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In the far reaches
of the Pacific Ocean...
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00:00:14,860 --> 00:00:18,500
..lies a land cut off
from the rest of the world...
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00:00:20,380 --> 00:00:22,580
..since the time of the dinosaurs.
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00:00:31,100 --> 00:00:35,700
After 80 million years of isolation,
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00:00:35,700 --> 00:00:38,300
nature has gone its own way.
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00:00:42,420 --> 00:00:46,500
In this lost world, life plays
by different rules.
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00:00:50,380 --> 00:00:52,580
Penguins in the forests...
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00:00:54,100 --> 00:00:55,460
..parrots in the snow...
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..and predators from prehistory.
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00:01:04,460 --> 00:01:09,580
Their lives are dominated by the
most powerful forces on Earth.
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00:01:12,020 --> 00:01:16,420
When humans finally arrived,
they discovered
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00:01:16,420 --> 00:01:21,580
nowhere is more strange and
mysterious than New Zealand.
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00:01:44,580 --> 00:01:47,900
There are more species of penguin
in New Zealand
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than anywhere else in the world.
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00:01:58,700 --> 00:02:01,580
They first evolved here around
60 million years ago.
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00:02:03,540 --> 00:02:06,580
And here, in their ancestral home,
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the penguins do things
a little differently.
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00:02:13,460 --> 00:02:17,140
This Snares penguin has been out
with hundreds of others
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catching fish for her chick.
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00:02:27,740 --> 00:02:32,180
Like all parents here, her commute
home to feed him is unusual.
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She follows a path worn
by thousands of tiny feet.
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Next, a sheer rock face.
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When you have no arms
and a swimmer's body,
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it's a bit like
scaling a slope in a sack.
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One obstacle conquered,
now it's on to the next.
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An expedition into the woods.
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00:03:26,420 --> 00:03:31,060
Hidden deep amongst
the gnarled trunks and ferns,
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they've established
a large woodland colony.
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Mum may have scaled cliffs
and battled through forest
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but she's not home yet.
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She's just one of the 60,000
residents who make this journey.
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Over centuries, they have worn down
a maze of tiny streets
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and miles of crisscrossed pathways.
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She has to remember
every twist and turn...
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00:04:28,340 --> 00:04:31,260
..while jostling past
all the other busy commuters.
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Finally,
she reaches her destination,
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half a mile or so inland.
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One of many forest clearings
where penguins have their young.
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00:04:58,460 --> 00:05:02,460
Her partner and her baby
are waiting for her,
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if she can find them.
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00:05:09,900 --> 00:05:12,660
Other adults are very protective
of their territory.
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So returning penguins hold
themselves in a peculiar posture
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designed to intimidate.
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Home at last.
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And Mum finally delivers
a meal of pre-digested krill.
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This woodland lifestyle is
only possible for a sea bird
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00:06:03,180 --> 00:06:04,980
due to one remarkable fact.
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New Zealand doesn't have
any large predators -
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in fact it never had any
large land mammals at all.
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00:06:19,100 --> 00:06:22,340
The reason lies back
in the time of the dinosaurs,
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00:06:22,340 --> 00:06:26,380
when New Zealand was one small part
of a single gigantic continent.
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00:06:30,060 --> 00:06:34,860
Around 80 million years ago, huge
geological forces broke up the land.
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One fragment was forced
far out into the ocean.
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New Zealand -
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cut-off and impossible for any
land animal to reach since.
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The same geological forces
that caused its isolation
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are still alive today.
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00:07:25,460 --> 00:07:28,740
In this part of the North Island,
the ground water boils.
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00:07:39,220 --> 00:07:42,740
The Pohutu geyser,
New Zealand's mightiest...
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00:07:45,980 --> 00:07:48,500
..erupting up to 20 times a day,
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shooting super-heated water
30 metres into the air.
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The geysers form part of a
dramatic geothermal landscape.
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With boiling cauldrons
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and corrosive lakes
with scalding water.
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It's so acidic that
it dissolves the rock itself...
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..into a mineral slurry.
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00:08:36,940 --> 00:08:39,900
Hundreds of steaming vents
breathe eerie life
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into this deadly landscape.
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00:08:58,740 --> 00:09:03,780
At its heart, Frying Pan Lake, one
of the world's largest hot springs.
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The water here is hot enough
to slowly cook your flesh.
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As it flows downhill, it cools
and deposits colourful minerals.
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Over thousands of years,
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these build up into glistening
crystalline terraces.
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00:09:46,900 --> 00:09:51,580
Further downstream, the water cools
to around 40 degrees,
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the temperature
of a steaming hot bath.
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It's too hot for fish,
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so the stream beds
are largely predator-free.
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A haven for heat-tolerant insects.
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Wisps of geothermal midges.
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00:10:23,260 --> 00:10:27,660
They only fly a day or two so they
urgently dance in search of a mate.
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00:10:30,860 --> 00:10:33,820
But their performance
attracts unwelcome attention.
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A mob of fantails,
one of New Zealand's smallest
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and most agile birds.
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It's easy to see
how they got their name.
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This father has a
ravenous family to support.
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His hunting technique
is called hawking.
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He leaps from stream-side perches
to snatch the midges in midair.
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00:11:24,460 --> 00:11:27,580
A fantail's flight isn't just fast,
it's unpredictable, too.
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00:11:35,780 --> 00:11:40,420
Slowed down 20 times, the secrets
of this aerobatic ace are revealed.
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00:11:50,020 --> 00:11:53,420
Short, round wings give him
the power and manoeuvrability...
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..of a stunt plane.
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00:12:02,980 --> 00:12:06,620
But it's his enormous tail
that gives him the edge.
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00:12:10,460 --> 00:12:13,140
Fanning it out turns it
into a giant airbrake,
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00:12:13,140 --> 00:12:15,700
creating the equivalent
of a handbrake turn.
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The midges are tiny,
so to feed his growing chicks,
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this dutiful dad undertakes more
than 300 sorties an hour.
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These fantails have turned
this uninhabitable landscape
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into an opportunity.
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00:13:13,540 --> 00:13:17,740
In New Zealand, hostile environments
are part of everyday life.
