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The accident that led to the Fren Family being cast on Travel Guides

Newcastle Travel Guides the Fren family have had Australia in stitches since they started on the Nine network show in 2017.

But mum and daughter Cathy and Victoria Fren told   Vacations & Travel   their appearance on the reality TV show was a total accident.

They never even applied.

The Fren family, Mark (59) and Cathy (57), and their two kids Jonathon (29) and Victoria (27) owned and operated Bavarian-style restaurant Oma together for ten years.

“Because of the restaurant they actually asked Mum to audition for a cooking show,” Victoria said.

“We didn’t get on that, I don’t even think the show ever aired.”

“But 12 months later we got a call asking about a show called Travel Guides and now here we are.”

The Fren Family matriarchs, Victoria and Cathy are well-known for being upfront. Jonathon and Mark are a bit more reserved.

But Victoria says the boys were “super keen” when Cathy pitched the Travel Guides plan to her clan.

“I mean who doesn’t love a free holiday,” Victoria said.

The Fren family have been on 38 “free holidays” to be exact. They’ve been lucky enough to travel to the most spectacular international and domestic destinations.

Keep reading:

• Travel Guides 2021 to take on international destinations
• Why Stack and Mel almost missed out on the show

The Fren family on Travel Guides 2021

The Travel Guides 2021 season sees the Fren family jet Greece, South Korea, Mauritius and Cambodia.

Cathy doesn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea: “Obviously all the overseas destinations were filmed before the pandemic”.

“We started filming this season in July of 2019 and we finished somewhere around mid November that year.”

Of all the international destinations that feature on Travel Guides 2021, Cathy and Victoria say that “Hands down, Greece was our favourite.”

“Mykonos was party central,” Cathy said.

Victoria disagrees, taking a dig at her mum.

“No, Mum and Dad went home early, I stayed and partied way on into the morning,” she said.

It clearly hits the spot.

“What are you talking about? We have a great relationship,” jokes Cathy.

Funny Frens

It’s clear that a great sense of humour is what keeps the Fren family so tight-knit.

They never take themselves too seriously.

“There isn’t a week if not a day that goes by where we don’t laugh about something that we’ve done,” Cathy told Vacations & Travel.

Of all the unpredictable situations the mother-daughter duo have found themselves in, they say that their ‘Mermaid Makeover’ is one they still can’t stop cracking up over.

Even though the Fren family are always up for a laugh they say that this season of Travel Guides was especially eye-opening for them.

“We got to go to Cambodia and that was a real culture shock for us because it’s a developing country. We got to see a lot of sadness there but it was really special to be able to do something like that,” Victoria said.

Brutally honest

Although they’re always grateful to journey abroad, the Fren family take their job as travel critics very seriously.

“We always tell the truth, because we know that there are so many people out there who actually go and do the same holiday we do,” Cathy said

“If we say we like something that we didn’t and then someone goes to that destination they’ll know we were lying.”

So many Australians relate to the larrikin family. But Cathy says she was initially surprised to hear that her family was the norm.

“When I brought my family on the show, I thought we were all crazy. But after being on the show so many people told us that we’re normal. I actually can’t believe it.”

This article is a Holidays with Kids digital exclusive. Be the first to see more exclusive online content by subscribing to the enewsletter here .

Lead image © Nine Network

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How Travel Guides’ Fren family became fan-favourites by being ‘exactly how we are’

If there’s one thing we know about the Fren family from watching them on  Travel Guides , it’s that they know how to have a good time.

WATCH BELOW: Travel Guides: The Fren family visit a farm

Often finding themselves in unpredictable situations due to their ‘have-a-go’ nature, the Frens always find the funny side of any holiday disaster.

It’s something that has proven to be quite handy during their travels on the Channel Nine reality show, where they act as travel critics on a week-long holiday.

Ever since they first graced our screens in 2017, the Frens – Mark, Cathy, Jono and Victoria – have been providing us with laughs, and the show wouldn’t be the same without them.

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Get to know more about the family here.

With their good-natured bickering and silly antics, the Frens have found the perfect balance to make their family work.

