Forget the Wallabies, the real Australian star visiting Dunedin is the self-described ''unusualist'' Raymond Crowe.
Crowe, who is competing in the current edition of Australia's Got Talent, performed as part of ''An Evening to Remember'' at the Dunedin Town Hall last night, which raised money for the Otago Medical Research Foundation.
With his act including mime, ventriloquism, magic, and shadow puppetry, Mr Crowe has settled on the title of ''Australia's only unusualist''.
''I used to ask people after my performance how they would describe it and people would say it's different and it's unusual, so I thought I would coin the phrase unusualist. It's a mighty lofty title, I'll admit,'' he said.
He started honing his ''unusual'' talents as a child and eventually turned it into his job.
''I got into a job I didn't like, plotted my escape, and they haven't caught me yet.''
His routine had taken him around the world and he had performed on the Late Show with David Letterman and in front of Queen Elizabeth for the 2007 Royal Variety Performance.
He said being on Australia's Got Talent and making it into the finals - which are being held on November 3 - was ''probably the scariest'' thing he had ever done.
''Performing is all right. I do that all the time, but then having to stand there and be told about what people think about your performance is [scary].''
He was flying out of Dunedin before tonight's test match, but apprehensively picked a Wallabies victory.
