Episode 1 Birds of Paradise: The Ultimate Quest


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BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner has a little-known passion.

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It's beautiful. It's really lovely.

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I've been a keen bird-watcher now for probably more than 20 years.

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Whenever I go to somewhere really unusual,

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I'll always bring binoculars.

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This is very geeky, but I have...

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Actually, I've kept a record of how many different species I've seen.

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1,358.

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But there's one group of birds that's so far eluded him.

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The ultimate, the Holy Grail of exotic birds,

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has always been birds of paradise.

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I've wanted to see birds of paradise

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since I was eight years old.

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And I want to see them in the wild.

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Almost all birds of paradise are found in Papua New Guinea,

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one of the most spectacular and remote places on Earth.

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But events in 2004 ended Frank's chances of getting there.

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The reason I'm in a wheelchair

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is because we were filming on a BBC trip in Saudi Arabia

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and we got ambushed by terrorists, by Al-Qaeda.

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They were armed with pistols and they surrounded us.

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They shot my cameraman, Simon Cumbers, dead,

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and they put six bullets into me and left me for dead.

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I knew that I was extremely seriously injured.

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I lay in hospital, thinking,

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"This is one of the things I wish I'd done.

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"Go and look for the birds of paradise."

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HE SNAPS HIS FINGERS

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"Why didn't I go to Papua New Guinea?

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"Why didn't I go and see these things

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"when I could trek through the forests?

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"I've missed the chance to see this great..."

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HE SIGHS

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"..pot of gold at the end of the avian rainbow."

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A chance meeting with explorer Benedict Allen five years ago

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gave Frank new hope.

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When he told me his story, I said, "Ah-ha! I'm your man,

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"because I used to live there 30 years ago."

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I settled down with these people called the Niowra

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on the Sepik River.

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We would do anything for each other. We were a family, actually.

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This is a genuine personal mission for both Benedict and me.

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It's something, you know, we've cooked up between us,

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so if it's a disaster, the blame lies with us.

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HE SPEAKS IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE

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It's a three-week expedition

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that will test both men mentally and physically.

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-Today, we're not going anywhere.

-Yeah.

-At all.

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-There are crocodiles here, Johnny?

-Yes!

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It's got swamps, it's got mountains, it's incredibly ethnically diverse.

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It sends a shiver down my spine when I hear that noise.

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It's got everything that you could possibly dream of and dread

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in a tropical environment.

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That is disgusting.

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That's my survival kit.

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-Sharp knife.

-Ooh, careful.

-Dangerous.

-Very dangerous!

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For Benedict, I think he's going to be quite torn

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because it's going to be a reminder to him,

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"Wow, I very nearly lived the rest of my life in that way.

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"Instead of which, I've moved back to Europe

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"and met a lovely wife and raised children."

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So this is going to be huge for him.

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I feel guilty that I've been away all this time.

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I just don't know if they're going to welcome me

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or going to resent that I've been away for three decades.

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Frank will look after me, sweetie.

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No, you're looking after Frank.

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-That's true.

-It's most dangerous because he can't walk or run away.

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I know. That's true, sweetie.

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The idea of taking anyone in a wheelchair through Papua New Guinea

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is absolutely crazy.

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This is a really central bit of kit.

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It goes at the front of the wheelchair

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and allows me to get over muddy bits in rough tracks.

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But I can see that Frank is a survivor.

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He's not a quitter and he's someone who relishes a challenge.

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Bird book. Pretty essential.

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I realise I'm going to have to go through a fair degree

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of discomfort and hardship to get to see them,

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and that'll make it all the more worthwhile.

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You know, this is so much more than just going to see a bird.

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This is, in a way, a form of closure to my injuries.

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Frank and Benedict must fly 9,000 miles to Papua New Guinea

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to begin their adventure.

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-Which way?

-Where to go?

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Papua New Guinea is one of the least explored countries in the world,

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and Frank and Benedict will be travelling

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into some of its most remote landscape.

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-Oh, look at this.

-Yeah.

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-Oh, fantastic.

-Yeah.

-Look at that.

-Look at that forest.

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That's what excites me,

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because that's what we'll be going through.

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I'd love to get in there.

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I can always give you a push.

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-It's not far, is it?

-It's quite a drop.

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It won't take you long to get down there!

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-Do you want to have a look through the binos?

-Oh, don't mind if I do.

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Look at that.

