All language subtitles for New Zealand Earths Mythical Islands S01 E02_track3_[eng]

In the far reaches of the Pacific
Ocean...

lies a land cut-off from the rest of
the world...

since the time of the dinosaurs.

After 80 million years of isolation,

nature has gone its own way.

In this lost world, life plays by
different rules.

Penguins in the forests...

parrots in the snow...

and predators from prehistory.

Their lives are dominated by the
most powerful forces on earth.

When humans finally arrived, they
discovered

nowhere is more strange and
mysterious than New Zealand.

At the extreme southern tip of
New Zealand,

the influence of the South Pole
is surprisingly clear.

The Aurora Australis,
the Southern Lights.

At 47 degrees south,
the next stop is Antarctica.

At these latitudes in summer,
the nights don't last long.

So there is only a brief window
of opportunity

for the creatures who hunt by night.

Like this mysterious beachcomber.

He's only found in New Zealand

and very rarely seen.

He has stubby wings,
but he's too heavy to fly.

A wild southern brown kiwi.

Just after sunset, the kiwi hits the
beach in search of sand-hoppers.

He relies on his sense of smell and
sniffs out the bugs through

nostrils at the end of his bill.

Kiwis come out at night to avoid
daytime predators.

So it's rare to get such a good look
at them.

Cold nights and meagre pickings mean
that as the first rays of the sun

appear, this kiwi doesn't run and
hide.

He keeps hunting into dawn.

The conditions here force the
southern brown kiwi to stay out in
daylight.

To live this far south, it has had
to completely alter its normal
routine.

Every creature who lives in this
wild and remote part of the world

must come up with radical solutions
to the challenges of living here.

New Zealand's closeness to the pole
makes it vulnerable to storms,

particularly in the south, where
they say you can feel the icy breath

of Antarctica.

New Zealand's southern beaches are a
refuge for one incredible

subantarctic pioneer.

A New Zealand sea lion.

Possibly the rarest sea lion in the
world.

Almost hunted to extinction
150 years ago.

But then, in 1993, one female
returned and gave birth.

Over 20 years on,
their descendants are still here.

An adult male can weigh about as
much as four grown men.

It can take eight years to reach
maturity.

SEA LION ROARS

Adult male sea lions are the rugby
front row of the South Island.

During the breeding season, the
beaches become their battleground.

Only the biggest and toughest
will win the right to breed.

A female returning from a three-day
fishing trip doesn't want to attract

the males' attention.

She has something else on her mind.

She might be able to dive deeper
than any other sea lion on earth,

but hauling 160kg up over a
sand dune is more of a struggle.

SEA LION CALLS

There is a reason for all this
effort.

She's searching for something
precious.

The centre of her world.

Her pup.

Only a couple of weeks old.

By hiding her baby in the woods, she
avoids the bullyboys on the beach.

In the safety of the forest,
he can suckle in peace.

All along the southern coast,

sea creatures come ashore to find
shelter.

But living on land when you're meant
to be at sea can bring problems of

its own.

On the Snares Islands,

penguins build their nests amongst
the trees

because it's a safe place to breed.

But protection in these forests
comes at a price.

BIRDS SQUAWK

Thousands of tiny feet turn the
nesting ground into a quagmire.

They get covered in sticky mud,

not just their feet, but their
precious feathers, too.

The mud not only ruins their looks,
it could threaten their lives.

Their densely-packed plumage
is their survival suit.

If their feathers are dirty,

they won't insulate as effectively

and the penguins will lose vital
energy.

These are coastlines where risks
cannot be taken.

So before he dives headfirst into
the sea,

this penguin checks
into the penguin spa.

The rock pool gives him a chance to
wash and scrub up in safety.

He combs through his feathers...

then waterproofs them with a wax
from an oil gland

at the base of his tail.

Not only does this wax
help him stay warm,

it will also help glide through
the water more efficiently.

Insulated and waterproof once more,
he's now dressed for dinner.

Ready to tackle the wild
ocean beyond.