Mark keeps things upbeat and is a forthright dad, and is the other half to his wife Cathy, who has a quirky sense of humour and distinctive laugh that’s very contagious.

The couple have been married for more than 30 years and share two kids together, Victoria and Jonathon.

While Victoria is always ready to voice an opinion, Jonathon is a little more on the reserved side out of the bunch – offering a good mix within the family.

Although, while it seems like the show is the perfect fit for the family, Mark and Cathy were originally approached by Channel 9 to audition for something completely different – a cooking series called The Hotplate .

The show was never renewed for a second season, and the Frens family found themselves with spots on the  Travel Guides cast, where they say what you see is what you get.

“Something that we said straight off was that we’re portrayed exactly how we are. And all the people in the show, how they act, and how Channel 9 portrays them is exactly how they act,” Cathy told In Touch magazine.

“And that’s what we like. We’re ourselves. Halfway through the first series, I said to a producer, ‘How are we going? Are we alright?’ And he went, ‘Oh, you’re hilarious.’ And I said, ‘Well, I didn’t even know it was supposed to be a humorous show.’ We were just ourselves, so that’s just the way it went.”

While we’re used to seeing the Frens as just a family of four, the tight-knit clan expanded when Jono wed his partner of two years, Danielle Clark, on June 5 this year.

“They’re a great match,” his mum Cathy told Woman’s Day .  “They really complement each other. They’re madly in love and they’re really caring towards each other.”

His dad Mark also said that they were “so proud” of both the bride and groom, and Victoria added that Danielle has brought her older 
brother out of his shell.

“Individually they’re both quiet people, but when they’re out and about together they’re the total opposite – they’re really outgoing and keen to party,” she said.

The Fren family could also see another exciting addition now that the pair are married, with Danielle, who’s since changed her last name to Fren, and Jono having confirmed their readiness to be parents.

“Definitely!” he told the magazine. “A whole new Fren family!”

His family are certainly already keen, with Victoria having said: “I think a baby will be within the next few months. A few months… plus nine!”

Mark also added: “We’ve already worked out our grandparent names!”

Travel Guides airs Tuesday, 9pm, Nine Network.

Chanelle is the Shopping & Streaming Editor across a broad portfolio of digital brands, including ELLE, Marie Claire, WHO, Now To Love and more. With a background in entertainment and lifestyle, she loves any excuse to talk about her latest celebrity crush, what’s trending on #BookTok and the latest watercooler show she’s obsessing over.

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The accident that led to the Fren Family being cast on Travel Guides

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Newcastle Travel Guides the Fren family have had Australia in stitches since they started on the Nine network show in 2017.

But mum and daughter Cathy and Victoria Fren told Vacations & Travel their appearance on the reality TV show was a total accident.

They never even applied.

• Travel Guides 2021 cast will take on international destinations
• Interview: Travel Guides’ Kevin and Janetta
• Travel Guides Stack and Mel nearly missed out on the show

The Fren family, Mark (59) and Cathy (57), and their two kids Jonathon (29) and Victoria (27) owned and operated Bavarian-style restaurant Oma together for ten years.

“Because of the restaurant they actually asked Mum to audition for a cooking show,” Victoria said.

“We didn’t get on that, I don’t even think the show ever aired.”

“But 12 months later we got a call asking about a show called Travel Guides and now here we are.”

The Fren Family matriarchs, Victoria and Cathy are well-known for being upfront. Jonathon and Mark are a bit more reserved.

But Victoria says the boys were “super keen” when Cathy pitched the Travel Guides plan to her clan.

“I mean who doesn’t love a free holiday,” Victoria said.

The Fren family have been on 38 “free holidays” to be exact. They’ve been lucky enough to travel to the most spectacular international and domestic destinations.

The Fren family on Travel Guides 2021

The Travel Guides 2021 season sees the Fren family jet Greece, South Korea, Mauritius and Cambodia.

Cathy doesn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea: “Obviously all the overseas destinations were filmed before the pandemic”.

