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Episodes
Episode 1
Arriving In The Outback
Today the adventure of a lifetime begins for four Aussie and four British kids as they make their way to the heart of the Australian outback. There are many long goodbyes, especially for the UK four who face a massive 24 hour journey. First stop is Brisbane, where the Aussie and UK kids meet for first the first time at Brisbane Airport. It's an awkward beginning as they check each other out, all unsure of what's ahead of them. Then it's off to the stage show "Australian Outback Spectacular" on the Gold Coast to get a taste of what it's like to live and work on an outback station. They soon realise, it's going to be a lot harder than they ever imagined - this is no holiday! Before they know it they're on a plane to Longreach heading to Australia's oldest Agricultural College. It's here where over the next month they will train to become Jackaroo's. From learning to horse ride, to mustering cattle and working with sheep - this is sure to be the most challenging time of their lives so far. But, as they arrive at the college the only thing the UK kids are worried are whether there are spiders under their beds!
Episode 2
Working With Cattle
"Get up, get out of bed" - that's how Episode Two begins when the Outback 8 are woken before sunrise. It's their first lesson: you must feed your animals before you feed yourself. So when mentors Dave and Ingrid pound on the dorm doors, they are met with startled looks, grumbling and groaning. It's off to the stables to start working with horses. Then it's time for today's major lesson - their first go at working with cattle. A cow will generally move forward when something enters its flight zone. The first flight zone lesson involves moving a calf clockwise in the yard around a central obstacle. Doug struggles as his technique involves standing in one place and yelling. Tamara is frightened, but eventually gets the hang of it. Jack's boxing footwork comes in handy when a headstrong beast tries to get past him. Maisie has a go and finds the task too easy proclaiming 'its a waste of my energy!' It seems that not all the Outback 8 are getting along with each other.
Episode 3
Outback Survival
Today's lesson is all about Outback Survival. A good jackaroo needs to be prepared for any emergency and so the Outback 8 get their first taste of First Aid, snake identification, orienteering and looking for bush tucker - just in case! Local rangers come along with three local snakes for the 8 to identify. First is a olive python, which each of the kids are allowed to hold. Some are excited, but a few are definitely a bit out of their comfort zone. Its a long day and for some it's way too much like school, but, no one said it was going to be easy learning to be a jackaroo! And it's not going to get any easier that night either. They're all given a swag, or as Ingrid calls them, 'a bedroom in a bag' - it's confronting for the English girls who didn't foresee camping on the menu when they signed up for this experience. The Outback 8 spend their first night in the outback and the next morning it's time to test how much the they've been paying attention. Dave and Ingrid have come up with a bush obstacle course which will test their orienteering, First Aid and snake identification skills. The losing four must clean up camp and this uncovers dissension in the ranks! We get our first sign from one of the 8 of things to come as they lazily leave the cleaning to the rest of their team.
Episode 4
Mini Muster
Dawn rises for the Outback 8 with a new morning regime followed by an ever bigger surprise - a mini-muster of two dozen cattle. There is apprehension amongst the group as it seems like a massive task, but Riding Instructor Tony assures them they re ready. The 8 have to ride across rough terrain. It s their first chance to work as a team and Tony teaches them the different roles and responsibilities each must play in a muster. The afternoon lesson is messy to say the least! The Outback 8 must help Tony perform a very necessary part of a cattle person' s job - to pregnancy test cows. The kids react with disgust and they get covered in cow poo! Not an episode to miss!
Episode 5
Sheep
Today the Outback 8 will visit a working sheep station. They pack their swags and hit the road, travelling across outback terrain, passing hundreds of kangaroos along the way. It's the first time they've been off campus and outside of Longreach town. On the way, they get to see just how isolated and remote the properties and towns are in the outback as well as the huge distances that separate them. Having spent the night with no luxuries - they wake up to a day of shearing. The 8 have to drench and tag the sheep - a process where they inoculate them from ticks and provide identification. They then have to actually shear a sheep which the shearers say is more suited to the larger children as it is a very physical activity. To everyone's surprise, one of the smaller members of the Outback 8 proves to be the best shearer!
Episode 6
Winton Weekend
Today the Outback 8 will visit a working sheep station. They pack their swags and hit the road, travelling across outback terrain, passing hundreds of kangaroos along the way. It's the first time they've been off campus and outside of Longreach town. On the way, they get to see just how isolated and remote the properties and towns are in the outback as well as the huge distances that separate them. Having spent the night with no luxuries - they wake up to a day of shearing. The 8 have to drench and tag the sheep - a process where they inoculate them from ticks and provide identification. They then have to actually shear a sheep which the shearers say is more suited to the larger children as it is a very physical activity. To everyone's surprise, one of the smaller members of the Outback 8 proves to be the best shearer!
Episode 7
The Cattleyards
This week the Outback 8 are taken to the Longreach Show grounds and are told they will be taking part in the Longreach Show, just one week away. This is a big deal for them as it's a huge annual event where hundreds of Jackaroo's come from all around Queensland to show off their livestock and compete in competitions. Four of the 8 will be selected to compete in the horse event and the other four will compete in the bull showing comp. They'll also get to help out behind the scenes in the animal nursery and at the sheep dog arena. Doug still isn't doing too well with his horsemanship skills so Dave gives him some private lessons. He still can't quite canter properly and his chances of riding in the final muster are in doubt. Back at the college the team have to undertake a cattle challenge. Split into two teams, the groups have to draft cattle according to a set of instructions. Once again, Amity proves she is fearless when one of the steers gets aggressive. And finally, in a regular horse riding session, one of the Outback 8 takes a tumble and ends up in hospital.
