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In the far reaches of the Pacific
Ocean...
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00:00:15,060 --> 00:00:18,780
lies a land cut-off from the rest of
the world...
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00:00:20,660 --> 00:00:23,500
since the time of the dinosaurs.
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00:00:31,460 --> 00:00:35,980
After 80 million years of isolation,
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00:00:35,980 --> 00:00:38,540
nature has gone its own way.
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00:00:42,620 --> 00:00:46,660
In this lost world, life plays by
different rules.
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00:00:50,660 --> 00:00:52,540
Penguins in the forests...
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00:00:54,340 --> 00:00:55,820
parrots in the snow...
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00:00:58,340 --> 00:01:02,140
and predators from prehistory.
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00:01:04,780 --> 00:01:09,660
Their lives are dominated by the
most powerful forces on earth.
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00:01:12,260 --> 00:01:16,540
When humans finally arrived, they
discovered
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00:01:16,540 --> 00:01:21,780
nowhere is more strange and
mysterious than New Zealand.
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00:01:39,100 --> 00:01:42,660
At the extreme southern tip of
New Zealand,
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00:01:42,660 --> 00:01:46,980
the influence of the South Pole
is surprisingly clear.
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00:01:51,460 --> 00:01:54,940
The Aurora Astralis,
the Southern Lights.
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00:02:03,060 --> 00:02:07,500
At 47 degrees south,
the next stop is Antarctica.
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00:02:12,580 --> 00:02:17,740
At these latitudes in summer,
the nights don't last long.
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00:02:18,700 --> 00:02:22,020
So there is only a brief window
of opportunity
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00:02:22,020 --> 00:02:25,300
for the creatures who hunt by night.
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00:02:33,260 --> 00:02:36,980
Like this mysterious beachcomber.
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He's only found in New Zealand
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00:02:40,060 --> 00:02:42,220
and very rarely seen.
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00:02:46,740 --> 00:02:51,500
He has stubby wings,
but he's too heavy to fly.
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00:02:56,060 --> 00:02:59,900
A wild southern brown kiwi.
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00:03:08,860 --> 00:03:14,100
Just after sunset, the kiwi hits the
beach in search of sand-hoppers.
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00:03:23,660 --> 00:03:27,940
He relies on his sense of smell and
sniffs out the bugs through
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00:03:27,940 --> 00:03:31,220
nostrils at the end of his bill.
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00:03:35,700 --> 00:03:40,180
Kiwis come out at night to avoid
daytime predators.
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00:03:40,180 --> 00:03:42,740
So it's rare to get such a good look
at them.
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00:03:55,380 --> 00:04:00,260
Cold nights and meagre pickings mean
that as the first rays of the sun
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appear, this kiwi doesn't run and
hide.
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He keeps hunting into dawn.
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00:04:16,540 --> 00:04:21,580
The conditions here force the
southern brown kiwi to stay out in
daylight.
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00:04:34,940 --> 00:04:39,420
To live this far south, it has had
to completely alter its normal
routine.
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00:04:51,380 --> 00:04:55,900
Every creature who lives in this
wild and remote part of the world
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00:04:55,900 --> 00:05:00,100
must come up with radical solutions
to the challenges of living here.
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00:05:04,860 --> 00:05:09,980
New Zealand's closeness to the pole
makes it vulnerable to storms,
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00:05:10,140 --> 00:05:15,060
particularly in the south, where
they say you can feel the icy breath
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00:05:15,060 --> 00:05:16,740
of Antarctica.
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00:05:32,500 --> 00:05:37,540
New Zealand's southern beaches are a
refuge for one incredible
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00:05:37,700 --> 00:05:39,780
subantarctic pioneer.
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00:05:50,900 --> 00:05:52,980
A New Zealand sea lion.
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00:05:55,340 --> 00:05:59,060
Possibly the rarest sea lion in the
world.
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00:06:00,860 --> 00:06:04,700
Almost hunted to extinction
150 years ago.
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00:06:13,220 --> 00:06:18,340
But then, in 1993, one female
returned and gave birth.
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00:06:21,420 --> 00:06:25,140
Over 20 years on,
their descendants are still here.
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00:06:27,940 --> 00:06:32,540
An adult male can weigh about as
much as four grown men.
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00:06:34,820 --> 00:06:38,140
It can take eight years to reach
maturity.
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00:06:39,740 --> 00:06:43,220
SEA LION ROARS
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00:06:46,220 --> 00:06:50,660
Adult male sea lions are the rugby
front row of the South Island.
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00:06:54,540 --> 00:06:58,580
During the breeding season, the
beaches become their battleground.
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00:07:01,660 --> 00:07:05,900
Only the biggest and toughest
will win the right to breed.
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00:07:12,820 --> 00:07:17,860
A female returning from a three-day
fishing trip doesn't want to attract
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00:07:17,860 --> 00:07:19,460
the males' attention.
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00:07:29,900 --> 00:07:33,100
She has something else on her mind.
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00:07:43,700 --> 00:07:48,380
She might be able to dive deeper
than any other sea lion on earth,
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00:07:48,380 --> 00:07:53,620
but hauling 160kg up over a
sand dune is more of a struggle.
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00:07:54,220 --> 00:07:57,100
SEA LION CALLS
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00:08:20,860 --> 00:08:24,940
There is a reason for all this
effort.
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00:08:24,940 --> 00:08:27,500
She's searching for something
precious.
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00:08:39,340 --> 00:08:42,380
The centre of her world.