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The route that we're taking is working our way slowly south

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from the northern coastline of Papua New Guinea,

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into the Sepik River Valley.

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We're going to retrace part of the journey that Benedict made.

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We're going to go to the tribe that he lived with 30 years ago.

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It's in the Central Range, where mountains reach over 4,000 metres,

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that many of the birds of paradise can be found.

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It's crisscrossed with swamps and massive rivers

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and impenetrable jungles and mountains and ravines,

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and I've got to get over some of that.

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I have to say, when you think about all the places on the planet

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that I could go to with a wheelchair,

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probably Papua New Guinea is going to be about the most difficult one.

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So, a long day today.

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-Yes, long day. It will take eight hours, nine hours.

-Yeah.

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-We will stop on the way.

-Yeah.

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The first leg should be the simplest part of the three-week expedition.

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We've only just set off, and already we've got a flat tyre.

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We haven't even reached the canoes yet.

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This is not a good start.

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I'd rather it all blow now,

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so we can sort it out in the early morning,

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so we've got time to catch up.

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We need to get to our first location before dark.

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Ah, see, there we go. You see, there he is.

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-That's Frank in action.

-Yep.

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It's a pigeon.

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It's the lesser-spotted mattress thrasher.

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Ooh! We've got a bit of parrot action.

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So, this is brilliant.

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Going uphill's going to be a bit harder, but we'll manage.

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He is a man of missions, Frank.

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It's a joy just to see him head off.

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He seems to be very good at... finding ways to break free.

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-I'll definitely go for a push here.

-Yeah.

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OK, the parrot's coming back.

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I'm just incredibly happy to be out here in this environment.

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I'm loving this. This is really brilliant.

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We've had a puncture, you know, carpe diem, seize the day.

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Caspar, have you fixed everything?

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Everything is done, but we have another eight hours more to go.

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So... Well...

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-That's adventure.

-Yeah, yeah, that's adventure.

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Last time Benedict was here, there was no tarmac, very few vehicles,

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and he was travelling alone.

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It's very, very tantalising.

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We're winding now down into the river valley.

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Up there is the river. There is the Sepik.

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Whoa.

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After 30 years, here I am.

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The river is the main way into the swamp communities

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and onto the Central Range.

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What do you think of the Sepik?

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It's much bigger than I thought it was going to be.

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-It's a quiet river, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Slinking by.

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Oh, you've spotted a bird.

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-It's a buzzard of some sort.

-Oh...!

-BENEDICT LAUGHS

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Now, that doesn't bode well, does it,

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buzzards circling overhead?

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The challenge for me, I think,

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is going to be getting onto one of these little tiny boats.

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We do need a lot of equipment.

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We've to get ourselves and Frank, of course,

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through all this terrain.

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We can't do it on our own.

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As well as a support team and an expedition medic for Frank...

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..Felix has been employed to assist Frank throughout the journey.

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Felix, you're fit and strong, you'll be able to get me on the boat?

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-Yeah.

-Good.

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I don't want him to get injury again.

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I must make him safe, look after him proper.

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He must feel like, "I'm with my family."

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So, Felix, what we need to do... OK?

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You plus three others, so four people, OK?

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Two at the front, two here at the back,

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and you lift me up and put me in the chair in the middle.

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What am I afraid of? Being tipped out of the chair.

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Up!

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'My bones are more brittle than normal people

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'cos I'm not walking on them.

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'You know, I've got to make sure I don't smash anything up.'

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-Well done.

-Strong.

-And then just walk it back.

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Fantastic.

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But, you know, these are risks worth taking to see birds of paradise.

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Have faith. Brilliant!

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Well done. Very good, excellent.

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-You're in.

-Good stuff, thank you.

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-Oh, look at this. Isn't this brilliant?

-Yeah.

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We're getting quite wet here, but that's all right.

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It's a dry wet.

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There's not enough daylight to reach Benedict's former home of Kandengi,

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so the group will overnight in the village of Yenijimangua.

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Benedict's been here before.

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There we are, Frank. There's your accommodation for the night.

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It hasn't changed.

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These buildings seem like the very buildings I saw 30 years ago.

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And every house is raised off the ground.

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That's partly to stop flooding, but also because of the belief

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that spirits inhabit the water and they'll get to you,

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so you've got to be raised above the water.

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-Oh, this is nice, look.

-Oh!

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We're going through a sort of... a kind of mud arch here.

