‘Survivor II’ Site May Prove Even More Hostile Than Participants
Like much of the rest of the world, I was sitting on the edge of my seat watching Richard Hatch walk away with the $1 million on CBS’ smash television series “Survivor,” and wondering what would be next.
What will be next is the upper Herbert River valley southwest of Tully, where filming recently began on the series’ multimillion-dollar sequel, with a tour operator confirming that a portion of the valley will be the setting for the grueling three-month production (40 days of it spent filming the contestants and competitions). All the sets are built, as work in the forest began two months ago, with the locals amazed by this American phenomenon.
As I sit down to write about what the 16 new “Survivors” will encounter on their adventure to “outwit, outplay and outlast” each other, I reflect on what I know of the region. I set out to spend six months there and ended up spending two years of my life not far from this site in the isolated Outback, where my family’s hobby farm is located.
Besides the odd barbed-wire fence and old gold and tin mines, this area is still untouched. I still keep in contact with many of the people there, where the closest town’s population is 80, and more than a two-hour drive away from the “Survivor” site.
To get there, one generally flies across North Queensland, with nothing but dry savanna country with small pockets of eucalyptus rain forests for hundreds of miles below. When you reach the Outback, you face a very dry heat. In fact, the spiders, snakes and crocs are the least of their worries. It is the dust, heat and the constant flies that will be their biggest problem.
It is a big, hard country; hard on the body, mind and spirit, it will not give an inch. “Survivor” contestant’s looking to bring a luxury item--make it fly repellent and your fellow contestants will love you for it. And of course a hat, as the sun will burn you in 15 minutes.
Every day, just trying to keep up energy levels is a challenge. To do it with the very limited food supplies they will have will make it even harder. As for finding and catching food, I wish them the very best of luck. Australian animals are renowned for keeping a low profile. In the Outback, most creatures will run a mile at the first sign of a disturbance.
There are plenty of wild berries and nuts, but you need to be careful, as many are very toxic and can lay you low for days with a bad stomach. As for swimming, I just hope that not too many saltwater crocs have made their way inland.
In addition, all food will need to be elevated, as feral pigs are more than happy to trot into your camp when you’re not there, turning everything upside-down and leaving you with nothing. Just a hint: If you do get a family of feral pigs coming your way . . . climb a tree. That’s something I learned very quickly. Besides, after spending all day working in 105-degree heat, the last thing you want is to arrive at your camp and find that all your food has been eaten by the wildlife.
For the new “Survivors,” the days will be very long, very hot and very dirty. The nights can be cool, with millions upon millions of stars. However, this is also when the wildlife come out--the snakes, the spiders, dingoes, pigs, feral cats and the crocodiles. This is nature, and Outback Australia has some of the deadliest animals in the world.
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The location for “Survivor” is only accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicles. It’s about a three-hour drive from Cairns over dirt roads that are often washed away during the wet season. This secluded location is positioned to border an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a World Heritage site. It is not visited by tour groups.
A spokesperson for “Survivor” was tight-lipped about the details surrounding production of the series. “I’ve been told to say nothing and that there is nothing to hide. They [the producers] just can’t have people spying on it because that would give away who the winner is,” he said.
A Pacific Film and Television Commission official only confirmed that production was now under way. “We were involved in attracting them to Queensland; since then, we haven’t had much involvement,” a spokeswoman said.
Not long ago, NBC’s “Today” show buzzed the location with its helicopter. During the seven-minute story, it showed the location and the film crew’s campsite, and how to clean water with a cloth and charcoal--why, I really don’t know. The camera panned down the side of a beautiful 300-foot-high waterfall that is the location for the Tribal Council.
It is unfair to compare the two games with new challengers and vastly different conditions. Will “Survivor” be as big a hit this time around? Much depends on the new contestants. The only advice I have: Remember to lie, cheat, steal and do everything else you must to win. Because to survive and win in the Outback, you are going to have earn it, and that is a guarantee.
One thing I can assure you: The scenery will be spectacular.