Age: 52

Profession: Farmer and Permaculturalist, VIC

Quote: “I’ve spent my life looking at how humans connect with the wild world, through anthropology, ethnobotany, forestry and this is the next of level of it all – I just want to know what it feels like to completely rely on nature to sustain myself.”

Yonke is a stoic yet playful single mother, managing a 20-acre permaculture farm in rural Victoria while raising an 11-year-old daughter and twin teenage boys. Her life is a blend of hard work, sustainability, spirituality and nurturing her children in a close-knit, rural setting. She also runs rewilding workshops when she finds the time.

Raised by an adventurous single mother, Yonke spent much of her childhood travelling across Asia, deeply immersing herself in Eastern philosophies. With Dutch heritage, she left Australia at 18 to study forestry in the Netherlands, aiming to understand how forest communities thrive. Her journey continued in Brazil, where she lived in the forest for three months. Her profound connection to forests and plant life means the idea of cutting down a tree for shelter is more distressing than hunting an animal for food.

A passionate fisher, Yonke has cast her line in waters from the highlands of Tasmania to the jungles of Brazil. She has spearfished in the ocean, tickled trout, and learned the importance of patience and adaptability in these environments.

Foraging is Yonke’s greatest strength. Her exceptional ability to identify and use what nature offers has been central to her survival, giving her a deep confidence heading into Alone. This talent, honed through years of farming and living off the land, allows her to solve problems instinctively, making the most of every resource the wilderness provides.