Original subtitles

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: This is the tropical fringe

of Australia's Northern Territory,

known as the Top End.

It's a place where a monsoonal climate

creates lush wetlands bursting with wildlife,

and the landscape near here

holds some of Australia's best-kept secrets.

In Nitmiluk National Park,

the Katherine River has carved a series

of 13 spectacular gorges.

By navigating through this ancient landscape,

it's possible to reach a hidden cultural treasure.

This is the land of the Jawoyn people,

and their ancestors created a series of rock art galleries

on the sandstone cliffs,

some dating back 40,000 years.

They are some of the best-preserved

in the whole of Australia.

The art depicts things of deep importance

to their culture,

including stories of creation

and reveals how they may have lived and thought.

It's just one of over 100,000

rock art sites across the country,

which together provide

an extraordinary insight

into one of the oldest living cultures on Earth.

♪ ♪

Australia's cultural history dates back

tens of thousands of years,

and it's in the heart of the continent

that the most iconic symbol

of this deep connection to the land can be found.

In the remote central region

stretching from north to south coasts,

travel is tough.

But those with a lust for adventure,

can discover stunning national parks,

explore towns lost in time,

and observe a deadly predator in the wild.

Here, life is dictated by the extremes of nature.

But with some true Aussie grit,

it's possible to succeed against the odds.

Welcome to the Extreme Center.

[engines revving]

♪ ♪

The Tiwi Islands are a chain of 11 islands

in the far north of Australia, two of which are inhabited.

They're a part of the Northern Territory,

which has the highest proportion

of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

relative to population size

of all of Australia's states and internal territories.

In fact, in the Tiwi Islands,

nearly 90% of the inhabitants are Indigenous

and most speak Tiwi as their first language.

From 1636,

a succession of Dutch merchants visited the islands

but found a civilization so different from their own

that they saw no opportunities for trade.

Then, in 1824, the British established

a military outpost called Fort Dundas.

Suffering sickness and malnutrition

and facing fierce resistance from the Tiwi population,

just a few years later, the fort was abandoned.

As a result,

the Tiwi culture is still vibrant,

with the people maintaining a deep connection

to the land and sea,

continuing traditional activities

such as hunting and fishing.

Today, Shane and John are looking for mud crabs.

With the tide low, it's possible to wade out

on the sandbanks where they live.

But it's a dangerous thing to do,

because these waters are home to a fearsome apex predator--

the saltwater crocodile.

Using knowledge handed down through the generations,

the men head out with spears crafted by hand.

After a brief search,

they find what they're looking for.

Back on the beach,

the crab provides a tasty snack for their family.

It's a sustainable way of taking from the sea

that leaves no impact on marine life.

A far cry from commercial fishing

in other parts of Australia and the world.

[birds tweeting]

The Tiwi Islands receives the highest annual rainfall

in the Northern Territory.

Around 90% of it falls in the wet season.

However, in the long dry season,

the lush forests and bush transform

into one of the most fire-prone ecosystems on Earth.

[fire crackling]

For at least 11,000 years,

Tiwi people have managed the land

using traditional burning.

And the technique is still being used today.

[helicopter whirring]

On the ground, Tiwi rangers use drip torches

to create lines of fire in the bush.

While from a helicopter, incendiary capsules

are dropped into specially-targeted areas.

The teams must work fast,

keeping an eye out for changes in the wind

and ensuring the blaze doesn't get out of control.

Burns like this are fraught with danger,

but fighting fire with fire

is essential to maintaining the health of the forest.

It not only reduces fuel loads,

preventing massive destructive wildfires

later in the dry season,

but also increases nutrients in the soil,

and helps maintain critical wildlife habitats.

On the Tiwi Islands, the use of modern technology

combined with ancient knowledge of the land

is proving to be a powerful combination.

Tiwi traditions are integral

to life on the islands.

Every Tiwi islander is born

into one of four kinship groups,

handed down through the matrilineal line,

and one of eight clans

handed down through the patrilineal line.

A person's kinship group and clan guide

many aspects of life,

including ceremonies.

The most important of which is called Pukumani.

