Two Tasmanian musicians have battled it out in an underground cave for a shot at Australian Idol stardom after judge Marcia Hines made a surprise visit to the state.
The search saw Hines venture into rural Tasmania, which she described as “wild, beautiful” and “so green and lush”.
Craig Wisby, 30, and Mason Waller, 25, performed to Hines at Marakoopa Cave near Mole Creek for a wildcard audition.
The winner would score a Golden Ticket straight to the Sydney rounds.
No Tasmanian has ever won Australian Idol in the show’s history.
Hines tracked down Waller in Devonport after being tipped off by his friends.
“Marcia shows up out of nowhere. It just made my year,” he said.
She then headed to a farm to find Wisby, who’s been singing since he was 13.
“If I could do this, it would change our lives,” he said.
Both men performed inside the cave, which aired nationally on Tuesday night.
Waller took on Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight” in acappella, while Wisby performed Zach Bryan’s Something in The Orange.
But Hines warned Wisby about his stage presence.
“When you’re singing to people, all girls wanna think you’re singing to them,” she said.
She also flagged concerns about his vocal technique.
In the end, Hines chose Waller for the Golden Ticket.
“Mason, that was a great choice. I love Phil Collins,” she said. “You’ve got a fine voice and you go to places in your voice.”
Waller then headed to Sydney to face the next round of auditions, where standards were “sky-high”.
He performed Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi.
However, he did not manage to claim the golden ticket, with Victorian competitor Jacinta Guirguis taking the win.
