The Amazing Race International Versions > The Amazing Race: International Versions
Pékin Express 2012
Plaidmoon:
OK, I found some tweets that suggest that at least one and perhaps two teams have gotten south and out of the flooded area.
Rachel @rarticalsista
Had the French Amazing Race cast in town today. Of all the places in this world, this ****ing town. I was stuck in class. Damnit!
54 min ago
Rachel is in Dubbo, NSW Australia which is south of the flooded area and 303 km (188 mi) northwest of Sydney (400 km/249 mi by road). Dubbo is considered the cross-roads of New South Wales. It is linked by national highways north to Brisbane, south to Melbourne, east to Sydney and Newcastle, and west to Broken Hill and Adelaide. Info mostly from Wikipedia.
Then there are these tweets from what appears to be a local town council:
Narromine @Narromine
Accommodation and meal needed for one night for a male Belgian contestant in the French Amazing Race. Please call Sally on <phone number removed>
2 hrs ago
Narromine @Narromine
Lift to Nyngan Thursday am needed for Belgian contestant in the French Amazing Race. Please call Sally on <phone number removed.
2 hrs ago
Narromine @Narromine
We have accommodation for our French contestant - ride to Nyngan still needed - please ring <phone number removed>
1 hr ago
Narromine is 40 km west of Dubbo and Nyngan is 167 km northwest of Dubbo. So they are headed away from Sydney. Wikipedia indicates little of interest in Nyngan. It is on the highway to Broken Hill though a long way from there (588 km). Just throwing out some speculation. Probably unlikely, because if they are headed to Sydney as expected, they would have to go all the way back past where they are now.
Plaidmoon:
Here's an updated news story with some new information, though some of it may have already been posted.
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2012/02/nsw-floods-thwart-frances-not-so-amazing-race.html
NSW floods thwart France’s not-so amazing race
By David Knox on February 8, 2012 / Filed Under News 0
Filming of a French reality show in rural New South Wales this week hit a road block they didn’t expect: floods.
14 teams on Pekin Express, similar to The Amazing Race, were racing towards an overnight pit stop at Lightning Ridge, unaware of road closures and flash flooding.
SES officials who were forced to redirect the series and battle with competitors who ”would not take no for an answer when told about the risks”.
News Limited reports a French pair burst into the Gunnedah Tourist Information Centre yesterday, demanding urgent directions and causing chaos for staff. All making perfect drama for the cameras, presumably.
The 45 day race sees contestants competing with just one euro per day per person, with a prize of 100,000 Euro. Contestants, who are allowed to hitch-hike between stops, were also begging for lifts from locals.
So far the teams have raced through Eumundi, Noosa, Byron Bay and Tamworth.
In Tenterfield one local said, “They were in an awful panic but it only took them about 10 minutes to flag down another car to take them on to Tamworth.”
In Casino another local added, “Apparently there was some confusion as the contestants thought they were looking for an actual casino rather than the town.”
The local Lightning Ridge mayor reckons if the teams made it they were likely to be trapped.
“They might have to be in Walgett or Lightning Ridge for some time,” Gustavus Murray said.
But the pressure is on for seasoned racers, all of whom have raced in previous editions, with Australia to include their final pit-stop.
Source: Northern Star
Plaidmoon:
And one more news story with a few additional details and the names of one team that got to the pit stop at Lightning Ridge.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/cest-les-grands-idiots-as-french-amazing-race-contestants-run-into-flood-stricken-nsw/story-e6freuzi-1226265171291
C'est les grands idiots as French Amazing Race contestants run into flood-stricken NSW
Holly Byrnes and Samantha Williams
The Daily Telegraph
February 08, 2012 12:00AM
CONTESTANTS in a French version of The Amazing Race have run into trouble with SES officials who were forced to redirect the series as it tracked straight into flood-ravaged parts of NSW.
Gunnedah tourism officials were the first to raise concerns about up to 14 teams on Pekin Express, racing towards an overnight pit stop at Lightning Ridge, unaware of road closures and flash flooding dangers along the way.
A French pair, with camera crew in tow, burst into the Gunnedah Tourist Information Centre early yesterday, demanding urgent directions and creating "chaos" for the surprised staff.
Belinda Hockings, Gunnedah Shire's tourism and marketing manager, said the frantic visitors had no idea about the state's flood emergency and "would not take no for an answer when told about the risks".
Locals also complained to police and council after being flagged down and begged for lifts by the competitors, who are allowed to travel between stages of the 10,000km race only by hitch-hiking.
SES controller Kathleen Cain was critical of the show's producers, who failed to alert local authorities or warn contestants about the emergency flood conditions.
"For the team I saw, I was sending them away from the waters," Ms Cain told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.
"But for the rest, I have fears the direct route is through the greatest flooded areas of my region.
"We have a lot of closures and water currents running over the roads. If you got into an undercurrent, it could sweep you away."
Another team, Belgian brothers Ludovic and Samuel Daxhelet, were in luck, being helped along by tourism officials from Coonabarabran, Baradine and Coonamble who drove them around the flooding to Lightning Ridge.
But the dramas may not end there. With Lightning Ridge and nearby Walgett bracing for floods to peak at the weekend, mayor Gustavus Murray said if the teams made it they were likely to be trapped."They might have to be in Walgett or Lightning Ridge for some time," Mr Murray said.
The race, with favourites from six series, began in South Korea last month, has moved through the Philippines and is expected to finish in Australia.
Plaidmoon:
I found another tweet from the Narromine Council:
Narromine @Narromine
A Big Thank You to all who helped, Ludovick from the Pekin Express show has made it to Nyngan! His goal is Bourke today.
3 hrs ago
Bourke is off to the Northwest of Nyngan, which is northwest of Narromine. Ludovic is almost back to being as far north as Lightning Ridge, but further to the west. They are going completely in the opposite direction away from Sydney which we've heard was the final location. I don't have any idea where they could be going. There's a dirt highway that heads west and then south through deep desert like outback and has some ranching stations that could be visited. The highway to Bourke continues north into Queensland and I'm not sure what they could be planning to do up there.
Plaidmoon:
Found a Facebook post from someone who saw Pekin Express filming in Bourke. I hope he isn't right about what they are doing. :ascared
<Witness>
Haha the french is shooting an amazing race in bourke and coz it was flooding they actually set up a tent and filmed the 1s scene in the motel where i stay and said it was a national park what wanks lol
Share · about an hour ago via mobile ·
3 people like this.
<Friend 1> Haha just standibg on the varendah with the trees in the background lol
about an hour ago
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