Nicola Baker revisits Darwin roots with Adventure All Stars
A Queensland-based Territorian has raised $137,000 for a cause close to her heart and earned a trip home with the ‘All Stars’.
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After raising more than $137,000 for Moyamoya Australia, Nicola Baker was offered the “once in a lifetime” opportunity to reconnect with the town she was born in.
The philanthropist was born in Darwin but moved interstate as a baby, only returning for brief trips as a child.
As a cast member in season three of Adventure All Stars, Ms Baker revisited her roots and trialled several of the Territory’s most iconic activities.
The Top End will be the backdrop for the upcoming season of the travel show’s first episode on July 21 on 7Plus.
“To come back as an adult and have a greater appreciation of the city and everything that it’s got to offer was just absolute gold,” Ms Baker said.
“We went jetskiing in the Darwin Harbour, went airboating through the billabongs, we went on helicopter rides and we had the most beautiful time on Sail Darwin watching the sun go down.”
Ms Baker said the cast also spent time four-wheel-driving and driving ATVs through the mud.
After having a memorable and joyous time filming season three of the national edition of the show, Ms Baker was invited to star in the show’s “legends” series, which takes cast members overseas.
“We just came back from Vanuatu in May, so that was super exciting as well,” she said.
Ms Baker said every cast member needed to raise at least $10,000 for their nominated charities in 10 months before being accepted to participate in the show.
She founded Moyamoya Australia after her son Jed – who is now 19 – was diagnosed with the rare disease as a child.
“My baby boy had a stroke in my arms at 11 months old and there was no support and there was no diagnosis for years,” she said.
“We strive to change that, so we established Moyamoya Australia September 2019 and so far we have donated over $40,000 to research for Moyamoya disease.
“We’ve funded families who are going through the worst days of their lives with treatment and we’ve – most importantly – made them feel like they’re part of a team and that they’re not alone.”
Territorian and “professional fun person” Danielle Aquilina will star in the show’s next season, and is set to film in August.
She raised more than $10,000 for Two Two One Mental Health Charity to earn her spot on the show, though she does not know where her season will be filmed.
“I’m anticipating somewhere cold just because that’s everywhere else in Australia that isn’t up here,” she said.
“A challenge that I’m then looking at is what am I supposed to pack, because I don’t own any warm clothes because I live in Darwin.”
Ms Aquilina said previous seasons seemed to have a “tendency to get their contestants very dirty”.
“They like putting them in the mud and in the dirt and in the swamp,” she joked.
“It’s fine if they’re providing the clothes for it, but I kind of value my wardrobe attire.”
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Originally published as Nicola Baker revisits Darwin roots with Adventure All Stars
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