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00:08:42,380 --> 00:08:44,180
Her pup.
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00:08:45,780 --> 00:08:47,860
Only a couple of weeks old.
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00:08:55,900 --> 00:09:01,060
By hiding her baby in the woods, she
avoids the bullyboys on the beach.
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00:09:08,500 --> 00:09:12,620
In the safety of the forest,
he can suckle in peace.
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00:09:17,340 --> 00:09:19,580
All along the southern coast,
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00:09:19,580 --> 00:09:22,580
sea creatures come ashore to find
shelter.
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00:09:30,140 --> 00:09:35,420
But living on land when you're meant
to be at sea can bring problems of
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its own.
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00:09:46,140 --> 00:09:48,020
On the Snares Islands,
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00:09:48,020 --> 00:09:50,620
penguins build their nests amongst
the trees
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00:09:50,620 --> 00:09:54,100
because it's a safe place to breed.
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00:09:54,100 --> 00:09:57,660
But protection in these forests
comes at a price.
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00:09:57,660 --> 00:10:00,380
BIRDS SQUAWK
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00:10:12,780 --> 00:10:17,820
Thousands of tiny feet turn the
nesting ground into a quagmire.
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00:10:25,380 --> 00:10:28,820
They get covered in sticky mud,
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not just their feet, but their
precious feathers, too.
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00:10:35,140 --> 00:10:39,580
The mud not only ruins their looks,
it could threaten their lives.
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00:10:43,500 --> 00:10:46,740
Their densely-packed plumage
is their survival suit.
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00:10:49,260 --> 00:10:51,100
If their feathers are dirty,
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they won't insulate as effectively
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00:10:53,740 --> 00:10:57,300
and the penguins will lose vital
energy.
83
00:11:01,820 --> 00:11:04,980
These are coastlines where risks
cannot be taken.
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00:11:07,660 --> 00:11:10,900
So before he dives headfirst into
the sea,
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00:11:10,900 --> 00:11:14,300
this penguin checks
into the penguin spa.
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00:11:16,380 --> 00:11:21,020
The rock pool gives him a chance to
wash and scrub up in safety.
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00:11:33,020 --> 00:11:34,820
He combs through his feathers...
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00:11:37,900 --> 00:11:40,540
then waterproofs them with a wax
from an oil gland
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00:11:40,540 --> 00:11:42,580
at the base of his tail.
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00:11:45,220 --> 00:11:48,260
Not only does this wax
help him stay warm,
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00:11:48,260 --> 00:11:52,020
it will also help glide through
the water more efficiently.
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00:11:56,180 --> 00:12:01,180
Insulated and waterproof once more,
he's now dressed for dinner.
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00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:13,860
Ready to tackle the wild
ocean beyond.
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00:12:34,020 --> 00:12:36,820
The waters surrounding
the South Island
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are some of the most
brutal on earth.
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00:12:43,540 --> 00:12:45,540
These are the Roaring Forties.
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00:12:47,420 --> 00:12:50,460
Gale force winds rage year-round,
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churning up seas that batter the
shores.
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00:12:57,940 --> 00:13:01,420
Fierce weather systems can arrive
without warning.
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00:13:04,980 --> 00:13:07,700
Open ocean swells and storms charge
up
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00:13:07,700 --> 00:13:12,340
from Antarctica and create massive
waves up to eight metres high.
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00:13:16,700 --> 00:13:18,460
It's always a challenge.
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00:13:19,620 --> 00:13:22,140
The challenge of being able work the
area.
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00:13:22,140 --> 00:13:24,260
You just have to be prepared all the
time.
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00:13:26,580 --> 00:13:31,220
Tackling the tempest is a regular
occurrence for Peter Young.
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00:13:31,220 --> 00:13:32,900
It's his commute to work.
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00:13:37,300 --> 00:13:41,300
But the view from his workplace
makes up for it.
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00:13:41,300 --> 00:13:44,900
One of the most spectacular sights
in New Zealand -
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Fiordland.
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00:13:58,660 --> 00:14:03,900
This labyrinth of steep-sided fjords
and inlets offers shelter to a whole
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host of marine life.
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00:14:16,580 --> 00:14:21,820
For bottlenosed dolphins,
it's a place to rest and feed.
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00:14:26,500 --> 00:14:30,500
And a nursery, where baby fur seals
can build up their strength.
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00:14:35,140 --> 00:14:38,060
Peter is a ranger for the
Department of Conservation.
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00:14:39,580 --> 00:14:42,100
He monitors and protects
the wildlife here.
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00:14:44,180 --> 00:14:47,980
The diversity of Fiordland
is something I love.
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00:14:47,980 --> 00:14:50,020
It's something that not a lot of
people
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in the world will ever get to do.
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00:14:53,340 --> 00:14:56,340
You sort of get a 40-tonne whale
just come cruising up.
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00:14:58,380 --> 00:15:00,420
Right beside the boat, rolling over,
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00:15:00,420 --> 00:15:03,220
exposing their bellies to you
as if they want a bit of a scratch.
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00:15:11,420 --> 00:15:15,020
Fiordland is the jewel
of the South Island.
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00:15:17,900 --> 00:15:23,140
At almost 5,000 square miles, it's
New Zealand's biggest national park.
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00:15:40,260 --> 00:15:43,860
This dramatic landscape was gouged
out by glaciers
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00:15:43,860 --> 00:15:46,300
during the last ice age.