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00:13:20,060 --> 00:13:24,620
The entire country sits astride a
massive tectonic plate boundary,
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where two shifting fragments
of the earth's crust meet.
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Just off the coast of Kaikoura,
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this boundary takes the form
of an underwater canyon,
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00:13:34,980 --> 00:13:38,380
a trench that brings the
deep sea near to the shore.
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00:13:54,180 --> 00:13:58,380
The depths of the ocean are
full of nutrients and here,
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close to the coast, winds and
currents force them to the surface,
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creating a rich feeding ground.
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00:14:10,340 --> 00:14:14,140
Bull sperm whales come to
bulk up on deep-sea squid.
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00:14:18,540 --> 00:14:22,020
And there's plenty of prey for
their smaller, more agile cousins.
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Dusky dolphins live
here in their thousands.
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00:14:43,020 --> 00:14:46,700
All dolphins communicate with
each other using a complex range
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of underwater sounds and clicks,
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but Dusky dolphins can speak
in another way, too.
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As a species,
they are some of the most
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acrobatic dolphins in the world,
and researchers have discovered
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that leaping is part
of their communication.
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Some jumps and splashes may have
their own particular meaning.
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A high leap and a clean re-entry can
be a signal there are fish below.
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A jump and a sharp tail slap
is loud and far-reaching underwater,
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so may help coordinate large pods.
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00:16:00,220 --> 00:16:02,660
It appears to be
one of the easier moves,
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and youngsters are keen to learn.
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Mum shows him
how an expert does it...
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..and now it's baby's turn.
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00:16:26,780 --> 00:16:30,700
Young dolphins can stay with their
mothers for up to three years,
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00:16:30,700 --> 00:16:33,140
so they get plenty of time
to practise.
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Synchronised leaping
is more difficult to master.
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Leaping may encourage
dolphins to work together,
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a vital skill for rounding up fish.
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00:17:10,700 --> 00:17:13,860
But the most spectacular jump and
perhaps the hardest to master...
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..is the acrobatic leap.
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This one may be just for fun.
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On the land beyond the
Kaikoura coast, the shifting plates
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which drive the canyon downwards
now thrust the land upwards.
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00:18:09,220 --> 00:18:11,700
This creates a mighty
chain of mountains
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which form the spectacular backbone
of the South Island.
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00:18:16,700 --> 00:18:19,220
The Southern Alps -
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New Zealand's greatest wilderness.
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00:18:24,780 --> 00:18:27,860
Reaching almost 4,000 metres,
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00:18:27,860 --> 00:18:29,780
the mountains are still growing...
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00:18:32,140 --> 00:18:36,180
..despite the weight of some 3,000
glaciers slowly grinding them down.
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00:18:40,300 --> 00:18:43,060
This is New Zealand's
most challenging terrain
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with a climate to match.
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Animals have to be tough and
resourceful to survive here.
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Sheep were introduced to New Zealand
over 200 years ago.
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With expert help, they can live in
even the most extreme conditions.
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But farmers must adapt to the
violent swings of alpine weather,
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and know when to act.
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00:19:23,700 --> 00:19:25,580
For sheep farmer Kate Cox,
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protecting her precious flock is an
extreme challenge.
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00:19:30,500 --> 00:19:34,300
So the property here's about 40,000
hectares, which is pretty big.
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It stretches from the lake right
through the mountains behind us,
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through a couple of
ranges of mountains.
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So it would take maybe a
couple of days to walk across it.
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This is one of the biggest days
in Kate's calendar.
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Hey, girls. Are you excited?
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The autumn sheep muster.
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Good girl. Sit down.
So basically an autumn muster...
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They've been going on for about the
last 150 years on this property,
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and really all it entails is
bringing down the sheep
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from all the high summer's grazing
in the mountain tops,
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and bringing them
down to lower levels
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where they're going to be
safe from snow during the winter.
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For more than 100 years,
the muster would have meant two days
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of hard hiking. But Kate's team
of shepherds have a helping hand -
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a helicopter and some of the very
few flying sheepdogs in the world.
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Their goal today is to muster at
least 4,000 sheep if they can.
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Her brother Davie is the pilot.
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Their family have been
working these hills for 40 years.
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Even for farming in New Zealand,
this isn't your normal farming.
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It's in the harshest environments
that you can farm in New Zealand.
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So yeah, it's a bit on the edge.
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Right.
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00:21:23,940 --> 00:21:28,140
Kate has 29,000
merino sheep up here,
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one of the very few breeds
tough enough to survive.
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But the winters are severe and too
many would die in heavy snows
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if they were left to roam
all year round.
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Today, Kate's team consists of
five shepherds and ten dogs.
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I'll head down that track
to the grain.
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00:21:52,860 --> 00:21:54,180
Come with me...
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The tactic is to start
at the very top,
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looking for the most
adventurous sheep.
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00:22:00,620 --> 00:22:03,340
So up on the tops of the mountains,
it's quite rugged.
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A lot of rock, cliffs
and a bit challenging at times.
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00:22:07,500 --> 00:22:09,900
A good rule of thumb is if
your dogs don't want to follow you,
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you shouldn't be going there either.
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RADIO: Have you just popped out
on that ridgeline?
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Can I see you up there?
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00:22:16,860 --> 00:22:20,020
Yeah, we are out on the ridgeline,
but there's a bit of fog coming
through.
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You need to be able to look after
yourself, look after your dogs,
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and look after the stock,
because, generally,
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no-one's coming to help you.
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00:22:28,940 --> 00:22:31,820
The first sheep are soon
flushed down from the high slopes.
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Here's a mob coming down as well.
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00:22:34,220 --> 00:22:37,660
Kate and her dogs, Fudge and Fred,
must intercept them.
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00:22:37,660 --> 00:22:40,380
We have a huntaway,
which is a New Zealand breed,
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which has got a bit of all sorts
of things in it.
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And they generally are big,
noisy, rambunctious.
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You're such a showboat, Fudge.
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They get things moving.
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So you bark your dogs
and then everything
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starts running off in front of you.
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00:22:55,220 --> 00:22:57,180
Fred, behind, Fred, behind.
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As more sheep join the flock,
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00:23:00,700 --> 00:23:05,980
the challenge is to keep them moving
without triggering a stampede.
