All language subtitles for Travel.Quest.With.Bill.Ball.S01E11.CONVERT.1080p.HDTV.H264-CBFM

BILL BALL: I'm always
up for an adventure

and if there is a mind-boggling
thrill involved, all the better!

I have rafted
the biggest rapids in the world,

climbed cliffs in Africa,

come face-to-face with gorillas,
scuba-dived with sharks

and stood on the rim of an
active volcano, just for the rush.

But when my production team brought
this extreme challenge to me,

I knew it might top them all.

Once I put on my big-boy pants,

the sky was the limit.

This week, it's a rush of adrenaline

as I visit one of the great
destinations down under -

New Zealand.

Since I was young,

I had an intense desire
to discover the world around me.

That hasn't changed -

just the level of adventure.

Now every journey has a purpose

and each time I venture out

to explore new destinations
around the globe,

I am following my Travel Quest.

New Zealand is a beautiful country

that reminds people of both Ireland,
because of its lush, green landscape,

and Switzerland, because it is home
to the Southern Alps,

the very mountains Sir Edmund Hillary
trained on

before he conquered Everest.

I have been drawn here
for two big reasons -

one is to see the rarest penguins
in the world

and second, to try my hand at flying

and doing stunts in a fighter jet -

in this case, a Russian make.

Made up of two main islands,

New Zealand has a population

of about 5 million.

It is one of the most isolated places

on Earth -

1,200 miles
from Australia

and about 600 miles

from the
Pacific Island cluster

of Fiji and Tonga.

Because of that remoteness,

it was the last large land mass
to be inhabited.

Polynesians arrived here
in the late 13th century,

developing their own unique culture,

though it is based on
core Polynesian traditions.

It has gotten a lot easier
to get to New Zealand.

There are a number of direct flights
from several cities,

as well as many connections
through Australia.

I chose the latter

so I could visit one of the most
iconic buildings in the world -

of course, I'm talking about
the Sydney Opera House.

Despite its name,
it's not just for operas.

With four theatres,
a philharmonic hall

and a ballet/opera stage,

this is a live-performance megalith.

In 1956,

New South Wales conducted an
international design competition

for a new performance venue
for symphony concerts and opera.

The competition was won by
a then-young Danish architect,

Jorn Utzon.

But his now-famous shell design

was almost lost,

having to be retrieved
from the rejection pile

by Finnish-American architect and
competition judge Eero Saarinen.

Unfortunately, the original design

did not solve the engineering problem

of how to actually build
the outer shell of the halls.

So cost over-runs
and a change in government

forced Utzon to resign in 1966.

Local firms completed the interior

and it was formally opened
by Queen Elizabeth in 1973.

The facility is a resounding success,

with over 1,500 performances a year.

Sydney is a fabulous town

but it was time to head back
to the airport to catch my flight.

There are multiple airlines

that connect all of the major
Australian cities

with their counterparts
in New Zealand.

I began my visit
to this island nation

in Christchurch, the largest city
on the South Island,

which has only one-quarter
the population,

though it is 25% larger
than the north.

Christchurch has just under
400,000 residents,

making it the second most populous
city in New Zealand,

only after Auckland.

Named for the Oxford college,
it is home to numerous universities,

museums and cultural institutions.

The most significant event
in Christchurch recent history

was the devastating earthquake
on February 22, 2011.

185 people were killed

and thousands of buildings collapsed
or suffered severe damage.

Nearly 2,000 had to be demolished.

One of the great landmarks
of the city, the cathedral,

was badly damaged.

The Anglican church wanted
to tear it down

and replace it with a new building

but local opposition
put a halt to that.

After years of court cases, it was
decided to preserve the structure

and rebuild it.

In the meantime,

the parishioners are worshipping
in the Cardboard Cathedral.

This is a transitional building

that was supposed to be used
for just a few years.

That has been extended until
the old cathedral is repaired,

which could take another 10 years.

The replacement house of worship

was designed by Japanese architect
Shigeru Ban

and was opened in 2013.

Ban is known as
the 'disaster architect'

because of his work in Kobe and Nepal
after their earthquakes.

It is composed of 86 cardboard tubes,

each weighing over 1,000 pounds.

After the old cathedral is restored,

this will be the permanent home
of a parish church.

The final cost was about
US$4 million.

