Pictures: Narelle Portanier.
When asked to describe the taste of a bowlful of worms, Kiwi possum trapper Shay Williamson has a surprisingly nonchalant answer: “Sort of like a beef noodle. Ideally, you’d fry them up with some fat, salt and pepper. To be honest, the way I had them wasn’t really the best way to cook worms.”
For fans of Alone Australia, it’s no surprise to see the contestants eating strange and unappetising prey, but it’s still a shock when Whakatāne man Shay, 30, casually downs a pot full of worms just days into his stay in the Tasmanian bush. But the lack of grimace on his face suggests he’s no stranger to this particular form of survival cuisine.
“I’ve eaten rats, mice, hedgehogs and rabbits,” continues the popular YouTuber, who posts online as Keeping It Wild. “Hedgehogs are great – very dark meat, like venison, but they’re fattier and full of flavour.”
Shay’s hunting roots run deep. He grew up hunting on his family farm and, at 16, dropped out of school to become a professional possum trapper. When the opportunity to apply for the third season of Alone Australia came up, he jumped at it, especially after missing out on a spot in the US version.
Alone is a reality show where survivalists compete to see who can endure the harshest conditions, in isolation, for up to 300 days. Contestants use minimal tools and must capture their own food, often going for days, even weeks, without protein.
For Shay, the survival skills were never the hardest part – it was being on his own that gave him pause. The biggest challenge going into the show was the thought of being away from his wife Abby, 30, and their two young children for nearly a year. But they were also his driving force.
“The goal was to make money, so I could spend more time with them in the long run,” explains Shay, who’s competing against nine others for a $250,000 cash prize. “Every day away meant weeks with them later on.”
As any Alone fan knows, it’s the mental toll of isolation that often breaks contestants and Shay knew this could be his greatest weakness if he didn’t have a strategy to help cope.
“I knew the hardest part would be being away from my family,” he admits. “I’ve done long stints in the bush before, but not since having kids. I tried to turn that challenge into motivation. Instead of blocking them out, I used them as a reason to stay.”
Before becoming a father, Shay, who is also naturally introverted and softly spoken, always found peace in solitude. As a child, he gravitated toward the forest to escape the pressures of daily life. He explains, “The bush has always been my happy place.”
But with family life and responsibilities, it’s harder for Shay to spend long stretches in nature and when he does, the absence of his family feels like a survival instinct at play. “It’s like being displaced from your tribe,” he reflects.
At home, Shay spends a lot of time teaching his kids how to forage and identify plants in the wild. “One of my kids, at just three years old, can already spot certain plants – even poisonous ones,” says Shay, proud of their ever-growing knowledge.
The Williamson family strives to live sustainably, hunting for all their food. Once, they even went a full 60 days without purchasing any store-bought kai.
“I harvested my own salt from the sea,” Shay shares. “It was a huge learning curve, but it really opens your eyes to how much food is around if you know where to look.”
Despite his familiarity with the Kiwi bush, Shay was still uncertain about adapting to the Aussie climate, which he feared would be hotter and more humid. It turns out he needn’t have worried.
“Tasmania was way colder than I expected,” he laughs. “Colder than the North Island, for sure!”
Throughout his time on Alone, Shay came to realise that the experience was more than just a competition. It was also a journey of self-discovery. He says he learned a new level of gratitude for life’s simple pleasures.
“You really learn to appreciate the little things,” he says. “And discovering new foods along the way isn’t so bad either.”
When asked about his favourite meal, Shay doesn’t hesitate: “Wallaby tails. If you slow-cook them, they’re just like lamb shanks!”
Alone Australia is now streaming on TVNZ+.
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