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00:23:06,500 --> 00:23:09,020
Get down.
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00:23:09,020 --> 00:23:11,140
Get out of there, Fred.
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They've had no contact with people
or dogs for the past four months.
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00:23:16,540 --> 00:23:20,660
And a panic on these slopes
would be a disaster.
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Good girl, good girl.
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Hey, hey, hey.
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Nowhere else are such
huge numbers of sheep
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herded over such distances on foot.
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00:23:32,060 --> 00:23:33,580
Been gathering up a lot of sheep -
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00:23:33,580 --> 00:23:37,100
we've probably got about
800 or 900 now, which is good.
216
00:23:37,100 --> 00:23:39,300
We'll collect a lot more
as we come a bit further.
217
00:23:39,300 --> 00:23:41,540
But, yeah,
they're walking really well
218
00:23:41,540 --> 00:23:44,220
and making good progress
and going quite quick.
219
00:23:44,220 --> 00:23:45,500
Quiet.
220
00:23:48,620 --> 00:23:52,220
Kate's record is mustering
10,000 sheep in a single day.
221
00:24:00,620 --> 00:24:04,660
A flock like this
can stretch for over a mile.
222
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Wahoo! Ho, ho, ho, ho!
223
00:24:09,140 --> 00:24:11,500
Hold it, Fred,
hold it there, Freddie.
224
00:24:15,140 --> 00:24:20,300
After 12 hours and a 13-mile hike,
this part of the muster is complete,
225
00:24:21,780 --> 00:24:26,340
and the sheep are safe in their
winter pastures by the lake.
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00:24:26,340 --> 00:24:28,700
Yeah, no, it's great,
getting the job done.
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00:24:28,700 --> 00:24:31,700
Especially when you have
a few hiccups during the day,
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it's always good to get done and
have everybody home in one piece.
229
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He's timed it just perfectly -
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just before dark,
home in time for tea.
231
00:24:53,140 --> 00:24:56,700
There are places where New Zealand's
sheep have never reached.
232
00:25:01,820 --> 00:25:04,620
The wild, mountainous heart
of New Zealand hides
233
00:25:04,620 --> 00:25:07,420
some of the most
ancient secrets on earth.
234
00:25:12,660 --> 00:25:15,780
Far beyond the reach of people
235
00:25:15,780 --> 00:25:19,620
are hidden valleys,
full of prehistoric life.
236
00:25:35,460 --> 00:25:37,940
Huge trees and giant tree-ferns,
237
00:25:37,940 --> 00:25:41,340
whose ancestors lived
100 million years ago,
238
00:25:41,340 --> 00:25:46,020
still thrive here today thanks to
New Zealand's long isolation.
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00:25:51,460 --> 00:25:54,900
These are forests that
a dinosaur might recognise,
240
00:25:54,900 --> 00:25:57,820
living links to
New Zealand's primeval past.
241
00:26:07,580 --> 00:26:12,660
Around 16 months ago, a mother
laid these eggs, buried them,
242
00:26:12,780 --> 00:26:14,260
and then left them to their fate.
243
00:26:24,620 --> 00:26:26,860
Only in a special filming burrow
244
00:26:26,860 --> 00:26:30,180
can we capture intimate details
like this egg tooth.
245
00:26:34,980 --> 00:26:39,860
Tuatara are the last survivors
of an ancient dynasty of reptile
246
00:26:39,860 --> 00:26:43,100
which flourished
during the Jurassic age.
247
00:26:51,060 --> 00:26:54,660
These baby predators
need to eat to grow quickly.
248
00:26:58,060 --> 00:27:01,340
But for youngsters this small,
it's eat or be eaten.
249
00:27:10,140 --> 00:27:12,740
There is the threat
of prehistoric predators.
250
00:27:16,420 --> 00:27:19,860
Adult tuatara are
more than 50 times as big.
251
00:27:23,340 --> 00:27:25,140
They are known to be cannibals.
252
00:27:30,260 --> 00:27:32,900
If you want to avoid
being dish of the day
253
00:27:32,900 --> 00:27:35,900
then the trick is
to stay absolutely still.
254
00:27:41,900 --> 00:27:45,340
Fortunately, a cockroach
is a tasty distraction.
255
00:27:51,780 --> 00:27:53,900
But even the bugs can be deadly.
256
00:27:57,500 --> 00:28:00,980
Giant centipedes
more than six inches long
257
00:28:00,980 --> 00:28:04,180
would make short work
of a baby tuatara.
258
00:28:08,260 --> 00:28:10,700
And velvet worms
have digestive saliva.
259
00:28:11,940 --> 00:28:14,660
They've been on patrol
for 500 million years.
260
00:28:16,940 --> 00:28:18,580
Best give her a wide berth.
261
00:28:27,100 --> 00:28:28,300
He's still hungry...
262
00:28:29,620 --> 00:28:33,380
..and this fat and juicy insect
is packed with protein.
263
00:28:38,940 --> 00:28:42,580
Another prehistoric New Zealand
specialty, a weta.
264
00:28:56,020 --> 00:28:58,620
In this topsy-turvy land,
265
00:28:58,620 --> 00:29:03,660
a baby tuatara needs to learn the
bugs can be bigger than the beasts.
266
00:29:28,180 --> 00:29:32,100
The trees here are as
prehistoric as the wildlife.
267
00:29:33,940 --> 00:29:37,900
And the most spectacular
are an ancient family,
268
00:29:37,900 --> 00:29:39,020
the podocarps.
269
00:29:47,180 --> 00:29:51,420
These mighty conifers
are of special significance
270
00:29:51,420 --> 00:29:55,420
to the first settlers of
New Zealand, the Maori.
271
00:29:55,420 --> 00:29:57,500
Hey, that one's a beauty.
272
00:29:57,500 --> 00:30:00,260
Yeah. It's not bad, eh?
273
00:30:00,260 --> 00:30:04,460
Mike Bradley is a chief
of the local Rangitane tribe
274
00:30:04,460 --> 00:30:08,300
from the Marlborough Sounds,
and a distinguished Maori carver.
275
00:30:08,300 --> 00:30:10,380
Well, this is a native
called totara.