Episode 8
Station Jobs
The Outback 8 are split up as they get on with preparations for the Longreach Show. It's hard yakka all round! Unfortunately for two of the eight, they get off to a bad start. Doug fails to shine with animals and gets pushed around by his bull Carlton. John, the Head Cattlemaster is not impressed! And while practising her horse patterns for the horse event, Maisie's pride is bruised and so is her bottom, when she falls off her horse. As a result Doug and Maisie have to attend an intense riding practice session with Tony. It works a treat for Maisie who regains her confidence. Unfortunately Doug has a shocking time, literally, when he backs his horse right into an electric fence.
The team are also introduced to the less glamorous side of being a Jackaroo - fence building, irrigation work, hay bail stacking and fire management. Out come the pickets, wire and pliers as they get to grips with fence building. And finally Doug finds his calling in the Outback - he excels at building fences and is the only one of the 8 who doesn't get wet in the irrigation exercise. This week the Outback 8 are on fire!
Episode 9
Life On Campus
As any good coach will tell you, it's impossible for any team to excel in every game. This week the Jackaroo's definitely have one of the most challenging days in their journey so far. It begins with Tony organising another trial muster. He has to decide in the coming days who he'll pick to be the Lead Jackaroo in the final muster. It s a tough choice as this person isn t necessarily the best rider, but needs strong leadership skills. Which one of the Outback 8 will get the job? To try to make a decision he gives Tamara the first crack at doing the job on the trial muster but unfortunately the day doesn t go smoothly and it's absolute chaos. Not helped by the fact Maisie is as grumpy as ever. Dave takes charge and two of the Outback 8 get a real talking to! Eventually the 8 get the mob of cattle safely back to the campus, then they have to draft the calves from their mums so they can be tagged. The girls prove once again they are much better than the boys. And, as a surprise the Outback 8 get messages from home.
Episode 10
The Longreach Show
The Outback 8 wake up very nervous as the Longreach Show has finally arrived. It's the biggest event in the Outback Calender - with thousands of Jackaroo's coming from all over Central Queensland to show off their horse skills and their livestock. The bull showers are tired having spent a night on "poo patrol" tending to their bulls. Doug is not-so-quietly confident that he'll do well in the competition - not only does he have the college's prize bull, he's also been tipped as being a good contender for a ribbon by John the Head Cattle Master. Can Doug take home the prize for the best bull? At the show, the Outback 8 also get the chance to work behind the scenes - four help out in the animal nursery feeding all the cute animals and the other four help train a sheep dog down at the sheep dog trials. Day Two of the show is the day of the horse competition and it's full of drama, excitement and even tears. All four riders are nervous - Amity, Jack, Levi and Maisie. Jack is quietly confident and is extremely competitive - he talks the talk, but can he walk the walk and take home a ribbon? You'll have to tune in to find out.
Episode 11
The Final Countdown
The sun rises on the last week of the Outback 8's Jackaroo training. There are only a few more days before the final muster and this week the team are told who will make the grade. Will all the Outback 8 make it to the final muster? Tamara is nervous because she's fallen off her horse twice, and Doug's horse riding skills still aren't up to scratch. Tony explains that although they are all keen to participate, he has their safety and well being to consider. Tony's so worried about Tamara he gives her two choices - she can either try a new horse, with little time to bond before the muster, or she can pull out of the muster. Without hesitation Tamara makes her decision she wants a new horse. This week there are also challenges to find who will be given the job as Lead Jackaroo on the muster. There are four favourites: Jack and Amity, the best riders, and Selena and Dan, who seem to have the most maturity and respect from the team. But, all the Outback 8 are given the opportunity in a mustering exercise to prove they could also be the Lead Jackaroo. Unfortunately it all ends in chaos and the Outback 8's team work ends up in tatters.
Episode 12
The Muster
It's an early start for the Outback 8 as they depart for the final muster. 200 head of cattle need to be rounded up on a property 10 square kilometres wide. It's a massive challenge for eight kids who only 3 weeks ago, had no experience in the cattle trade. Some had never even ridden a horse before. The Lead Jackaroo is finally announced and it's a bit of a surprise to everyone. The team travel to Manningham property and receive their muster briefing, with a surprise helicopter flight for one of the 8. Then the team begin their final muster - they not only have to muster cattle, but they have to find all the cattle too - some are in small groups all over the place. It's certainly one of the biggest challenges of their lives.
Episode 13
Celebrations and Goodbyes
Day two of the final muster and it's the toughest day yet for the Outback 8. It's hot and dusty out in the paddock and they've still got to find a stray herd and get all 200 back to Manningham property before nightfall. The kids receive their briefing from Tony and it's over to Dan to decide how to attack the final missing cattle. He sends out his best riders to find the first mob but for the final and very cagey beasts he makes a surprising choice. He will lead the weakest riders out to prove that the cattle four from the Longreach Show have what it takes to be Jackaroos. It s a risky decision as time is ticking, but his mind is made up. Will the Outback 8 succeed as Junior Jackaroo's and bring the herd home? And what happens when they all have to say goodbye at the end of their training? Tune in to find out!