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00:15:49,140 --> 00:15:52,420
Creating incredibly
deep saltwater inlets.
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00:15:55,860 --> 00:15:59,100
Here, two distinct worlds meet.
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00:16:00,700 --> 00:16:04,420
Fresh water from the land
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00:16:04,420 --> 00:16:06,980
mixes with saltwater from the
ocean...
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00:16:09,620 --> 00:16:12,340
to create a unique ecosystem.
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00:16:22,780 --> 00:16:26,460
Fresh water arrives here from the
forests,
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rich in tannins from rotting
vegetation,
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00:16:29,940 --> 00:16:31,860
turning it into a dark tea.
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00:16:41,180 --> 00:16:45,980
It pours off these cliffs to mix
with the saltwater below.
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00:17:01,540 --> 00:17:04,100
Less dense than saltwater,
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00:17:04,100 --> 00:17:09,220
the stained fresh water floats above
and blocks out the light...
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00:17:16,140 --> 00:17:20,740
creating a dark and cold
underwater world.
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00:17:24,180 --> 00:17:28,940
Here, creatures that normally live
in the inky depths of the ocean make
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00:17:28,940 --> 00:17:31,220
their home much nearer to the
surface.
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00:17:40,420 --> 00:17:44,540
Black corals normally grow below
100 metres, but here,
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underwater forests of them
thrive in the shallows.
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00:17:54,340 --> 00:17:58,900
It may be known as black coral, but
it appears white as it's covered in
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00:17:58,900 --> 00:18:01,540
millions of tiny coral polyps,
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00:18:01,540 --> 00:18:03,500
all feeding in the current.
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00:18:05,500 --> 00:18:08,780
Black corals are the slowest-growing
corals in the world.
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00:18:10,500 --> 00:18:13,980
But here they grow a remarkable
two centimetres a year.
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00:18:16,060 --> 00:18:19,860
To create a forest of them
can take hundreds of years.
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00:18:23,340 --> 00:18:26,940
Prehistoric shellfish, brachiopods,
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00:18:26,940 --> 00:18:30,020
are relics from the time of the
dinosaurs.
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00:18:30,020 --> 00:18:34,500
They, too, have crept up the cliff
walls and into the shallows.
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00:18:39,780 --> 00:18:43,660
A unique mix of marine life has
adapted to live here thanks
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00:18:43,660 --> 00:18:47,900
to the extraordinary way
fresh and saltwater meet.
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00:19:01,140 --> 00:19:06,140
The south of New Zealand is one
of the wettest places on earth.
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00:19:14,740 --> 00:19:18,140
Freezing winds from Antarctica
collide with warm wet weather
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00:19:18,140 --> 00:19:20,020
from the north.
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00:19:21,540 --> 00:19:25,940
Huge volumes of moist air are forced
to rise over the South Island's
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00:19:25,940 --> 00:19:30,940
mountains, where they cool
and form vast banks of cloud.
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00:19:36,060 --> 00:19:39,700
The South Island's west coast and
forests are drenched with rain for
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00:19:39,700 --> 00:19:41,940
more than 200 days a year.
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00:19:46,340 --> 00:19:51,220
The water sustains vast swathes
of temperate rainforest.
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Forests brought to life
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by New Zealand's bizarre and
beautiful birds.
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00:20:04,740 --> 00:20:09,220
Where tuis' complex calls echo
through the canopy.
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00:20:09,220 --> 00:20:12,820
TUIS SING
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00:20:12,820 --> 00:20:17,060
Bellbirds trade nectar
for a dusting of blue pollen.
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00:20:19,940 --> 00:20:24,740
And flightless weka skulk in the
undergrowth.
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00:20:32,540 --> 00:20:37,700
It is the perfect environment for
moisture-loving mosses and ferns.
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00:20:51,180 --> 00:20:52,820
Underneath them,
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00:20:52,820 --> 00:20:58,020
a humid forest floor of mucus
and slime with a deadly secret.
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00:21:09,940 --> 00:21:14,980
It comes to life at twilight
when the hunters come out.
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00:21:18,460 --> 00:21:23,300
Their lairs are in dark and damp
forest overhangs where the extreme
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moisture is put to good use.
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00:21:30,860 --> 00:21:35,900
These silken threads are the work
of a tiny larva of a gnat.
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00:21:37,580 --> 00:21:42,340
Beautiful though they may appear,
the threads have a sinister purpose.
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00:21:44,060 --> 00:21:47,260
The larvae use them to trap
their prey.
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00:21:55,940 --> 00:21:59,980
Droplets of sticky mucus work
like spider webs,
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00:21:59,980 --> 00:22:02,900
waiting to catch hold of flying
insects.
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00:22:08,780 --> 00:22:11,820
Mayflies are a particular favourite.
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00:22:23,380 --> 00:22:25,300
As darkness settles,
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00:22:25,300 --> 00:22:30,500
the genius of their deadly traps is
revealed in all its beautiful glory.
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00:22:39,260 --> 00:22:43,340
Gnat larvae are also known as
glow-worms.
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00:22:45,140 --> 00:22:47,420
The bioluminescence is generated
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00:22:47,420 --> 00:22:50,020
by a chemical reaction within their
tail.
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00:22:54,380 --> 00:22:58,580
Creating an irresistible lure.
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00:23:04,860 --> 00:23:09,180
The hungrier they are,
the brighter they glow,
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00:23:09,180 --> 00:23:11,900
drawing in victims like moths
to a flame.
