Winner of Alone Australia Season 3 Announced

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For years, Shay Williamson had been preparing for Alone Australia before the show was even created.

As a 30-year-old from New Zealand, he began possum trapping at the age of 16 and has spent a significant portion of his life subsisting off the land, including extended periods in remote bushland, where he has developed a profound understanding of nature.

In a conversation with SBS News ahead of the finale, Shay expressed confidence in his survival skills before joining the show but worried he might lose excessive weight and be forced to exit prematurely.

“I was determined to give it my all and stick it out until the end … I wasn’t planning to leave on my own accord; I would stay until I was told I could no longer be there,” Shay explained.

But I was a little bit nervous, [there’s] no guarantees in this sort of thing. I knew I wouldn’t necessarily get the ending that I was after.

Shay’s fear nearly became a reality. In the second part of the double-episode finale, the medical team expressed concern he had lost a quarter of his body weight. They warned him he would need to submit to more frequent medical checks — but ultimately decided he was healthy enough to stay.

This would turn out to be Shay’s saving grace, with runner-up Muzza being withdrawn due to medical concerns shortly after.

On the 76th day, Shay was named the winner, with his wife Abby surprising him at his campsite to tell him the news.

In their emotional reunion, he says he felt as though his wife — who had been taking care of their two young daughters at home —had done the challenge with him as a team.

“We both did it,” he says.

“From the start, my goal was to return home with that prize money, regardless of the duration or challenges … $250,000 would significantly change our family’s life.”

A man standing outside wearing outdoor gear and a beanie.

Shay Williamson has been a possum trapper since he was 16. Source: SBS News / Narelle Portanier

Surviving in the Tasmanian wilderness

The West Coast Range is not for the faint of heart. Over two and a half months in cold, dark and wet conditions, Shay battled extreme elements, including the heaviest monthly rainfall in the area in seven years and flooding, which forced him to relocate his shelter.

His sustenance mainly came from eels, fish, and plants — even resorting to bowls of worms when necessary. Cooked with salt, he described the worms as reminiscent of “beef chow mein.”

It wasn’t until his 67th day in the wilderness that he managed to catch a pademelon — a wallaby-like marsupial — which provided him sustenance leading into the final days of the competition.

But throughout all the challenges and merciless conditions, Shay’s positive and happy-go-lucky attitude shone through, and he never lost sight of his goals and motivation.

A greyscale image of a man holding a pademelon.

Shay caught a pademelon in the final days of Alone Australia season 3. Source: SBS News

During his time in Tasmania, he regularly spoke about his wife and their two young daughters, and the difference the cash prize would have on their lives.

Before Alone Australia, Shay had weathered long stints in the bush alone in his native New Zealand, living off nature. He believes this is what made him a prime contestant for the hit show and prompted an earlier application for the United States version.

A man with matted facial hair, wearing a windbreaker, holding a stick.

Before Alone Australia, Shay had weathered long stints in the bush alone in his native New Zealand. Source: SBS News

“I’ve been doing that sort of thing [since] before I even knew about Alone,” Shay says.

“That’s just sort of what I enjoy, going in the bush without food for a bit and seeing what I can gather up — so most of my preparation has been just working in the bush and doing that as my hobby.”

When I found out about the show, it was like … this is perfect.

Overcoming great challenges

For the uninitiated, Alone Australia follows 10 participants as they test their solo survival skills and resilience in the wild, attempting to outlast each other for the chance to win $250,000.

The survivalists are dropped at separate locations and are allowed to bring 10 items — such as clothes, a first aid kit, and tools — to help them stay safe and secure food, water and shelter. They have no contact with one another and do not interact with any other humans during the competition, except for medical checks. The last person standing wins.

Five men and five women wearing outdoor gear standing in a creek smiling

Season three was the toughest and longest season of Alone Australia so far. Source: SBS News / Narelle Portanier

Shay says his years of experience as a professional possum trapper and nature-based lifestyle — he and his family often cook wild-caught meat and foraged food — equipped him with the knowledge and practical skills to meet the physical challenges of Alone.

But he says the mental challenge was something he couldn’t have prepared for.

“I think the biggest struggle was not knowing when it would end because you just don’t know,” he says.

“You just don’t know how well anyone else is doing … that was probably the hardest thing … and potentially being away for a really, really long time and then not getting the win and coming home and being depleted and a bit of a burden on the family.

“That was my biggest fear.”

A man and a women wearing outdoor gear and beanies sitting on a boat. He is kissing her on the forehead.

Shay’s wife Abby surprised him in Tasmania in the final episode. Source: SBS News

Gaining a new perspective

Reflecting on his time in the Tasmanian wilderness, Shay says he feels more connected to nature than ever before.

He describes a gradual process of attuning to nature and developing a feel for its patterns, for example, knowing whether rising water would be a problem or where he might find food.

“By the end of it, I really felt like I was quite in tune and almost knew where a fish was, or what was going to happen around me,” he says.