The waters surrounding
the South Island

are some of the most
brutal on earth.

These are the Roaring Forties.

Gale force winds rage year-round,

churning up seas that batter the
shores.

Fierce weather systems can arrive
without warning.

Open ocean swells and storms charge
up

from Antarctica and create massive
waves up to eight metres high.

It's always a challenge.

The challenge of being able work the
area.

You just have to be prepared all the
time.

Tackling the tempest is a regular
occurrence for Peter Young.

It's his commute to work.

But the view from his workplace
makes up for it.

One of the most spectacular sights
in New Zealand -

Fiordland.

This labyrinth of steep-sided fjords
and inlets offers shelter to a whole

host of marine life.

For bottlenosed dolphins,
it's a place to rest and feed.

And a nursery, where baby fur seals
can build up their strength.

Peter is a ranger for the
Department of Conservation.

He monitors and protects
the wildlife here.

The diversity of Fiordland
is something I love.

It's something that not a lot of
people

in the world will ever get to do.

You sort of get a 40-tonne whale
just come cruising up.

Right beside the boat, rolling over,

exposing their bellies to you
as if they want a bit of a scratch.

Fiordland is the jewel
of the South Island.

At almost 5,000 square miles, it's
New Zealand's biggest national park.

This dramatic landscape was gouged
out by glaciers

during the last ice age.

Creating incredibly
deep saltwater inlets.

Here, two distinct worlds meet.

Fresh water from the land

mixes with saltwater from the
ocean...

to create a unique ecosystem.

Fresh water arrives here from the
forests,

rich in tannins from rotting
vegetation,

turning it into a dark tea.

It pours off these cliffs to mix
with the saltwater below.

Less dense than saltwater,

the stained fresh water floats above
and blocks out the light...

creating a dark and cold
underwater world.

Here, creatures that normally live
in the inky depths of the ocean make

their home much nearer to the
surface.

Black corals normally grow below
100 metres, but here,

underwater forests of them
thrive in the shallows.

It may be known as black coral, but
it appears white as it's covered in

millions of tiny coral polyps,

all feeding in the current.

Black corals are the slowest-growing
corals in the world.

But here they grow a remarkable
two centimetres a year.

To create a forest of them
can take hundreds of years.

Prehistoric shellfish, brachiopods,

are relics from the time of the
dinosaurs.

They, too, have crept up the cliff
walls and into the shallows.

A unique mix of marine life has
adapted to live here thanks

to the extraordinary way
fresh and saltwater meet.

The south of New Zealand is one
of the wettest places on earth.

Freezing winds from Antarctica
collide with warm wet weather

from the north.

Huge volumes of moist air are forced
to rise over the South Island's

mountains, where they cool
and form vast banks of cloud.

The South Island's west coast and
forests are drenched with rain for

more than 200 days a year.

The water sustains vast swathes
of temperate rainforest.

Forests brought to life

by New Zealand's bizarre and
beautiful birds.

Where tuis' complex calls echo
through the canopy.

TUIS SING

Bellbirds trade nectar
for a dusting of blue pollen.

And flightless weka skulk in the
undergrowth.

It is the perfect environment for
moisture-loving mosses and ferns.

Underneath them,

a humid forest floor of mucus
and slime with a deadly secret.

It comes to life at twilight
when the hunters come out.

Their lairs are in dark and damp
forest overhangs where the extreme

moisture is put to good use.

These silken threads are the work
of a tiny larva of a gnat.

Beautiful though they may appear,
the threads have a sinister purpose.

The larvae use them to trap
their prey.

Droplets of sticky mucus work
like spider webs,

waiting to catch hold of flying
insects.

Mayflies are a particular favourite.

As darkness settles,

the genius of their deadly traps is
revealed in all its beautiful glory.

Gnat larvae are also known as
glow-worms.

The bioluminescence is generated

by a chemical reaction within their
tail.

Creating an irresistible lure.

The hungrier they are,
the brighter they glow,

drawing in victims like moths
to a flame.