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-Welcome.

-Thank you.

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-This is welcome.

-Oh, that's beautiful.

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Oh, I'm loving this.

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This is brilliant. Felix, well done, thank you.

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Very good. Excellent.

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Let's entertain the troops.

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Raagh! Raaaaagh!

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-Hello!

-WOMAN:

-Hello!

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Oh, this is just brilliant.

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The reception we've had has been amazing.

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They've prepared this beautiful wooden hut for us.

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They've carried me up the steps with no fuss at all.

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And this really feels like a kind of journey upriver.

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I mean, for Benedict, this is huge. But for me, it's exciting, too.

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There's such a mystique about this place,

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and it's a real honour to be amongst these people.

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Did you make all of this?

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-Yes.

-You made all of this to make us welcome?

-Yes.

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-Thank you so much. Tenkyu tru. Tru tru.

-Yeah.

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They speak a local language here,

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but also, there's the pidgin English thing.

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If I want to say, "My name is Frank" - "Name belong me Frank."

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FRANK SPEAKS PIDGIN ENGLISH

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..Be here. Very happy to be here.

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I'm overwhelmed here.

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They've given up their house so that we can sleep,

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and there's this wonderful kind of dusk, smoky thing.

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Yes, the mosquitos are just starting to appear.

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There are dugout canoes still going up and down the river,

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and it's just lovely.

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One by one, people have been coming up here

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just to sort of shake my hand, so this is lovely.

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I've got a hot coffee, I've got my binoculars,

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the birds are going up and down the river

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and there's that lovely village early evening feel.

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I'm happy.

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Frank's settling in, but that's not the case for Benedict.

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Tomorrow, he must face the Niowra people

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who he abandoned 30 years ago.

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The idea was simply to come to New Guinea, meet up with my old mates,

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and they would help me through the swamps, through the trees,

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up into the mountains, and we'd find birds of paradise.

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Job done, nice and simple.

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I'm a jungle man, I've lived for years in rainforests,

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I know how to survive.

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I thought I could get Frank up there easily.

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But it's not as simple as that, it turns out,

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because New Guinea is the place that made me, I suppose, the person I am.

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Yeah, very profound memories here,

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and I've disturbed them now coming back.

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Here it all is.

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When Benedict was last in Papua New Guinea, this man, Johnny Gawi,

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adopted him as a son, creating a lifelong bond.

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But to become a son of the village,

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Benedict had to go through an initiation so secret

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that these photographs have been altered

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to protect the Niowra people's sensitivities.

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I was still a boy, really.

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I was 23, 24, I think.

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No-one in the entire world, except these people,

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had seen what that ceremony involved,

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and certainly no-one had gone through it

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and I was going to be the first.

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It was a total nightmare.

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Maybe that time in Kandengi did do damage.

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Maybe I've spent a life trying to unpick it all.

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I'd expected Benedict to be jumping round

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like a catfish on a hook, excited here.

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In a way he is, but also,

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I think it's quite emotional for him coming back here

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and I can totally understand that.

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So he has retired to sort of gather his own thoughts.

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I left so many friends behind in Kandengi village.

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Johnny, my adopted father. Martin, my best friend.

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I promised Martin to give him this watch. I've got it here.

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I never fulfilled that promise, and I'm hoping...

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I'm hoping, hoping it'll go well and they'll invite me in

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and they'll take to Frank

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and they'll help us on our way through the swamps,

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through the forests, up into the mountains.

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But I don't know what's going to happen.

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I don't know how I'm going to react.

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I don't know, really, how they're going to receive me.

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I'm not sure I'll get much sleep tonight.

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Some people look really good with a few days' stubble.

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I'm not one of them.

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-Good morning.

-Ooh, Caspar, good morning.

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-Ah, yes.

-Mm.

-I remember it.

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BENEDICT SAYS A WORD, CASPAR REPEATS

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Are those mine?!

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Them belong me.

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Thank you! Oh, well, someone's got to give them a go.

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Mm.

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Johnny Gawi.

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Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

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He will come...

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Come here?!

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Today?

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Ohh!

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Caspar! Oh! That is something. That's lovely news.

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And a surprise, actually.

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The Niowra say "ai-ee", which sort of means "see you around".

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There's no word for "goodbye".

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They don't say goodbye, cos no-one ever leaves, and I left.

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Thank goodness he's still alive.

