All language subtitles for A.A.S01E03.2160p.WEB.h265-EDITH_track3_[eng]

NARRATOR: Melbourne is
Australia's sporting center.

Home of the largest stadium

in the Southern Hemisphere:

The Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The M.C.G. holds
over 100,000 people.

And every year, on the day
after Christmas,

one of the city's greatest
traditions takes place here.

The Boxing Day Test.

An annual cricket match

named after the holiday
on which it's held.

Today, Australia
is up against Pakistan.

To secure victory,

the teams must
outscore each other

in a fierce clash
of bat-and-ball.

Cricket has been played
on this field

for over 170 years,

helping it become
the country's national sport.

And the team spirit
and fair play shown here

have helped forge modern
Australia's identity.

COMMENTATOR: In his first over
on Boxing Day, a capital...

[distant cheering]

NARRATOR: Cricket is part
of the incredible heritage

of Australia's Far South,

from dazzling
cultural palaces,

to isolated island prisons

and infamous outlaws

roaming bushland frontiers.

This remote part of the world
has its own unique identity

with ancient forests filled
with primordial life.

And stormy oceans

that hold hidden dangers

and incredible treasures.

This is Australia's Far South.

♪ ♪

Melbourne's crowded skyline

overlooks one of the fastest
growing cities in the world.

But from above, you can see
where its story began.

Just half a mile wide,

this is the city's
very first block of streets.

Laid out in 1837,

when the population
was just a few thousand.

Today, this is the largest
city in Australia,

home to over
five million people.

Melbourne sits on the coast
of the state of Victoria,

the southernmost city
on the Australian mainland.

On traditional lands

belonging to the Wurundjeri
Woi Wurrung people

of the Kulin nation,
who call it Naarm.

Renowned as Australia's
cultural capital,

it's a city where
electrifying art

and spectacular architecture
is found at every turn.

Even at the train station.

Flinders Street station

is one of the city's
most loved landmarks.

Completed in 1910
using four million bricks,

as well as stucco
and grey granite,

it's an exceptional example of
Edwardian Baroque architecture.

In the 1920s,

this was the busiest
station in the world.

And its main entrance
has become

Melbourne's favorite
meeting place.

Giving rise to
the popular local saying:

"Meet me under the Clocks."

[tram bell ringing]

And trains aren't the only way
locals like to get around.

A handful of streetcars,
known as trams,

first took to these streets
over a century ago.

Today, Melbourne has

the biggest tram network
in the world.

And even here, the city's
artistic flair is on show.

Style that also shines through

at the Royal Exhibition
Building.

Built for an occasion
that would prove

this far-flung
southern settlement

was now a global city
of culture:

The 1880 World Exhibition,

Over a million visitors
came to see displays

from 33 different nations.

And to create a fitting setting
for this grand event,

the surrounding land
was transformed

into spectacular gardens.

In 1901, Australia's
six colonies

united to create a new nation.

And a ceremony was held here

to open the country's
first parliament.

12,000 guests
filled this hall.

And above them,
from the 215-foot-high dome,

the Australian flag
was flown for the first time.

Today,
the Royal Exhibition Building

remains Melbourne's
most iconic venue.

And in 2004, its beauty
and unique history

saw it become a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.

[choir music playing]

Nearby, another
local institution

expresses Melbourne's
love affair with culture

The State Library of Victoria
opened in 1856,

conceived as
the "people's university,"

a place anyone could educate
themselves, free of charge.

At its heart, is
the La Trobe Reading Room

with a domed design

inspired by Washington's
Library of Congress.

Standing six stories high,

it contains many of
the library's two million books.

This was one of the first free
public libraries in the world

and today over 700 people
still visit every hour.

But some of Melbourne's
greatest cultural wonders

aren't found indoors.

Just off the city center's
busy streets

is one of the most famous
street art galleries

in the world: Hosier Lane.

Since the 1990s,

artists have used these walls
as a concrete canvas.

Transforming
an unremarkable alleyway

into a constantly
evolving urban artwork.

From graffiti to stencil pieces

and photo realistic murals,
anything goes.

And this scene has spilled out
into the rest of the city too.

In the southern suburb
of Frankston,

a street art festival
is underway.

