What’s it like to shoot a globally televised reality show while bush-bashing through some of New Zealand’s wildest terrain?
Here’s what it took to keep up – and capture the story.
When the First Question Is: “Are You Fit?”
That’s how the call started from a US producer at Original Productions.
They were prepping Season 2 of Race To Survive – a high-stakes, physically brutal reality competition, this time set in the New Zealand backcountry. The production needed someone who could run, hike, paddle, shoot, and still hold a meaningful conversation with cast under pressure.
Straight away I knew: this was for me.
The Project – Race To Survive: New Zealand
The concept: nine teams racing across some of Aotearoa’s wildest terrain, sourcing their own food, and navigating without GPS – all for a $500,000 prize.
Season 1 had been shot in Alaska. Season 2 brought the challenge to New Zealand’s mountains, caves, rivers, and coastlines over a relentless six-week race schedule. It aired on USA Network and is now available globally.
🔗 Watch Race To Survive: New Zealand on USA Network
My Role – Shooter-Producer in the Wild
My job was to embed with a team as a shooter-producer:
That means camera operator, storyteller, director, and journalist all rolled into one – while staying on the move in tough terrain.
I followed the cast as they pushed through Nelson Lakes, Harwoods Hole, and beyond. I was filming while canyoneering, kayaking, crawling through caves, and bush-bashing through dense subalpine forest.
After the first week, I was reassigned to a faster team – a duo of elite Smokejumpers – because they needed someone who could physically keep up. That meant fewer pauses and more run-and-gun, often in full sweat and near silence, while still tracking story beats and emotional arcs.
This wasn’t just about beautiful visuals. It was about capturing story under pressure, asking the right questions mid-race, and doing it all with a pack full of gear and no second takes.
Career Highlight
Being an adventure camera operator on Race To Survive is still one of my career highlights.
The physical and mental demand was huge, but the reward was just as big – helping shape a globally broadcast story from within the wild heart of Aotearoa.
Credits
Role: Shooter-Producer
Client: Original Productions / USA Network
Aired: 2024 on USA Network, Peacock, AppleTV