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00:23:14,180 --> 00:23:16,820
And this glow-worm isn't alone.
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00:23:28,260 --> 00:23:30,060
Hundreds live side-by-side.
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00:23:45,220 --> 00:23:50,420
It's almost as if together
they create their own starscape,
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00:23:50,740 --> 00:23:55,180
confusing navigating insects
and luring them to their doom.
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00:24:28,380 --> 00:24:31,180
When the air itself becomes
saturated
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00:24:31,180 --> 00:24:33,700
and the temperature is just right,
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00:24:33,700 --> 00:24:36,460
rare giants emerge.
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00:24:53,100 --> 00:24:55,900
A powelliphanta snail.
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00:24:55,900 --> 00:24:58,340
It can grow to the size of
a man's fist.
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00:25:07,580 --> 00:25:12,260
So rare, they can only be filmed
in captivity
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00:25:12,260 --> 00:25:14,820
where their extraordinary behaviour
is revealed.
198
00:25:17,660 --> 00:25:21,260
It's still a mystery as to exactly
how they track down their food.
199
00:25:23,580 --> 00:25:26,700
But one thing is for sure,
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00:25:26,700 --> 00:25:29,220
this snail has unusual tastes.
201
00:25:31,300 --> 00:25:33,860
And revolting table manners.
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00:26:26,420 --> 00:26:31,140
Its mouth envelops and suffocates
the earthworm.
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00:26:40,660 --> 00:26:43,260
It's sucked down like spaghetti.
204
00:27:02,260 --> 00:27:07,380
For anything bigger, it's got 6,000
teeth ready to shred the next meal.
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00:27:13,180 --> 00:27:15,780
In this supersaturated environment,
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00:27:15,780 --> 00:27:20,620
this specialised snail is the
ultimate predator.
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00:27:22,220 --> 00:27:27,500
BIRDS SING
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00:27:32,380 --> 00:27:34,740
Water dominates the land.
209
00:27:39,740 --> 00:27:44,260
It thunders off the mountains,
creating raging white-water rapids.
210
00:27:46,620 --> 00:27:49,220
Some of the South Island's mountain
rivers flow
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at over 60,000 gallons a second.
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00:27:55,980 --> 00:27:58,580
This is no place to bring up a
family.
213
00:28:02,060 --> 00:28:05,220
But these parents have no choice.
214
00:28:19,540 --> 00:28:23,460
Fortunately, blue duck chicks
are born ready.
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00:28:33,900 --> 00:28:36,340
They have to navigate the churning
currents
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00:28:36,340 --> 00:28:38,780
to reach the best feeding grounds.
217
00:28:49,220 --> 00:28:53,700
And like their parents, they must
dabble to feed.
218
00:28:53,700 --> 00:28:56,300
The tastiest food is on the rocks.
219
00:29:00,580 --> 00:29:03,820
Blue duck bills are specially-shaped
to scrape
220
00:29:03,820 --> 00:29:06,020
insect larvae from the riverbed.
221
00:29:08,900 --> 00:29:12,500
The ducklings have a protective
membrane to stop their bills
222
00:29:12,500 --> 00:29:13,900
being rubbed raw.
223
00:29:25,300 --> 00:29:27,540
It almost looks like fun.
224
00:29:34,700 --> 00:29:38,500
But sudden storms or snowmelt
can cause flash floods...
225
00:29:42,620 --> 00:29:46,460
which can dislodge boulders,
let alone a tiny ball of feathers.
226
00:29:58,260 --> 00:30:02,740
But these blue duck chicks can motor
through this powerful flow.
227
00:30:07,580 --> 00:30:10,540
Their giant webbed feet
are far too big on land,
228
00:30:10,540 --> 00:30:12,660
but they are perfect in the torrent.
229
00:30:26,700 --> 00:30:30,740
Allowing this violent river
to become their playground.
230
00:30:45,180 --> 00:30:48,780
There is more than one way
to conquer these extremes.
231
00:31:09,740 --> 00:31:13,180
Parrots are very intelligent birds.
232
00:31:13,180 --> 00:31:16,860
But the kea is perhaps the smartest
of them all.
233
00:31:22,740 --> 00:31:26,020
When it comes to setting up home,
they choose a warm,
234
00:31:26,020 --> 00:31:29,220
dry burrow to keep their family safe
from the elements.
235
00:31:29,220 --> 00:31:32,300
HIGH-PITCHED SQUAWKING
236
00:31:37,380 --> 00:31:39,780
The chicks huddle together for
warmth and comfort
237
00:31:39,780 --> 00:31:42,020
while their parents are away.
238
00:31:45,700 --> 00:31:47,940
But nine weeks after they've
hatched,
239
00:31:47,940 --> 00:31:49,980
they hanker for something more.
240
00:31:55,460 --> 00:31:59,860
Kea are famous for their insatiable
curiosity.
241
00:31:59,860 --> 00:32:02,980
THEY SQUAWK
242
00:32:04,820 --> 00:32:07,860
With a little parental
encouragement,
243
00:32:07,860 --> 00:32:10,260
there's no holding
these youngsters back.
244
00:32:18,020 --> 00:32:20,620
On broad wings, they are led out
from the forest...
245
00:32:22,620 --> 00:32:24,540
into a whole new realm.
246
00:32:38,300 --> 00:32:40,700
Kea have unusually agile minds.
247
00:32:43,260 --> 00:32:47,780
Car parks and ski slopes are
a smorgasbord of opportunity.