Christchurch was quite innovative,
after the 7.1 earthquake,

in getting their shopping district
up and going.

Most of the commercial buildings
in the downtown district

were destroyed

and commerce ground to a halt.

Unused shipping containers
from the port came to the rescue.

Store-owners' livelihoods
and the vitality of the city

were restored with one great idea.

Innovation is certainly
in the blood of the Kiwis -

the name native New Zealanders
call themselves -

and food is no exception.

This land down under
is known for its lamb

and I love lamb

but it has to be really good.

First, you need to be
in the right place.

New Zealand is one of nine countries
with more sheep than people.

Actually, there are 10 sheep
for every Kiwi.

Secondly, you need to look
for an eating establishment

that is THE favourite of the locals.

I was told there was one very
special place for the best lamb,

not only on the South Island but
maybe the whole Southern Hemisphere.

So I jumped in a taxi
and headed to Pedro's.

OK - Pedro's, to an American,

would not be a restaurant name
to get you thinking lamb.

But here it is the place.

This, sir?
Yeah.

Can we get a second one? Yeah? OK.
Take two, yeah?

$80.
Alright.

Even though the ambience...

Can you use the word 'ambience'

when talking about a food truck
parked in a gas station lot?

..is not white-tablecloth,

the demand is so high,

you have to pre-order

to assure you get the lamb shoulder
and potatoes before they run out.

Those are the only items
on their menu.

(LAUGHS)

The lamb lived up to its reputation

and was one of the best meals
of the trip.

One of the treasures of the city
is the awesome Canterbury Museum.

Canterbury is the state where
Christchurch is located.

This is a world-class institution,

focusing on the human and natural
history of New Zealand

and more specifically,

the South Island.

The museum covers the intriguing
wildlife of the country,

including an outstanding collection
of moa skeletons.

I was told these were some of the
largest birds that ever existed

but I never imagined
they got this big!

Flightless giant birds
came in many sizes,

some topping 9 feet tall.

These were the dominant animals
of New Zealand

until the first Polynesians arrived
750 years ago

and hunted them to extinction.

And though the wildlife exhibits
in the Canterbury museum

are...quite nice,

there is nothing like seeing
the real thing up close and personal.

New Zealand is the land of birds

and there are three unusual types

that the country is
particularly famous for -

the kiwi,

the giant kea parrot

and penguins.

We will be going to the extreme
southern point of this island

to visit wild penguins

but we can see the other two
right here in Christchurch.

The Willowbrook Wildlife Sanctuary
rescues, breeds

and educates the public on the rare
and endangered birds of this country.

We had an opportunity

to see one of the most mischievous
birds I have ever come across.

The kea is a giant green parrot
with beautiful red underwings

that has the distinction of being
the only alpine parrot in the world.

It is infamous
for stealing shiny objects

and just about anything

that can be pried off of
a car, house or backpack.

These beautiful but wacky creatures,

like most of the birds
of New Zealand,

are endemic, meaning
they are found only here.

After getting a couple of last shots
of this green terror on wings,

we moved to the main attraction
at Willowbrook -

the kiwi.

I was invited to watch
one of the Kiwi caretakers

doing a quarterly physical on one of
the dozen or so birds in their care.

She is a middle-aged female
North Island brown kiwi

and about every quarter,
so about every three months,

we do a full health check
on the birds,

so we weigh them, we check
all their various orifices -

so eyes, ears, nose, mouth -

feather condition and feet
and all those kind of things

to make sure they're healthy.

Willowbrook is a rescue centre

that gets injured or orphaned kiwis
from the area

to nurse back to health
for release into the wild.

They also have a number of
permanent residents being studied

and acting as ambassadors

for their rapidly disappearing
relatives in the bush.

Kiwis may look like a big ball
of cuddly feathers

but they have sharp claws
and a strong bill

that can be used as weapons
or to probe for insects.

Introduced animals, from wild pigs
to feral cats and dogs

eat the eggs, attack the defenceless
young and degrade the environment.

Rapid human expansion

has decreased the habitat these
iconic New Zealand birds need.

Like the koala is for Australia,

the kiwi is the symbol
of New Zealand,

yet just a handful of locals have
ever seen one in the wild.

They are wary of people,

live in dense bush
in unpopulated areas

and are nocturnal -

not the best ingredients
for a tourist draw.