276
00:30:10,380 --> 00:30:13,180
This tree is about 40 metres high
277
00:30:13,180 --> 00:30:17,500
and I would think it's about
700 to 1,000 years old.
278
00:30:17,500 --> 00:30:18,500
It's in good nick.
279
00:30:20,380 --> 00:30:24,340
Mike and his son Joel have one of
the largest private collections
280
00:30:24,340 --> 00:30:26,540
of Maori woodcarvings
in the world.
281
00:30:30,620 --> 00:30:34,220
The wood of these native podocarps
is especially prized.
282
00:30:37,580 --> 00:30:42,180
These trees are now protected by law
and even if I could
283
00:30:42,180 --> 00:30:44,420
cut one of these down, I wouldn't,
284
00:30:44,420 --> 00:30:47,620
because I have far too much respect
for these big old giants.
285
00:30:50,980 --> 00:30:55,220
Mike and Joel have come up with an
ingenious and sustainable way
286
00:30:55,220 --> 00:30:57,660
of sourcing this rare
and precious material.
287
00:31:00,660 --> 00:31:05,140
Well, what we do is we go fishing
for trees up the Pelorus River
288
00:31:05,140 --> 00:31:07,820
and then through time they've
fallen down into the river.
289
00:31:07,820 --> 00:31:12,940
They eventually get washed down into
the tidal estuary here, where we've
290
00:31:13,100 --> 00:31:17,540
been going for the last 25 years
to collect some of these logs.
291
00:31:22,020 --> 00:31:26,060
Some of the logs are huge here,
some of them are 30-50 tonnes.
292
00:31:26,060 --> 00:31:28,700
You know, as big as a big truck.
293
00:31:28,700 --> 00:31:31,860
This looks good.
294
00:31:31,860 --> 00:31:35,060
When we first started removing
the logs from the river,
295
00:31:35,060 --> 00:31:37,420
recovering them,
it was quite challenging,
296
00:31:37,420 --> 00:31:39,260
all of the things we had to do.
297
00:31:39,260 --> 00:31:41,300
Do you want these
side-by-side or what?
298
00:31:41,300 --> 00:31:42,820
No, I want this one right under.
299
00:31:42,820 --> 00:31:45,380
Over the years, we've just
worked out a technique
300
00:31:45,380 --> 00:31:49,180
where we just use
fishing floats and the tide.
301
00:31:54,220 --> 00:31:57,780
The Pelorus River has a
two-metre tidal range,
302
00:31:57,780 --> 00:32:00,740
easily enough to lift the
old tree from the riverbed.
303
00:32:07,220 --> 00:32:12,420
Now, these podocarps, some of them
are up to 1,000 years old
304
00:32:13,420 --> 00:32:16,260
before they even
fall into the Pelorus.
305
00:32:18,300 --> 00:32:21,740
And they can stay lodged in the mud
for hundreds of years.
306
00:32:23,500 --> 00:32:27,660
So these logs would have been
standing where humans weren't even
307
00:32:27,660 --> 00:32:31,900
in New Zealand and there would have
only have been birds and insects.
308
00:32:31,900 --> 00:32:33,340
Some of these trees,
309
00:32:33,340 --> 00:32:38,380
you sit back and you look at them
and you wonder what they saw
310
00:32:38,380 --> 00:32:41,220
in their lifetime when they
were standing in the forests.
311
00:32:41,220 --> 00:32:43,260
It must have been
paradise back then.
312
00:32:54,580 --> 00:32:59,500
Mike uses the logs to record
Maori history and tradition.
313
00:32:59,500 --> 00:33:03,380
Because Maori hadn't developed
a written language,
314
00:33:03,380 --> 00:33:07,860
and so the only language we had
was really carving in wood.
315
00:33:10,900 --> 00:33:14,340
The Maori were
the first people here,
316
00:33:14,340 --> 00:33:19,220
they had to pass on their knowledge
to the next generation,
317
00:33:19,220 --> 00:33:22,220
and so the only way
of recording all that was in wood.
318
00:33:26,740 --> 00:33:29,340
It was a record of important
events and places.
319
00:33:40,980 --> 00:33:45,500
The piece that Mike has been carving
today tells of the most bizarre
320
00:33:45,500 --> 00:33:47,620
of the New Zealand's forest spirits.
321
00:33:49,700 --> 00:33:51,980
A creature that almost
no-one ever sees.
322
00:33:58,700 --> 00:34:02,620
These are extremely rare
and only come out at night.
323
00:34:04,540 --> 00:34:08,980
One of the few places to glimpse
them is at the Otorohanga sanctuary
324
00:34:08,980 --> 00:34:10,380
in the North Island.
325
00:34:17,700 --> 00:34:19,220
In the dead of night,
326
00:34:19,220 --> 00:34:23,820
a brown kiwi leaves his burrow
for the pitch dark
327
00:34:23,820 --> 00:34:25,900
of the primeval New Zealand forest.
328
00:34:52,060 --> 00:34:56,460
A kiwi is a most distinctive
and peculiar type of bird.
329
00:35:00,580 --> 00:35:03,820
He's about the size and weight
of a stout chicken,
330
00:35:03,820 --> 00:35:07,220
but he's more closely related
to an ostrich.
331
00:35:16,660 --> 00:35:19,900
To help them locate
underground prey in the soil,
332
00:35:19,900 --> 00:35:22,420
kiwis are the only birds
in the world
333
00:35:22,420 --> 00:35:25,220
to have nostrils
at the tip of their bills.
334
00:35:26,580 --> 00:35:28,220
It's more like a snout,
335
00:35:28,220 --> 00:35:30,660
perfect for rooting around
for grubs.
336
00:35:35,740 --> 00:35:40,500
But, right now, the kiwis here
have something else on their minds.
337
00:35:42,820 --> 00:35:45,660
A female sings an alluring serenade.
338
00:35:48,500 --> 00:35:50,060
Love is in the air.
339
00:35:55,660 --> 00:35:57,700
These birds are a part
of a habituated group,
340
00:35:57,700 --> 00:36:02,340
which means we can film intimate
details of their private behaviour.
341
00:36:09,660 --> 00:36:14,100
Brown kiwis often mate for life
and females are very fussy.