Over the next six days,

11 artists will bring blank
walls across the suburb to life,

in an explosion
of colors and styles.

They've come from countries
all over the world,

including the US,
the Netherlands and Peru.

Their work is a reminder
that in Melbourne,

the most exciting art

isn't always hanging
on a gallery wall.

It's not just
international artists

who are drawn to Melbourne.

Throughout history, migrants
have found a home here too.

New Australians
who've added another layer

to the city's rich cultural mix.

Built from brick
and clay tiles,

the Taoist Heavenly
Queen Temple

is modelled on
Beijing's Forbidden City.

Overlooking
the suburb of Footscray,

hundreds of people
visit every week,

to worship or simply
take in the sights.

Centre stage
is a 50-foot-tall statue

of the Heavenly Queen: Mazu,

the protector of sea travelers.

Built by migrants as thanks

for their safe arrival
in a new land.

In Melbourne's Docklands,
another ancient tradition

has found a new home.

This was once a bustling
19th century port,

now waterfront flats
and offices

have replaced busy wharves.

It's also the training ground

for some of the world's most
competitive dragon boat teams.

Dragon Boat racing started
over 2,000 years ago in China,

as part of a religious ritual
to encourage rain.

Each boat represents a dragon,

with the paddles its claws

and the drum its beating heart.

Getting these moving parts
to work in harmony

[air horn blaring]

is the key to crossing
the finish line first.

Its newfound popularity here,

has made it one of Australia's
fastest growing water sports.

One embraced by locals
of all backgrounds.

A couple of miles north,
another race is held

that brings Australia
to a standstill.

The Melbourne Cup has been held

at Flemington Racecourse
since 1861.

No other major horse race
in the world

takes place this far south.

But today, the best jockeys
and horses on the planet

are here to compete.

It's known as "the race
that stops the nation,"

because Australians everywhere

drop what they're doing
to watch.

It's such a big deal

that Race Day
is a public holiday.

NARRATOR: At 3:00 p.m.,
the starter releases

the 24 competing horses
from the stalls.

COMMENTATOR: And they're racing,

and Soulcombe stood
there again...

NARRATOR: Ahead lies
a 2-mile course

and a purse of over 8 million
Australian dollars to be won.

COMMENTATOR:
And Sheraz the bolter,

it's Without A Fight,
a hundred meters to go!

Two or three lengths
in front...

NARRATOR: The spectacle stunned
American writer Mark Twain

when he attended in 1895.

"Nowhere in the world,"
he said,

"have I encountered
a festival of people

that has such a magnificent
appeal to the whole nation."

COMMENTATOR: Coming away. From
Sheraz and also Soulcombe...

Without A Fight, Mark Zahra,

a Melbourne Cup champion!

Wins it by two lengths...

[crowd cheering]

[cheering echoing]

NARRATOR:
In the late 19th century,

events in Victoria's
remote interior

also transfixed Australians.

As a notorious outlaw
went on a crime spree

that made him the country's
most wanted man.

[water rushing]

Beyond Melbourne,

running along
the north of Victoria

flows the Murray River.

Spanning three states and
stretching over 1,500 miles,

it's one of longest navigable
rivers in the world.

In 1830, the British explorer
Charles Sturt

traced its course,

helping it become a route

that opened up Victoria's
isolated interior

to European settlement.

But it has a history
that goes back much further.

The Murray River
and its tributaries

flow through the lands of more
than 40 Aboriginal nations.

With a spiritual connection
to these waters

that goes back over
40,000 years.

In Victoria's North-West,

the First People
of the Millewa Mallee

know the river as Millewa,

meaning one, "big water."

Their country,
on the river's southern banks,

contains the remote
Murray-Sunset National Park.

It's the largest park
in Victoria

and a team
of Indigenous River Rangers

manage the wetlands here.

Today they're checking
on Lindsay Island,

part of a floodplain
brimming with life.

Using sonar equipment to map
the underwater habitat

and monitor native
freshwater fish.

Over 200 different bird species
are also found here,

as well as a rich landscape
of native plants.

In recent years,
the seasonal floods

that nourish this ecosystem
have become increasingly rare.

Overuse of water in agriculture
as well as climate change,

have upset the area's
delicate natural balance.

But the First People
of the Millewa Mallee

have vital lessons to share

about living in harmony
with the river

and creating a more
sustainable future.

