0:00:04 > 0:00:07To celebrate the start of the Commonwealth Games,
0:00:07 > 0:00:09we're going to show you the Commonwealth
0:00:09 > 0:00:11as you've never seen it before.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16We've travelled to the ends of the Earth.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19To explore seven of the natural wonders of the Commonwealth.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25There are so many treasures within its 53 countries,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29we've chosen just some that give an insight into our shared history
0:00:29 > 0:00:30and the Commonwealth today.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34It's magnificent.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35The gateway to heaven.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40We'll take you on a remarkable journey
0:00:40 > 0:00:43to the richest coral reef on the planet.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45It is incredible.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48That is beautiful.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52A forest in an ocean. How's that for a wonder?
0:00:54 > 0:00:56From the oldest desert on Earth...
0:00:56 > 0:00:58It just goes on and on and on.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02..to the world's greatest waterfall...
0:01:02 > 0:01:05I can't believe I'm doing this!
0:01:05 > 0:01:09..revealing the most unspoilt rainforest on the planet...
0:01:10 > 0:01:12That is what you call shaking your tail feather.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15THEY CHANT
0:01:15 > 0:01:17- ..and a landscape... - Oh, wow.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21..thought by many to be the most spectacular fjords in the world.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28And I'll be exploring a surprising treasure on our own doorstep
0:01:28 > 0:01:32that matches anything the rest of the Commonwealth has to offer.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47The Commonwealth may have its origins in a colonial past,
0:01:47 > 0:01:52but today it's founded on the coming together of 53 independent nations
0:01:52 > 0:01:55from all around the globe,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59united by shared values of equality and democracy.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05One of the founder members of the Commonwealth is New Zealand.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09It's the location of our first natural wonder.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14The remote south-western coastline is home to Fiordland.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Historian Dan Snow is setting out to explore it.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25I'm a child of the Commonwealth.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27My dad's from Britain but my mum was from Canada
0:02:27 > 0:02:30so I grew up in a world divided by geography
0:02:30 > 0:02:33but united by language and culture.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36And this is one remote corner of the Commonwealth
0:02:36 > 0:02:38that I've always wanted to visit.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43I'm following in the footsteps of the great explorer Captain Cook,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47the first European to reach here in 1770.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52I'm about to kayak down the fjord Doubtful Sound
0:02:52 > 0:02:57and then head 50 miles up the coast into Milford Sound,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59one of the marvels of the natural world.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06My guide is local kayaker Fiona Lee.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Wow, it's just so beautiful, isn't it?
0:03:11 > 0:03:14I wasn't expecting it to be this lush.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Yeah, we get up to eight metres of rain a year, which is phenomenal.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Kind of thing you'd expect in Scotland.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23I suppose that's the funny thing about the Commonwealth.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25You can travel halfway across the world
0:03:25 > 0:03:29and see a landscape, hear a language, meet people who are familiar.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33But the first people to explore these fjords
0:03:33 > 0:03:37arrived about 1,000 years before the Commonwealth existed.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39The Maoris were so impressed
0:03:39 > 0:03:42this landscape became part of their mythology.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45There was a demigod in the North Island.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47His name was Tu-te-raki-whanoa
0:03:47 > 0:03:51and he was sent out to create an inland passageway.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53He planted one foot and then the other
0:03:53 > 0:03:57and used his magical axe to carve into the landscape.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Ah, this is just the best pastime -
0:04:01 > 0:04:04kayaking through Fiordland.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Oh, what am I seeing over there? Do you see them?
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- Yeah, the bottlenose dolphins? - Yeah.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Yeah, I can see them jumping. Oh, my goodness.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Some bottlenose dolphins we've just seen ahead of me.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Oh, wow.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Come on, dolphins.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25If you paddle really quick, Dan, you might be able to surf with them.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27OK. Here we go. They want to surf in the bow wave? Let's see.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29- Ah.- Ah, look at that.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Yeah, they are, they're right underneath me!
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Woo-hoo!
0:04:37 > 0:04:40That's the bottlenose dolphins that live in Doubtful Sound.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41They're really amazing.
0:04:41 > 0:04:42How many of them would there be in a pod?
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Oh, the pod is around about 60 in size.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It's actually pretty intimidating.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52- They're big animals, aren't they? - They're really big and fat.
0:04:52 > 0:04:53They are about three or four metres long.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Oh, amazing.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59Woo-hoo!
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- Wow!- Wow.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Oh, my goodness, that's cool.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- Not a bad day at the office, really. - Amazing.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I've never done anything like that at all.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31What an amazing thing to do on a day like this, in these surroundings.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- Yee-hah.- Is that reg... Do they always do that?
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Just a treat for us today.
0:05:38 > 0:05:39Hello, boys!
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Doubtful Sound got its name from Captain Cook.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50He didn't dare enter here for fear the steep sides of the fjord
0:05:50 > 0:05:51would becalm his sailing ship
0:05:51 > 0:05:55and would make it doubtful he could ever get out again.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57For the next part of our journey,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00we're hitching a lift on a fishing boat.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07We're now following in Cook's wake
0:06:07 > 0:06:09as he travelled north along the coast.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Nearly 250 years ago,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15his historic voyage first brought New Zealand and Britain
0:06:15 > 0:06:17into contact with each other.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21These are the conditions that Cook would have loved -
0:06:21 > 0:06:24pushing his Endeavour as it became the first European ship
0:06:24 > 0:06:27to circumnavigate New Zealand back in 1770.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30He was looking for the fabled southern continent.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32He didn't find that exactly.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34What he did find was just as good.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36New Zealand and the east coast of Australia,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38both of which he claimed for the British Government.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42It was a seminal moment in the formation of the British Empire
0:06:42 > 0:06:44and of course that led to the Commonwealth.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Our fishermen are hauling in
0:06:50 > 0:06:52one of the most lucrative catches in the world.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57That was a bumper, that last one.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Yeah, every pot's a bit different, you know.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03These crayfish sell for over £50 a kilo
0:07:03 > 0:07:06and they export them all around the globe.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08And how many pots do you look to do in a day?
0:07:08 > 0:07:11- About 130 at the moment. - Oh, wow.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14We can do up to... Oh, we can do as many as we want.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Up to 200 sometimes.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21The boat can make over £50,000 a day.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27At that price, I feel it's only polite for Fi and I to devour some.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28Here we go, guys.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30I'm very grateful,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33this is like 1,000 worth of crayfish, here.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Let's see what these people are paying the big money for.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Go for it.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Ah, nice work, team. Cheers. Good day out.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Mm!