342
00:36:21,660 --> 00:36:25,660
In kiwi couples, the ladies are
normally the ones in charge,
343
00:36:25,660 --> 00:36:29,060
but he's happy to follow her around.
344
00:36:29,060 --> 00:36:32,980
He flirts by grunting and
tapping her bottom with his beak.
345
00:36:36,660 --> 00:36:41,220
She takes a lot of persuading, but
eventually succumbs to his charms.
346
00:36:47,820 --> 00:36:51,700
The female lays an egg
in her mate's burrow,
347
00:36:51,700 --> 00:36:54,140
but she leaves him
to care for it alone.
348
00:36:55,780 --> 00:36:59,940
He'll spend most of the next
three months sitting right here.
349
00:37:09,340 --> 00:37:12,220
A kiwi egg is enormous.
350
00:37:12,220 --> 00:37:17,500
It weighs in at almost half a kilo,
most of which is yolk.
351
00:37:17,900 --> 00:37:22,380
It's one of the largest eggs in
proportion to body size for any bird
352
00:37:22,380 --> 00:37:25,300
and it needs one of
the longest incubations.
353
00:37:28,420 --> 00:37:30,500
It can take three days
354
00:37:30,500 --> 00:37:33,340
for a chick to battle its way
out of the thick shell.
355
00:37:41,660 --> 00:37:43,700
By the time baby hatches,
356
00:37:43,700 --> 00:37:47,180
Dad may have lost a quarter of his
body weight through incubating
357
00:37:47,180 --> 00:37:50,580
his giant egg,
and his work is not over yet.
358
00:37:54,860 --> 00:37:57,300
He's taken great care
to hide the nest entrance,
359
00:37:57,300 --> 00:37:59,940
but Junior just
won't be left behind.
360
00:38:02,700 --> 00:38:04,700
Kiwis can't see well in the dark,
361
00:38:04,700 --> 00:38:08,820
so he's taking his first tentative
steps into a pitch-black world.
362
00:38:17,620 --> 00:38:20,900
He still has the remains
of the giant yolk inside him,
363
00:38:20,900 --> 00:38:23,740
which means he won't
have to eat for the first few days.
364
00:38:27,540 --> 00:38:30,020
But he's very unsteady on his feet,
365
00:38:30,020 --> 00:38:33,700
and, in the darkness, his anxious
dad never lets him out of reach.
366
00:38:38,540 --> 00:38:41,660
His beak serves as an
excellent toddler's rein.
367
00:38:47,940 --> 00:38:51,140
This little bundle of fluff will
stay with his dad
368
00:38:51,140 --> 00:38:54,180
until he is steadier
and able to fend for himself.
369
00:39:14,700 --> 00:39:17,140
New Zealand's ancient isolation
370
00:39:17,140 --> 00:39:20,420
allowed many strange creatures
to evolve here.
371
00:39:21,620 --> 00:39:25,620
But the geological forces which
created so much life in this land
372
00:39:25,620 --> 00:39:28,660
also have the power to destroy it.
373
00:39:32,980 --> 00:39:36,820
The country is fissured and
fractured by underground faults
374
00:39:36,820 --> 00:39:39,060
that can rupture without warning.
375
00:39:46,780 --> 00:39:51,060
At 12.51 on 22nd February, 2011,
376
00:39:51,060 --> 00:39:53,700
one city's future
was changed forever.
377
00:40:00,020 --> 00:40:04,260
Elisabeth Pitcorn worked in the
city centre of Christchurch.
378
00:40:04,260 --> 00:40:05,300
So many memories.
379
00:40:05,300 --> 00:40:09,140
I remember the whole day, I remember
every single detail of that day,
380
00:40:09,140 --> 00:40:12,340
and I will for the rest of my life.
381
00:40:12,340 --> 00:40:15,380
On the day of the earthquake I was
working up on the first floor
382
00:40:15,380 --> 00:40:19,260
of the old Post Office building in
Cathedral Square in Christchurch.
383
00:40:19,260 --> 00:40:22,740
It was about lunchtime
that the first tremor struck.
384
00:40:24,140 --> 00:40:26,220
It was actually really terrifying.
385
00:40:35,940 --> 00:40:39,820
After the shaking stopped, we just
grabbed everything that was handy
386
00:40:39,820 --> 00:40:41,860
and just left the building.
387
00:40:41,860 --> 00:40:45,580
Unfortunately, we walked past
some pretty horrific scenes.
388
00:40:47,940 --> 00:40:51,380
One of my colleagues just said,
"Oh, my God, the cathedral."
389
00:40:55,460 --> 00:40:59,740
I happened to have my camera in my
bag with me that day and I guess
390
00:40:59,740 --> 00:41:04,300
I naturally started taking some
photos and it was at that point that
391
00:41:04,300 --> 00:41:08,420
I really realised how serious
this earthquake actually was.
392
00:41:10,900 --> 00:41:14,100
It was one of New Zealand's largest
and most devastating earthquakes.
393
00:41:19,780 --> 00:41:23,580
It occurred unexpectedly close to
the Earth's surface, so the ground
394
00:41:23,580 --> 00:41:26,580
under the city was shaken
in a particularly violent way.
395
00:41:29,500 --> 00:41:32,460
The movement of the ground
accelerated faster
396
00:41:32,460 --> 00:41:36,060
than any other earthquake
ever recorded in New Zealand,
397
00:41:36,060 --> 00:41:37,660
resulting in huge damage.
398
00:41:40,900 --> 00:41:43,300
There were buildings
crumbling all around us
399
00:41:43,300 --> 00:41:45,380
as all the aftershocks
rolled through.
400
00:41:48,900 --> 00:41:52,140
I remember I looked down at the
ground and the cracks started
401
00:41:52,140 --> 00:41:55,180
opening up and they were moving
backwards and forwards
402
00:41:55,180 --> 00:41:57,740
and at that point
I actually had this thought of,
403
00:41:57,740 --> 00:42:00,220
"This ground is going to
open up and swallow me."
404
00:42:12,740 --> 00:42:17,900
185 people lost their lives and the
damage is estimated at £17 billion.
405
00:42:20,340 --> 00:42:21,580
But five years on,
406
00:42:21,580 --> 00:42:24,780
the people of Christchurch
are learning and rebuilding.
