Everyone is still visibly shaken by Courtney’s departure, but Alison actually has some good news for a change! Guess where the cast gets to go for their travel episode? Are they going to pile in a van and drive two hours south like my season? Not happening. They are going to New Zealand!
This is quite a magical place! Middle Earth itself. We are treated to ridiculous views of this gorgeous land. I am just a bit jealous to say the least. But to one person in particular this place has special meaning, Moses. His father spent a lot of time as a child getting his education in New Zealand. He has such a deep feeling that Bob even breaks the rules and lets him use his phone to call his father!
The cast is brought to downtown Auckland to a massive structure known as the Sky Tower. Up top they go, but not using the elevator. They go up over 1,000 steps. Now a choice is given to them on how to get down: Take the stairs back, or free fall down! This is when the camera cuts to Jillian regretting her decision to be first to go. Moses and Rulon are too heavy to go and Jay has a heart condition, but everyone else is good! They all go right for it with the exception of Ken, who has an extreme fear of heights. The look on his face was priceless when he saw it. Bob, who is also deathly afraid of heights, tells Ken that he will go if Ken does, to which he responded with a yes! He figured he came this far along his journey to conquer his fears, why not! It was actually quite entertaining watching the two of them overcome their fears.
The workouts the contestants go through down here take advantage of the beautiful outdoors and scenery, which is what I love. Even when I was on the ranch, you would rarely find me in the gym, and I think that worked out quite well for me! Sledgehammers, tires and ladder drills were my kind of workouts! One person who does not seem to appreciate this is Ken. He actually calls Cara out on the fact that he is worried that her style of training pales in comparison to Bob and Jillian, to which she takes great offense. She makes sure to whip him into shape and beat on him as much as possible for the rest of the workouts. Will it pay off come weigh in time?
This week’s challenge reminds me a lot of the challenge I went through at Camp Pendleton. We did a 5K through various terrain and ended up in the ocean. However, we had several mini challenges along the way, and had to do it in military boots that were not broken in, so I can feel the pain they went through. The winning team got a helicopter tour of that area of New Zealand as well as a nice dinner on a nearby island. Green storms out of the gate and holds a very strong lead up until the sandhill. Ken keeps slipping and this allows the blue team to zip by them and they hold the lead for good and take the prize! However, in a very nice show of good will, Olivia and Irene give up their prize so Kaylee can spend some quality time with her father.
How is this weigh in going to be affected by all the travel and new conditions? Blue is up first. Some small numbers out of the girls: Irene pulls a 3 and Olivia 2. Moses then comes out with a 0. This does not bode well for them. Black is up next and Jay GAINS 2 pounds. What is going on? However, Rulon nails a 7 and Hannah a 4, which saves them from elimination. Now it is up to Green. Will Cara’s training prove effective on the scale? Not for Kaylee who gains 4 pounds. Then Austin slams an 8 and Ken a 6, which sends Blue to elimination. There we learn that one of the main reasons Olivia wanted to lose weight was to start a family, so Moses out of the kindness of his heart sacrifices himself for her. He knows how dear his family is to himself, so he wishes her to have the same. Everyone respects his wishes and sends him home.
Moses’ where are they now piece is a little bit different. He actually goes back to New Zealand, this time with his father, so he can experience the land with the man who helped shape him. He is also light enough to go bungee jumping! I wish him well on the rest of his journey. What is going to happen during week two of New Zealand? Tune into NBC at 8/7c next Tuesday!