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Not bad, mate. - Fruits of our labour.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52I can see why you make a good living from this.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53That's to die for.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57I don't really eat it much.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00We live on steak and roasts and stuff!
0:08:06 > 0:08:08It's time to leave the crayfish behind,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10as we're now approaching our destination.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Just coming round the corner, here, into Milford Sound,
0:08:16 > 0:08:21widely regarded as the absolute gem in Fiordland.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Captain Cook, perhaps the greatest explorer of all time,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30actually missed this jewel.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32It's easy to see why.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35The entrance lies hidden behind these rocks.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Wow. Well, that's incredible.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- What a reveal. - Welcome to Milford Sound.
0:08:42 > 0:08:43Oh, my goodness!
0:08:47 > 0:08:51The cliffs are even more finely cut than Doubtful Sound.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53According to Maori legend,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56this is where the demigod perfected his carving skills.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05The centrepiece is the 150 metre high Stirling Falls.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10It's fed by the abundant rains here, six times the UK average.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12It's quite impressive, isn't it?
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Whoa! It's like being in a storm.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Wow, you've really got to lean over against the wind.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Wow, just incredible.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Woo-hoo!
0:09:29 > 0:09:32This journey has exceeded all my expectations.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36An incredible mix of a unique landscape, Maori myths
0:09:36 > 0:09:38and European explorers.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42The author Rudyard Kipling said
0:09:42 > 0:09:45that this, Victoria Falls, the Himalayas and the Grand Canyon
0:09:45 > 0:09:47were four wonders of the natural world.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49He wasn't wrong.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08The modern Commonwealth came into being in the 1940s
0:10:08 > 0:10:11and has been evolving ever since.
0:10:11 > 0:10:1518 countries are represented from Africa alone.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Namibia chose to join in 1990 when it gained independence.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21It's one of the newest members.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28It's also home to the oldest desert in the world.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Anita Rani is setting out to travel from its harsh interior
0:10:31 > 0:10:33to the treacherous coast.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38And meet some of the people who live in the most sparsely populated
0:10:38 > 0:10:41of all the Commonwealth countries.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46It's three times the size of the UK and has a population of two million.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49I've not seen a soul!
0:10:51 > 0:10:54It's quite simply stunning.
0:10:56 > 0:10:57I feel like I'm on Mars.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07Stepping out into such a hot desert is immediately daunting.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13The average rainfall here is as little as 2mm a year.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20And temperatures sometimes reach over 50 degrees Celsius.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28So, it was suggested that I should climb one of the dunes.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Naturally, I was well up for it.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32But I thought a quick scramble to the top
0:11:32 > 0:11:33of something like Camber Sands,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35that's what I had in my mind.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39But these sand dunes are some of the highest in the world.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41It's more of a mountain range.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43I mean, it is spectacular
0:11:43 > 0:11:48but I've still got 1,000 feet to go. And it's not that easy.
0:11:48 > 0:11:49Oh, whoa!
0:12:07 > 0:12:10It's not just the scale of these dunes that's impressive,
0:12:10 > 0:12:15this place has been a desert for 55 million years.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19I'm meeting up with research scientist Ruusa Gottlieb
0:12:19 > 0:12:23to find out how dry this environment really is.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Wow, Ruusa. What is this place?
0:12:27 > 0:12:31- This place is known as Deadvlei. - Deadvlei. What does that mean?
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Deadvlei just means dead valley.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35Dead valley. Gosh.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Yeah, dead valley because of all the dead trees that you see.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41yeah, I can see. This one - it's incredible looking.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Yeah, you can see that the wood is so dry and hard.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45It's really dry, it's really hard. How old is it?
0:12:45 > 0:12:48It's known to be 900 years old.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50But in the UK trees die all the time,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53but you don't see them standing here for 900 years.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Well, because in wetter areas normally it would rain
0:12:56 > 0:12:57and then the thing starts to rot.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59But because it's dry here
0:12:59 > 0:13:02the tree can't rot, because there's no moisture.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09From the world's largest dunes to ancient dead trees,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13this place is both unforgiving and mesmerising.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18But to get a true sense of the size of the desert
0:13:18 > 0:13:19I need to go up.
0:13:31 > 0:13:37I've never seen anything like this. It's so magnificent.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41360 degrees around me, to the horizon,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43all I can see is desert.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00I'd expected the Atlantic coast to offer some respite from the desert,
0:14:00 > 0:14:05but in fact the shore is littered with shipwrecks
0:14:05 > 0:14:07and is known as the Skeleton Coast.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18It's a reminder of just how tough it is
0:14:18 > 0:14:19to survive in this desert.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28I want to find out how people not only live
0:14:28 > 0:14:30but flourish in what must be
0:14:30 > 0:14:32one of the most inhospitable environments.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35It just goes on and on and on, nothingness.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38- That's right.- No people, no traffic jams, here.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40HE LAUGHS
0:14:43 > 0:14:46My guide, Oanee, is from the Himba tribe,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49masters of Namibia's harsh environment.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52He's taking me to a Himba village
0:14:52 > 0:14:55to show me some of the secrets
0:14:55 > 0:14:58that help his people cope in this unforgiving place.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- Moro, Moro, Moro. - Moro, Moro, Moro.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Moro. Grivi, Nawa.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09- Nawa.- Pleased to meet you. Anita.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13You look amazing. THE INTERPRETER RELAYS, SHE RESPONDS
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- INTERPRETER:- Thank you.- Wow.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17To help with the burning sun,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21the women cover their skin in a paste of red ochre and butter.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23I've been told it's a natural sunblock.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Now, my mum will be delighted with this
0:15:26 > 0:15:29because the one thing my mum will do before I'm about to travel anywhere
0:15:29 > 0:15:31is phone me up to remind me to take my sunblock,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33which she calls "factor".
0:15:33 > 0:15:35So here you go, Mum,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39I'm dousing myself in some natural "factor"!
0:15:39 > 0:15:41What do we think this is?
0:15:41 > 0:15:45About SPF 50? Probably SPF 100.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49- We're about the same, now.- Mm.- Yeah!