Held 12 months or more after a person's death,

it marks the end of their existence

in the physical world.

At the end of the ceremony,

poles called Tutini

made from cured Kartukini or Ironwood

are placed around the burial site.

The design is decided according to the person's clan

and can only be carved by the deceased's

brother-in-law or sister-in-law.

The ceremony is not only a celebration

of the person's life,

but prepares their spirit for the journey

to its homeland.

♪ ♪

The British may have failed to establish

an outpost in the 19th century...

but in 1911, the Roman Catholic Church

established a mission at Wurrumiyanga

on Bathurst Island.

Then, in 1941, a church was built,

painstakingly constructed out of timber

transported from across the islands.

It soon became embedded in island life

by learning to accept a fusion of Catholicism

and Tiwi spirituality.

Unlike many churches on the mainland,

it allowed traditional singing and dancing

as part of the Catholic services

and was more accepting of local customs.

Tutini were even installed inside,

forming the legs of the altar.

Services here ceased in the early 2000s,

transferring to a new church nearby.

But today, there's a campaign on

to raise money for the restoration of a building

which holds huge cultural and historical significance.

[clapping in rhythm]

Missionaries didn't just introduce

the Catholic religion to the islanders.

In 1941, a priest called Brother John Pye

brought across a new sport from the mainland--

Australian rules football.

The Tiwi islanders were captivated by it.

The game involves passing a ball

between teammates using either a handball...

or a kick.

If the ball is kicked between the center two posts

without being touched,

it's a goal, and the team scores six points.

If the ball passes through the outer posts,

it's called a "behind," and the team gets one point.

Despite having a population

of less than two and a half thousand,

the Tiwi Islands have produced several star players

who have gone on to play in the national league.

In fact, the islands have

the highest community participation rate

in Australia, with over 35% of the population

taking to the oval.

Today, after a hard-fought battle,

the game between local rivals

the Tapalinga Superstars and the Muluwurri Magpies

ends in a draw.

[players chattering]

A short flight across the Clarence Strait

is the port city of Darwin.

During World War II,

it was a military base for the Allies,

making it the target of a deadly bombing raid

often known as Australia's Pearl Harbor.

♪ ♪

Darwin is the capital of the Northern Territory.

Its isolated location meant the British

didn't establish a permanent settlement here

until 1869,

over 80 years

after the First Fleet landed in Sydney.

The first grand public building to be constructed

was Government House,

built as a residence for the territory's administrator.

Throughout its history, it survived tropical cyclones

and even bombing raids,

because this is a city shaped by war.

In the 1930s, with World War II

looking increasingly likely,

the British decided to build a base

for their eastern fleet in Darwin.

Thousands of Allied troops were moved into the area.

Then, in December 1941,

over two years after war broke out in Europe,

the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

The conflict spread to the Pacific,

and Darwin was put right in the firing line.

On the morning of February 19th, 1942,

188 Japanese planes launched a surprise attack.

Eleven ships were sunk, 30 aircraft destroyed,

and Darwin's infrastructure was badly damaged.

It was the first-ever enemy attack on Australian soil

in the history of the Commonwealth.

235 lives were lost,

nearly half of them U.S. servicemen.

When the war finally ended, many evacuees

returned to Darwin to help rebuild their city.

Today, it's a laid-back hub for tourism

and a popular stop for cruise ships.

It's also home to a thriving multicultural population.

And at the heart of this melting pot

is the Mindil Beach Sunset Market.

Running throughout the dry season

from the end of April through to October,

this is Darwin's own version of a street food market.

There are over 150 stalls

and dozens of delicious cuisine to choose from.

Here, travelers and locals can soak up the vibrant atmosphere

and take in one of the stunning tropical sunsets

that this city is famous for.

[birds cawing]

Darwin is in the tropical fringe

of Australia's northern coast,

known as the Top End.

The area's crown jewel is Kakadu.

It's Australia's second-largest national park,

stretching out over seven and a half thousand square miles.

For the Aboriginal people who've lived here

and managed this land for at least 65,000 years,

it has huge cultural importance.