“We started filming this season in July of 2019 and we finished somewhere around mid November that year.”

Of all the international destinations that feature on Travel Guides 2021, Cathy and Victoria say that “Hands down, Greece was our favourite.”

“Mykonos was party central,” Cathy said.

Victoria disagrees, taking a dig at her mum.

“No, Mum and Dad went home early, I stayed and partied way on into the morning,” she said.

It clearly hits the spot.

“What are you talking about? We have a great relationship,” jokes Cathy.

Funny Frens

It’s clear that a great sense of humour is what keeps the Fren family so tight-knit.

They never take themselves too seriously.

“There isn’t a week if not a day that goes by where we don’t laugh about something that we’ve done,” Cathy told Vacations & Travel.

Of all the unpredictable situations the mother-daughter duo have found themselves in, they say that their ‘Mermaid Makeover’ is one they still can’t stop cracking up over.

Even though the Fren family are always up for a laugh they say that this season of Travel Guides was especially eye opening for them.

“We got to go to Cambodia and that was a real culture shock for us because it’s a developing country. We got to see a lot of sadness there but it was really special to be able to do something like that,” Victoria said.

Brutally honest

Although they’re always grateful to journey abroad, the Fren family take their job as travel critics very seriously.

“We always tell the truth, because we know that there are so many people out there who actually go and do the same holiday we do,” Cathy said

“If we say we like something that we didn’t and then someone goes to that destination they’ll know we were lying.”

So many Australians relate to the larrikin family. But Cathy says she was initially surprised to hear that her family was the norm.

“When I brought my family on the show, I thought we were all crazy. But after being on the show so many people told us that we’re normal. I actually can’t believe it.”

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Tags: Australian travellers , Fren family , Travel Guides , TV

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Meet the cast of Travel Guides 2024

Travel Guides is back for a new season – and so are your favourite cast members!

From the picturesque mountains of Nepal to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, the seventh season of the beloved travel show has already delivered its fair share of enviable experiences and hilarious moments.

Alongside Travel Guides’ once-in-a-lifetime itineraries, our favourite friendly faces will also be returning to our screens alongside a few new globe-trotting friends.

As they prepare for their next adventure, scroll down to meet the cast of Travel Guides for 2024.

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Karli and bri.

Joining Travel Guides on the road for the first time are Karly and Bri, two besties who met while filming  Beauty and the Geek  for Nine a couple of years ago and have been inseparable ever since.

“We were roommates on the show, so we had no choice but to be friends,” Bri told our sister site TV WEEK. “We were like the love story from  Beauty And The Geek … we walked out best of friends.”

“We bring a different dynamic to the show, and I think people will be pleasantly surprised by us. We might look a certain way on the outside – we like to dress up and look nice – but we also give everything a crack. We are tomboys at heart.”

Matt and Brett

Bona fide travel addicts Matt and Brett joined the show in season four, hailing from Newcastle in New South Wales.

The married couple, who have been together for 20 years now, describe themselves as ‘high-end travellers’ who also love a bargain.

While Matt is organised, and packs his outfits into plastic bags via the suitcase, Brett is much happier going along for the ride, leading to a delightful Bert-and-Ernie energy that makes for great TV.

They’re also hilarious, giving biting commentary, and always making the audience laugh.

The Fren Family

The delightful Fren family have been regulars since season one, bringing immediate joy to the show with their upbeat nature.

Dad Mark is upbeat and forthright, with a knack for negotiating room upgrades. He’s been married to his wife Cathy for over 30 years, and their two kids, Victoria and Jonathan, are always along for the journey.

Their family grew in 2023, with Jonathan marrying his long-term partner, Danielle Clarke.

Other members of the Travel Guides cast Matt, Brett, Kevin, Janetta, Mel, and Stack were all in attendance – too cute!

Kevin and Janetta

‘Holiday snobs’ Kevin and Janetta always bring the laughs.

The pair, who are in their 60s, are passionate wine enthusiasts and seasoned travellers. They’re also avid researchers when it comes to their holidays, making sure they have the best possible experience, so being thrown into strange situations on the show always makes for a good laugh.