[birds chirping]

In the mid-19th century,
as Europeans settlers

colonized aboriginal lands
along the river,

it turned into a busy highway.

Inspired by their use

on the Mississippi River
in the United States,

a fleet of over 100 paddle
steamers sailed these waters.

All proudly flying
the Murray River flag.

First hoisted in 1853,

the dark blue stripes represent
the Murray's main tributaries

The paddle steamers
took supplies

to remote farming stations

and brought back wool and wheat

destined for export overseas.

This trade route's biggest
port was Echuca,

with a wharf over
1000 yards long

where dozens of boats
could dock.

But as Victoria's road
and railway network expanded

this river trade died off.

Today, 12 paddle steamers
still ply their trade here,

offering sightseeing cruises

and the chance
to step back in time.

[birds chirping]

As 19th century settlers pushed
into other remote areas,

like the rugged high-country
of North-East Victoria,

notorious outlaws called
bushrangers hit the headlines.

They operated in gangs,

roaming this challenging
terrain undetected by police,

plotting bank raids
and hold ups.

This lookout was the camp
of one of these criminal gangs,

but this area's most
notorious bushranger

would become an Australian
legend: Ned Kelly.

His house once stood on this
land on the outskirts of Greta,

a struggling farming community.

To some, a life of crime
offered an escape from poverty.

By his teens Ned Kelly
already had a police record.

Wanted for horse theft,

Kelly and his gang fled
to this forest 20 miles away.

They ran into a police search
party, sparking a shoot-out.

[gunshots firing]

It left three officers dead

and made Ned Kelly the most
wanted man in Australia.

With the help of sympathizers

who saw them as champions
of the working-class,

the gang evaded capture
for two years.

Then, in 1880,
they were cornered here,

in the town of Glenrowan.

In the firefight
that followed,

the Kelly gang
confronted police,

wearing homemade suits of armor

weighing over 90 pounds each.

[gunshots firing]

Badly wounded, Kelly was
arrested and taken to Melbourne.

There, he was put
on trial and hanged.

In 2013, Kelly's remains
were returned to Greta

where he was finally laid
to rest alongside his family.

Ned Kelly remains a divisive
figure in Australian history.

To some, a cold-blooded killer,

to others, a folk hero
who stood up for the poor.

[bird squawking]

In the South-West of Victoria

there's another
dangerous frontier.

A wild coastline

where hundreds of ships
met a tragic end.

On the edge
of the Indian Ocean,

in Victoria's South-West,

people have waged a constant
battle to master the elements.

It has over 230 miles
of rugged coastline,

exposed to powerful ocean
swells from the Bass Strait

and covered by dense,
rocky bushland.

For a long time,
it was only accessible by sea

or over rough dirt tracks.

And nature's raw power

is carved into
the landscape here.

Rising out of the ocean,

in the Port Campbell
National Park,

are the Twelve Apostles.

A series of limestone stacks
up to 145 feet high.

20 million years ago,

they were part of the mainland.

But battered by fierce winds
and the turbulent ocean,

the soft limestone eroded away

to form these dramatic pillars.

♪ ♪

And the same forces
that created them,

will eventually
destroy them too.

Because of the relentless
weathering process,

two giant pillars
have collapsed

into the waves below
in the last few years.

Today, only seven remain.

While they still can though,

over 2 million people
flock here every year

to take in
this awe-inspiring view.

Further out from
the Twelve Apostles,

is a stormy stretch of ocean:

The entrance
to the Bass Strait.

In the 19th century,
navigating it

was a life-or-death challenge

for ships bound
for Melbourne and Sydney.

Using primitive
navigational instruments,

sailors had to aim for a gap
between the coastline

and an island surrounded by
dangerous reefs 50 miles away.

Plotting this treacherous route

was called "threading
the eye of the needle."

Antarctic gales and heavy fog
could confuse sailors

as they tried to calculate
their position

often with tragic results.

This became
the Shipwreck Coast,

a graveyard
for over 700 ships.

And here, rusting 80 feet below
the surface since 1878,

lies Victoria's
most notorious wreck.

Bound for Melbourne,

the Loch Ard had set sail from
England three months earlier,

when a heavy fog descended

When it finally lifted,

these towering cliffs
lay directly ahead.