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-Is he quite a bit older than you?

-Only ten years or so.

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-But it has to be said...

-In local terms.

-Yeah.

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I realise I left them, I left this relationship...

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..open. There's unfinished business.

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I can't wait to see how they're going to receive you.

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Yeah, we shall see what happens next.

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Along the Sepik River,

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the role of an adoptive father is taken extremely seriously.

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I don't care about anything at the moment, I just want to see him.

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Johnny Gawi.

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It's thanks to Johnny's patronage

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that Benedict could be accepted as one of the Niowra people.

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There's a green canoe.

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I'm scared I won't recognise him. It's a terr...!

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Surely I will. But it's one of those scary moments.

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One of those special moments that you know you want to keep special.

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Ohh!

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BENEDICT EXCLAIMS JOYFULLY

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-I can't believe it. 30 years.

-Yeah.

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Christmas.

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I can't believe you're here.

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You're here, you're here. I'm here, I'm here!

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Yeah!

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I'm so excited, you know?

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I can't believe it.

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You're really here.

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-It's so good. You're looking well.

-Yeah, OK.

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I was trying to imagine what the village is like now,

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whether it's got...electricity...

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-The village is getting bigger.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

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Frank, I want you to meet someone very special.

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-Hello.

-Johnny.

0:18:460:18:48

Name belong me Frank.

0:18:480:18:49

-Frank.

-Hello, Johnny. You were his father.

0:18:490:18:52

-Yes.

-Wow!

0:18:520:18:54

I was his father.

0:18:540:18:55

-Was he a good boy?

-Yes. He's a good boy.

0:18:550:18:58

-I was a good boy.

-I heard he...

-He respect me.

0:18:580:19:00

I'm so happy that somebody who was so close to Benedict,

0:19:000:19:04

who was there sheltering him, that you're here.

0:19:040:19:08

-This is a happy day.

-It's very happy.

0:19:080:19:10

Johnny, you know, there is another hope that we have,

0:19:100:19:14

to try and find birds of paradise.

0:19:140:19:15

-Yeah.

-Yeah. That's what we're going to try and do.

-Yeah.

0:19:150:19:19

-I'll be with you on this journey.

-Yeah?

-Great.

0:19:190:19:22

-Are you serious?

-Yes.

0:19:220:19:23

-You'll come with us?

-What, up to the highlands?

0:19:230:19:25

-I'm serious. I'll come with you.

-Oh, fantastic!

-Will you really?

0:19:250:19:28

-Oh, Johnny, brilliant.

-That would mean a lot to me if you did that.

0:19:280:19:31

Johnny, you're a marvellous man.

0:19:310:19:34

-Thanks.

-It's great to meet you.

-Yes, yes.

0:19:340:19:35

It's a big gesture from Johnny.

0:19:370:19:39

The Niowra rarely move beyond their tribal boundaries.

0:19:390:19:42

It is fiercely hot, isn't it?

0:19:420:19:45

Benedict's real father was an adventurer in his own way.

0:19:450:19:50

My dad was a hero. He was a test pilot.

0:19:500:19:52

Amazing, amazing man.

0:19:520:19:54

He was very quiet and humble, but did these extraordinary things.

0:19:540:19:57

I think, as a little boy, I thought, "I want to be like my dad."

0:19:570:20:00

Johnny, you tell me if you see a crocodile, OK?

0:20:000:20:02

I'll tell you.

0:20:020:20:03

Not only was my dad taking risks, but he was away a lot,

0:20:030:20:08

and so he was absent for a lot of my childhood.

0:20:080:20:11

Perhaps I was looking for a father, and Johnny was that father.

0:20:110:20:16

-Is this Niowra territory here?

-Niowra.

0:20:160:20:20

All of this. All of this.

0:20:200:20:23

Johnny took me in, made me welcome in his home with his family,

0:20:230:20:29

and looked after me.

0:20:290:20:31

It is opening up into a big lake.

0:20:330:20:35

-Is this Chambri Lake?

-Yes, it would be.

0:20:350:20:37

Ah! Beautiful.

0:20:370:20:39

Now they've hit Chambri Lake,

0:20:460:20:48

one of the largest lakes in Papua New Guinea,

0:20:480:20:51

the home of the birds of paradise can be seen on the horizon.

0:20:510:20:54

Those are the highlands, where we should see birds of paradise.

0:20:560:21:00

The distant one that's covered in cloud?