So a few sanctuaries,
like Willowbrook,

allow the public to see these
amazing birds first-hand.

At this point,

you might think that I'd drained
every bit of excitement I could

out of the marvellous city
of Christchurch

and you would be...wrong.

I had heard about a very special
and daring thrill ride

that I had to check out for myself.

I love trying new things and the
more thrilling they are, the better.

Nothing gets your heart pumping

like an activity where you're
putting yourself on the line

both physically and mentally

and in Christchurch,

I found what might be
my greatest challenge yet...

..flying and doing aerial acrobatics

in a Soviet-made jet.

MAN: Any last words?

You heard me right -

an experience where you get to fly
and do barrel-rolls,

typically reserved for
the best pilots in the world,

or as they say,

top guns.

Of course, any risky venture
like this,

where there is no safety nets
or cords to save you,

starts with signing your life away.

The release form says

these planes do not fit
the normal safety standards

for New Zealand commercial air.

These are fighter jets
whose purpose was air battles,

not flying tourists around.

After a short briefing
on the planes themselves

and a talk on the safety features...

Uh, no life vests, no oxygen masks,
no floor lights,

no emergency exits,
no flight attendants,

no bathrooms
and no complimentary snacks.

Basically, if we go down,

you're to run quickly away
from the wreckage...

i-if you can.

Saying that, I needed to suit up
for the ride of a lifetime.

The cockpit is cramped

and the feeling of everything
closing in is only made worse

with the tight-fitting G-pants.

For lower G-forces of 3 or 4,

they're not needed.

But when your aim
is to hit 6 G's,

which can cause most people
to temporarily black out,

they become essential.

As the G's increase, they basically
work by hyperinflating with air

to force the blood
back up to your head.

(PLANE ENGINE ROARS)

We flew in Soviet formation for
the first part of our exercise,

so we had two jets take off
and fly in close proximity...

What we call, uh, Soviet formation.

We're gonna split up
and Soviet 4-5 will operate.

Got you on our left.
We'll probably have a good day.

..only to split
in spectacular fashion

while we went over the airport
a second time.

As we surveyed the beautiful
New Zealand landscape,

my pilot, Ian, said that it was now
my turn to fly.

First I needed to pass a compulsory
set of flight manoeuvres -

levelling off the mid,

followed by left and right turns,

then a series of
altitude adjustments,

climbs and descents.

So far, so good.

Ian decided I was ready to do stunts.

Myself.

Excellent. Alright.
You ready to have a go?

OK. Switch it over. You keep
those hands on the controls.

Oh! My hands won't be too far away.

I'll be talking you
all the way through it, OK?

All set to go? Righto.
So, pitch down.

Yep. Keep pitching down.

That's it. Building up air speed -
there's 440 kilometres an hour.

450 kilometres an hour.
Pitching back.

Keep going, keep going, keep going,
keep going. Stop there and roll.

That's it. Go on. Keep going.

Pull the control round to the left.

And then stop the roll
when you're ready.

That's it. Good on. OK. Ease out of
the dive, so just raise the nose.

Well, you did that without
my hands on the controls at all.

Wow.
OK?

So, we're now going to do the same
again with my hands on my head.

Oh, jeez.
Alright?

So, bring us around to the right,

just so we're entering
Littleton harbour here.

We've got Littleton
just off the right wing.

OK.
That's it. Keep it coming.

Just lower the nose very slightly.
That's it.

Good one. OK. Just rolling
wings level there.

OK.
Perfect. All set to go?

Yep.
Alright. So, pitch down.

So lower the nose. Yep. Keep going,
keep going, keep going, keep going.

That's it. Hold it there.
Hold it there.

That's 430...
440 kilometres an hour. 450.

Pitching up - so pull back.
Pull back, back, back, back.

Get to 45 degrees. Yep.

There we have it.
Stop there and roll.

There we go. Look at that.

That's all you, my friend.

How easy is that?
That was actually somewhat easy.

Yep.
Scary but...but easy.

Success!

A few more barrel-rolls
and it's back to earth.

Simply put, this was one of the
greatest experiences of my life.

With that thrill behind me,

it was time for a calmer but
no less exciting wildlife encounter.

About five hours south
of Christchurch,

just outside the city of Dunedin,

is a colony of the rarest
penguins on earth.

