After 39 days in Nicaragua battling it out for their shot at $100,000, it all came down to the final three contestants on Survivor New Zealand – Tom Paterson, Avi Duckor-Jones and Barbara Raos.
In the end, it was youth expedition leader Avi who was crowned the ultimate winner of the first ever Kiwi series of Survivor.
The Wellingtonian looked overwhelmed by his big win, fighting back tears as he was embraced by his fellow contestants and members of the jury.
“This is a dream come true. I’m so grateful – this is such a bizarre, incredible experience,” he told host Matt Chisholm.
In the first half of tonight’s two-part episode, each contestant sat before their eliminated peers in the jury to plead their case and argue why they deserved to win the cash prize and the title of Sole Survivor.
The stakes were high for all three remaining Survivor hopefuls, who had each employed a different strategy throughout the show.
Avi was renowned for being the “nice guy” throughout the game, forming strong bonds with many of his fellow contestants and orchestrating solid alliances.
Tauranga teacher Tom, meanwhile, showed off his physical strength with an impressive string of challenge victories post-merge, keeping himself safe from elimination thanks to several immunity wins.
Auckland horse owner and mum Barb ruffled more than a few feathers later on in the game, as she engineered the downfall of fan favourite player Sala and other contestants.
Ultimately, however, it seems Avi’s “nice guy” tactics carried the day as he was voted the winner with an overwhelming number of votes.