0:15:49 > 0:15:53The Himba have another secret for surviving on the desert's edge.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59The women purify their bodies using perfumed smoke.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Hm, it does smell nice.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05You know, they're in a very dry, arid landscape
0:16:05 > 0:16:06and water is scarce.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09So when water's scarce you've got to think of alternatives.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14Let's do mine.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Hm, it smells good.
0:16:18 > 0:16:19I'm just going to hang here
0:16:19 > 0:16:22and try and attract some men that are walking by,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25now that I'm all beautified.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27THEY LAUGH
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Namibia is a country of contrasts.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34You've got this developing African nation
0:16:34 > 0:16:36that's a member of the Commonwealth
0:16:36 > 0:16:38where some people still live this ancient way of life.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41You've got this landmass, the Namib desert,
0:16:41 > 0:16:4355 million years old,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47where it's so dry that trees don't decompose,
0:16:47 > 0:16:49where you get some of the highest sand dunes in the world,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51and where the coast is so treacherous
0:16:51 > 0:16:53that it's lined with shipwrecks.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56And yes, it is some of the most barren, austere,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58harshest landscape in the world,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01but it's also incredibly beautiful.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Now, I use this adjective far too much in real life,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07but for once I'm absolutely justified.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Namibia is awesome.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Some member nations of the Commonwealth
0:17:16 > 0:17:18are surprisingly remote.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Nowhere feels more exotic
0:17:20 > 0:17:23than the tens of thousands of tropical islands
0:17:23 > 0:17:25found in the South Pacific.
0:17:29 > 0:17:321,000 of them make up Solomon Islands.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34The ocean here contains
0:17:34 > 0:17:38three quarters of the world's coral species.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40It's said to be ten times more biodiverse
0:17:40 > 0:17:42than the Great Barrier Reef.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Reggie Yates is flying in to dive a little deeper.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56It's hard not to smile when you turn up in a place like this.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58On my way over, the pilot stuck his head out of the cockpit
0:17:58 > 0:18:00and said "You're not in a rush, are you?
0:18:00 > 0:18:03"Because I've got a few things I need to drop off on the way over."
0:18:03 > 0:18:05And when we actually touched down,
0:18:05 > 0:18:06a group of kids had to disperse
0:18:06 > 0:18:08cos they were playing football on the runway.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12That was the journey in and we've not even hit the water yet!
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Who knows what we're going to see when we get out there.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Solomons got their name from the first explorers
0:18:19 > 0:18:23who thought they'd discovered the source of King Solomon's wealth.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27But the bounty here isn't gold,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29it's the riches of the ocean.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34I'm heading to the island of Tetepare,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36a global centre for marine conservation.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41This is the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific
0:18:41 > 0:18:44and it's going to be absolutely stunning.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56This reef is part of the Coral Triangle
0:18:56 > 0:18:59that stretches from Indonesia to Solomon Islands.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03It's larger than the Great Barrier Reef
0:19:03 > 0:19:06and it's the richest marine environment on the planet.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15There's more marine life in a typical reef here
0:19:15 > 0:19:18than there is in the whole of the Caribbean.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31These islands are such a natural paradise
0:19:31 > 0:19:34people have fought over them for centuries.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40I'm heading to the ominously named Skull Island with local guide Sunga
0:19:40 > 0:19:42to find out more about the dark side
0:19:42 > 0:19:43of this tropical paradise.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Sunga is one of the few people
0:19:49 > 0:19:52allowed to take me to this sacred site,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56the final resting place for local tribal kings.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01That's fantastic.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04So, that's where they keep the kings' skulls,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and their families down at the bottom.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09And the one on the left
0:20:09 > 0:20:12that's King Hinguva, died in 1934.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Right.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17These people, they do the head-hunting
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and they're cannibals, they eat people.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25The victims of these cannibalistic head-hunters are also kept here.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26Displaying these trophies
0:20:26 > 0:20:29was an important part of the head-hunting cult.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33So by eating them as well as keeping their skulls
0:20:33 > 0:20:35they would see that as a way of gaining their power.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36- That's right.- Right.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38If they don't do that
0:20:38 > 0:20:40the power's going to go to somebody else.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44You seem to know lot about Hinguva. What's your relationship with him?
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Hinguva is my great-great-grandfather.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49Right.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54I'm so proud to see my great-great-grandfather's skull
0:20:54 > 0:20:56- still remain on this island.- Yeah.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59SUNGA BLOWS CONCH SHELL
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Before missionaries stopped the practice
0:21:09 > 0:21:12at the end of the 19th century,
0:21:12 > 0:21:16head-hunters had driven the people of Tetepare from their island.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Today, its descendants use this deserted paradise
0:21:20 > 0:21:22for more peaceful purposes.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26They've turned it into a centre for marine conservation.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28What we're about to get into is going to be very exciting.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30They call it the turtle rodeo.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Basically it's conservation, but the turtle rodeo sounds a lot more fun.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34Let's check it out.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39The ocean is so rich here
0:21:39 > 0:21:44it's home to five out of the seven species of marine turtle.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Monitoring and tagging the island's population
0:21:47 > 0:21:50is an important part of the conservation work here.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53So Tony is stood at the end of the boat right now, spotting.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55It's his job to try and identify where the turtles are
0:21:55 > 0:21:57and the minute he sees one, he's in.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01THEY SHOUT TO EACH OTHER
0:22:01 > 0:22:03I think we might be on.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06I think we got something, I think we got something!
0:22:12 > 0:22:14We've caught ourselves a turtle.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15Not bad going.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19And he's a beaut, as well.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21It turns out that he's actually been tagged already.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24So in terms of conservation, the work is already done.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27So the only thing left to do with this bad boy is to let him go.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35'Then they spot another one.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37'Cue the belly flop.'
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Wow, look at that! No way.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45'And this is a huge green turtle.'
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Whoa. Look at the size of it!
0:22:48 > 0:22:50'And it hasn't been tagged.'
0:22:50 > 0:22:51My goodness.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57I tell you what - she's beautiful, but she doesn't half reek.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Four of the marine turtle species that live here are endangered
0:23:02 > 0:23:04and the green turtle is one of them.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11The team measure, weigh and DNA test this female.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14It helps build a picture of population health
0:23:14 > 0:23:17and movement throughout the vast South Pacific.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22And they've asked if I'll tag this wonderful creature.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23OK.
