Rick J Petersen -
Contestant
"Alone Australia" Season 2
Te Waipounamu (South Island NZ)
A master of survival, Rick knows better than most what it’s like to be in a tough situation. After joining the military at age 17, he later joined the SAS and spent more than 8 years learning all forms of extreme survival, including snow and ice mountain warfare in caves and blizzards. He left the military to focus on his family, the unit he holds most valuable; his wife and two sons.
Lately, Rick’s a bushcraft survival educator, running a bushcraft and survival school that prioritises bringing fathers and sons together through learning and shared time together. He’s always had a strong interest in ethnobotany; the connection between native plants and their Indigenous cultural uses. He is particularly curious about the fire-lighting, nutritional, medicinal, and crafting qualities of plants.
This fascination may have fed into his becoming an unlikely social media star, with a TikTok account amassing over 1.3M likes and 176,000 loyal followers, whom he affectionately refers to as ‘Bushtokkers’.
“I feel incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to be a contestant on “Alone Australia” Series 2.
Documenting my own journey “Alone” in the stunning, pristine and unforgiving ruggedness of the Fiordlands of Te waipounamu, South Island. In the winter of 2023.
It was an experience like no other, life changing for sure.
Now home with my family and community, basking in gratitude I look forward to reflecting and sharing some of my experience, along with knowledge and life lessons with you
around my camp fire.”
“I have a goal of doing epic stuff in my life every year. I may have a few years under my belt, but when it comes to a commitment to keep pushing boundaries, I’m just getting started. This will be the ultimate opportunity to put experience and knowledge to the test!” – Rick J Petersen