THE RACE:
This season, the mandatory rest periods seem to be where all the drama happens. Great, keep all the fun stuff off camera. As it turns out, Kelly and Christy decide to confront Nick and Starr about their backstabbing ways. Tricky Nick and sister Starr try to mend the fences, but clearly the damage is done. Kelly and Christy are not in any kind forgiving mood.
Meanwhile, teams must fly 6,900 miles from La Paz, Bolivia, to Auckland, New Zealand. Once there, they will drive marked cars to Gulf Harbor where they must untie and unravel an enormous knot to reveal the next clue. Ken and Tina are first off the mat after a very strong finish last week. They are clearly pulling together and the snarky comments have all but stopped. Toni and Dallas are also pulling ahead of the pack and working well as a team, while Aja and Ty seem to be having difficulty managing their relationship while dealing with the stress and exhaustion of the race. Amazingly, Terence and Sarah seem to have hit their groove, and have ratcheted down their annoying ways. We'll see how long that lasts.
After a low-speed taxi race to the airport, all of the teams pile up and catch the same flight. In New Zealand, Aja and Ty suffer this season's first automotive calamity: A blown tire. Aja is definitely holding Ty responsible for the mishap, and it looks like she's taking this one to Grudgeville for a long, long time. She does manage to flag down help, and they are quickly back in the race.
Ken and Tina reach Gulf Harbor first and manage to undo their knot. It reveals the next clue and this season's first Fast Forward. The Fast Forward is a challenge only one team may complete. Once finished, the team will "fast forward" to the Pit Stop where they will hopefully win, or at least avoid elimination. The Fast Forward directs teams to the Auckland Sky Tower, while the clue sends teams to the summit of Mount Eden, a dormant volcano and also the highest point in Auckland.
FAST FORWARD:
Ken and Tina head over to the Auckland Sky Tower and get suited up for a climb to the top. Tina has issues with heights, but bless her heart, she climbs all the way to the top! They had to retrieve a Roaming Gnome from the flashing red beacon at the highest point, more than 1,000 feet up! After completing the climb, Ken and Tina are treated to a helicopter ride directly to this week's Pit Stop.
ROADBLOCK:
At the summit of Mount Eden, racers are met by a throng of screeching warriors, and this week's Roadblock. In this challenge one of the team members must choose an image of a tribal tattoo, and match the design with one of the chanting, tattooed warriors. If they match, they will receive the next clue, if not, the design is snatched away and the team member must start over with a new image. Terence and Sarah are the first team to complete the Roadblock, with Toni and Dallas not far behind.
After completing the Roadblock, teams must drive into Auckland and find the City Life Hotel. Once there, they must make their way to the rooftop. Teams use binoculars to find one of several Roaming Gnomes placed in the vicinity of the hotel. Once spotted, they must retrieve the gnome in order to get the next clue.
DETOUR
Teams must now drive to Kiwi 360, a huge kiwi orchard in the town of Te Puke to receive their next clue, which reveals the Detour. In Matter of Time, teams must use their feet and crush a large vat of kiwis until they have rendered at least twelve quarts of juice. Then, each team member must drink a full glass of juice in order to complete the challenge. In Matter of Skill, teams must assemble a pair of Blo-Karts, and then complete three laps around the track.
Terence and Sarah crush the kiwis into juice, and move through the Detour quickly. Kelly and Christy take out their aggressions and make quick work of the kiwis--they might have Nick and Starr to thank. Many other teams including Toni and Dallas and Aja and Ty attempt the kiwi juicing, but opt out after only a few minutes and head over to the Blo-Kart challenge. Nick and Starr have a good lead, but Starr wipes out halfway through and injures her arm. She's sure it's broken, but keeps going! Gotta love that spunk!
PIT STOP
This week, it's Summer Hill, a 1,000 acre sheep farm. What's more, Phil and his dad, Old Man Keoghan, are there to co-welcome the racers to the mat! Ken and Tina reap the benefits from the Fast Forward and land in first place for the third straight week. They win a seven night trip to Rio for Carnival--the perfect vacation spot for Tina and her philandering spouse. Way to go, Travelocity! Terence and Sarah breeze into second place with a strong third place finish for divorcees Kelly and Christy.
OUSTED:
Well, the fun couldn't last forever. Marisa and Brooke fumbled their way through this leg of the race, and no one--not even Phil's dad--is surprised. He leaves no opportunity wasted and "comforts" the girls by hugging them and offering up some of that world famous New Zealand hospitality. Nice work, Old Man Keoghan!
NEXT WEEK:
Terence and Sarah get pulled over by the cops! Will he flip out and get arrested, or will he just blame Sarah? Also, Christy and Kelly go all sixth grade on Dallas, making fun of his spiky hair. We all know what that means: you like him, like him!
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