0:23:25 > 0:23:31OK. So number is, T00022.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34T00022.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38'Then it's time to release her.'
0:23:38 > 0:23:39She's heavy, isn't she?
0:23:39 > 0:23:41THEY MUTTER
0:23:41 > 0:23:44The scientists say she's 20 years old
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and hasn't even reached sexual maturity yet.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50With a life expectancy of over 80,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52she might even outlast me.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58It's not every day you do that before lunch, is it?!
0:23:58 > 0:24:00What a morning.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02And there she goes.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04She's tagged, she's been weighed, DNA's been taken
0:24:04 > 0:24:08and apparently it'll be about two years before they see her again.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Even on the most remote of these 1,000 islands
0:24:16 > 0:24:19there's still a fascination with the Queen.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22In both her roles as the Head of the Commonwealth
0:24:22 > 0:24:24and Queen of the Solomons
0:24:24 > 0:24:26she's seen as a benign figurehead.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30In 1982, when the Queen last visited,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Mary, a leader of the Tetepare Descendants,
0:24:33 > 0:24:36travelled to the capital to pay homage to her Queen.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40As a small girl, I thought of the Queen
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- as somebody really big for my country.- Yeah.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45So I was very excited, with the other students,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47to meet the Queen.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49And when she came, we were very happy.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50We sing her songs.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53We saw her for the first time and we thought,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55"This is historical for us."
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Do you remember the song that you sang?
0:24:57 > 0:25:00# Come again and visit us
0:25:00 > 0:25:02# Come again, our Queen
0:25:02 > 0:25:05# We will all remember you
0:25:05 > 0:25:07# Remember you, dear Queen
0:25:07 > 0:25:10# From our heart we say
0:25:10 > 0:25:13# With happy memories of this day
0:25:13 > 0:25:17# God bless you As you travel on your way. #
0:25:22 > 0:25:26On anyone's list of the wonders of the world
0:25:26 > 0:25:30is Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33It's the greatest waterfall on the planet.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Olympic and Commonwealth champion Denise Lewis
0:25:40 > 0:25:42is about to canoe to the falls.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46I've been to lots of Commonwealth countries,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49but it's almost always been to compete.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52So you can imagine I've seen lots of stadiums,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54I've met a lot of Commonwealth members,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57but rarely have I had the opportunity
0:25:57 > 0:25:59to experience anything like this.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01So it's going to be a real adventure for me.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06To reach the falls I have to navigate the Zambezi.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And, rather worryingly, the river is at its highest
0:26:09 > 0:26:11and in full flow.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Luckily I'm not going alone.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18- Dominic.- Hi. - Hi, I'm Denise.- Dominic.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20- Really nice to meet you. - Pleased to meet you.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24I cannot believe how much it's moving. It's so fast.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26We have all the time to check for animals.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Yeah, so we don't rush.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Because, if we rush, we will miss the exciting things.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34- So when you say animals...- Yeah.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36- Crocodiles?- Crocodiles, yeah.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40Then the other thing is the hippos.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42I think you're going to be on your own today, Dominic.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44- I'll see you soon.- No, no, no!
0:26:44 > 0:26:48No, I've been on this river for a long time.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- This is why I'm still alive.- Yeah.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03I don't know why I was worried about crocs.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05I think these rapids might get me first!
0:27:05 > 0:27:07SHE SHRIEKS
0:27:16 > 0:27:18I can't believe I'm doing this!
0:27:27 > 0:27:32Keep on checking these areas, the bare ground under the trees.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33- Yeah.- OK.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36That's where, at this time of the year,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38the crocs could be, you can see.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41- Is that him? That long thing? - That's a croc, there.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43No way. Oh, he's moving.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48- He's moving. He's moving into the water.- Yeah!
0:27:48 > 0:27:49It's coming, like, this way.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Yes, it can just surface under our canoe.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54You're making fun of me, Dominic.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00I don't want to raise alarm, but I thought I saw some nostrils.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- That's a...- No, I'm serious, look! What's that?
0:28:03 > 0:28:07- That's grass. That's grass. - Oh. Phew.
0:28:08 > 0:28:09Um...
0:28:11 > 0:28:15- That's a piece of wood floating. - That's wood. Now I'm paranoid.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18- Now I can see crocs everywhere.- Yes.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26I wasn't very cool about the crocs.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29I'll have to try harder with the hippos.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30Wow, he's a biggy.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Zambia is home to 40,000 hippos.
0:28:39 > 0:28:40They may look placid
0:28:40 > 0:28:42but they're killers.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45This is like travelling through an animal minefield.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52So how far have I actually paddled today?
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Ah, you've paddled for more than 30km.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57It feels like it.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02I can't begin to tell you how glad I am
0:29:02 > 0:29:05to see land again.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07SHE SIGHS
0:29:09 > 0:29:11- Commonwealth champion!- Yeah.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15Oh, my arms, my legs!
0:29:20 > 0:29:26The river was just the most amazing thing I've ever seen
0:29:26 > 0:29:28and I still haven't seen the big thing yet.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32So I've just been totally amazed.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35But the thing that I'm really dreading tonight
0:29:35 > 0:29:37is the camping.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39I don't do camping.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45I hope nothing creepy comes and drags me out of my tent!
0:29:56 > 0:29:58It was possibly my worst night's sleep ever.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05So many hippo noises and creatures and minibeasts.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13But Dominic promises it's all going to be worth it.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17My first sight of the falls,
0:30:17 > 0:30:21known in the local Tongan language as Mosi-oa-Tunya,
0:30:21 > 0:30:23the smoke that thunders.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25I can see it!
0:30:25 > 0:30:29I can see just this kaleidoscope of colour
0:30:29 > 0:30:31just going into the sky. Is that it?
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Yes, that's the smoke that thunders.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Wow!
0:30:37 > 0:30:40It's incredible, it really is a sight to behold.
0:30:40 > 0:30:45Just all this smoke just going into the air,
0:30:45 > 0:30:47definitely worth all this hard work.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52I think I'm a bit scared now.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Just hope I don't go over the edge!
0:31:00 > 0:31:03No-one is allowed to venture further on the river.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05It's just too dangerous.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Oh, my goodness!
0:31:12 > 0:31:16I didn't know what I would feel when I got to this point,
0:31:16 > 0:31:18but it's breathtaking.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20It's kind of...
0:31:20 > 0:31:22rendered me spellbound.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25The beautiful rainbow is...