And this glow-worm isn't alone.

Hundreds live side-by-side.

It's almost as if together
they create their own starscape,

confusing navigating insects
and luring them to their doom.

When the air itself becomes
saturated

and the temperature is just right,

rare giants emerge.

A powelliphanta snail.

It can grow to the size of
a man's fist.

So rare, they can only be filmed
in captivity

where their extraordinary behaviour
is revealed.

It's still a mystery as to exactly
how they track down their food.

But one thing is for sure,

this snail has unusual tastes.

And revolting table manners.

Its mouth envelops and suffocates
the earthworm.

It's sucked down like spaghetti.

For anything bigger, it's got 6,000
teeth ready to shred the next meal.

In this supersaturated environment,

this specialised snail is the
ultimate predator.

BIRDS SING

Water dominates the land.

It thunders off the mountains,
creating raging white-water rapids.

Some of the South Island's mountain
rivers flow

at over 60,000 gallons a second.

This is no place to bring up a
family.

But these parents have no choice.

Fortunately, blue duck chicks
are born ready.

They have to navigate the churning
currents

to reach the best feeding grounds.

And like their parents, they must
dabble to feed.

The tastiest food is on the rocks.

Blue duck bills are specially-shaped
to scrape

insect larvae from the riverbed.

The ducklings have a protective
membrane to stop their bills

being rubbed raw.

It almost looks like fun.

But sudden storms or snowmelt
can cause flash floods...

which can dislodge boulders,
let alone a tiny ball of feathers.

But these blue duck chicks can motor
through this powerful flow.

Their giant webbed feet
are far too big on land,

but they are perfect in the torrent.

Allowing this violent river
to become their playground.

There is more than one way
to conquer these extremes.

Parrots are very intelligent birds.

But the kea is perhaps the smartest
of them all.

When it comes to setting up home,
they choose a warm,

dry burrow to keep their family safe
from the elements.

HIGH-PITCHED SQUAWKING

The chicks huddle together for
warmth and comfort

while their parents are away.

But nine weeks after they've
hatched,

they hanker for something more.

Kea are famous for their insatiable
curiosity.

THEY SQUAWK

With a little parental
encouragement,

there's no holding
these youngsters back.

On broad wings, they are led out
from the forest...

into a whole new realm.

Kea have unusually agile minds.

Car parks and ski slopes are
a smorgasbord of opportunity.

It's not just their minds that are
flexible.

Their hooked beaks are a multi-tool.

Perfect for digging, twisting, and
getting into all kinds of mischief.

It's this combination of beak and
brain

that enables kea to tackle even the
most hostile face of the mountains.

Its bill even serves as an ice axe.

The kea is the only parrot in the
world to thrive above the snow line.

Of all the wild places
in New Zealand,

the Southern Alps present the most
extreme challenges of all.

They dictate the weather
that rules all life here.

They tower almost 4,000 metres
above sea level

and they're still rising.

These are some of the
fastest-growing mountains in the
world.

They might stand 20,000 metres high
if they weren't battered down and

eroded by the elements.

It's a fractured, high altitude,
frozen kingdom.

The most inhospitable of
all New Zealand.

Up here, the grip of ice
is impossible to escape.

Heavy snow falls on heavy snow.

It squeezes out the air,
compacting into giant blocks of ice

to create immense glaciers.

Millions of tonnes of fresh water
stored, frozen solid.

These powerful giants carve out
valleys and deep glacial lakes.

They dominate the entire landscape
and hold all life here in balance.

But the strength of the
South Island's glaciers is slipping,

and one man has devoted
his life's work to find out why.

Brian Anderson is a glacial
scientist

who builds machines that help him
look into the future.

I like to get out to the mountains.

I like to measure glaciers and try
and understand how they work,

what's happening at the moment,

and then try and build a picture

of what glaciers might do in the
future.

Brian's workplace has to be one of
the most remote in the country.

His mission forces him into parts of
the wilderness so cut-off,

he must take everything he needs
with him.