407
00:42:32,660 --> 00:42:35,820
Liz is part of
Christchurch's recovery.
408
00:42:35,820 --> 00:42:37,820
Shall we start at the window
and come back around,
409
00:42:37,820 --> 00:42:39,060
right around to the front?
410
00:42:39,060 --> 00:42:42,460
She works with drones to
survey areas of the city
411
00:42:42,460 --> 00:42:44,940
ruined by the quake.
412
00:42:44,940 --> 00:42:49,420
Honestly, I think the people of
Christchurch now are all geologists.
413
00:42:49,420 --> 00:42:53,300
I certainly know a lot more about
earthquakes than I ever needed to or
414
00:42:53,300 --> 00:42:57,740
even wanted to, but I guess we all
know how to be safe in one as well.
415
00:43:00,780 --> 00:43:05,020
It's vital work, which is part
of the rebuilding of the city.
416
00:43:08,500 --> 00:43:11,740
You think, that stuff doesn't happen
in my city, you know?
417
00:43:11,740 --> 00:43:16,980
But I guess it did, so we've got to
be real about it and move forward
418
00:43:18,140 --> 00:43:19,940
and build a new Christchurch.
419
00:43:27,580 --> 00:43:29,980
The earthquake wasn't a freak event.
420
00:43:29,980 --> 00:43:34,220
Around 20,000 are recorded
in New Zealand every year.
421
00:43:34,220 --> 00:43:36,340
Most are small tremors,
422
00:43:36,340 --> 00:43:39,780
but the threat of another
major quake is never far away.
423
00:43:42,420 --> 00:43:45,460
Nowhere here is immune
to the country's active
424
00:43:45,460 --> 00:43:47,740
and sometimes violent geology.
425
00:43:51,380 --> 00:43:56,420
Even Auckland, the country's largest
city and home to 1.5 million people,
426
00:43:56,420 --> 00:43:58,900
is built on an active volcano field.
427
00:44:06,500 --> 00:44:10,100
The volcano Rangitoto
dominates Auckland Harbour.
428
00:44:12,900 --> 00:44:16,580
Although it last erupted
600 years ago,
429
00:44:16,580 --> 00:44:20,580
many of its lava fields are still
black and almost barren to this day.
430
00:44:24,660 --> 00:44:28,700
But hidden beneath the lifeless
surface is one of New Zealand's
431
00:44:28,700 --> 00:44:30,900
most unusual natural features.
432
00:44:41,140 --> 00:44:46,340
Thousands of tonnes of liquid rock
once raced through these lava tubes
433
00:44:46,380 --> 00:44:48,420
at more than 1,000 degrees Celsius.
434
00:44:52,820 --> 00:44:57,780
Cavers have mapped a network of over
200 of these tubes under Auckland,
435
00:44:57,940 --> 00:44:59,180
stretching for miles.
436
00:45:01,620 --> 00:45:06,740
The air here is humid, carrying
just enough moisture to spark life.
437
00:45:26,660 --> 00:45:29,460
These are aerial roots.
438
00:45:29,460 --> 00:45:32,420
They attract and absorb moisture
directly from the air.
439
00:45:44,900 --> 00:45:48,300
The roots power fresh green growth
in the lava above.
440
00:45:59,700 --> 00:46:02,180
A pohutukawa tree,
441
00:46:02,180 --> 00:46:05,780
a miracle of life
from almost nothing...
442
00:46:17,820 --> 00:46:20,740
..providing a midsummer feast
for the birds.
443
00:46:25,540 --> 00:46:30,220
The tui's curved beak is
perfect for sipping nectar.
444
00:46:30,220 --> 00:46:32,060
The kaka opts for the pollen.
445
00:46:45,660 --> 00:46:48,460
Pohutukawa trees can live
for more than 1,000 years.
446
00:46:54,300 --> 00:46:56,020
They bloom in December,
447
00:46:56,020 --> 00:46:59,020
so they're often called
New Zealand's Christmas tree.
448
00:47:00,700 --> 00:47:03,340
Each has the miraculous ability
449
00:47:03,340 --> 00:47:07,380
to transform a barren volcanic
wasteland into a garden of life.
450
00:47:15,260 --> 00:47:18,140
Of all the species that have
flourished in New Zealand,
451
00:47:18,140 --> 00:47:22,620
perhaps it's the pohutukawa tree
that has best met the challenges
452
00:47:22,620 --> 00:47:25,100
of this demanding
and beautiful land.
453
00:47:37,220 --> 00:47:38,980
All across New Zealand,
454
00:47:38,980 --> 00:47:43,340
life battles the geological forces
which give this land its power...
455
00:47:45,060 --> 00:47:46,020
..and its beauty.
456
00:47:50,660 --> 00:47:53,300
From the pioneers
of the high country
457
00:47:53,300 --> 00:47:55,900
to dolphins leaping over the deep...
458
00:47:58,860 --> 00:48:01,580
..and tiny aerial aces
who dare to hunt...
459
00:48:03,140 --> 00:48:04,860
..in sizzling volcanic steam...
460
00:48:07,380 --> 00:48:10,100
..New Zealand is magnificent
and mysterious.
461
00:48:14,420 --> 00:48:18,660
A land apart, shaped by its
extraordinary past
462
00:48:18,660 --> 00:48:21,300
and facing a restless future.
463
00:48:35,740 --> 00:48:38,540
Of all the locations the
New Zealand team filmed,
464
00:48:38,540 --> 00:48:39,980
perhaps the most magical...
465
00:48:41,580 --> 00:48:42,820
..were the Snares Islands.
466
00:48:45,580 --> 00:48:48,740
A shoot cameraman Mark MacEwen
is very much looking forward to.
467
00:48:50,820 --> 00:48:54,020
Sometimes you get very, very lucky
as a wildlife cameraman
468
00:48:54,020 --> 00:48:57,380
and you get asked to go to some
places that are completely unique.
469
00:48:57,380 --> 00:48:59,820
The Snares Island, which is found
between New Zealand and
470
00:48:59,820 --> 00:49:02,340
the Subantarctic, is just one of
those places when you know
471
00:49:02,340 --> 00:49:05,180
you're going to have this
amazing adventure getting there.