The 1700-ton ship
crashed into a reef

and sank in 15 minutes.

Clinging to wreckage,

the ship's apprentice
drifted ashore,

where he heard
cries for help.

He swam back out and rescued
a young female passenger.

They were the only
two survivors

of the 54 people on board.

Finally, in the 1910s,

a plan was devised to connect
this wild coast

to the rest of Victoria:

The iconic Great Ocean Road.

Built by over 3,000
World War I veterans,

as a memorial for
their fallen comrades.

It took 13 years to blast
a path out of these cliffs

and create a 150-mile-long road,

which finally opened in 1932.

Today, another feat
of endurance is taking place.

In the small seaside town
of Lorne,

over 4,000 people
are competing

in the Great Ocean
Road Running Festival.

A grueling 27-mile
marathon lies ahead.

The ocean backdrop
is spectacular,

but today there's
no time to enjoy the view.

Outside the town of Apollo Bay,

competitors are closing in
on the finish line.

Months of hard training
come down to this moment.

The winner finally
takes a hard-earned victory.

In a time of just over
two and a half hours.

♪ ♪

Beyond the Great Ocean Road,

was once a huge plain where
people lived and hunted.

Then, around
12,000 years ago,

rising sea levels
flooded the area

and left a series of islands
150 miles south of the mainland:

Tasmania.

Tasmania
is Australia's southernmost

and least populated state.

The main island
is home to most of its people.

But lying just above it,
is tiny King Island.

Only 1,600 people live here,

but this sparse population
is far from alone.

King Islanders share
their remote home

with over 100,000 cattle.

Thanks to the stormy
climate here,

they graze on lush grass
flavored with sea-spray,

all year round.

Unique conditions that produce

some of Australia's
greatest cheese.

But not all
of the island's farmers

make their living
off the land.

[dog barking]

Dave Bowling and his dog Rufus

always check the coastline
on mornings after a big swell.

He farms the wild forests
of bull kelp

that grow offshore here

and today could be
a bumper crop.

In King Island's icy,
unpolluted waters,

kelp can grow
up to heights of 100 feet.

Usually anchored to the rocky
seabed by a sucker,

a storm has broken off giant
stems and washed them ashore.

Now the search is on
for the best material.

This calcium
and iron-rich algae

is in demand across
the world.

But it must be dried out
before it can be used.

Part of a refining process

that will eventually
see it shipped overseas

for use in products
like fertilizer,

medicine and even ice-cream.

King Island's
unusual environment

has also produced an
extraordinary sporting venue.

Framed by the spectacular
Southern Ocean,

Cape Wickham has been voted

Australia's greatest
golf course.

A round of golf here

feels like playing
on the edge of the world.

Fierce onshore winds
can send tee shots flying

and on stormy days,

waves even crash
onto the greens.

It's one of the southernmost
courses in the world.

That hasn't stopped golf
lovers from all over,

making the pilgrimage
to this far-flung outpost

to take part in an epic battle
against the elements.

Flying south,
to Tasmania's main island,

the landscape
turns into ancient rainforest.

Remote terrain that once
trapped serious criminals

on an island prison
known as Hell on Earth.

[waves crashing]

Tasmania's main island sits
in the path

of fierce Westerly winds,

the "Roaring 40s,"

that blow in off the Southern
Ocean bringing heavy rains.

The mountainous West Coast gets
the worst of this weather.

With six and a half feet
of annual rainfall,

it's the wettest place
in Australia.

But these conditions have
created an incredible ecosystem:

A temperate rainforest
teeming with life.

It contains plants and trees
that once thrived on Gondwana,

the ancient mega continent

that existed
600 million years ago.

Thanks to Tasmania's isolation

they've survived
to the present day.

Among them are giant
Eucalyptus trees

that reach heights of
over 300 feet.

And Huon Pines that can live
for over 2,000 years.

[water rushing]

The untamed Franklin River

drains a vast section
of this rainforest.

But in the 1970s,

work started
on a hydro-electric dam.

Its construction would mean

destroying a 20-mile-long
section of the river

and drowning
the surrounding rainforest.

The project sparked the biggest
environmental protest

in Australian history.

