FANS of the TV hit show ‘Alone Australia’ will be interested to know that one of the contestants is from the Whitsundays.
Alone Australia Season Three is supersized in every way: The characters are bold, the competition fierce, the bushcraft masterful and the kill counts extraordinary.
Contestant Karla Pound is a 35-year-old expedition leader in Antarctica, based in Airlie Beach.
When she is back home, she lives nomadically out of her Unimog – a multi-purpose, offroad AWD vehicle – she is never not ready for an adventure!
Karla has worn many hats: Wildlife zookeeper, commercial helicopter pilot, Kimberley fishing guide and member of the Army Reserves, among them, and she is certainly up for the fight.
“Prepare for surprises at every turn as our participants face each challenge with unparalleled grit and remarkable ingenuity,” a spokesperson for the program said.
Alone Australia is the ultimate test of endurance, with only three ways to exit: Voluntary tap-out, medical extraction or as the winner.
With no camera crew, each participant must document their own survival through a brutal winter, as they fight to stay warm, dry, fed and alive, for as long as they can.
Bringing to the wild 10 individually selected items, it is up to each participant to navigate the unrelenting cold and wet of Tasmania’s West Coast Ranges.
But the true challenge of Alone isn’t just physical – it’s mental.
With only their thoughts for company, the participants’ emotional resilience will be tested like never before.
No shelter, fishing catch or successful trap can eclipse the loneliness and isolation.
“Our participants aren’t just competing against each other – but themselves,” the spokesperson said.
“This is a season of firsts. Five women set a milestone as the first to bring equal gender representation to the cast.
“One participant could become the first to grab the title of the oldest player in the series’ history.
“Expect first-of-a kind hunting, fishing and trapping skills, and watch shelter builds and bushcraft be redefined to remarkable new extremes.
“Witness dramatic wildlife encounters and brace for completely unchartered, perilous hazards.
“More than a survival experiment, Alone Australia is about self-reliance, courage, and adaptation.
“How long can a person truly survive—completely and utterly alone?”
Karla Pound’s BIO:
Karla is always on the go – she hasn’t stopped travelling, moving, skilling-up or adventuring since she first started.
Her relentless energy and drive have defined her life of adventure and exploration.
When she’s not on a ship leading expeditions across the globe, she’s travelling around Australia, living nomadically out of her 4WD.
Growing up in the Girl Guides, a lot of her childhood and teenage years were spent in the outdoors – and everything she’s done since has been outside!
Karla has worn many hats: Wildlife zookeeper, commercial helicopter pilot, Kimberley fishing guide, and member of the Army Reserves among them.
All will serve her well as she faces the challenges of Alone. Karla can fend for herself.
She has extensive hands-on experience with wildlife – she can read animal behaviours, track, and catch them by hand.
A confident trapper, fisher and forager, she’s comfortable in her ability to make use of what the land offers.
“Bush tucker is my jam,” she said.
“I’ve eaten scorpions, snails, spiders and mealworms – foraging is what I rely on the most in the wild.”
For the past six years, Karla has thrived on solitude, travelling solo and working remotely, embracing the freedom of living life on her own terms.
Winning would elevate her nomadic lifestyle to the next level.
The big questions: Can a lifelong nomad, so accustomed to constant movement and freedom, truly settle down in one place? Or will boredom get the best of her?