Running through it are the Alligator Rivers,

named by Phillip Parker King in 1818

who misidentified the reptiles

lurking in its waters.

This is the habitat

of an estimated 10,000 freshwater

and saltwater crocodiles.

Although closely related to alligators,

they have a distinctive V-shaped snout.

Also, saltwater crocodiles

can grow much bigger.

In fact, it's the biggest reptile

on the planet,

with some reaching up to 23 feet long

and weighing more than 2,500 pounds.

For Aboriginal people, they're sacred beings,

and for some Aboriginal groups,

they are linked to an ancient ancestor named Ginga

who created the striking sandstone rock formations

found throughout the area.

While sleeping by a river, Ginga was engulfed

by a bushfire and took to the water

to extinguish the flames.

Lumpy scars formed on his back,

and he transformed into a crocodile.

Today, these animals are still called Ginga

by the Bininj Mungguy people.

An incredible array of birdlife

also calls these waterways home.

From pelicans to magpie geese,

there are over 280 different species here.

During the tropical summer,

they fill the wetlands for the start of breeding season.

[birds tweeting, cawing]

♪ ♪

This magical park draws

up to 200,000 visitors every year,

venturing into its depths by boat

or four-wheel drive.

But some of its most inaccessible corners,

like the 656-foot Jim Jim Falls,

are best enjoyed from the air.

♪ ♪

Travel in the vast Northern Territory takes time,

and for those living in remote communities

or on cattle stations,

isolation can be a problem.

For chaplains Niall and Michelle Gibson,

to be able to reach these communities,

they must take to the skies.

Today, this husband and wife team

are flying in to meet the Sullivan family,

who run a cattle station called Cave Creek.

These chaplains provide spiritual support

across Australia's north

and sometimes conduct weddings or religious ceremonies.

But often, a good chat over a cup of tea

is enough to help people feel less alone.

Soon though, it's time to head to their next appointment

and take to the heavens once more.

[engine humming]

Flying into the interior of the continent,

the landscape transforms.

This is Australia's Red Center,

home to an iconic landmark

which is considered to be

the spiritual heart of the nation.

♪ ♪

Heading into the Red Center of Australia,

sun-blasted rock and sand dunes fill the horizon.

This parched desert environment

often gets just six inches of rain a year.

Although previously populated by Aboriginal peoples,

nowadays, large parts of Central Australia

are uninhabited.

But in the middle of this unforgiving landscape

is a bustling desert town,

Alice Springs.

The town started as a station

on a groundbreaking telegraph line,

completed in 1872.

This was one of 12 stations which relayed signals

right through the heart of Australia

along a line stretching nearly 2,000 miles

between the north and south coasts.

The line transformed Australia's relationship

with the rest of the world.

Instead of messages taking two or three months

to reach London by boat,

they could be sent by telegraph

in around seven hours.

It's considered to be the greatest engineering feat

of 19th-century Australia.

Despite being named Alice Springs,

the town's drinking water doesn't come

from a spring at all, but an aquifer deep underground.

And another aquifer is used to irrigate a sporting oasis.

A golf course in the middle of the desert.

The Alice Springs Golf Club opened in 1985

when Australian golfing legend Greg Norman teed off

in an exhibition match to mark the occasion.

In the shadow of the MacDonnell Ranges,

it's one of the finest desert courses

in the southern hemisphere.

And it presents a unique challenge.

The hot desert temperatures

mean that golf balls carry further than normal.

Shots can bounce off the sun-baked greens.

And if a player strays from the narrow fairways,

the natural environment takes over

from rocky rough, to bunkers filled with desert sand.

However, keeping the course in tip-top condition

requires a lot of water.

With water levels in the aquifer in gradual decline,

the golf course is looking at ways

to reduce its environmental impact.

♪ ♪

For those seeking a more extreme sport,

there is an alternative.

Every year, Alice Springs hosts

an adrenaline-filled event

which provides a rush like no other.

The Tatts Finke Desert Race.

In this two-day, off-road battle,

motorbikes, cars, and buggies

race through the desert from Alice Springs

to the remote community of Finke,

140 miles away.