As grassroots campaigners took
on the might of big business,

activists set up camp
along the river

to stop work going ahead,

and over 1,000 people were
arrested and sent to jail.

The fight to protect
this wild river

raged for seven years.

Finally, in 1983,

a court ruling ordered plans
for the dam to be abandoned,

ensuring that this river's
incredible wonders survived.

Flying west,
the river empties out

into Macquarie Harbour
on the West Coast.

[seagulls squawking]

This vast 110 square mile
body of water

is one of Australia's
largest natural harbors.

When Europeans
explored it in 1815,

they discovered its
dangerously narrow entrance.

Less than 10 feet deep
in places,

powerful currents
rush in or out,

depending on rainfall, wind and
even atmospheric pressure.

It's known as Hell's Gate.

But not because of these
treacherous conditions.

It was given its name
by the convicts

who sailed through here
in the early 19th century

on their way to one of the most
brutal prisons on Earth.

The Macquarie Harbour
Penal Station

was built
on Sarah Island in 1822.

At the time,

the British were transporting
criminals to Australia

to ease overcrowding
in their own jails.

75,000 were sent to Tasmania.

And this was
its maximum-security prison.

Some of the only inmates
that managed to break out,

starved in the wilderness
and resorted to cannibalism.

[chains jingling]

In this building,
malnourished prisoners

slept in cramped conditions.

They were flogged
for minor offences,

and records show
that over 6,000 lashes

were delivered here
every year.

Inmates called it:
Hell on Earth.

But eventually,
the challenges of running

such a remote outpost
saw it close down in 1833.

During the 12 years it operated,

over a thousand convicts
endured

this cruel island prison.

As it turned out though,

the barren wilds that helped
keep the prisoners captive,

contained hidden riches.

Only a few miles inland,
is the West Coast Range.

500 million years ago,

a chain of volcanoes
erupted here,

on an ancient ocean bed.

They left behind huge
deposits of gold,

silver, tin, and copper,

that became bodies of ore
buried in these hills.

In the late 19th century,

prospectors began to discover
this mineral wealth.

Today, this abandoned pit
is flooded with rainwater.

But its hypnotic
turquoise color,

caused by high copper levels,

is a reminder of the past.

This is where
the Mount Lyall Copper Mine

started operating in 1892.

It went on to extract billions
of dollars' worth of copper

from the surrounding hills.

For over a century,

miners blasted the mountain
away, layer by layer,

as they chased
the copper ore further down.

And the natural world
paid a heavy price.

The extraction process
released acidic sulfur

that stripped away vegetation
and left barren, eroding ground.

Today, as this scarred
landscape slowly recovers,

thrill-seekers have turned it
into a playground.

With the mining money that
once supported the area gone,

the local mountain
biking community

has raised funds to build

some of the wildest
bike trails in the world.

Bringing people back here,
this time,

to enjoy over 20 miles
of dizzying climbs,

hair-raising descents

and the chance to become
King of the Mountain.

Flying east,
into the center of the island,

unspoiled nature
takes over once again.

Nearly a quarter of Tasmania's
main island is raw wilderness.

And one of its most
famous sights

is the jagged summit
of Cradle Mountain.

Climbing 5,000 feet in
the Central Highlands region

and standing over a series
of lakes formed

over millions of years
by slow-moving glaciers.

At 520 feet, Lake St. Clair,

is the deepest freshwater
lake in Australia.

[engine whirring]

Nearby, is Little Pine Lagoon

which James Johns has been
visiting since he was a boy.

It offers some of the best
fly fishing in Australia.

Here, the high altitude
chills the crystal-clear waters,

creating the ideal conditions
for brown trout to thrive.

♪ ♪

Three generations
of James's family

have sailed
this stretch of water,

all searching for
the perfect spot to cast a line.

Flying South-East
is Tasmania's busiest city.

Yet even here, awe-inspiring
wilderness is within reach.

[seagulls squawking]

Crossing Tasmania
to the South-East coast,

the landscape transforms
into giant cliffs

and a patchwork
of islands and peninsulas.

It's the location
of the state capital, Hobart.

And to the south of it
is Bruny Island,

famous for its beautiful
coastal landscapes.

It's also where one

of Tasmania's most
celebrated figures,

an Aboriginal woman
called Truganini,

grew up in the early
19th century.