0:31:25 > 0:31:28It's almost like if you were religious
0:31:28 > 0:31:32this would be the gateway to heaven. It's magnificent.
0:31:43 > 0:31:48This is the largest curtain of falling water in the world.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50It's over a mile wide
0:31:50 > 0:31:55and about 500 million litres of water plummet over the edge every minute.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02The huge cloud announcing the falls
0:32:02 > 0:32:05is a spray plume that rises up half a kilometre.
0:32:09 > 0:32:10On my travels with Dominic
0:32:10 > 0:32:13he said to truly say I'd been to Zambia
0:32:13 > 0:32:16I have to get myself immersed in the Mosi-oa-Tunya.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18So that's what I'm going to do,
0:32:18 > 0:32:19I'm going to get very wet!
0:32:23 > 0:32:25Oh, my goodness.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28SHE CHEERS AND LAUGHS
0:32:30 > 0:32:32I am so ridiculously wet at the moment.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35I can just about open my eyes.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38It's the best shower I've had in ages,
0:32:38 > 0:32:41but it's so exhilarating.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42Woo!
0:32:51 > 0:32:53The first European to see the falls
0:32:53 > 0:32:57was the Victorian missionary and explorer David Livingstone.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01When Livingstone was here he said,
0:33:01 > 0:33:03"Scenes so lovely could only have been gazed upon
0:33:03 > 0:33:05"by angels in their flight."
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Well, Livingstone couldn't do that,
0:33:07 > 0:33:09but I'm hoping to get this angels' view.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14I've survived the crocs and the hippos,
0:33:14 > 0:33:16not to mention a night in a tent.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19I've been soaked by the smoke that thunders
0:33:19 > 0:33:23and now I feel like I'm in heaven, with the angels' view.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34Two billion people,
0:33:34 > 0:33:36one third of the world's population,
0:33:36 > 0:33:37live in the Commonwealth.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41And nowhere on the globe is more packed
0:33:41 > 0:33:43than the Indian subcontinent.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48But there's a mysterious natural wonder here
0:33:48 > 0:33:51that's barely touched by humanity.
0:33:52 > 0:33:57The Sundarbans forest straddles the border of Bangladesh and India.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01It's the largest mangrove swamp on the planet.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06It's also the realm of 400 Bengal tigers.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11Ever since the British came here in the 17th century,
0:34:11 > 0:34:15the man-eating tiger has loomed large in our imaginations.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21Dan Snow is exploring this dangerous wilderness.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29I want to get close to a tiger
0:34:29 > 0:34:30and find out what it's like
0:34:30 > 0:34:34for people to live cheek by jowl with this fearsome animal.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37In fact I'm now heading to a place
0:34:37 > 0:34:40where I'm most likely to come face-to-face with one.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Kotka is where the swamp meets the Indian ocean.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48Mangroves are one of the few trees
0:34:48 > 0:34:51that can survive in salty tidal waters.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55It's also home to enough wildlife
0:34:55 > 0:34:58to sustain what is perhaps the world's largest tiger population.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04WHOOPING AND HOLLERING
0:35:04 > 0:35:08My guide, Tanjil Rahman, promises I'll get close enough to the beast
0:35:08 > 0:35:10to justify the armed guards.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15We're heading into the swamp's dense ferns,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18the favourite haunt of the tiger,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20with conservationist Abu Naser.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23- So this is where they rest up during the day?- Yeah.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26There's two ways and one way is here...
0:35:26 > 0:35:29'Setting a camera trap is our best chance to see a tiger.'
0:35:30 > 0:35:33'But we may be closer to one right now than we've bargained for.'
0:35:33 > 0:35:37RUSTLING AND SHOUTING
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Be careful, something is moving.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Tell everyone make loud noise.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45THEY HOLLER
0:35:48 > 0:35:50I definitely heard something.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53SHOUTING
0:35:55 > 0:35:57These guys are pretty sure we heard what sounded like
0:35:57 > 0:36:01a pretty heavy beast running through the undergrowth just there.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03And this is exactly where tigers would be spending
0:36:03 > 0:36:05the warmest part of the day.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09Back on our houseboat,
0:36:09 > 0:36:13Naser shows me what a close shave we had.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15So this is stuff that you've shot previously.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19- Yeah. It's a night capture. - Wow, look at that.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21Is it the place where I was terrified
0:36:21 > 0:36:24- when we heard the feet in the bushes?- Yeah!
0:36:24 > 0:36:28- Very nice, you can see how sleek it is.- Yeah, exactly,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32get a sense of its power and its movement, there.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34And this is another place.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37- You can see the deers.- Yes.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41- Whoa!- You see.- Look at that.
0:36:41 > 0:36:42What an amazing thing,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44to see it in its natural environment like that.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47- It's like a ghost stalking across the landscape.- Yeah.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53And if proof were needed that there are tigers close by,
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Naser finds more evidence on the river bank
0:36:55 > 0:36:58yards from our house boat -
0:36:58 > 0:37:00fresh tiger footprints.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04- These are huge pugmarks, aren't they?- Yeah, huge.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07And it seems to be the male tiger.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09Look how massive that is.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13How old do you think these are? How long ago were these made?
0:37:13 > 0:37:15Yeah, it's only...
0:37:15 > 0:37:17Yeah, 24 hours.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20So within the last 24 hours a big male tiger has come down here
0:37:20 > 0:37:22and swum across this little canal.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26- Do you have any doubt, sir?- Nope.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29In the forest, the biggest footprint is from tiger
0:37:29 > 0:37:31so you cannot miss it.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33So wherever you go in this swamp
0:37:33 > 0:37:36you might be just feet away from a tiger.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44That's food for thought as I begin the next part of my journey.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46For two months each year
0:37:46 > 0:37:48local fishermen dare to venture
0:37:48 > 0:37:51into the heart of this vast, untamed wilderness
0:37:51 > 0:37:53to harvest wild honey.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57I'm joining a group on their annual expedition into the mangroves.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Every year, tigers attack honey hunters,
0:38:05 > 0:38:06often fatally.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09The threat is so great
0:38:09 > 0:38:12they do everything they can to scare the cats away.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16MAN CHANTS
0:38:16 > 0:38:18ALL JOIN IN
0:38:22 > 0:38:25You know, the honey collection is the most dangerous job in the world
0:38:25 > 0:38:27and that is because of the tiger.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29And in some bad years...