Brian has to drive a stake eight
metres down

into the icy heart of the glacier
to reveal its deepest secrets.

And he does it with this portable
steam drill.

For the steam drilling we use this
backpack-mounted boiler.

You have to drill quite deep.

It might melt six or eight metres
over the summer,

and so we need our stakes to be long
enough

that they'll actually stay in.

By measuring the depth of snow
through the year,

Brian can record how the glacier
changes size,

building a picture of its long-term
behaviour.

Glaciers move incredibly slowly,

so the only way to watch them is to
speed up time itself.

And his handbuilt time-lapse units
will let Brian do exactly that.

Or they will, providing he can
get them into the best positions.

It all started with one camera
and then I think I got seven cameras

looking at glaciers
around the Southern Alps.

So the beauty of using a camera is
that it's taking a photo every hour.

It gives us the kind of data

that you can't get from measuring on
the ground.

And you can't really get
from measuring from space, either,

because these glacier environments
are often really cloudy.

Time-lapse cameras can condense
a year into a few seconds.

But only if they survive the months
of freezing conditions.

The results are worth it.

When you actually look at the
photos,

like every hour over weeks or months
or years,

you can actually see every
little change in the glacier.

I always find things
that I wouldn't have expected.

Glaciers are rivers of ice

and it's only in time-lapse that we
really see them flow.

Some of the South Island's glaciers
shift as much as seven metres a day.

The meltwater helps them move.

CREAKING

It carves its way through to the
base of the glacier.

Where it lubricates the mass of ice,

allowing it to flow.

The huge weight carried by the water

grinds its way down the valleys in
colossal cascades.

Brian is discovering that parts of
New Zealand's frozen kingdom

are melting away.

Even the South Island's mightiest,
the Tasman Glacier,

16 miles long and 600 metres deep,
is retreating.

And the more they melt,
the faster they flow.

Scientists estimate that the
Southern Alps

have lost a third of their
permanent snow and ice

over the last 40 years.

As the ice retreats,
it reveals a broken landscape.

A challenging place to
get a foothold.

But New Zealand has some remarkable
mountaineers.

It's alpine buttercup.

At permanent risk of being destroyed
by falling rocks.

The secret to its survival
lies beneath the scree -

a snakelike stem which grows
horizontally.

This is its underground larder.

If a stem is snapped, a whole new
plant can still grow.

Creating a shower of sunshine
across the grey mountainside.

And they aren't the only hardy
plants up here.

Edelweiss has its own fleecy blanket
as insulation against the cold.

And there is one plant which packs
its leaves so tightly together

they become a dense living carpet.

Raoulia grows as low to the ground
as possible, just off the rocks,

where it can be a few degrees
warmer,

tucked away from the harsh
mountain weather.

Antarctic storms bring a sudden drop
in temperature.

Freezing conditions and gale-force
winds bring death in their wake.

To survive here, you have to be
prepared to die here.

But the sun can return as quickly
as the storm arrived.

And a rise of just a few degrees
is enough to spark a thaw,

even underground.

Frozen solid, a mountain stone weta.

It has the most extraordinary
survival technique of all.

The ability to come back
from the dead.

Only in a specialised
filming chamber

can we capture its extraordinary
talent.

The weta has developed special
proteins which prevent

ice crystals from forming inside
its cells.

A remarkable trick for a creature
whose ancestors once lived in

prehistoric warm, wet forests.

But when New Zealand's mountains
grew up beneath them,

around five million years ago,

they were forced to come up with
this incredible ability to survive

near lethal temperatures.

Defrosting uses up a lot of energy.

So mountain snow berries
are a welcome sight.

The weta needs to stock up while it
can.

The next Antarctic storm could be
the return of winter.

It can tolerate over 80%
of its body freezing solid,

and can do so day-in and day-out
for weeks at a time.

Nowhere else in New Zealand does
life go to such extremes to survive.

Every living thing here must rise

to the challenges of this land's
extremes.

