Chris Hemsworth returns to old stomping grounds in personal journey

Having grown up in Bulman, a remote community 600km south-east of Darwin in the Northern Territory, the Thor actor has chosen his old stomping grounds to film an episode for a new Disney - National Geographic mini series, believed to be Season 2 of Hemsworth's hit show Limitless.

The series follows the superstar on an epic journey to discover how to live better for longer.

During Season 1, the global star pushed himself to new limits in a bid to try to combat illnesses and problems related to ageing before they take hold.

"(In Limitless) I'm out of my comfort zone further than I've ever been," the star said about the show.

Hemsworth said he originally embarked on the Limitless journey concerned he might lose his memories when turning older due to an Alzheimer's gene discovered in his family.

"But I realised how much of this (aging) is in my own hands," he said.

First aired in November 2022 in the US, Limitless saw the celebrated Thor actor challenge himself to a skyscraper balancing act, using newly learned techniques to control stress to combat the risk it poses to long-term health.

In the six episodes he also explored the effect fasting can have on the body, as well as how extreme temperatures can aid in the defense against the "killer diseases of old age", travelling to the freezing Arctic with his brothers Liam and Luke to take on a gruelling cold therapy.

"What scares me is not being able to play with my grandkids, be active, all the things I love to do," he said.

"Working on Limitless was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to reflect on my strengths, vulnerabilities, and all the ways in which we as humans can plan toward longevity.

"It's a battle against what time can do to us."

In January, at the 2024 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour, National Geographic announced Limitless would be filmed for a second season, again following the Australian megastar as he "unearths the transformative secrets of improving our lives".

As part of Season 2, the Asgard God is set to embark on four new challenges through Nepal, Italy, the United Kingdom and Australia.

According to the show's producers, Season 2 aims to become "a series of physical and mental obstacles that people across the world face daily: mental agility, pain, burnout and interpersonal connection".

One of the new episodes is believed to take Hemsworth on a gruelling 300km NT motorbike ride in 33 degree heat from Katherine to Bulman on a mainly-dirt road which currently is in "the worst shape it's ever been", according to locals.

Some of the filming took place along Katherine's Gorge Road - the gateway to world famous Nitmiluk National Park - where Hemsworth spent a day riding a bike in the brutal sun, with a nearby bushfire adding smoke pollution to the challenge.

"For this next season, we are attempting to raise the bar and go even deeper in this exploration alongside health and wellness experts from around the globe," he said in a statement.

Embarking on the journey to Bulman will see the international star return to the Australian wilderness where he and his brothers spent their childhood on a remote cattle station with their English teacher mum Leonie and social worker dad Craig.

The Hemsworth brothers often fondly recall childhood memories of their time in the Territory where their parents ran the Bulman store and post office.

"'It was in the middle of nowhere. There were crocodiles and buffalo. School ... was made up of 60 kids between the ages of five and 17, all mashed into two classrooms," they previously shared with journalists.