248
00:33:05,420 --> 00:33:07,940
It's not just their minds that are
flexible.
249
00:33:09,780 --> 00:33:13,100
Their hooked beaks are a multi-tool.
250
00:33:21,780 --> 00:33:26,860
Perfect for digging, twisting, and
getting into all kinds of mischief.
251
00:33:43,260 --> 00:33:45,900
It's this combination of beak and
brain
252
00:33:45,900 --> 00:33:50,580
that enables kea to tackle even the
most hostile face of the mountains.
253
00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:08,780
Its bill even serves as an ice axe.
254
00:34:15,420 --> 00:34:20,500
The kea is the only parrot in the
world to thrive above the snow line.
255
00:34:44,860 --> 00:34:47,580
Of all the wild places
in New Zealand,
256
00:34:47,580 --> 00:34:51,340
the Southern Alps present the most
extreme challenges of all.
257
00:35:02,540 --> 00:35:05,940
They dictate the weather
that rules all life here.
258
00:35:10,020 --> 00:35:14,140
They tower almost 4,000 metres
above sea level
259
00:35:14,140 --> 00:35:15,780
and they're still rising.
260
00:35:19,180 --> 00:35:22,420
These are some of the
fastest-growing mountains in the
world.
261
00:35:28,580 --> 00:35:32,980
They might stand 20,000 metres high
if they weren't battered down and
262
00:35:32,980 --> 00:35:34,540
eroded by the elements.
263
00:35:40,940 --> 00:35:44,980
It's a fractured, high altitude,
frozen kingdom.
264
00:35:44,980 --> 00:35:47,820
The most inhospitable of
all New Zealand.
265
00:35:53,740 --> 00:35:57,540
Up here, the grip of ice
is impossible to escape.
266
00:35:59,580 --> 00:36:02,780
Heavy snow falls on heavy snow.
267
00:36:02,780 --> 00:36:06,900
It squeezes out the air,
compacting into giant blocks of ice
268
00:36:06,900 --> 00:36:08,980
to create immense glaciers.
269
00:36:13,180 --> 00:36:17,660
Millions of tonnes of fresh water
stored, frozen solid.
270
00:36:28,260 --> 00:36:33,500
These powerful giants carve out
valleys and deep glacial lakes.
271
00:36:34,540 --> 00:36:39,500
They dominate the entire landscape
and hold all life here in balance.
272
00:36:45,060 --> 00:36:49,260
But the strength of the
South Island's glaciers is slipping,
273
00:36:49,260 --> 00:36:53,580
and one man has devoted
his life's work to find out why.
274
00:37:03,980 --> 00:37:07,260
Brian Anderson is a glacial
scientist
275
00:37:07,260 --> 00:37:10,700
who builds machines that help him
look into the future.
276
00:37:15,780 --> 00:37:17,380
I like to get out to the mountains.
277
00:37:17,380 --> 00:37:20,660
I like to measure glaciers and try
and understand how they work,
278
00:37:20,660 --> 00:37:22,260
what's happening at the moment,
279
00:37:22,260 --> 00:37:24,020
and then try and build a picture
280
00:37:24,020 --> 00:37:26,300
of what glaciers might do in the
future.
281
00:37:33,300 --> 00:37:37,580
Brian's workplace has to be one of
the most remote in the country.
282
00:37:43,020 --> 00:37:47,180
His mission forces him into parts of
the wilderness so cut-off,
283
00:37:47,180 --> 00:37:50,900
he must take everything he needs
with him.
284
00:38:08,020 --> 00:38:10,380
Brian has to drive a stake eight
metres down
285
00:38:10,380 --> 00:38:15,300
into the icy heart of the glacier
to reveal its deepest secrets.
286
00:38:17,380 --> 00:38:20,020
And he does it with this portable
steam drill.
287
00:38:22,620 --> 00:38:26,860
For the steam drilling we use this
backpack-mounted boiler.
288
00:38:26,860 --> 00:38:29,420
You have to drill quite deep.
289
00:38:29,420 --> 00:38:31,780
It might melt six or eight metres
over the summer,
290
00:38:31,780 --> 00:38:33,620
and so we need our stakes to be long
enough
291
00:38:33,620 --> 00:38:35,420
that they'll actually stay in.
292
00:38:37,460 --> 00:38:40,500
By measuring the depth of snow
through the year,
293
00:38:40,500 --> 00:38:44,020
Brian can record how the glacier
changes size,
294
00:38:44,020 --> 00:38:46,580
building a picture of its long-term
behaviour.
295
00:38:55,900 --> 00:38:59,180
Glaciers move incredibly slowly,
296
00:38:59,180 --> 00:39:03,060
so the only way to watch them is to
speed up time itself.
297
00:39:05,100 --> 00:39:10,100
And his handbuilt time-lapse units
will let Brian do exactly that.
298
00:39:18,340 --> 00:39:22,460
Or they will, providing he can
get them into the best positions.
299
00:39:28,860 --> 00:39:33,460
It all started with one camera
and then I think I got seven cameras
300
00:39:33,460 --> 00:39:36,340
looking at glaciers
around the Southern Alps.
301
00:39:36,340 --> 00:39:39,940
So the beauty of using a camera is
that it's taking a photo every hour.
302
00:39:39,940 --> 00:39:41,220
It gives us the kind of data
303
00:39:41,220 --> 00:39:43,580
that you can't get from measuring on
the ground.