472
00:49:05,180 --> 00:49:07,780
I mean, what's better?
What beats that?
473
00:49:11,300 --> 00:49:14,340
There's never been a human
settlement on the Snares,
474
00:49:14,340 --> 00:49:18,020
so its wild residents should behave
in a totally natural manner.
475
00:49:20,220 --> 00:49:21,220
In theory, anyway.
476
00:49:23,260 --> 00:49:25,100
But the first hurdle
is getting there.
477
00:49:28,740 --> 00:49:30,860
Between the mainland and the Snares
478
00:49:30,860 --> 00:49:33,820
lie the Southern Ocean's
infamous Roaring Forties.
479
00:49:37,740 --> 00:49:40,660
These are rough and
unpredictable seas -
480
00:49:40,660 --> 00:49:41,780
an alarming prospect.
481
00:49:42,980 --> 00:49:46,220
When you hear that you're going down
towards the Subantarctic,
482
00:49:46,220 --> 00:49:49,580
it kind of...
Thoughts of the Roaring Forties
483
00:49:49,580 --> 00:49:52,740
and boats being lost at sea
enter your mind.
484
00:49:52,740 --> 00:49:55,700
I mean, they really do. I know what
the weather's like down there,
485
00:49:55,700 --> 00:49:57,580
I know what the seas
can be like down there,
486
00:49:57,580 --> 00:50:00,540
and they're marginally terrifying.
487
00:50:00,540 --> 00:50:05,060
To make matters worse, there will be
eight people and all this equipment
488
00:50:05,060 --> 00:50:07,140
on board this little yacht.
489
00:50:07,140 --> 00:50:10,620
Tiama was our boat and it was
a fairly small yacht,
490
00:50:10,620 --> 00:50:13,060
not quite as large as I'd expected,
I have to say.
491
00:50:16,700 --> 00:50:20,980
Fortunately, the man in charge is
veteran yachtsman Henk Haazen,
492
00:50:20,980 --> 00:50:23,620
who built Tiama
to withstand this ocean.
493
00:50:29,900 --> 00:50:33,900
You put an awful lot of trust in
this one man, who is pretty amazing,
494
00:50:33,900 --> 00:50:35,500
I would give him his dues.
495
00:50:35,500 --> 00:50:39,420
But I'm not a fan of huge,
rolling, open ocean
496
00:50:39,420 --> 00:50:42,060
and that's kind of what
we spent the next few days in.
497
00:50:46,340 --> 00:50:49,420
I had a small window and all I could
see was the sea raising and lowering
498
00:50:49,420 --> 00:50:51,220
itself over the side of the boat.
499
00:50:54,060 --> 00:50:56,380
I lay there slightly fearful,
waiting for it to be over.
500
00:51:04,020 --> 00:51:06,460
After 120 gruelling miles,
501
00:51:06,460 --> 00:51:10,420
the first to spy land
is producer Mark Flowers.
502
00:51:10,420 --> 00:51:13,380
Well, this is what
we've come to see -
503
00:51:13,380 --> 00:51:16,860
24 hours over the Southern Ocean
in the Roaring Forties
504
00:51:16,860 --> 00:51:18,620
and this is Snares Island.
505
00:51:23,540 --> 00:51:27,380
The relief of actually getting to
Snares is short-lived.
506
00:51:27,380 --> 00:51:29,620
Well, the journey's only part of it.
507
00:51:29,620 --> 00:51:33,700
It's when you get there that the
next problem starts, and the thing
508
00:51:33,700 --> 00:51:37,180
we've found with Snares is
it's such a steep-sided island.
509
00:51:37,180 --> 00:51:39,980
None of us had quite anticipated
how we were going to get on it.
510
00:51:44,380 --> 00:51:46,500
One of the key filming locations,
511
00:51:46,500 --> 00:51:50,700
known as Penguin Cliff, is simply
too steep to land on in a swell.
512
00:51:57,580 --> 00:51:59,260
Then, a stroke of luck.
513
00:52:05,260 --> 00:52:09,620
The weather unexpectedly clears and
the crew can finally get onshore.
514
00:52:11,260 --> 00:52:14,100
I came to Subantarctica
to get a suntan.
515
00:52:19,820 --> 00:52:22,140
Now they can start filming.
516
00:52:22,140 --> 00:52:24,100
Just one problem -
517
00:52:24,100 --> 00:52:25,060
the penguins.
518
00:52:26,700 --> 00:52:30,580
I'm sat here trying to film the
penguins in between the water,
519
00:52:30,580 --> 00:52:34,580
so one minute they're teetering on
the brink and I'm ready to go
520
00:52:34,580 --> 00:52:37,620
and the next minute
they're running backwards,
521
00:52:37,620 --> 00:52:39,500
then they go forwards again.
522
00:52:39,500 --> 00:52:43,180
I'm just waiting for one to start
going and the rest will follow,
523
00:52:43,180 --> 00:52:45,260
but at the moment it's just
backwards and forwards,
524
00:52:45,260 --> 00:52:46,660
backwards and forwards.
525
00:52:50,500 --> 00:52:52,900
Because nobody has ever lived
on the Snares,
526
00:52:52,900 --> 00:52:57,780
the penguins have no fear of people
and they are very curious animals.
527
00:52:59,420 --> 00:53:01,940
One of the things with
being a wildlife cameraman
528
00:53:01,940 --> 00:53:04,700
I've spent most of my career doing
is trying to creep up
529
00:53:04,700 --> 00:53:07,500
or get really close to animals
without being observed,
530
00:53:07,500 --> 00:53:09,380
and Snares
was the complete opposite.
531
00:53:09,380 --> 00:53:11,500
I couldn't get the animals
to stop looking at me.
532
00:53:11,500 --> 00:53:14,420
It was like I was
television for a change.
533
00:53:14,420 --> 00:53:16,300
It was almost impossible at times
534
00:53:16,300 --> 00:53:19,380
to get them to do anything
other than stand there.
535
00:53:19,380 --> 00:53:20,660
"Oh, yeah."
536
00:53:31,460 --> 00:53:34,140
The only thing that makes
this island accessible
537
00:53:34,140 --> 00:53:36,580
are the miles of track
that the penguins
538
00:53:36,580 --> 00:53:38,540
have created through the forest.
