Treasure Island

Treasure island is the new adventure game show in which 16 plucky Australians are cast adrift on a remote island in the South Pacific hoping to overcome challenges in the hunt for A$50,000 in treasure.

The contestants have been selected for their practical abilities, sense of adventure and their sense of humour - which they'll need as the tropical paradise becomes more nightmarish by the day.

They'll lie, cheat and sabotage to get their booty, but only one member of each team will make it to the end. Every three days, the castaways must mark on a map where they think the treasure is - and the ones furthest away will be sent home.

After a gruelling training camp, the groups were whittled down from ten to eight - voted for by the team members.

So let's meet the plucky women and men on the treasure trail...

The West Team are:

* Justine Salkilld-Campbell. A 31 year old chef whose culinary expertise could prove a major asset. She says: "Anything that moves on this island is going to be on dinner plates - there's no ifs or buts!", so fussy eaters beware...

* Craig Sharpe is a 20 year old warehouse co-ordinator. He arrives with girlfriend Cassie - how will their relationship (and her vegetarianism) stand up to Treasure Island?

* Daniel Popping is 25 he takes his eyes from the prize early on, striking up a very close relationship with teammate Sally...

* Sally Maxwell is a retail assistant from Western Australia, and the 29 year old seems to be a real team player.

* Emma Forster (24) may find her experience as a tourism assistant useful... but she'll never have visited anywhere like this!

* Mike Kent, a 36-year-old fitness fanatic, loves the outdoor life - when the going gets tough, he'll be good to have on side.

* Steve Ibbotson (aged 39) serves in the RAAF, so should be used to the discipline needed to survive island life.

* Cassie Edwards is an 18 year old model from Queensland. Can she survive without her make up bag?

Finally, The East Team are:

* Tomi Pitra is a security officer from Victoria. Can the 20-year-old hunk keep his teammates safe on Treasure Island?

* Maggie Dawson (aged 21) is used to handling big money - she works at a casino. Can she cop the big prize?

* James WIrtanen is a 19 year old car salesman with a soft spot for Maggie. A chirpy character, he is popular with his team, who will need some light relief when times are hard.

* Frank Matzka is a rugged 40-year-old firefighter, so is used to dealing with dangerous situations. He should be a useful member of the team, providing a cool head in a crisis.

* Alex Simpson (29) from New South Wales loves the freedom on the island. She'll love it even more if she finds the $50k.

* Kym Clare is a 41-year-old admin assistant. She nearly reaches breaking point when she loses her bar of soap, so may need to toughen up to win the big money.

* Monika Karwan (27) is in marketing. Her way with words may help solve cryptic clues to the treasure's whereabouts.

* Gavin Heath, a 26 year old university graduate, bargains away one of his team's flints. Will he prove to be a soft touch?