0:21:000:21:02

That's where we're heading, yeah?

0:21:020:21:04

I'll be quite happy to be up in the hills, actually.

0:21:040:21:06

I'm a mountain person, myself.

0:21:060:21:08

He says, knowing full well I'm going to have to be pushed, pulled,

0:21:080:21:11

carried and generally shoved around to get up those hills.

0:21:110:21:13

But I think it'll be great.

0:21:130:21:15

At night there are crocodiles here, Johnny?

0:21:200:21:22

-Yes!

-Where do they...?

0:21:220:21:24

There's many crocodiles.

0:21:240:21:26

But by day, where are they?

0:21:260:21:28

Now, they are under there.

0:21:280:21:31

Narrow channels through the swamp lead on to Kandengi,

0:21:310:21:34

the isolated village that Benedict once called home.

0:21:340:21:38

I'm a stranger now. I don't know what's going to happen.

0:21:400:21:42

It will be very strange and disorientating to be back there.

0:21:420:21:46

DISTANT CHANTING AND DRUMMING

0:21:500:21:52

Oh, wow.

0:21:520:21:54

Oh, wow!

0:21:540:21:56

What a sight. What a welcome.

0:21:560:21:58

-Amazing.

-To see such a thing!

0:21:580:22:00

I did not expect this.

0:22:000:22:02

Benedict's old village is celebrating the return

0:22:080:22:11

of a lost family member.

0:22:110:22:13

Just fantastic, this.

0:22:180:22:21

This is the most amazing sight.

0:22:210:22:24

These are Benedict's Niowra brothers.

0:22:350:22:38

30 years ago, as young men,

0:22:380:22:40

they undertook a brutal initiation ceremony together,

0:22:400:22:43

bonding them for life.

0:22:430:22:45

BENEDICT SPEAKS IN OTHER LANGUAGE

0:22:490:22:51

These are people I went through everything with.

0:22:510:22:56

There could not be any greater honour.

0:22:560:22:58

I am going home, as it were, with them.

0:22:580:23:00

This is very moving.

0:23:000:23:03

It is such a privilege to share in this return.

0:23:030:23:07

I am blown away. I really am.

0:23:070:23:09

What can I say?

0:23:090:23:11

BENEDICT SPEAKS THEIR LANGUAGE

0:23:130:23:16

-Big fellow man.

-I love you.

0:23:160:23:18

Welcome back home to see

0:23:180:23:21

your father and mother, your brothers and sisters.

0:23:210:23:23

Benedict is the only outsider ever known to have joined the Niowra.

0:23:310:23:36

The whole village are welcoming him back with full honours.

0:23:380:23:42

SINGING

0:23:420:23:45

It sends a shiver down my spine when I hear that noise,

0:24:040:24:07

and to see this place, this sacred house.

0:24:070:24:10

This is the crocodile dance,

0:24:100:24:14

and now my fellow initiates are honouring me by conjuring up

0:24:140:24:18

that time when we were all made into men together.

0:24:180:24:22

Incredible. My heart is like this...

0:24:420:24:44

Look out for your head.

0:24:500:24:51

-Did you know I would get a welcome like this?

-No.

0:24:530:24:56

Yeah.

0:24:590:25:00

Yes, I thought that I'd be lucky to get a welcome at all.

0:25:020:25:06

My fellow initiates surrounding me, escorting me.

0:25:060:25:11

Wow.

0:25:110:25:13

What a day.

0:25:130:25:14

This is a day I will never see again.

0:25:140:25:16

And perhaps no-one will ever see again.

0:25:160:25:19

Name belong me Frank. Me amamas.

0:25:190:25:22

Amamas to be here.

0:25:220:25:24

How many times in my life am I going to see anything like this?

0:25:240:25:28

You know, this is incredible.

0:25:280:25:30

I am in a wheelchair.

0:25:300:25:32

This is an insight into a world which I could not imagine when I was

0:25:320:25:36

lying in hospital that I would ever get to see.

0:25:360:25:39

Robin, good to meet you.

0:25:390:25:42

It absolutely blew my mind, seeing the reception that Benedict got.

0:25:430:25:49

They just opened up and welcomed him back.

0:25:490:25:51

THEY TALK AND LAUGH

0:25:510:25:54

You know, he came close to living with these remote people,

0:25:540:25:57

but he turned his back on that.