539
00:53:49,900 --> 00:53:53,620
But the crew quickly realise that
this is an island more suited
540
00:53:53,620 --> 00:53:55,580
to penguins than to people.
541
00:53:57,740 --> 00:53:59,740
Very few people have ever set foot
on Snares
542
00:53:59,740 --> 00:54:02,580
and one of the things with that
is it means there are no paths,
543
00:54:02,580 --> 00:54:05,660
there's no real access
to anywhere on the island.
544
00:54:05,660 --> 00:54:07,940
But the island is covered
in these really gnarly,
545
00:54:07,940 --> 00:54:09,860
dense old trees everywhere.
546
00:54:09,860 --> 00:54:12,340
And the floor falls away
from bird burrows
547
00:54:12,340 --> 00:54:15,020
and it's a really
difficult place to navigate,
548
00:54:15,020 --> 00:54:17,020
particularly if you're my size.
549
00:54:17,020 --> 00:54:20,020
Because it's designed for things
that are that big...
550
00:54:27,980 --> 00:54:31,460
The crew must struggle up to the top
of the island because a key scene
551
00:54:31,460 --> 00:54:33,900
is to film the birds
climbing Penguin Cliff.
552
00:54:38,500 --> 00:54:40,260
This is it?
553
00:54:40,260 --> 00:54:42,780
Well, no, there's...
554
00:54:42,780 --> 00:54:44,220
You've got to go down there.
555
00:54:44,220 --> 00:54:47,860
Down there? That does look
quite a sheer drop.
556
00:54:47,860 --> 00:54:50,540
It's hard to explain the scale
557
00:54:50,540 --> 00:54:54,220
and the sheer, steep sides
of those cliffs.
558
00:54:54,220 --> 00:54:57,460
The camera doesn't really
do it justice a lot of the time,
559
00:54:57,460 --> 00:55:01,060
but looking down you could suddenly
start to feel your heart-rate going.
560
00:55:04,220 --> 00:55:08,580
Mark does a recce to find a safe
ledge on the cliff for the camera.
561
00:55:08,580 --> 00:55:11,420
The director said it would be fine
to send me down there.
562
00:55:13,180 --> 00:55:14,660
Looking at it, it is quite steep.
563
00:55:16,100 --> 00:55:18,860
If the penguins can do it,
so must the crew.
564
00:55:27,500 --> 00:55:31,020
Before the trip, the team
had assumed that penguins
565
00:55:31,020 --> 00:55:35,020
are ill-equipped for
cliff climbing, but in reality,
566
00:55:35,020 --> 00:55:38,300
their low centre of gravity
and sharp, gripping claws
567
00:55:38,300 --> 00:55:40,260
make them surprisingly adept.
568
00:55:42,300 --> 00:55:44,180
I'm amazed penguins can do this.
569
00:55:44,180 --> 00:55:47,300
Who would have thought it?
It's incredible.
570
00:55:47,300 --> 00:55:48,780
Look at them.
571
00:55:53,700 --> 00:55:57,220
The team stayed for ten days
with no accommodation.
572
00:55:57,220 --> 00:56:01,660
Each evening they returned to
the Tiama, which has its drawbacks.
573
00:56:03,420 --> 00:56:06,300
One of the problems with sharing a
boat with that many people is that
574
00:56:06,300 --> 00:56:08,300
there is a real lack of privacy
when you need it.
575
00:56:09,420 --> 00:56:12,700
But on the island there was a very
small basic loo next to a little
hut.
576
00:56:14,620 --> 00:56:17,340
I headed in that direction,
but sadly found
577
00:56:17,340 --> 00:56:19,780
someone else had beat me
to the queue.
578
00:56:19,780 --> 00:56:22,460
A young male New Zealand sea lion.
579
00:56:26,620 --> 00:56:28,940
And he's standing between me
and the toilet,
580
00:56:28,940 --> 00:56:32,660
which is an emergency situation.
581
00:56:32,660 --> 00:56:34,140
That's it, go on.
582
00:56:36,580 --> 00:56:41,420
Like a truculent teenager,
he seems to resent being disturbed.
583
00:56:41,420 --> 00:56:44,260
And a desperate cameraman
is an easy target.
584
00:56:45,900 --> 00:56:49,460
One of the big things with sea lions
is that they are large,
585
00:56:49,460 --> 00:56:53,020
they are slightly aggressive
and they really smell,
586
00:56:53,020 --> 00:56:56,620
I mean really smelly, stinky fish,
it's horrendous.
587
00:56:56,620 --> 00:56:58,260
Any hints or tips?
588
00:57:00,900 --> 00:57:05,180
The crew have to gang up on him
and eventually he backs down.
589
00:57:11,100 --> 00:57:13,500
All right, there we go,
ten minutes later.
590
00:57:17,380 --> 00:57:20,140
Despite the dangers and discomfort,
591
00:57:20,140 --> 00:57:23,900
the team finally get what
they came for - an intimate glimpse
592
00:57:23,900 --> 00:57:29,140
into the lives of these remarkable
birds and their unique home.
593
00:57:30,180 --> 00:57:33,340
For me, what has been so special
about Snares Island
594
00:57:33,340 --> 00:57:36,460
is it's where the Subantarctic
meets the forest.
595
00:57:36,460 --> 00:57:40,700
And these two worlds collide
and it's just wonderful.
596
00:57:40,700 --> 00:57:43,860
I'll miss it, actually.
597
00:57:46,060 --> 00:57:47,620
How could you not miss this?
598
00:58:00,860 --> 00:58:05,260
Next time, we voyage deep into the
dramatic landscapes
599
00:58:05,260 --> 00:58:08,180
of New Zealand's wildest places
600
00:58:08,180 --> 00:58:12,620
to discover their strange
and surprising wildlife -
601
00:58:12,620 --> 00:58:15,660
secret dells lit by
mysterious fairy lights...
602
00:58:17,660 --> 00:58:19,940
..sneaky snails
with a killer bite...
603
00:58:22,180 --> 00:58:23,740
..and death-defying insects.
604
00:58:28,700 --> 00:58:32,220
Animals who face the most extreme
conditions in the land.
52132
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