From the streets of Vietnam to the Zambezi River, The Amazing Race Australia has taken Beau Ryan to some breathtaking places.
The former Cronulla Sharks player and Cronulla resident spoke to the Leader about the Network 10 program as it heads into its final episodes.
He said the entire race was a whirlwind but he had a fantastic time as host of the program.
"It was great, a lot of hard work and long days, but I'm super proud of all the teams," Ryan said.
One of the 11 teams to embark on the journey was Sydney's Sid and Ash, dubbed the 'influencer' couple.
The pair - the season's villains for their someone nefarious playing style which included stealing dumplings from a team of nuns - were eliminated in episode eight.
"I think you always need villains to keep things exciting," Ryan said.
"I didn't get to see a lot of what they were up to because I was always ahead of the pack at the Pit Stop.
"But they're not bad people, they're good guys."
Ryan said the race happened so fast that a lot of the journey was a blur and he was reliving his travels and seeing the actions of the contestants for the first time on TV with everyone else.
He said travelling to the African nation of Malawi was one of his highlights.
"The people there were so beautiful," Ryan said.
"I didn't love doing the gorge swing (at Batoka Gorge in Victoria Falls National Park) while we were in Africa, that's something I never want to do again.
"I don't want to give too much away, but I may or may not die in one of the upcoming challenges. Got to keep the people guessing."
Ryan said from early on in the race he thought the more physically gifted teams like footy mates Tom and Tyler and newlyweds Tim and Rod would be the front-runners, but he quickly learned that the competition was as much about patience and finesse as it was athletic ability.
"Footy players are good at the physical stuff but not so good at working things out - I can say that because I was a footy player," he said.
Ryan encouraged all viewers to pick a favourite team and cheer them on in the final days.
He said he hoped the show would "get 10 more seasons" and thought Macarthur residents should apply to take part if the opportunity arose.
The Amazing Race will air its final episodes on December 2 and 3.