0:38:29 > 0:38:31maybe say more than 100 honey collectors
0:38:31 > 0:38:34can be killed by tigers in the forest, in two months.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Tigers aren't the only problem.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42The honey the men are after is guarded by
0:38:42 > 0:38:45some of the largest and most aggressive bees in the world.
0:38:49 > 0:38:50I'm extremely nervous.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52I don't know what I'm more nervous about,
0:38:52 > 0:38:54the fact that we're all looking around nervously for tigers
0:38:54 > 0:38:57or the fact we're about to go and disturb a bunch of bees
0:38:57 > 0:38:58who'll be very angry about it,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01wearing, well, not exactly modern safety kit.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Like a bank robber, a honey robber.
0:39:06 > 0:39:07It's a heist, isn't it?
0:39:11 > 0:39:13The men smoke the bees from the hive.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18They believe it mimics a forest fire, forcing the bees to flee.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21THEY SHOUT
0:39:21 > 0:39:24How about the tigers? What do they think about the smoke?
0:39:24 > 0:39:25When it's really smoky,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28that is also a dangerous time for tiger attack,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31- because you don't see much around. - OK, great.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:39:33 > 0:39:35THEY SHOUT
0:39:38 > 0:39:39I can see the hive.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42This is the time of greatest danger.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44If the bees "flash",
0:39:44 > 0:39:47the bee equivalent of a Mexican wave,
0:39:47 > 0:39:49they're about to swarm.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52Then we need to get out of here fast!
0:39:54 > 0:39:56The trick is to get the smoke in quickly
0:39:56 > 0:39:58before the bees become too angry.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00BUZZING
0:40:05 > 0:40:06You can tell how bees are feeling
0:40:06 > 0:40:08cos there's something about the noise -
0:40:08 > 0:40:10it gets a little bit more high-pitched,
0:40:10 > 0:40:11a little bit more angry.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15They're definitely beginning to make that noise now.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17BUZZING DROWNS SPEECH
0:40:21 > 0:40:23Now it's my turn to harvest some.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28I haven't collected honey since I was a child
0:40:28 > 0:40:30when I did it with my grandfather.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33But this is a bit different from the beekeeping he was used to.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35Half, half...yeah.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38So now you go that way.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42- Oh, wow, look at this honey. - It's that easy.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44It's amazing.
0:40:44 > 0:40:45That is beautiful.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51The men don't harvest all the honey.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53It means the bees can re-colonise the hive
0:40:53 > 0:40:56without having to make another one from scratch.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02We got away lightly.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05No bee stings and no sign of a tiger.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07How's the nectar?
0:41:09 > 0:41:10Chew this bit.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13THEY MUTTER
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Oh, my god, that's amazing.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18Oh, I can see why people risk their lives for this.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25Valuable honey and beeswax are their reward,
0:41:25 > 0:41:31but it isn't just economics that make these men return every year.
0:41:31 > 0:41:32I spoke to many honey collectors.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35They said, "When we hear that bees are buzzing,
0:41:35 > 0:41:37"it's in our blood." You know?
0:41:37 > 0:41:40"We can't really resist to go there,
0:41:40 > 0:41:45"despite of all of the tiger accident and life."
0:41:45 > 0:41:47That's just how it is.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54The closest I came to a big cat was a camera trap,
0:41:54 > 0:41:58but we heard later that a honey hunter working close to us
0:41:58 > 0:42:01was killed by a tiger on that very same day.
0:42:08 > 0:42:09But the danger the tiger poses
0:42:09 > 0:42:12has helped preserve this wonder of nature
0:42:12 > 0:42:14ever since Bangladesh joined the Commonwealth
0:42:14 > 0:42:15some 40 years ago.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Let's hope that in another 40 years
0:42:19 > 0:42:23this astonishing landscape, and the tiger, will still be here.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36There are some countries
0:42:36 > 0:42:39you'd be surprised are part of the Commonwealth family at all.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Papua New Guinea, on the edge of the South Pacific,
0:42:44 > 0:42:45is one of them.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51The island's isolation and inhospitable terrain
0:42:51 > 0:42:54mean its interior remains largely untouched,
0:42:54 > 0:42:59leaving an impressively pristine rainforest.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Its people are incredibly diverse.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05There are up to 7,000 languages in the world
0:43:05 > 0:43:08and 832 of them are spoken here.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12And it shelters at least 39 species
0:43:12 > 0:43:15of the most exotic and colourful birds,
0:43:15 > 0:43:18the appropriately named birds-of-paradise.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23Anita Rani is heading deep into the forest
0:43:23 > 0:43:25to fulfil a childhood dream.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29I've finally made it to Papua New Guinea,
0:43:29 > 0:43:32a country I have always wanted to visit,
0:43:32 > 0:43:34ever since my wonderful English teacher,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36the rather aptly named Mrs Bird,
0:43:36 > 0:43:37said that she used to live here.
0:43:37 > 0:43:42And it just seemed like the most far away, exotic place on Earth.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44I've come here to try and find something very rare
0:43:44 > 0:43:46and incredibly beautiful -
0:43:46 > 0:43:47the bird-of-paradise.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55'When David Attenborough first came here 60 years ago
0:43:55 > 0:43:59'it took him six weeks to see a bird-of-paradise.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03'I've only got three days to witness its famous courtship display.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07'So if I'm going to have half a chance,
0:44:07 > 0:44:10'I'll need a local guide to help me.'
0:44:10 > 0:44:12This is a path?!
0:44:12 > 0:44:15'Samuel is known as the Bird Man of Papua New Guinea.'
0:44:17 > 0:44:19Why are they called the bird-of-paradise?
0:44:19 > 0:44:23They thought these birds come down from heaven,
0:44:23 > 0:44:26fly around, do feeding and late in the afternoon,
0:44:26 > 0:44:28they fly up to heaven or paradise.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31So that's why they called it birds-of-paradise.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34- Wow, because they thought they descended from heaven.- Yes.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37I've never done any bird watching.
0:44:37 > 0:44:38What qualities do I need?