They also won’t hesitate to ask for the manager, which has earned them the catchphrase, “We don’t suffer in silence”.

Kev, Dorian, and Teng

Besties Kev, Dorian, and Teng love food, computer games, movies, and music.

Kev is a pop-culture expert, Dorian studies teaching, and Teng is the risk-taker, who keeps deferring university in the hopes of finding a good time.

Their combined heritage spans China, Greece and Vietnam, giving them a unique take on the world when it comes to the show.

Travel Guides Season 7 airs Sundays at 7:00 pm on Nine and 9Now.

Erin Christie is a writer at WHO (digital), keeping across pop culture, reality TV (especially Survivor), and the occasional fashion trend.

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Travel Guides' Fren family take viewers inside their restaurant Oma's Kitchen

5 years ago

Three million tuned in last night for the season finale of Channel Nine's Travel Guides , but it's business as usual for series favourites the Frens, who between global jaunts and a busy TV schedule, together run German restaurant Oma's Kitchen.

The foursome, made up of Mark, Cathy and kids Victoria and Jono, have been starring on the reality series since it began three seasons ago.

Their self-depreciating attitude has had lounge rooms in stitches across the country.

But while the Frens might be used to being put up in swanky digs on the other side of the world and dishing out ratings as part of their role as TV travel critics, A Current Affair reporter Steve Marshall turned the tables on Australia's favourite clan, visiting their popular Newcastle diner to dish them a rating of his own.

Former kindy teachers Mark and Cathy opened Oma's Kitchen several years ago, bringing the kids onboard the family business.

It's this close-knit working environment that's fostered their cheeky, no-holds-barred sense of humour, Mark says.

"I've got be honest, I've got a great family and 'cause we work so closely together in the restaurant we kind of just can take the mickey out of each other and make fun of each other without anyone getting too upset."

The success of Travel Guides has made the Fren's local celebrities, attracting many customers to the restaurant.

"'We are really humbled by the amount of people who come from all over Oz to meet us and it's really injected tourism, I suppose, for Newcastle," Mark says.

Though if you ask the family, they'll tell you life really hasn't changed that much at all despite their fame.

"It hasn't [changed], I still work here," daughter Victoria says, jokingly adding "yes, [for] minimum wage."

Matriarch Cathy admits she didn't realise people would like them when the series began.

"I thought they'd think we were nuts but apparently we are the norm.

"What you see is what you get but everyone likes it, so we figured it's the new normal," she says.

Watch the full segment above for A Current Affair 's final verdict on the restaurant.

Nine are currently on the hunt for a new group of travel recruits for season 4 of Travel Guides. To submit an application, visit travelguidestv.com.au before midnight on Monday, April 15, 2019.

To catch up on the latest episodes of A Current Affair, visit 9now.com.au/a-current-affair .

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EXCLUSIVE: Inside Travel Guides star Victoria Fren and husband Nathan’s dream wedding

Victoria Fren says her new husband Nathan Moran’s late grandfather Barry – who sadly passed away a week before their wedding – “was definitely looking down on us” given the unseasonably sunny skies and “perfect” weather the couple enjoyed on their special day at the picturesque Kangaroo Valley Bush Retreat in the NSW Southern Highlands on May 6.

Love is in the air for Victoria and Nathan.

Along a winding path, into an ancient rock cathedral shaded by gum trees, the 29-year-old bride made her way down the aisle on the arm of her father Mark Fren , who was overcome with emotion.

“When I saw Victoria, I was bawling my eyes out. I just couldn’t stop,” Mark tells Woman’s Day. “I didn’t know whether it was because I saw my little girl was getting married, she was all grown up, or I was thinking of my bank account!”

The star of the day was less-than-impressed at her dad’s show of emotion, though. “It actually p** ed me off,” Victoria joked to Woman’s Day.*

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“Everyone was looking at him instead of looking at me. It’s about me!”

Proud father Mark walked his daughter down the aisle.

VOW OF LAUGHTER

The family’s signature humour was evident in the couple’s vows, too.

