Shay Williamson is the winner of the third season of Alone Australia. He stayed 76 days within the bush in south-western Tasmania, a brand new report for the Australian model of the present, and the sixth-longest throughout all variations (the report stands at 101 days in season seven of the American sequence).
The 30-year-old New Zealander, who spent his teenagers trapping possums within the wild for his or her fur and now works as a cattle farmer when not making bush survival movies for his Retaining It Wild channel on YouTube, beat Corinne Ooms, who tapped out after 70 days, and Murray “Muzza” James, who lasted 73 days and at 63 was the oldest contestant on the Australian sequence but. Williamson spoke with Karl Quinn the day after filming the reunion particular for SBS.
To start with, Shay, let me simply say congratulations.
Oh, thanks. Yeah, I really feel fairly enthusiastic about it.
Shay Williamson (left) along with his associate after it was revealed he was the winner of season three of Alone Australia.
Effectively, you say that, however when your associate got here out to greet you on the finish you didn’t give a lot away or say quite a bit. What was occurring for you at that second?
I used to be only a bit misplaced for phrases. I’m not an enormous talker anyway. I simply wished to present her a hug, actually. It was an enormous feeling of aid greater than something in that second, that all of it labored out and I bought to go dwelling. I wasn’t determined to go, although. I used to be going to remain till I couldn’t any extra, and I used to be working my manner by 10-day blocks. At that time, I had meals till day 80, and I used to be specializing in getting meals till day 90, after which it might have been meals till day 100. However I used to be lacking the household increasingly more day-after-day, so the earlier the higher, in my thoughts.
Earlier than and after images of Alone Australia’s season three winner Shay Williamson. He lasted 76 days within the Tasmanian bush.
Once you first went in, you talked about 300 days as a goal. I do know in direction of the tip you stated that was solely ever a motivational factor, however did you ever assume you would truly keep on the market that lengthy?
I believe if the meals had stayed the best way it was in these final couple of weeks I may have completed it. I’d reached a degree of being sustainable on the market, which I didn’t truly assume I’d do. However issues are altering on a regular basis in nature, and there’s no assure the meals scenario would have stayed nearly as good because it was. So there’s no manner of figuring out whether or not that will have occurred or not.
What was the toughest factor – the bodily circumstances, the shortage of meals, or was it simply lacking the household?
Shay Williamson on season three of Alone Australia with prize pademelon catch.
It’s laborious to distinguish the bodily and the psychological as a result of it’s all form of linked up. The bodily circumstances have been actually powerful – like, they have been fairly excessive, the worst climate I’ve ever encountered, and the toll that takes in your physique as effectively. And the psychological pressure of residing paycheck to paycheck food-wise for that lengthy undoubtedly knocks you round. It’s laborious to place my finger on what was tougher, however lacking the household and never figuring out after I’d get to go dwelling was in all probability the trickiest factor mentally to take care of as a result of it was simply an unknown, and I needed to settle for that it was out of my arms, principally.
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Has this expertise modified the best way you concentrate on the bush, the atmosphere, in any manner?
Yeah, it’s modified the best way I take into consideration people and our connection. Earlier than I had fairly a sensible view of our place in nature. Now, I’ve bought a bit extra of a non secular one, nearly. I take into consideration the instinctual facet of issues a bit extra now; I bought extra in tune with my instincts on the market a few instances.
I can’t actually clarify why I knew sure issues have been going to occur, however they did, issues just like the lake water. I used to be apprehensive about it rising a second time, after which sooner or later I wakened and I simply wasn’t apprehensive in any respect, after which the subsequent day it went down a metre, and I knew that was going to occur. It was actually bizarre.
The Alone Australia season three forged on the SBS reunion particular.
Catching the all-important pademelon, that appears to have been a second that was pushed by intuition.
Yeah, and that was actually unusual, too, as a result of that day I used to be consuming eel gills, and usually they don’t style good, they’re form of bloody, however I used to be actually liking them. And I stated to the digicam, “It’s nearly like I’m craving iron”. After which that evening I bought this big injection of pink meat, nearly like divine intervention. It was bizarre.
Are you a spiritual or non secular man, typically?
No, in no way. Under no circumstances.
What does successful the $250,00 imply for you?
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It would simply take the stress off. It means we are able to get our household the place we wish it faster, and prioritise what we worth extra, spending time with the household and never being burdened about cash on a regular basis. We’ve simply purchased a home with a mortgage within the Bay of Loads [in New Zealand’s North Island], so this can reduce an enormous a part of the mortgage off. It’s an enormous reward to have that weight lifted.
What in regards to the bush – have you ever seen sufficient of it for some time or are you eager to get again on the market?
I’m chomping on the bit to get again out and take the household with me, ideally. I’ve in all probability bought extra motivation now to share the bush with the household. The youngsters are two and 4 they usually already know fairly just a few edible crops, they know a few toxic ones. It’s fairly cool.
You’ve simply filmed the reunion particular with the opposite 9 contestants. Doing this present is such an remoted expertise, however you all had a model of that very same expertise; it have to be particular to have the ability to lastly share it.
Yeah, it’s been superior to unpack it with the others, to speak about our experiences as a result of we’re the one ones that actually perceive it on the identical wavelength as a result of it’s such a novel expertise. It’s been superior to share with them and I believe we’ll all be retaining in contact and be associates for all times.
Alone Australia is now streaming on SBS On Demand.