This was my second quest -

and all in one day!

There are only 3,000 or 4,000
yellow-eyed penguins in the wild

and none in captivity,

making their status
precarious at best.

A private family on whose land the
penguins chose to live and breed

have taken up the cause
for these beautiful birds.

Their staff naturalist explains

the unique character
of these unsocial animals.

Yellow-eyeds are definitely
the most unique

out of the 17 or 18 species of
penguins that we have in the world.

Their key differences
from other penguins

is their rarity but also
their antisocial nature.

Usually, when people
think of penguins,

they think of very large groups
all living and breeding together -

yellow-eyeds are
the complete opposite.

They're more like us -
they like to have their own house,

with their own front yard,
own backyard

and they don't like
to see their neighbours.

They basically need privacy
for breeding,

which is very unusual
for penguin species.

There is a little bit of a walk

to get to the beach area
where the penguins nest

but once there, you follow a series
of easy-to-navigate tunnels

that get you right up to the birds

without disturbing them.

This is the only easily accessible
place in the world

to see yellow-eyed penguins so close.

Adding these rarities to my life list

will be the envy of any birder.

No visit to New Zealand

would be complete without seeing
the cultural and commercial capital.

Like New York is to the US,

Auckland is the largest city
but not the political capital -

that title would belong
to Wellington.

Auckland has much to offer
the interested visitor.

Basically built on a series
of extinct volcanoes,

the city is one of the most beautiful
in the Southern Hemisphere.

One of those volcanoes
is preserved as a park -

Mount Eden.

The view from on top
is breath-taking

but the crater itself
is what people come to see.

Here you get a glimpse into
the origins of the islands.

Not far from Mount Eden

are two attractions that evoke
very different reactions.

The first, the botanical gardens,

known as the Winter Garden,

is fresh, full of life

and a place to see both
indigenous plants and exotics.

Kiwis - uh, the people,
not the bird -

are fond of their parks and gardens

and not surprisingly, love to walk
and hike throughout their country.

It is that pride in being
from such a peaceful place

that makes the other attraction
so stark -

the War Memorial.

Built originally to honour the fallen
in the First World War,

it is a reminder that even the most
remote islands in the world

are not immune to the horrors of war.

Like their ancestors who
criss-crossed the Pacific,

the people of New Zealand
are drawn to the sea.

Auckland is actually nicknamed
the City of Sails,

because so many people have
sailboats -

of one size or another.

So it is of particular importance
for the Kiwis

to be competitive in the greatest
sail race of them all -

the America's Cup.

It is no surprise
that in recent years,

New Zealand is second only to the US
in the standings,

with two wins
and three runner-up placements.

For the visitor with a desire to get
a taste of the America's Cup racing,

Auckland has the Cup Experience,

where you can just ride along

or, for those of you, like myself,

where hands-on
is the name of the game,

you can assist in racing
a real America's Cup sailboat.

There is a lot involved in
sailing one of these huge boats.

Carrying a crew of up to 18,

this is a fast
and sometimes scary ride.

We can't leave New Zealand
without one more adventure

and that adventure is gonna be

riding on one of the former
America's Cup racers.

When the crew assignments
were announced,

I quickly volunteered
for one of the grinder jobs.

Grinders are the muscle that
raises and lowers the sails.

Normally, each grinding post
is a one-man job.

With the extreme effort it took,
I was happy to have a partner.

The ride is marvellous,
especially for my cameraman,

who chose to forego any grinding -

you know, for the sake of filming.

Whether you choose to work the ship

or just relax
and watch Auckland float by,

it is a bucket-list check-off,
for sure.

The South Island is packed full
of great sights and adventures,

from the beautiful but shy
yellow-eyed penguins

to meeting a kiwi -

the bird, not the man -

it is a great natural destination.

But it was probably the people Kiwis

and their resilience in the face
of a devastating earthquake

that impressed me the most.

The ultimate thrill for me, though,

was not only riding in
but flying a Soviet-made jet.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience

still gives me shivers
just thinking about it!

The North Island, built on volcanoes,
is exploding with great attractions.

One of those,
the America's Cup Experience,

gives you an exciting taste of
what it is like to fly on the water

in the ultimate sail race.

Captions by Red Bee Media
(c) SBS Australia 2023