It's considered to be Australia's

toughest off-road race.

The event dates back to 1976,

when a group of motorcycle enthusiasts

decided to test their skills

by racing from Alice Springs to Finke and back.

Then, in 1988,

cars and buggies were allowed to compete,

and a healthy rivalry developed

between those on two wheels and those on four.

The bikes won for 11 years straight.

But then, in 1999,

a buggy finally took the title.

These days, riders and drivers from all over the world

compete in two separate competitions,

one for cars and one for bikes,

and the winners of each crowned king of the desert.

Moving southwest,

away from the irrigated region of Alice Springs,

the landscape turns to desert once more.

Just over 200 miles away,

rising abruptly out of the land,

is Australia's most famous natural wonder...

Uluru.

This extraordinary landmark

is considered to be the cultural

and spiritual heart of the nation.

At over 1,100 feet high

and extending over a mile and a half below the surface,

this is one of the largest monoliths in the world.

For Anangu, whose land this is,

Uluru was created by their ancestors

at the beginning of time.

To them, Uluru is a living being.

The average annual rainfall here

is less than 12 inches.

But on the rare occasion the heavens open,

this magical rock transforms.

Glistening waterfalls appear...

and Uluru's red color,

caused by high levels of iron oxide,

gets darker.

To Anangu, it's a sign of rebirth

and renewal.

Uluru remained unknown to Europeans until 1872.

Then, in the 1930s, the first tourists began to arrive.

To help develop this fledgling tourism industry,

the government formed the Ayers Rock National Park,

and Anangu were discouraged from visiting.

For many years, Anangu lobbied for the rights

to their ancestral lands,

until finally, in 1985,

the title deeds for the park were transferred.

Since 2019,

it's been forbidden to climb Uluru

out of respect for its spiritual importance.

Bordering the Northern Territory

is the state of South Australia.

Here, the land gets even drier,

and the temperatures hotter.

So the people here have come up with a practical way

to escape the blistering summer heat.

They've gone underground.

♪ ♪

South Australia is the driest state in the country.

It's home to Lake Eyre,

the deepest part of the continent,

at nearly 50 feet below sea level.

For the vast majority of the time,

this lake is empty.

On average, it fills with water

just twice every hundred years.

But beneath the surface

lies a huge hidden water source...

the Great Artesian Basin.

This immense aquifer covers an area

of over 650,000 square miles,

around a fifth of the Australian continent,

and it holds enough water

to fill Sydney Harbour 130,000 times.

The water is contained in a layer of permeable sandstone

nearly 10,000 feet underground.

But in a few places,

this ancient water breaks through to the surface.

These are the Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs.

Mound springs have been known to Aboriginal people

for many thousands of years

and were stops along trading routes

through Central Australia.

When the Europeans arrived,

this ancient knowledge was observed.

It meant that in 1862,

a Scottish explorer named John McDouall Stuart

was able to cross the interior of the continent

from south to north and back again.

The presence of reliable water sources

soon sparked the interest of the state government.

Water made building a railroad possible,

as steam locomotives had somewhere

to fill up their tanks en route.

Construction began in 1877,

from Port Augusta on the south coast,

And in 1882,

the line reached the town of Farina,

around 200 miles away.

And it's possible to explore the remains

of this abandoned outback town.

For a time, this remote outpost

was a thriving community.

Then, in the 1950s,

diesel locomotives arrived in Australia,

hastening the town's demise.

With trains no longer reliant on water,

a new line was built to the west,

following a more direct path

across the continent to Alice Springs.

By 1967, Farina had been abandoned,

and in the 1980s,

the rail line officially closed.

Today, it's possible to travel from Adelaide,

the capital of South Australia,

all the way to Darwin

in the Northern Territory, by rail.

[train horn blaring]

This 1,851-mile journey

takes 54 hours

and passes through diverse and spectacular landscapes.

The train is called the Ghan,

in honor of the Afghan camel drivers

who helped European exploration

of the continent's remote interior

back in the 19th century.

♪ ♪

A popular stop along the Ghan is the town of Coober Pedy.

It's known as the "opal capital of the world."