304
00:39:43,580 --> 00:39:46,220
And you can't really get
from measuring from space, either,
305
00:39:46,220 --> 00:39:49,660
because these glacier environments
are often really cloudy.
306
00:39:54,740 --> 00:39:58,860
Time-lapse cameras can condense
a year into a few seconds.
307
00:40:01,140 --> 00:40:04,860
But only if they survive the months
of freezing conditions.
308
00:40:20,020 --> 00:40:21,900
The results are worth it.
309
00:40:26,740 --> 00:40:29,300
When you actually look at the
photos,
310
00:40:29,300 --> 00:40:32,300
like every hour over weeks or months
or years,
311
00:40:32,300 --> 00:40:34,860
you can actually see every
little change in the glacier.
312
00:40:34,860 --> 00:40:37,660
I always find things
that I wouldn't have expected.
313
00:40:41,580 --> 00:40:44,580
Glaciers are rivers of ice
314
00:40:44,580 --> 00:40:47,780
and it's only in time-lapse that we
really see them flow.
315
00:40:54,580 --> 00:40:59,420
Some of the South Island's glaciers
shift as much as seven metres a day.
316
00:41:09,340 --> 00:41:11,740
The meltwater helps them move.
317
00:41:11,740 --> 00:41:15,660
CREAKING
318
00:41:29,180 --> 00:41:32,260
It carves its way through to the
base of the glacier.
319
00:41:44,500 --> 00:41:48,060
Where it lubricates the mass of ice,
320
00:41:48,060 --> 00:41:49,820
allowing it to flow.
321
00:41:52,820 --> 00:41:55,620
The huge weight carried by the water
322
00:41:55,620 --> 00:41:59,100
grinds its way down the valleys in
colossal cascades.
323
00:42:08,180 --> 00:42:12,140
Brian is discovering that parts of
New Zealand's frozen kingdom
324
00:42:12,140 --> 00:42:13,820
are melting away.
325
00:42:19,380 --> 00:42:23,780
Even the South Island's mightiest,
the Tasman Glacier,
326
00:42:23,780 --> 00:42:28,220
16 miles long and 600 metres deep,
is retreating.
327
00:42:32,460 --> 00:42:35,580
And the more they melt,
the faster they flow.
328
00:42:42,380 --> 00:42:44,260
Scientists estimate that the
Southern Alps
329
00:42:44,260 --> 00:42:47,260
have lost a third of their
permanent snow and ice
330
00:42:47,260 --> 00:42:48,660
over the last 40 years.
331
00:43:04,140 --> 00:43:07,540
As the ice retreats,
it reveals a broken landscape.
332
00:43:09,220 --> 00:43:11,180
A challenging place to
get a foothold.
333
00:43:12,300 --> 00:43:15,940
But New Zealand has some remarkable
mountaineers.
334
00:43:18,140 --> 00:43:20,380
It's alpine buttercup.
335
00:43:28,540 --> 00:43:32,540
At permanent risk of being destroyed
by falling rocks.
336
00:43:38,580 --> 00:43:43,380
The secret to its survival
lies beneath the scree -
337
00:43:43,380 --> 00:43:46,340
a snakelike stem which grows
horizontally.
338
00:43:53,300 --> 00:43:55,380
This is its underground larder.
339
00:43:58,380 --> 00:44:03,220
If a stem is snapped, a whole new
plant can still grow.
340
00:44:16,860 --> 00:44:20,980
Creating a shower of sunshine
across the grey mountainside.
341
00:44:31,100 --> 00:44:33,700
And they aren't the only hardy
plants up here.
342
00:44:39,140 --> 00:44:43,620
Edelweiss has its own fleecy blanket
as insulation against the cold.
343
00:44:49,460 --> 00:44:54,420
And there is one plant which packs
its leaves so tightly together
344
00:44:54,420 --> 00:44:56,460
they become a dense living carpet.
345
00:45:01,980 --> 00:45:06,220
Raoulia grows as low to the ground
as possible, just off the rocks,
346
00:45:06,220 --> 00:45:08,260
where it can be a few degrees
warmer,
347
00:45:08,260 --> 00:45:10,780
tucked away from the harsh
mountain weather.
348
00:45:17,420 --> 00:45:21,060
Antarctic storms bring a sudden drop
in temperature.
349
00:45:26,460 --> 00:45:30,420
Freezing conditions and gale-force
winds bring death in their wake.
350
00:45:49,340 --> 00:45:53,620
To survive here, you have to be
prepared to die here.
351
00:46:06,580 --> 00:46:11,620
But the sun can return as quickly
as the storm arrived.
352
00:46:11,860 --> 00:46:16,900
And a rise of just a few degrees
is enough to spark a thaw,
353
00:46:17,060 --> 00:46:18,460
even underground.
354
00:46:49,380 --> 00:46:52,660
Frozen solid, a mountain stone weta.
355
00:46:55,500 --> 00:46:59,340
It has the most extraordinary
survival technique of all.
356
00:47:13,580 --> 00:47:16,940
The ability to come back
from the dead.
357
00:47:22,540 --> 00:47:24,780
Only in a specialised
filming chamber
358
00:47:24,780 --> 00:47:27,820
can we capture its extraordinary
talent.
359
00:47:29,340 --> 00:47:32,180
The weta has developed special
proteins which prevent
360
00:47:32,180 --> 00:47:35,380
ice crystals from forming inside
its cells.
