WILL be eliminated.
“Director’s” Commentary
So this is where we appreciate the benefits of having Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific sharing their planes with us the last two seasons lol Quite a logistical nightmare getting teams from Bangkok to Coober Pedy. For this Leg (and *spoileralert*! next Leg), I wanted to have teams Racing through the Australian Outback. And yes, half of this Leg is recycled from one of the TARAu seasons-that-must-not-be-named.
But it really takes two days of travel just to get to Coober Pedy and it makes very clear how difficult it is to set a route that is budget and time-friendly.
Anyway! Logistics requires teams to fly to Adelaide from Bangkok. And then taking a bus to Coober Pedy should be a nice, no-frills way for the teams to travel. It’s an overnight bus ride, so no sightseeing unfortunately. But we need to get this Leg in during the day!
Releasing teams in Coober Pedy as if it was a Pit Start is a logistics decision. But also to not negate the finishing placements of last Leg. Modern TARPHDME still puts a benefit on the results of the last Leg, even if small.
So we have teams driving a brand new Kia Tasman! It actually hasn’t been released yet. But how perfect to promote the new truck with this visit to Australia, yeah? hehehe
First is a Route Marker at the underground church. Not recycling the TARAu task though. It’s a bit tedious, especially with so many teams here. So a simple Route Marker to drive to is good.
Next, the Detour is recycled from TARAu. But I think it’s a great Detour. Both pretty physical Detours that highlight a major part of the city’s history. And I think a good one to start the Leg with.
This is a good spot for a U-Turn as well. Especially toward the beginning of the Leg.
Next up is the solar panels task. I definitely wanted to do something with them, whether installing or just cleaning like some other TAR did before (I can’t seem to figure out when that was though? Google wasn’t helpful lol). Cleaning should be good. Especially out in the sun and in the sweltering heat!
Next, we have another Roundabout since the two tasks are quite simple and straightforward. Again, TARPHDME will use Roundabouts to add a bit of challenge and excitement and unpredictability to a Leg that features meh tasks hehehehe
The furniture moving task highlights Coober Pedy’s interesting underground homes. And I think moving the furniture in unique conditions should be fun and challenging for the teams.
The arts task is a wonderful way to highlight the peoples of this area and history and tradition as well. Teams interacting with the local peoples is always a winner.
Finally, I really wanted teams to explore the Breakaways. I’m sure a local would be able to share better Route Markers or even tasks. But Google scouting can only do so much.
So I wanted teams to fix a part of the Dingo Fence, actually. It would be a great way to feature this unique structure. I didn’t put it here, but if it’s possible, it would be a perfect task.
Then, I wasn’t sure how teams can find their way around this vast park and natural wonder. So using a map and compass should be interesting. And it could really add some tension and excitement to the end of the Leg.
Overall, I think it is a solid Leg that really showcases Coober Pedy! Should be a challenging one for teams.