0:25:570:25:59

He is quite conflicted, I think.

0:25:590:26:00

What a day. What a day...

0:26:030:26:05

These people are actually, after 30 years,

0:26:050:26:09

extending their arms, as it were, to me.

0:26:090:26:13

Welcoming me back to a home.

0:26:130:26:16

They have been waiting for me all this time.

0:26:170:26:20

And I'm trying to think why I left these people.

0:26:200:26:24

It's only a few days into the three-week expedition,

0:26:330:26:37

and Frank is already feeling the effects.

0:26:370:26:40

I hardly slept last night.

0:26:400:26:43

One of the joys of being shot through the centre of the body

0:26:430:26:47

is that I have still got nerve endings jangled around,

0:26:470:26:50

and so I had this terrible pain in the middle of the night that went on

0:26:500:26:54

all night. About every 60 seconds,

0:26:540:26:56

it felt like someone was taking a hammer and gone bang, like that,

0:26:560:26:59

to the inside of my knee, here.

0:26:590:27:02

I had to dig my nails in to my legs

0:27:020:27:06

to kind of distract from the pain of that.

0:27:060:27:10

-When we take you up and down these steps...

-Oh, it's fine.

0:27:100:27:14

-You're not in pain then?

-No, not at all. No, it's absolutely fine.

0:27:140:27:17

I'm good with this, honestly, it's fine.

0:27:170:27:20

I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be.

0:27:200:27:22

The expedition was due to leave this morning,

0:27:220:27:24

but Benedict has called for a day of complete rest.

0:27:240:27:27

Frank is the one that I'm scared about.

0:27:290:27:31

Is he going to be able to cope with the heat, the humidity,

0:27:310:27:34

day after day?

0:27:340:27:35

Heading out there, through the water, through the swamps,

0:27:350:27:37

through the forest. I'm worried for him.

0:27:370:27:39

Frank's having none of it.

0:27:410:27:43

I certainly don't want to come to a place like this,

0:27:430:27:45

that is a very communal, gregarious atmosphere,

0:27:450:27:49

and be shut away in some hut by myself.

0:27:490:27:51

I think that defeats the whole purpose of travel.

0:27:510:27:54

The rains have only just stopped.

0:27:540:27:56

Even yesterday, it was almost impassable for me in a wheelchair.

0:27:560:28:01

It's a bit of a struggle, but it is worth it to get around and see your

0:28:010:28:05

-village, Johnny.

-Yes, thank you.

-Right.

0:28:050:28:08

I've had to get used to the lack of independence.

0:28:080:28:11

It's just something that comes with a wheelchair.

0:28:110:28:13

I'm lucky that I've got this freewheel thing out the front,

0:28:130:28:16

which is allowing me to at least push myself along a level path here.

0:28:160:28:20

Evening.

0:28:200:28:21

I couldn't do this on my own.

0:28:210:28:23

I would love to be able to pretend I could.

0:28:230:28:25

Of course I couldn't. It's frustrating, but, you know what?

0:28:250:28:28

What's the alternative?

0:28:280:28:29

To stay at home and say, "I could have gone to Papua New Guinea..."

0:28:290:28:32

You know, adventure travel doesn't have to stop

0:28:320:28:34

when you're in a wheelchair.

0:28:340:28:36

So, where is Avila?

0:28:360:28:38

She's here. She's here.

0:28:380:28:41

I'm going to come all the way around.

0:28:410:28:44

Frank wants to find out what life is like for people with disability.

0:28:440:28:47

He has arranged to meet a young woman called Avila,

0:28:470:28:51

who's cared for by her dad, Stanley.

0:28:510:28:53

Hello. Name belong me Frank.

0:28:530:28:55

-How old is Avila?

-She is 23.

0:28:570:29:00

-23.

-Yes.

0:29:000:29:01

And has she...?

0:29:010:29:03

What is her disability, do you know?

0:29:030:29:06

Um...

0:29:060:29:08

She has a problem with her leg since she was a baby.

0:29:080:29:12

Right. Did you get any help from the government?

0:29:120:29:14

-No.

-So they don't do anything for disabled people?

0:29:140:29:17

-No.

-Wow. So she has no wheelchair?

0:29:170:29:20

-Right.

-Yes.

-So now she has no wheelchair?

0:29:260:29:28

-No wheelchair.

-So you have to carry her everywhere?

-Yes.

0:29:280:29:32

That is the wheelchair?