361
00:47:38,980 --> 00:47:42,700
A remarkable trick for a creature
whose ancestors once lived in
362
00:47:42,700 --> 00:47:44,900
prehistoric warm, wet forests.
363
00:47:48,620 --> 00:47:51,300
But when New Zealand's mountains
grew up beneath them,
364
00:47:51,300 --> 00:47:53,740
around five million years ago,
365
00:47:53,740 --> 00:47:56,860
they were forced to come up with
this incredible ability to survive
366
00:47:56,860 --> 00:47:58,460
near lethal temperatures.
367
00:48:06,780 --> 00:48:09,980
Defrosting uses up a lot of energy.
368
00:48:17,340 --> 00:48:20,620
So mountain snow berries
are a welcome sight.
369
00:48:26,220 --> 00:48:29,020
The weta needs to stock up while it
can.
370
00:48:30,580 --> 00:48:34,220
The next Antarctic storm could be
the return of winter.
371
00:48:55,940 --> 00:48:59,620
It can tolerate over 80%
of its body freezing solid,
372
00:48:59,620 --> 00:49:03,460
and can do so day-in and day-out
for weeks at a time.
373
00:49:14,460 --> 00:49:19,740
Nowhere else in New Zealand does
life go to such extremes to survive.
374
00:49:27,500 --> 00:49:29,780
Every living thing here must rise
375
00:49:29,780 --> 00:49:32,700
to the challenges of this land's
extremes.
376
00:49:38,900 --> 00:49:40,860
In the face of adversity,
377
00:49:40,860 --> 00:49:44,900
life has found unexpected and
ingenious solutions.
378
00:49:47,740 --> 00:49:51,300
But perhaps most striking of
all is their resilience.
379
00:49:54,660 --> 00:49:59,740
This is the true spirit of
New Zealand's remarkable pioneers.
380
00:50:17,620 --> 00:50:20,340
Visitors to New Zealand's
Southern Alps
381
00:50:20,340 --> 00:50:24,100
are likely to be confronted
by a noisy welcoming party.
382
00:50:29,860 --> 00:50:33,020
Kea are the boldest characters
in the mountains.
383
00:50:40,380 --> 00:50:43,420
Infamous for sticking
their beaks into everything.
384
00:50:54,180 --> 00:50:57,020
These mischievous vandals
know how to charm.
385
00:51:06,380 --> 00:51:11,580
But these entertaining encounters
mask a worrying situation.
386
00:51:13,860 --> 00:51:16,380
Kea are slowly disappearing.
387
00:51:21,500 --> 00:51:24,860
One man is on a mission
to find out why.
388
00:51:24,860 --> 00:51:27,900
I think something that people are
unaware of
389
00:51:27,900 --> 00:51:31,420
is that kea are actually quite
endangered, and there's not many.
390
00:51:31,420 --> 00:51:33,620
Corey Mosen is a kea fanatic.
391
00:51:35,740 --> 00:51:38,260
I think I like
their inquisitive nature
392
00:51:38,260 --> 00:51:41,020
and how they're really cheeky.
393
00:51:41,020 --> 00:51:43,780
You know, they can outsmart you
quite easily,
394
00:51:43,780 --> 00:51:46,380
and working with
them is interesting every day.
395
00:51:49,220 --> 00:51:51,860
For nearly a decade,
Cory has been trying
396
00:51:51,860 --> 00:51:54,100
to understand the kea's decline,
397
00:51:54,100 --> 00:51:55,660
and he doesn't do it alone.
398
00:51:55,660 --> 00:51:57,700
He has an assistant.
399
00:51:57,700 --> 00:51:59,580
Come here. Come here.
400
00:51:59,580 --> 00:52:01,380
His name's Ajax.
401
00:52:01,380 --> 00:52:03,660
I've been training the dog
since he was a puppy.
402
00:52:03,660 --> 00:52:05,700
I've trained him to find kea nests.
403
00:52:05,700 --> 00:52:09,740
So he will follow a scent and lead
me to where
404
00:52:09,740 --> 00:52:13,020
a kea is going in and out of a hole.
405
00:52:13,020 --> 00:52:16,460
Ajax is the only kea search dog
in the world.
406
00:52:16,460 --> 00:52:18,860
AJAX BARKS
407
00:52:18,860 --> 00:52:21,540
He's pretty good company
in the bush
408
00:52:21,540 --> 00:52:23,340
and he can keep up with me.
409
00:52:25,380 --> 00:52:28,700
Kea breed in some of the most remote
parts of New Zealand.
410
00:52:32,300 --> 00:52:37,180
Today, Corey and Ajax are on their
annual kea nest checkup,
411
00:52:37,180 --> 00:52:39,420
and have a two-day journey
ahead of them.
412
00:52:39,420 --> 00:52:43,500
Sometimes you have to walk over
a couple of mountains and down into
413
00:52:43,500 --> 00:52:47,980
valleys, and then up through
some rivers and around some bluffs,
414
00:52:47,980 --> 00:52:51,500
but eventually you'll find where
they are.
415
00:52:51,500 --> 00:52:54,780
But Corey's task is getting
harder every year.
416
00:52:56,900 --> 00:52:59,660
He starts by checking some closer
nesting sites.
417
00:53:01,820 --> 00:53:05,060
Which, a few years ago, would have
been full of kea families.
418
00:53:07,020 --> 00:53:08,580
Now they're empty.
419
00:53:12,140 --> 00:53:14,980
Corey and Ajax are going
to have to go further afield.