While groom Nathan, 30, revealed his relief that the big day had finally come around so he could ditch the “man shakes”, Victoria promised to continue bringing back duty-free alcohol for her new husband from her trips overseas with her famous family for Nine’s Travel Guides.

The groom’s Aboriginal heritage was also celebrated, with Nathan’s cousin Brenden delivering a moving Acknowledgement of Country and didgeridoo performance during the ceremony.

“It was amazing,” says Victoria, who explained how the whole day was inspired by Nathan and his family’s love of the bush.

After guests enjoyed drinks on the sunset deck, perched high above the valley while the bride and groom posed for pictures, it was on to the reception, with the highlight of the whole wedding for Victoria – the couple’s first dance.

The couple were surrounded by their nearest and dearest.

Nathan’s cousin Brenden delivered a moving Acknowledgment of Country.

“We’d practised so long for it and it definitely paid off,” says the reality star, who took lessons with her fiance at Newcastle’s Your First Dance Co for weeks prior to pulling off the six-song mash-up extravaganza.

“It was so epic,” says Victoria. “We had the dry ice and the fireworks and then the band chimed in. It was spectacular.”

So too were the bridal party’s custom suits, which fitted the bush theme in shades of rust and botanical print ties – all from Rundle Tailoring in Newcastle.

The couple’s celebrity friends Mitch Edwards and Mark McKie took on the MC duties for the evening, with Mitch explaining how The Block stars “immediately said, ‘Of course!'” when they were asked to do the honours.

“They were fantastic,” says Victoria of the pair’s hosting skills. “They’re such lovely people.”

Victoria also credits her dad with pleasing the crowd with a “beautiful speech”, but says it was Nathan’s best man, friend and neighbour Mitchell who “stole the show” with his.

Michael Teng was the only Travel Guides castmate on the tight guest list, with Victoria revealing the couple “only had limited numbers” and “didn’t really want it to be a Travel Guides thing”.

“We just wanted it to be about me and Nathan,” she shares.

The couple were surrounded by beautiful scenery.

The couple’s nearest and dearest enjoyed a banquet feast of delicious dishes, including black angus sirloin with miso, beetroot-cured ocean trout and butternut dauphinoise with browned sage butter from Rabbit & Co Caterers.

“The Frens love a buffet,” says Mark. And the gourmet grub was washed down with Peter Drayton Wines Pokolbin, before the partygoers had fun in the Peachy Booths photobooth, Michael’s new side gig.

After enjoying the dessert bar and wedding cake from The Patisserie Oak Flats, which the bride says was “absolutely beautiful”, the evening ended with guests gathering around a big bonfire.

“Everyone got changed and then met by the fire to debrief after the reception,” says Victoria of the warm ending to a magical day.

And if this were Travel Guides , the Frens say they’d give their “unique” wedding venue five stars. “It was just absolutely stunning,” says Mark.

The wedding was filled with Fren Family fun.

The newlyweds are now packing their bags for Thailand for their honeymoon, but Victoria still has a long bucket list of places she’d like to visit with her funny family on Travel Guides.

“I want to do Spain, the Maldives,” says the star, who works in disability and aged care support when she isn’t filming the show.

“There are so many places in the world we still haven’t been to yet.” And Victoria is keen to stay on the Nine reality hit “as long as they still want us”.

“We love Travel Guides. It’s so nice, with me and Jonathon being older, to be able to still travel with our parents.”

She and Nathan also have other plans for the near future. The couple – who have been together since they were 18 after meeting through mutual friends – are already parents to a fur baby, their dog Zeus, but plan to add one of the human variety to their family soon.

“I think we’d like one or two kids,” Victoria tells Woman’s Day. And she says she’d “love” if brother Jono and his wife Danielle, both 32 – who tied the knot in 2021 – started a family at the same time so the cousins could grow up together. “That would be beautiful.”

But Victoria and Nathan’s future children won’t be Frens – much to her family’s dismay.

“We are now the Morans,” Victoria declares. “No longer a Fren… I think the family deep down is heartbroken.”