0:44:38 > 0:44:40Because I'll tell you straight off the bat
0:44:40 > 0:44:42I am not patient.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50The plan is to trek deep into the forest
0:44:50 > 0:44:53to see the lesser bird-of-paradise.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56The male's beautiful courtship display
0:44:56 > 0:44:58is notoriously difficult to see.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01So we'll have to be incredibly quiet,
0:45:01 > 0:45:05which isn't going to be easy for a chatterbox like me.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08WHISPERING: This is the territory of the lesser bird-of-paradise.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11Now, it's not spotted that often,
0:45:11 > 0:45:15but if it does make an appearance it should be on that tree, there.
0:45:15 > 0:45:16Hopefully we'll be lucky.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27WHISPERING: We've been waiting in the sweatbox
0:45:27 > 0:45:29for an hour and a half, now.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32We can... BIRD CALLS
0:45:32 > 0:45:35You can hear the bird but we can't see the bird.
0:45:35 > 0:45:36It's like it's teasing us.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41I guess this is what it really means to be a twitcher,
0:45:41 > 0:45:42just hanging out and waiting.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45I can't even wait for a bus!
0:45:50 > 0:45:54I can't believe I've done... CALL DRAWS CLOSER
0:45:54 > 0:45:55There it is.
0:45:57 > 0:45:58Look at that tail.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02It's so beautiful, I just want to touch it.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13Oh, he didn't stick around to display.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16But it was so beautiful.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19It makes me really want to see one displaying, now.
0:46:23 > 0:46:24I might not have seen the birds
0:46:24 > 0:46:26display their extraordinary plumage yet,
0:46:26 > 0:46:30but I've heard the people use bird-of-paradise feathers
0:46:30 > 0:46:32when they strut their stuff.
0:46:33 > 0:46:37I've been invited to a traditional ceremony called a sing-sing
0:46:37 > 0:46:39with community leader Pym Mamindi.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43The sing-sing involves a lot of dressing up.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50It's clear these people prize bird-of-paradise feathers
0:46:50 > 0:46:52extremely highly.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57- Hello, ladies.- Hello! - How are you?- Fine.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01- This is looking pretty impressive, very fancy.- Yeah.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04- So you'll be attracting the guys? - The guys.- Yeah. So...
0:47:04 > 0:47:06Me. She's going to attract me.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08She's going to attract you?
0:47:08 > 0:47:10Are you going to attract him?
0:47:10 > 0:47:13- Is he the man for you? - Yes, he is.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15You're lucky she said yes.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17Now we're getting to the heart of it,
0:47:17 > 0:47:19basically this is like a courtship dance.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21- You're trying to attract the opposite sex.- Exactly.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23You're telling them you're a somebody. You've got moves.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26THEY SING
0:47:26 > 0:47:28Adorned with their feathers and paint,
0:47:28 > 0:47:30the men and women dance.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32First up are the ladies.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35SINGING CONTINUES
0:47:40 > 0:47:43And then the men join in.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49They're using the feathers in the same way a bird-of-paradise would
0:47:49 > 0:47:51to attract a partner.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54In our society you can get married to two to three wives.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57- Two to three wives?- Yeah. Even more!
0:47:57 > 0:47:59He has to put up a good show so that the ladies will say,
0:47:59 > 0:48:03"Oh, this man is dancing nicely, and he's got good feathers."
0:48:03 > 0:48:05And maybe you can get another wife.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14HE YELLS Pym takes me to meet the chief,
0:48:14 > 0:48:16who has five wives.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18He said he killed three men.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20- He's killed three men?- Yes. - Who are these men?
0:48:20 > 0:48:23- His enemies! I don't know. - Who are they?
0:48:23 > 0:48:26'The chief has a surprising affection for the Queen
0:48:26 > 0:48:29'who, for him, is the chief of all chiefs.'
0:48:29 > 0:48:31Do you know the Queen?
0:48:31 > 0:48:32- Yeah.- Yes.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:48:34 > 0:48:37'He tells me he once tried to see the Queen,
0:48:37 > 0:48:38'but made the mistake
0:48:38 > 0:48:42'of travelling to the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby.'
0:48:42 > 0:48:44- He thought the Queen lived in Port Moresby?- Yes!
0:48:44 > 0:48:46- And he went to Port Moresby! - THE CHIEF GIGGLES
0:48:46 > 0:48:48He had a chance to go to Port Moresby
0:48:48 > 0:48:50and the Queen doesn't live here, the Queen lives in England!
0:48:50 > 0:48:52What does it mean to Papua New Guinea
0:48:52 > 0:48:54- to be part of the Commonwealth and to have this Queen?- OK.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57It's a big community, Commonwealth is a big community.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01So when we are Papua New Guineans, they feel they're secured,
0:49:01 > 0:49:03or they feel that there is a network,
0:49:03 > 0:49:05there are many, many countries
0:49:05 > 0:49:07that are coming together as one under one umbrella
0:49:07 > 0:49:10because of the Queen and the Commonwealth.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19After the people's courtship dance,
0:49:19 > 0:49:24I'm determined to finally see a bird-of-paradise display.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27And I've chosen the most iconic of all -
0:49:27 > 0:49:28the raggiana.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33WHISPERING: 'I've got a direct view to the tree
0:49:33 > 0:49:35where hopefully the raggiana bird,
0:49:35 > 0:49:38the national emblem of Papua New Guinea,
0:49:38 > 0:49:40will come and show me its display.
0:49:40 > 0:49:41Now, I've been told that it's on its way
0:49:41 > 0:49:44because we can actually hear it in the distance.
0:49:44 > 0:49:45So it's just a waiting game.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55BIG BROTHER NARRATOR IMPRESSION: Day 75.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58Anita's still sweating it out, looking for the bird-of-paradise!
0:49:58 > 0:50:02BIRD CALLS There it is! There it is!
0:50:02 > 0:50:04I can see the bird is in the tree.
0:50:09 > 0:50:10Wow!
0:50:11 > 0:50:13Oh, wow.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19Well, I knew it was going to be pretty,
0:50:19 > 0:50:21but that's just beautiful.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25Mesmerizingly beautiful.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30HE CONTINUES CALLING
0:50:34 > 0:50:37Now that is what you call shaking your tail feather!
0:50:44 > 0:50:45I've become a twitcher.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47It's quite good fun actually.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53There's a noise the raggiana bird-of-paradise makes
0:50:53 > 0:50:55that perfectly sums up Papua New Guinea
0:50:55 > 0:50:57and that is "wow".
