Year 9 Students Inspired by Alone Australia’s ‘Muzza’

This term, Year 9 English students have been exploring the theme of Survival through viewing Season 1 of the ABC television documentary series, Alone Australia. On Friday 22 August, Year 9 students were treated to a visit from Muzza, who stars in Season 3 of Alone Australia, who spoke to the students about his experiences as a participant in the program. The session provided valuable insights into resilience, problem-solving, and personal growth in extreme environments.

Muzza shared his journey from auditioning for the show to surviving seventy-three days alone in the remote Tasmanian wilderness. He described the physical and mental preparation required before being dropped into the wild, and the challenges he faced once there. In his location, animal activity was scarce, and despite walking several kilometres in search of tracks or signs of life, he had to rely on fishing as his primary food source.

He spoke candidly about the unpredictability of fishing and how he had to persist through trial and error to find sustainable food sources, such as fish and eels. Muzza emphasised that if he had given up early on, he would have faced extraction much sooner. His message to students was clear: don’t give up when things get hard – adapt, learn, and keep trying.

Students were captivated by Muzza’s stories of adapting to harsh weather, managing isolation, and staying motivated. He also reflected on the medical issues – dangerously low blood pressure, dizziness and malnutrition – that eventually led to his forced extraction from the competition, and the importance of listening to your body in survival situations.

Throughout the presentation, Muzza encouraged students to embrace adventure and reminded them that age is no barrier to getting outdoors and being active. His message resonated strongly with our students, who were inspired by his authenticity, humour, and passion for the natural world.

“It was amazing to hear Muzza come and talk to us and give us more of an insight of what it was like. It was great to go through the stages of participating on the show and how mentally and physically challenging this was and a more detailed insight on the whole experience.” (Nick)

“I enjoyed Muzza’s speech because it was an inspiring story with an inspiring message of ‘Not tapping out’ and it was good to know what happened and going into more detail of his Alone experience.” (Mason)

“Muzza really does have a positive mindset and it was not just for the show. It shows that he just wanted to prove himself because at the start he did not want anything to do with the money and did not even realise that there was money involved. So I think that he is a very good person to look up to.” (Porsha)

“I really enjoyed Muzza’s talk today. I really liked how he had a positive energy and how he enjoyed his experience doing Alone. I also liked how he really respected the other contestants and praised their experience. It was sad seeing him upset about getting medically extracted since he really wanted to continue. Overall, I really liked how he was in a happy mood to talk about the whole journey and how he didn’t do it for the money.” (Bella)

We thank Muzza for sharing his story and inspiring our students to think creatively, act with courage, and support one another through challenges.

Mrs Karen Simmons and Ms Jo Tobin, Year Level Coordinators – Year 9, and Ms Sarah Gross, Learning Leader – English