See more on A Current Affair, Wednesday, 7pm, before Travel Guides on Nine.

The couple are already looking to add a new addition to the family.

Olivia is a writer at Woman's Day and has been covering celebrity news and interviewing stars for over 15 years in both Australia and the UK.

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• Thursday, August 29, 2024

Travel Guides: Everything you need to know about the Fren family

Meet the Frens (L-R): Jonathon, Victoria, Cathy and Mark.

With their good-natured bickering and silly antics, the Frens have found the perfect balance to make their family work.

Mark keeps things upbeat and is a forthright dad, and is the other half to his wife Cathy, who has a quirky sense of humour and distinctive laugh that’s very contagious.

The couple have been married for more than 30 years and share two kids together, Victoria and Jonathon.

While Victoria is always ready to voice an opinion, Jonathon is a little more on the reserved side out of the bunch – offering a good mix within the family.

“Something that we said straight off was that we’re portrayed exactly how we are.”

Although, while it seems like the show is the perfect fit for the family, Mark and Cathy were originally approached by Channel 9 to audition for something completely different – a cooking series called The Hotplate .

The show was never renewed for a second season, and the Frens family found themselves with spots on the  Travel Guides cast, where they say what you see is what you get.

“Something that we said straight off was that we’re portrayed exactly how we are. And all the people in the show, how they act, and how Channel 9 portrays them is exactly how they act,” Cathy told In Touch magazine.

“And that’s what we like. We’re ourselves. Halfway through the first series, I said to a producer, ‘How are we going? Are we alright?’ And he went, ‘Oh, you’re hilarious.’ And I said, ‘Well, I didn’t even know it was supposed to be a humorous show.’ We were just ourselves, so that’s just the way it went.”

The Frens are fan-favourites on Travel Guides.

While we’re used to seeing the Frens as just a family of four, the tight-knit clan expanded when Jono wed his partner of two years, Danielle Clark, on June 5 this year.

“They’re a great match,” his mum Cathy told Woman’s Day .  “They really complement each other. They’re madly in love and they’re really caring towards each other.”

His dad Mark also said that they were “so proud” of both the bride and groom, and Victoria added that Danielle has brought her older 
brother out of his shell.

“Individually they’re both quiet people, but when they’re out and about together they’re the total opposite – they’re really outgoing and keen to party,” she said.

Jono recently wed his partner of two years, adding a new Fren family member.

The Fren family could also see another exciting addition now that the pair are married, with Danielle, who’s since changed her last name to Fren, and Jono having confirmed their readiness to be parents.

“Definitely!” he told the magazine. “A whole new Fren family!”

His family are certainly already keen, with Victoria having said: “I think a baby will be within the next few months. A few months… plus nine!”

Mark also added: “We’ve already worked out our grandparent names!”

Travel Guides airs Tuesday, 9pm, Nine Network.

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Watching the Frens trapped in a 4WD on Travel Guides is glorious

THEY hate going outside and they’re unhappy when made to do anything. So watching this family crammed into a 4WD in the desert is pure joy.

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THE only thing better than hearing about other people’s travel nightmares is being given the opportunity to watch every moment of their suffering through curated footage.

In the Nine reality series Travel Guides , several groups of regular everyday Australians are sent to various locations around the world for a week and then give the trip a rating.

Sometimes the trips are luxury. And sometimes the groups are just sent to a crap hole and made to set up camp.

This week, it was the latter.

Making up the groups are Aria award winning brother-sister musical duo Angus and Julia Stone.

And these three flight attendants who I’m pretty sure are just the one person.

But the standout group is the Fren family from Newcastle.

They hate going outside and they’re unhappy when they’re made to do anything.

In the latest episode of the series, all the groups — including the Fren family — are sent to the Northern Territory for a “week long budget camping adventure”.

Receiving word of their latest destination, the Frens are not impressed.

“The red flags started to go up straightaway because we really don’t like the outdoors that much,” the dad says in his light, pitchy voice as the family sit on a rock in the middle of nowhere. They remain perched on this rock for the whole episode as we cut to them for lukewarm commentary about their adventure as it plays out. It’s like Gogglebox but instead of gross recliners there’s a gross rock.

