Chapter two of Australia’s greatest grudge match kicked off this week as a hungry new tribe of Contenders showed the Champions they came to settle the score.
After two giant battles that came down to the wire, it was ultimately a night for the underdogs, as the Champions faced the season’s first Tribal Council, sending home Queensland’s memory champion, Anastasia Woolmer.
Anastasia Woolmer
Arriving in the wilds of tropical Savusavu, 24 determined competitors traversed jungle and rivers to meet their rivals at the year’s first challenge.
Greeted by host Jonathan LaPaglia, The Contenders Tribe were openly un-phased by their Champion adversaries on first impression. However, their early confidence was to be short-lived.
Fighting it out for the reward of a camp starter-kit, the Survivors faced off in pairs, wrestling through the sand. The Contenders started out strong with two of its team members taking down the Champs straight out of the gate, but Champions Abbey and Anastasia instigated a comeback which saw the challenge come down to a huge decider.
Fought over two hard rounds, ad exec Andy from the Contenders faced off against NRL legend Andrew (ET). With both men exhausted in the final moments, ET’s experience and determination eventually saw him drag his side to victory.
The Champions triumph buoyed their spirits and made their first night at camp a lot more comfortable with fire and warm dinners. However, the Contenders faced a very different first night of survival with no fire and a broken structure.
Tired, sore and hungry, the Contenders came to the Immunity Challenge ready for a fight. Both tribes came out strong using teamwork to traverse massive wooden structures and scale a steep tower, but it was the Champions who reached the final stage first.