Opals have been mined here since 1915,

and there are hundreds of thousands of mine shafts

dotted across the landscape,

some dating back nearly to this time.

Opals can be found here in such abundance

due to a process called acidic weathering.

It began around a hundred million years ago

when the land here was covered by a vast sea.

As the sea dried out,

the water became acidic,

causing silica to be released

from cracks in the sandstone.

Over time, this hydrated silica gel

hardened into opal.

Australia is the only place on Earth

where this process has occurred on such a huge scale.

And today, the country supplies

around 95% of the world's demand

for this precious gemstone.

♪ ♪

For the residents here, summers are blisteringly hot,

with temperatures reaching up to 126 degrees Fahrenheit.

So they've come up with a practical way of living.

Rather than building traditional houses,

many people here have gone underground,

creating homes called dugouts.

Here, the temperature hovers

around a comfortable 75 degrees.

Underground bars, shops, and even churches

can be found here,

a thriving town hidden away from the outside world.

♪ ♪

A wide variety of wildlife is found in this land.

But at the top of the food chain

is an iconic animal found across much of Australia

which is proving problematic to livestock farmers...

the dingo.

While dingoes normally prey on rabbits and rodents,

they can also kill sheep and calves in significant numbers.

It's estimated to cost the Australian livestock industry

over $70 million US a year.

In 1946, construction began

on an innovative solution -

the Dog Fence.

At nearly three and a half thousand miles long,

it's the longest barrier fence in the world...

cutting off the entire southeast of the continent.

However, the fence is controversial.

It not only stops dingoes,

but prevents the movement of other large animals,

such as emus and kangaroos, disrupting ecosystems.

On top of this, marsupials, reptiles, bats, and birds

can become entrapped in the wire.

But with the government investing

millions of dollars a year in its upkeep,

this iconic Australian structure seems here to stay.

♪ ♪

Another challenge to livestock farming

in this part of South Australia

is that vegetation is extremely sparse.

Without a large area of land on which to graze,

livestock can starve.

One hundred miles east of Coober Pedy

is a cattle station where space is not a problem.

Anna Creek is the largest cattle station in the world.

Sixteen-thousand beef cattle

roam its 9,000 square miles,

an area seven times bigger

than the largest ranch in the United States.

It's greater in size even than some countries

like Belize and Slovenia.

The cattle are Poll Herefords,

a breed which copes well in extreme heat.

They only need one large drink a day

at one of the station's 300 watering points.

The levels in the most remote water tanks

are monitored by satellite

to make sure they never run dry.

[engines rumbling]

But the size of the station means that

gathering the cattle for market

is a huge challenge.

Before daybreak, spotter aircraft

locate the herds to be brought in that day.

Then, a team of cowboys known as ringers

heads off to bring them in.

Today, they're targeting a remote part of the station

where around 200 cattle are grazing.

- [cattle braying] - MAN: Hey! Hey! Hey!

Once the cattle have been brought into the yard,

stockmen are able to assess the animals at close quarters.

New calves are tagged,

while those who have reached around 18 months old

are loaded onto road trains to be taken away to market.

♪ ♪

The gathering of all the cattle,

called a muster, takes at least six weeks.

And once it's complete, it's time to have some fun.

This is William Creek,

a tiny outback town on Anna Creek Station

which is home to the only pub for 100 miles.

The town has a permanent population of just 10,

but every year it comes alive

at the William Creek Gymkhana and Motokhana.

Here, it's possible to sip on an ice-cold beer

while watching events ranging from horse racing

to motor sports.

A truly Australian Outback experience.

♪ ♪

While the lack of rainfall in South Australia

provides challenges for most farming,

it has also created an opportunity.

This is Bungala,

one of the largest solar farms in Australia.

Construction began in 2017,

and today, it contains 840,000 solar panels

spread across nearly 400 acres of land.

That's the same size as 300 American football fields.

Each panel contains photovoltaic cells,

which convert energy from the sun into electricity.

When combined, they produce enough energy

to power 113,000 households.

In recent years, Australia has experienced

a surge in large-scale renewable energy projects.

And nearly 20% of the country's power is generated by solar.