The Frens are extremely uncomfortable with the idea of being outside and I completely sympathise with them. Being outside sucks. Also, I’m legitimately concerned for their son and hope he’s been thoroughly misted in Banana Boat SPF 100 before encountering any kind of sunlight.

The Frens hit the ground walking and face an obstacle as soon as they pull into their first stop in Darwin.

In perhaps one of the most glorious moments of Australian television I’ve seen in recent times, the unenthused son and daughter — dressed in sunshirts — are strapped into a Perspex barrel and slowly lowered into a crocodile enclosure during feeding time.

GoPro’s inside the barrel capture the moment the siblings are submerged under water and a chicken carcass is thrown at them which encourages a crocodile to attack.

“I wanna get out! I wanna get out please! Please, I don’t like it in here!” the daughter wails as the crocodiles thrash around them.

It’s terrific. It’s like I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here but better because at the end no one wins anything and there are no prizes so all the torture is for nothing.

After their screams are ignored, the Fren siblings are eventually winched out of the enclosure and pile back into their Mitsubishi Pajero.

“OK let’s get this road trip started. Got our hot chips,” the dad says in his wavering voice.

When the family discovers their next excursion involves literally just sitting on a boat as it sails down a river, they seriously could not be F-ed.

Later on, they take a workshop in how to light a fire with two sticks and the dad gets into a very unnecessary position.

After what feels like several hours, they finally light a fire.

And the daughter has a simple question for the instructor: “Can you get high off it?”

Back in the Mitsubishi, it isn’t long before the Frens face another problem.

“Did someone fart?,” the dad softly accuses.

“Ugh I’m gonna be sick!” the son says, making his first statement of the episode.

At the end of the week, after days of bickering, they’ve had enough. On their final morning, they sit around boiling eggs and barely talking.

Rating the trip three stars, they clamour back into the Pajero and begin the trek back to their life in Newcastle — free of Perspex barrels and outdoor activities.

For more observations on perspex barrels and not wanting to do things, follow me on Twitter: @hellojamesweir

Travel Guides continues Tuesday night at 9pm on Nine.

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Exclusive: The first look inside Victoria from Travel Guides wedding

Exclusive: When you wed a Fren , you marry the whole Travel Guides family.

Luckily Victoria's new hubby Nathan had been a longtime friend before he proposed and knew exactly what to expect as he sat down for an interview a day after his wedding, or so we thought.

"I know they haven't been practicing, so if you need any tips Nathan just let me know," Victoria's dad Mark laughed when suggesting some grandkids would be nice.

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Victoria and Nathan tied the knot at the Bush Retreat in the stunning Kangaroo Valley.

The ceremony didn't disappoint.

"Victoria I'll give you this ring as a symbol of my vow and love, remembering once it's on, I'm off the Manshakes," Nathan vowed, as the wedding party roared with laughter.

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Victoria returned the serve: "I thank you for allowing me to travel the world with my family and I promise to bring you home signature bottles of alcohol from duty free."

We saw the couple's first kiss and the first fight.

"You're standing on my dress .... f------ hell. You just stood straight on the middle of my dress," Victoria joked as she signed the wedding certificate.

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The laughs continued all night.

The Fren family might have seen a lot of what the world has to offer but the wedding photos on the cliff tops genuinely blew their minds.

"That was the moment for me," Victoria said.

"It was just like 'wow', we made it."

But Victoria was quick to point out how often her dad Mark cried on her big day.

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"I thought you were at a funeral, it was embarrassing," she said.

Mark responded: "The door opened and I saw you and my little girl was all dressed up and I had all these emotions and then I had a flashback of my bank account," he laughed.

The wedding came a year after her brother Jono married Danielle , with the couple settling into their Newcastle home.

Victoria said Cathy, Mark, and Jono weren't invited on the newlyweds' honeymoon, which would be "cheap and nasty" in Thailand.