420
00:53:20,780 --> 00:53:24,660
With the light fading,
they make camp for the night.
421
00:53:33,260 --> 00:53:35,860
My favourite thing is just
being outside.
422
00:53:38,620 --> 00:53:42,500
I am outside all the time, in the
snow, in the rain, in the wind,
423
00:53:42,500 --> 00:53:44,780
and it all just makes
you feel alive.
424
00:53:56,940 --> 00:53:58,780
Next day, they set off early.
425
00:54:01,260 --> 00:54:03,700
And Ajax announces
AJAX BARKS
426
00:54:03,700 --> 00:54:06,140
he's found exactly
what they're looking for.
427
00:54:18,140 --> 00:54:21,780
But this burrow is built for a kea,
not for a kea tracker.
428
00:54:24,260 --> 00:54:26,580
This is not comfortable.
429
00:54:29,700 --> 00:54:32,540
To study them, Corey first needs
to catch them.
430
00:54:48,180 --> 00:54:50,380
A collar keeps Corey's fingers safe.
431
00:54:52,220 --> 00:54:55,540
He carefully attaches a leg ring
432
00:54:55,540 --> 00:54:57,180
and records the details.
433
00:55:00,980 --> 00:55:04,820
A quick draw of blood adds to the
genetic database for the species.
434
00:55:06,660 --> 00:55:10,900
A final check, and he releases
the bird back to the nest,
435
00:55:10,900 --> 00:55:12,220
none the worse for wear.
436
00:55:17,300 --> 00:55:19,820
But Corey has one more job to do.
437
00:55:24,540 --> 00:55:27,380
During the three months kea
nest underground,
438
00:55:27,380 --> 00:55:29,220
they're extremely vulnerable.
439
00:55:31,060 --> 00:55:33,540
We put a trail camera outside the
kea nest
440
00:55:33,540 --> 00:55:36,340
to monitor for predator visits.
441
00:55:36,340 --> 00:55:39,780
So every time something moves
outside the nest,
442
00:55:39,780 --> 00:55:41,820
it'll take three photos,
443
00:55:41,820 --> 00:55:45,260
and we can use those photos
to determine,
444
00:55:45,260 --> 00:55:47,580
you know, what's visiting the nests.
445
00:55:47,580 --> 00:55:49,260
Whether it's just the keas
446
00:55:49,260 --> 00:55:53,140
or whether stoats and possums
and rats are annoying them, as well.
447
00:55:54,340 --> 00:55:57,340
Corey's trail-cams provide a unique
insight
448
00:55:57,340 --> 00:55:59,420
into the private life of kea.
449
00:56:02,100 --> 00:56:05,340
But they also reveal
what is really going on.
450
00:56:12,300 --> 00:56:15,980
Predatory mammals
introduced from around the world
451
00:56:15,980 --> 00:56:19,180
are decimating
New Zealand's native birds.
452
00:56:30,620 --> 00:56:33,820
Kea are easy prey for a stoat.
453
00:56:40,540 --> 00:56:44,380
I fear that they might be
approaching extinction
454
00:56:44,380 --> 00:56:47,940
and that they will no longer
be in the wild.
455
00:56:47,940 --> 00:56:50,660
We need to find a way
to control stoats.
456
00:56:50,660 --> 00:56:54,900
Stoats are the big
number-one pest that affect
457
00:56:54,900 --> 00:56:57,660
all New Zealand's native birds
458
00:56:57,660 --> 00:57:00,620
and if they weren't here,
they'd do a lot better.
459
00:57:05,540 --> 00:57:08,540
In areas where there
are pest control,
460
00:57:08,540 --> 00:57:13,820
the kea actually have a chance of
producing young that make it out.
461
00:57:14,860 --> 00:57:17,780
It's great to see them
become adults,
462
00:57:17,780 --> 00:57:21,460
flying around the same area
where we tagged them as chicks.
463
00:57:24,980 --> 00:57:28,300
Oh, I'd like to see kea everywhere.
464
00:57:28,300 --> 00:57:31,180
Every time you go for a hike
into the mountains
465
00:57:31,180 --> 00:57:34,100
it would be nice to have an
interaction with a kea
466
00:57:34,100 --> 00:57:35,780
somewhere along the way
467
00:57:35,780 --> 00:57:38,580
and to hear them screaming in the
hills
468
00:57:38,580 --> 00:57:40,420
and in the forest would be great.
469
00:57:42,060 --> 00:57:44,540
Thanks to Corey's hard work
470
00:57:44,540 --> 00:57:49,740
we are realising that despite their
clever nature, kea need our help.
471
00:57:50,700 --> 00:57:54,580
And only with our help will New
Zealand's Alpine valleys
472
00:57:54,580 --> 00:57:58,300
remain the realm
of this cheeky mountain king.
473
00:58:02,740 --> 00:58:05,580
KEA SQUAWKS
474
00:58:09,140 --> 00:58:10,980
Next time...
475
00:58:10,980 --> 00:58:13,940
New opportunities transform
New Zealand.
476
00:58:15,820 --> 00:58:17,180
A farmer's paradise...
477
00:58:19,020 --> 00:58:20,020
a fisherman's dream...
478
00:58:23,380 --> 00:58:25,540
and a playground for new arrivals.
479
00:58:27,540 --> 00:58:30,140
The home of world-renowned
conservation...
480
00:58:32,260 --> 00:58:36,540
where a flightless
parrot discovers fame.
40482
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