On top of this, Australia has

the highest take-up of residential

rooftop solar in the world.

Panels are now installed

on around one in three Australian homes.

Concern for the environment wasn't always a priority

in this part of the world.

The state is home to large colonies

of Australian sea lions.

But they've been hunted to near extinction,

Now, conservationists are trying to save

this incredible creature.

[distant bird cawing]

More than four-fifths of the state of South Australia

is less than 1,000 feet above sea level.

But in the Flinders Ranges,

the land suddenly rises up

into the state's largest mountain range.

Beyond the Ranges,

the climate becomes Mediterranean,

with hot summers, cool winters,

and reliable rainfall

♪ ♪

Ideal conditions for growing grapevines.

[birds tweeting]

While most Australian winemaking regions

were heavily influenced by the British,

the Barossa Valley was also developed

by German Lutherans

who came to the region around the mid-19th century

to escape religious persecution.

They mainly grew Riesling,

a white grape grown on vines

brought from the Rheingau wine region.

But today, the Barossa Valley is

most famous for its bold, full-bodied Shiraz wines,

grown on some of the oldest wine-producing vines

in the world.

♪ ♪

Around 175 miles away,

on South Australia's coast,

is the town of Port Lincoln.

It faces out into a huge natural harbor,

making it a safe haven for the largest

commercial fishing fleet in the southern hemisphere.

Species such as lobsters, kingfish,

oysters, and abalone are all caught from here.

But the fish, which transformed

a sleepy village into the base

for a multi-million dollar industry,

is the southern bluefin tuna.

In the early 1960s,

80,000 tons of southern bluefin tuna

were caught in these waters each year.

But by the mid-1980s,

the global catch was in decline.

Strict weight quotas were introduced,

hitting Port Lincoln hard.

Then, in the early 1990s,

an innovative solution was found.

It's called "ranching."

In this method, wild tuna is caught in nets

until the weight quota is reached.

The fish are then held in sea pontoons like these

closer to shore, where they are fed

a diet of bait fish and squid to fatten them up.

As their weight increases, so does the profit.

After harvesting,

the majority of Port Lincoln's tuna

are sent to Japan within 48 hours,

where they fetch top dollar

in the country's busy fish markets.

Ranching is a solution

that rescued the Port Lincoln tuna industry

and has become the accepted method

of bluefin tuna farming across the world.

♪ ♪

The bay off the coast of Southern Australia

is called the Great Australian Bight.

It's home to a remote and rugged coastline,

where the Bunda Cliffs rise straight out of the ocean,

some nearly 400 feet high.

The coast was first surveyed

back in 1802

by the British explorer and cartographer

Matthew Flinders.

In the process,

he came across the island

of Karta Pintingga.

He renamed it Kangaroo Island

after coming across this Australian marsupial

in large numbers.

Flinders' visit also led to the discovery

by explorers of another animal,

one which at the time was highly prized.

The sea lion.

During the 18th and 19th centuries,

sea lions were hunted for meat, leather, and oil.

And soon after Flinders left,

sealers set up camp on Kangaroo Island.

Here, and across the southern coast of Australia,

sea lions were hunted to near-extinction.

Today, conservationists are fighting back.

South Australia is home to 85% of Australian sea lions,

and one of the largest colonies is at Seal Bay.

Each young pup is microchipped,

and once a month, the animals are scanned

using a reader at the end of a pole.

The information is invaluable.

Not only to help track the colony's population,

but to help understand the relationships

between the animals.

[sea lion grunting]

Although the killing of sea lions

has been prohibited in South Australia since 1972,

they're still on the endangered species list.

But it's hoped that conservation efforts like this

will be a powerful tool in protecting

this remarkable animal for future generations.

From modern innovations...

to ancient traditions...

this little visited part of the continent has it all.

It's a place where it's possible

to experience ancient cultures

and to discover a sacred site

which has captured the heart of a nation.

The land here is harsh and unforgiving.

But for those with the will to succeed,

it's a place where the rewards are rich.

When discovered from above,

Australia's extreme center never ceases to amaze.

♪ ♪