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The Travel Guides Cast: Everything About Salary and Living Conditions

The Travel Guides is a popular Australian reality TV series. It first aired in 2017 and was met with positive feedback from viewers. Australians were eager to watch a different type of reality TV series. They found this show to be a refreshing change from the regular selection of reality TV programs.

This series follows groups of travellers from Australia. All of the travellers are ordinary Australians, but each group is different from the next. Their job is to review the accommodations, cuisine, and tourist attractions.

However, this isn’t your ordinary travel series. The contestants on this show are put in unpredictable situations. It’s part of what makes this show unpredictable and humorous. Each group of travellers will have a different take on the situations at hand.

What Does the Cast Do on Travel Guides?

The cast of this hit reality series gets to go on exclusive vacations around the world. While they travel, they will experience different activities, try dishes custom to other cultures, and stay at local hotels and resorts. In exchange for this, they will leave brutally honest reviews.

In each episode of the series, the travellers will go on a week-long vacation (all expenses paid). The groups each consist of family members or close friends. They will leave their comfortable nest in Australia and venture to big cities worldwide.

Viewers are introduced to new groups of travellers each season, and some fan favourites have returned to the show. One of the most popular groups on the show is the Fren family, who has appeared in all five seasons.

These groups have gotten to travel to places all over the world. Some of the places they’ve visited include:

• Tokyo, Japan
• Perth, Australia
• Argentina & more

Does the Cast of Travel Guides Get Paid?

It hasn’t been released to the public how much the castmates of Travel Guides get paid. However, the Fren family had openly commented on how the show saved them when they were experiencing financial hardship with the restaurant they own.

Many reality TV shows made in Australia will provide contestants with weekly pay while filming. Travel Guides is a different scenario. Ordinary Australians get to travel to tourist destinations in Australia and internationally for free. All fees are covered, including accommodations, transportation, meals, shopping, and other activities they participate in. Since everything is free for travellers, they don’t have to worry about any expenses.

Whether or not the contestants get paid per episode and how much they earn hasn’t been revealed. Each group of family and friends do have the job of leaving a red hot honest review. Even if they don’t get paid, the free travelling and TV exposure are worth it.

A lot of Australian reality TV contestants are able to earn money because of the exposure they have gotten. Once the TV series airs, fans of the show begin following the castmates on social media and subscribing to their content. Well-known castmates have been able to use their exposure to get further opportunities, such as appearances on other TV series. It’s also common for them to get paid endorsement deals where brands pay them to post content on Instagram and other social media platforms.

Another way that these contestants use their exposure to earn money is through paid online gigs, like Cameo and similar platforms. This is when they record personal messages for fans for a cost. The more popular a castmate is, the more they can charge for a video. It’s also common for castmates to use paid subscription platforms, like Patreon and OnlyFans, to earn an income. Also, a lot of contestants may like to relax by gambling and choose a new Australian online casino .

What Are the Living Conditions Like on Travel Guides?

Every country these travellers visit will have different accommodations. The accommodations will be based on the culture of the country they visit. This is why the reviews from the Fren family, cowgirl twins, and other favourite castmates are always red hot.

For the most part, they get to experience good quality living conditions. However, since the accommodations are often different from what they are used to, it leads to some hilarious reviews. This is one of the main reasons why this reality TV series has been such a hit with Australians and other viewers around the world.

Every episode is a different experience for the castmates and the viewers. Travellers could be enjoying the lux life on a cruise, visiting a casino in the city, or going on an off-road adventure. They must be up for anything to get the full travel experience.

Will Travel Guides Return for Season 6?

Do you want to see the Fren family and other fan favourites back on your TV screen? Currently, there is no word on when season 6 will be released. This is because the 6th season hasn’t been renewed yet.

Fans of this beloved reality TV show shouldn’t have reason to worry about the series’ fate. It has been confirmed that the series hasn’t been cancelled and is just on a break.

Does the idea of temporarily leaving your job and travelling the world for free sound like a dream? That’s exactly what the castmates of this popular reality TV series get to experience. While there currently isn’t any information released on what contestants earn from filming the series, the experience they get is well worth it.

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