Her father was the chief
of the Nuenonne people

who had called the island home
for 40,000 years.

As a child, Truganini
saw British settlers

seize this land for farming

and murder members
of her family.

This happened across Tasmania,

sparking a conflict that killed
thousands of Aboriginal people

and ended their
traditional way of life.

But Truganini made sure

that some of her language
and traditions were recorded,

helping to preserve knowledge
at risk of being lost forever.

Even after her death in 1876,

her resilience inspired others

to keep fighting
for their rights.

People like Bruny Island elder,
Rodney Dillon.

He's on a diving trip
for abalone,

large mollusks that were once

the Nuenonne people's
main food source

and an important cultural
link to the past.

Rodney fought a campaign to
secure Aboriginal fishing rights

to waters across the island

because of this heritage.

Today, he's free
to hunt for them

on Trumpeter Bay's
rocky seabed,

in waters where Truganini
herself once swam.

Bruny Island's ocean riches
have also helped turn it

into a favorite destination
for food lovers.

And one of
its greatest specialties

is found in the clear waters
of the Great Bay.

Here, thousands of oysters
filter up to eight gallons

of seawater for nutrients,
every day.

After two to three years,

once they're plump enough,
it's harvest time.

Around three million oysters

are harvested on
the island annually.

In recent years,
Tasmania has become renowned

for small-scale
producers like this,

who use the exceptional
raw materials

found in Australia's far South.

And today's haul is destined
for a restaurant

in Tasmania's
culinary capital, Hobart.

The gateway to the city
is the Tasman Bridge,

which glides through
the air for nearly a mile.

Connecting suburbs
on the eastern shores

of the Derwent River
with Hobart,

home to nearly
half of all Tasmanians.

Today, tourist ferries
and luxury yachts

sail the river's deep waters.

But in the 19th century,
whaling boats docked here.

Part of a trade that built

Australia's southernmost
state capital.

And next to the harbor,

this row of Georgian warehouses

was built by convicts
to store whale oil.

But while there's
history everywhere,

Hobart has moved
with the times.

These days, its known
for fashionable shops,

art galleries
and fine dining restaurants.

On the city outskirts,

there's more heritage
to be found.

The Cascade Brewery has been in
business for two hundred years,

making it the oldest
in Australia.

It's also the furthest south.

Its beers quickly caught on,

thanks to this picturesque
location

in the foothills
of Mount Wellington.

Here, a pure mountain stream

supplied the clean water

needed to brew
a high-quality ale.

Today, Cascade produces

over 80 million pints
of beer every year

that are drunk
throughout Australia.

And the brewery still keeps

some of its oldest
traditions alive.

At 4:00 p.m. every Friday

a bell rings out signaling
the end of the working week

and the chance
for the brewers

to sample some
of their own hard work.

Mount Wellington,
the brewery's imposing backdrop,

is rarely out of sight
across the city.

Known as Kurinyi, in
the Aboriginal Palawa language,

it towers over 4,000 feet high.

The mountain's most striking
feature is these rock columns,

called the Organ Pipes,

because of their appearance and
the sound they make in the wind.

There are over 400 different
climbing routes,

but this dizzying ascent
is the most iconic,

a challenge revered by rock
climbers around the world.

The Organ Pipes also tell an
incredible geological story.

They formed
180 million years ago

as shifting tectonic plates

tore the continents apart
at the seams.

Molten rock built-up
inside the earth

before lifting
the ground skywards.

Out of these brutal forces,

Mount Wellington began
to take shape,

rising as much as 2,000 feet
in a single year.

Much later, wind and rain
finally exposed

these dramatic columns
of sub-volcanic rock

called dolerite.

It's extremely rare
in the rest of the world,

but it makes up
over a third of Tasmania.

Scaling this 390-foot-high
geological marvel

is a grueling physical
and mental test.

But the reward is breathtaking.

♪ ♪

From the air,
the incredible riches

of the remote South
come alive.

It contains towering
natural wonders

and manmade ones, too.

Amazing stories
of human triumph

and survival.

And it's a land where
untamed nature,

found nowhere else on earth,

is always within
touching distance.

When discovered from above,

Australia's Far South
is truly extraordinary.

[waves crashing]

♪ ♪