In the face of adversity,

life has found unexpected and
ingenious solutions.

But perhaps most striking of
all is their resilience.

This is the true spirit of
New Zealand's remarkable pioneers.

Visitors to New Zealand's
Southern Alps

are likely to be confronted
by a noisy welcoming party.

Kea are the boldest characters
in the mountains.

Infamous for sticking
their beaks into everything.

These mischievous vandals
know how to charm.

But these entertaining encounters
mask a worrying situation.

Kea are slowly disappearing.

One man is on a mission
to find out why.

I think something that people are
unaware of

is that kea are actually quite
endangered, and there's not many.

Corey Mosen is a kea fanatic.

I think I like
their inquisitive nature

and how they're really cheeky.

You know, they can outsmart you
quite easily,

and working with
them is interesting every day.

For nearly a decade,
Cory has been trying

to understand the kea's decline,

and he doesn't do it alone.

He has an assistant.

Come here. Come here.

His name's Ajax.

I've been training the dog
since he was a puppy.

I've trained him to find kea nests.

So he will follow a scent and lead
me to where

a kea is going in and out of a hole.

Ajax is the only kea search dog
in the world.

AJAX BARKS

He's pretty good company
in the bush

and he can keep up with me.

Kea breed in some of the most remote
parts of New Zealand.

Today, Corey and Ajax are on their
annual kea nest checkup,

and have a two-day journey
ahead of them.

Sometimes you have to walk over
a couple of mountains and down into

valleys, and then up through
some rivers and around some bluffs,

but eventually you'll find where
they are.

But Corey's task is getting
harder every year.

He starts by checking some closer
nesting sites.

Which, a few years ago, would have
been full of kea families.

Now they're empty.

Corey and Ajax are going
to have to go further afield.

With the light fading,
they make camp for the night.

My favourite thing is just
being outside.

I am outside all the time, in the
snow, in the rain, in the wind,

and it all just makes
you feel alive.

Next day, they set off early.

And Ajax announces

AJAX BARKS

he's found exactly
what they're looking for.

But this burrow is built for a kea,
not for a kea tracker.

This is not comfortable.

To study them, Corey first needs
to catch them.

A collar keeps Corey's fingers safe.

He carefully attaches a leg ring

and records the details.

A quick draw of blood adds to the
genetic database for the species.

A final check, and he releases
the bird back to the nest,

none the worse for wear.

But Corey has one more job to do.

During the three months kea
nest underground,

they're extremely vulnerable.

We put a trail camera outside the
kea nest

to monitor for predator visits.

So every time something moves
outside the nest,

it'll take three photos,

and we can use those photos
to determine,

you know, what's visiting the nests.

Whether it's just the keas

or whether stoats and possums
and rats are annoying them, as well.

Corey's trail-cams provide a unique
insight

into the private life of kea.

But they also reveal
what is really going on.

Predatory mammals
introduced from around the world

are decimating
New Zealand's native birds.

Kea are easy prey for a stoat.

I fear that they might be
approaching extinction

and that they will no longer
be in the wild.

We need to find a way
to control stoats.

Stoats are the big
number-one pest that affect

all New Zealand's native birds

and if they weren't here,
they'd do a lot better.

In areas where there
are pest control,

the kea actually have a chance of
producing young that make it out.

It's great to see them
become adults,

flying around the same area
where we tagged them as chicks.

Oh, I'd like to see kea everywhere.

Every time you go for a hike
into the mountains

it would be nice to have an
interaction with a kea

somewhere along the way

and to hear them screaming in the
hills

and in the forest would be great.

Thanks to Corey's hard work

we are realising that despite their
clever nature, kea need our help.

And only with our help will New
Zealand's Alpine valleys

remain the realm
of this cheeky mountain king.

KEA SQUAWKS

Next time...

New opportunities transform
New Zealand.

A farmer's paradise...

a fisherman's dream...

and a playground for new arrivals.

The home of world-renowned
conservation...

where a flightless
parrot discovers fame.