0:50:57 > 0:51:00BIRD CALLS "WOW"
0:51:00 > 0:51:01With its untouched rainforest,
0:51:01 > 0:51:04its people still living the traditional way of life
0:51:04 > 0:51:06and their undying devotion to the Queen...
0:51:06 > 0:51:08But this is a country that's changing.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12As it develops, they are naturally going to embrace the modern world.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15So to have experienced it right now, as it is,
0:51:15 > 0:51:18has been an absolute privilege.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30We could have chosen 1,000 natural treasures
0:51:30 > 0:51:32from all around the Commonwealth.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36But one of my favourites is much closer to home.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41For our seventh and final wonder I've come here to Scotland,
0:51:41 > 0:51:45to explore an area of outstanding natural beauty.
0:51:45 > 0:51:49And it's a place that's inspired writers and artists and musicians
0:51:49 > 0:51:50for generations.
0:51:52 > 0:51:57They came to the tiny uninhabited Island of Staffa
0:51:57 > 0:51:58to Fingal's Cave.
0:51:59 > 0:52:03The cave gets its name from the legend of an Irish giant,
0:52:03 > 0:52:04Fionn MacCumhaill,
0:52:04 > 0:52:07who built a bridge from Ireland to Scotland.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10In 1829,
0:52:10 > 0:52:14this place stirred the 20-year-old composer Felix Mendelssohn
0:52:14 > 0:52:17to write The Hebrides overture.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20MUSIC: "THE HEBRIDES (OVERTURE)"
0:52:30 > 0:52:31On the nearby island of Mull
0:52:31 > 0:52:35I'm meeting classical violinist Seonaid Aitken
0:52:35 > 0:52:38who has performed the overture in the cave.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40I want to learn more
0:52:40 > 0:52:43about how Mendelssohn was moved by the experience.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49He was inspired to write that immediately after seeing the cave.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52Apparently he wrote a letter back to his sister
0:52:52 > 0:52:55with the opening 21 bars of the overture
0:52:55 > 0:52:57and said, "In order to make you realise
0:52:57 > 0:53:00"how extraordinarily the Hebrides have affected me,
0:53:00 > 0:53:02"the following came into my head there."
0:53:02 > 0:53:05And what makes it so evocative of the landscape,
0:53:05 > 0:53:07of the place, of the mood?
0:53:07 > 0:53:11Well, I think it's the feeling of the unknown.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13And Mendelssohn really creates that in his music
0:53:13 > 0:53:17and depicts the ebb and flow of the tide, really,
0:53:17 > 0:53:18and the crashing of the waves.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21And it's really quite dramatic. It's like a storm, you know.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24It's brilliant towards the end, that's my favourite part.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26I can't wait to go there.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29I shall hear your music in my head when I do.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Mendelssohn made his way to the cave under sail.
0:53:44 > 0:53:45So I'm doing the same.
0:53:48 > 0:53:53Local writer Jan Sutch Pickard is accompanying me on the voyage.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55So, Jan, tell me why it's called Fingal's Cave.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58And was that always its name?
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Actually that wasn't originally its name.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03Its original name was Uamh-Binn,
0:54:03 > 0:54:07which means the melodious cave
0:54:07 > 0:54:10which expressed the wonder of the sound of it.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13How is the best way to experience Fingal's Cave?
0:54:13 > 0:54:16I think you need to experience it for yourself,
0:54:16 > 0:54:17without a big set-up.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Queen Victoria went in in the Royal barge
0:54:20 > 0:54:22with the standard flying.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26But I think to simply walk in on your own
0:54:26 > 0:54:30and let the cave speak to you with its melodious voice.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35Just emerging from the mist
0:54:35 > 0:54:38you can start to see the black rock of Staffa.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40Waves are crashing in at the base.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48These rocks were formed some 65 million years ago
0:54:48 > 0:54:51when an underwater volcano erupted.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55The water caused the lava to crack
0:54:55 > 0:55:00and then solidify into these astonishing polygonal shapes.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05I feel like I'm following in the footsteps
0:55:05 > 0:55:08of some of the great artists of the 19th century.
0:55:09 > 0:55:13Writers like Keats and painters like JMW Turner
0:55:13 > 0:55:15fell in love with this place.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21I can now see why.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26It is like walking into the grandest cathedral you could ever imagine.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31The scale of it's incredible.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33You've got the massive pillars like organ pipes -
0:55:33 > 0:55:36very, very smooth and cold and dark.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40And then this roof
0:55:40 > 0:55:42that looks like it's been sculpted.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46Man could never have made this.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48You know, it's just too big, too impressive.
0:55:51 > 0:55:52And the sound of it as well.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56I can hear my voice bouncing back from the wall.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01You have to be pretty careful clambering over these
0:56:01 > 0:56:02but it's worth the effort
0:56:02 > 0:56:05because the further you get into the cave
0:56:05 > 0:56:08the more incredible it seems.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14And slightly, the feeling of terror takes over
0:56:14 > 0:56:17because these waves are getting stronger and stronger.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19It's like a natural Jacuzzi down here.
0:56:22 > 0:56:23You just think,
0:56:23 > 0:56:26"I'm so tiny against these enormous rocks
0:56:26 > 0:56:28"that are millions of years old."
0:56:29 > 0:56:32It's incredible, absolutely incredible.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40It would have been like this when Mendelssohn came here
0:56:40 > 0:56:43in the 19th century, and the waves creating this foam.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45The sound when the waves hit the rock
0:56:45 > 0:56:48and then they come ripping back,
0:56:48 > 0:56:50sounds like the timpani in the orchestra.
0:56:50 > 0:56:51Boom!
0:57:00 > 0:57:04The explorer Joseph Banks said of the cave,
0:57:04 > 0:57:05"Compared to this
0:57:05 > 0:57:09"what are the cathedrals and palaces built by man?
0:57:09 > 0:57:12"Mere models or play things, imitations,
0:57:12 > 0:57:16"as his works will always be when compared to those of nature."
0:57:28 > 0:57:30So, from New Zealand to Papua New Guinea,
0:57:30 > 0:57:32the Solomon Islands to Bangladesh,
0:57:32 > 0:57:33Namibia to Zambia,
0:57:33 > 0:57:35and here in Scotland,
0:57:35 > 0:57:37you've seen some of the wonders of the Commonwealth.
0:57:37 > 0:57:39Now it's over to its sporting greats.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41Let the games begin.