The second season of Survivor NZ has finally arrived and as expected this year it's bigger and better than ever!
The prize money for the title of sole survivor has been upped to $250,000 meaning the 18 Kiwi contestants will be fighting tooth and nail to secure the prize over their 39 days living as castaways in Thailand.
Episode one, which aired on TVNZ2 last night , launches the latest batch of survivors straight into the unknown, with host Matt Chisholm issuing an ominous warning during the intro.
"They think they know the show, but this year's location is a little different a remote lake in the foothills between Thailand and Myanmar," Chisholm says before we are introduced to some of the creatures inhabiting the area.
These nasties include scorpions, tarantulas and even tigers, understandably freaking some of the contestants out as they realise exactly what they're getting themselves into.
Time to get this survivor party started and the survivor's meet the host on an island in the middle of the lake where they come together for the first time.
This leads to the season's first revelation as two of the contestants see each other for the first time and realise they know each other from school. Well it is New Zealand where everyone knows everyone right?
Clinical pharmacist Dave and rocket technician Matt used to play rugby together and were basically best mates at school. Dave says they will they look to keep that relationship quiet and try and use it to their advantage.
This revelation is quickly followed by the season's first twist as the survivors are launched straight into an individual reward trial.
The trial comes in three parts, the first one involves untying twenty knots to retrieve a bag then race over a finish line, the first nine to do this move onto the second part which sees the survivors swim out to a pontoon with nine tied boxes on it, only three of which contain puzzle pieces.
After a mad dash to locate the correct boxes and find the puzzle pieces, the final three are decided, who are dairy farmer Arun, rocket technician Matt and audio producer Josefien, known as Jose.
Finally it's a swim back to shore to use the puzzle pieces to solve a number problem, Matt is smashing it, being a rocket technician probably helps, but out of nowhere Jose comes from behind to take it out!
She then has to choose someone to share her reward, the second place getter Matt is an easy pick for her and the reward is revealed, they get to pick their own tribes in a schoolyard pick.
First picks are always telling and Jose picks dairy farmer Arun, explaining she wants strength in her team.
Matt picks full time-mum Tara saying he went with his gut, surprisingly Matt doesn't pick his high school buddy Dave when he gets the chance, saying he wants to save that relationship for a merge.
The rest of the picks are made and we have our tribe names, Matt's tribe is called Khangkhaw and Jose's is called Chani.
Young tour guide Liam isn't too happy with his tribe Chani’s island home on the lake, "it's very dry, looks like it’s going to be tough" he says.
Jose emerges as the leader of Chani as they set up camp, automatically putting a target on her back in the early stages of the game.
Over at Khangkhaw they have a more wooded area and launch straight into shelter building, the vibe in the tribe is good according to school teacher Brad, if past Survivor seasons are anything to go by an early trial loss can kill that good vibe in an instan.
Back at Chani project manager JT notices Arun off by himself searching for an idol and approaches him to try and form an alliance. He then approaches Dave and hiking guide Eve to join his and Arun's alliance.
Meanwhile, tour guide Liam is laid back and doesn't notice the gameplay going on around him, a move which could come back to bite him if they go to tribal.
Jose is already starting to get on her tribemates nerves for talking too much, cementing her place as the early target if Chani lose the immunity challenge.
The Survivors took no prisoners as they fought tooth and nail to secure fire for their tribe.
Politics aside it's time for the first tribe on tribe reward challenge! As always the first reward is for fire making tools, always helpful if you can boil rice to eat on Survivor.
The challenge is a messy one, the tribes each send out two tribe members into a wet mud pit to try and locate a bag, first pair back with the bag wins a point in a first to three challenge.
Jose powers Chani into the lead on the first bag, before a titanic tussle sees self-employed Aucklander Adam even it up for Khangkhaw with the second bag.
The $250,000 prize money is already bringing out the competitive nature of the Survivors and Christchurch office manager Tess nearly drowns a Chani member before returning with the bag and getting another point for Khangkhaw to make it 2 -1.
Brad dominates in the next round and gives the win to Khangkhaw who win reward by 3 – 1, gaining the flint and stamping their authority on the game.
"Morale is low at the moment after that loss," Dave says back at the Chani camp as they try unsuccessfully to start a fire so they can eat some rice.
It isn't all plain sailing at Khangkhaw with their fire though, the tribe adds some rocks into the fire which promptly start exploding causing chaos around the camp as tribemates dodge the burning projectiles.
"Obviously not the right rocks," one of the tribemates wisely points out.
Retail manager Dylan and social worker Kaysha sneak off into the woods for the first talk of strategy at Khangkhaw, they think the strong boys Arun, Matt and Adam are a threat and need to be taken out first.
First immunity challenge time! The tribes have to climb through an elaborate bamboo obstacle course before two tribemates from each team have to solve a word puzzle at the end.
Khangkhaw pull away to a big lead early on, but an error from Brad in the maze section of the course sees Chani pull it back to a neck-and-neck race.
Khangkhaw arrive at the puzzle first, which is always the great equaliser, Dylan and school librarian Lisa working on the puzzle for them. Chani is at the puzzle shortly after and it’s project manager JT and reporter Karla working on their puzzle.
The puzzle isn't the great equaliser this time and Khangkhaw smash through the puzzle to win again and take home immunity!
Losing the challenge also means Chani are still without flint and won’t be eating again if they can’t start a fire.
Back at Chani’s camp the scrambling before tribal begins straight away and Karla’s name is brought up as the easy vote to make the tribe stronger, looks like Jose has avoided the chopping block this week after getting peoples backs up early.
The first tribal begins… host Matt Chisholm brings up the fact they lost the first two challenges and all the Chani members agree it has hit them hard, especially the fact they have no fire and haven’t eaten for two days.
Liam says he trusts everyone in the tribe 100 per cent, Chisholm isn't having a bar of it though and says he senses a blind-side in the works.
Karla seems to know she is the most vulnerable but she doesn’t put up much of a counter argument.
Time to vote and the dramatic cave setting for this year's tribal council lends it an air of gravity.
This year's cave setting made for a dramatic backdrop for tribal council.
Chisholm reads the votes and in a surprising twist it isn’t Karla who is going home it is team-leader Jose!
Obviously her outspoken nature had rankled the other tribemates enough to see her voted out over keeping her strength for the challenges.
An exciting first episode comes to an end, with plenty of questions for next week. Will Khangkhaw continue to dominate the challenges? Will Karla survive another vote? Tune in next week to find out.
Click here to watch extra scenes and an interview with Jose after being voted out.
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