0:29:420:29:44

That is just shocking.

0:29:470:29:49

That is totally shocking.

0:29:500:29:52

It looks very uncomfortable.

0:29:540:29:56

You have to put padding, cushions, things like that.

0:29:560:29:58

Wow. OK.

0:29:580:30:01

How does the village cope?

0:30:010:30:03

Because, I mean, does the village help you?

0:30:030:30:05

-No.

-You are on your own?

0:30:050:30:07

-Yes.

-Wow, that's tough.

0:30:070:30:10

Um... Wow.

0:30:100:30:12

Does she have friends here?

0:30:120:30:14

And so she does the maths with the shop?

0:30:190:30:23

She does the accounting?

0:30:230:30:25

Could I buy something from the shop?

0:30:280:30:30

Yeah? OK.

0:30:300:30:31

So, er...

0:30:310:30:33

Seven of these, please.

0:30:330:30:36

OK.

0:30:380:30:39

It just makes me think how incredibly lucky I am.

0:30:430:30:46

I mean, I'm obviously not lucky to be in a wheelchair, it sucks,

0:30:460:30:49

but it's just a real body blow as a reminder of what it's like

0:30:490:30:54

for people in other countries to be disabled.

0:30:540:30:58

And for the people having to look after them.

0:30:580:31:00

Thank you.

0:31:020:31:03

Oh, thank you. That's great.

0:31:050:31:07

It's really good what you're doing.

0:31:090:31:11

She's very lucky to have you as her father.

0:31:110:31:13

-Thank you.

-This is a tough burden on your shoulders.

0:31:130:31:17

-You are a good man.

-Thank you, Frank.

0:31:190:31:22

She seems happy. She seems a happy girl.

0:31:220:31:24

-That's right.

-But that's because you're looking after her.

0:31:240:31:27

She is lucky to have you. Thank you.

0:31:270:31:30

Amamas. Name belong me Frank.

0:31:330:31:35

I want to see birds of paradise.

0:31:350:31:38

I've always wanted to see them.

0:31:380:31:40

-Is this your family?

-Yes.

0:31:400:31:43

But what I really hope is that people will see this and think,

0:31:430:31:48

"If that bloke in a wheelchair can do it, then I can, too."

0:31:480:31:52

OK, so I'm going to keep moving. Thank you very much.

0:31:520:31:55

Because, what am I? I'm in my 50s, and I am still doing this stuff.

0:31:550:31:59

BIRD CHIRPS

0:31:590:32:01

Oooh, hang on.

0:32:010:32:03

That's a lovely rainbow bee-eater.

0:32:030:32:05

That's a beautiful bird.

0:32:050:32:07

OK, as you were.

0:32:070:32:08

Oh, they're building a canoe here.

0:32:100:32:11

Making a canoe.

0:32:110:32:13

Yeah.

0:32:130:32:15

I've never seen one being made.

0:32:150:32:18

BENEDICT SPEAKS IN OTHER LANGUAGE

0:32:190:32:21

Morning.

0:32:210:32:23

On the other side of the village,

0:32:240:32:26

Benedict is looking for his Niowra brother Martin,

0:32:260:32:29

with whom he went through the initiation ceremony,

0:32:290:32:31

to give him the watch.

0:32:310:32:33

Good morning.

0:32:330:32:34

Hello.

0:32:340:32:36

Oh... Oh, dear.

0:32:450:32:48

How did he die?

0:32:480:32:49

It falls to Martin's son, Michael, to show Benedict the grave.

0:32:520:32:57

How long ago was it that he died?

0:32:580:33:01

2003.

0:33:030:33:06

-2003?

-2003.

0:33:060:33:08

I'm 13 years too late.

0:33:080:33:10

Oh... Oh, dear.

0:33:120:33:14

Oh, dear, dear.

0:33:230:33:25

He was a good friend to me. Good friend.

0:33:280:33:31

Martin looked after me in the worst moments of the initiation ceremony,

0:33:330:33:37

as I looked after him.

0:33:370:33:38

There was a wonderful brotherly love there.

0:33:380:33:40

We were in it together, and I will never have that privilege again.

0:33:400:33:45

And there's more news.

0:33:450:33:47

Seven of all the initiates, that is seven out of 30, have died.

0:33:490:33:55

Already.

0:33:550:33:56

People don't live long out here.

0:33:580:34:01

This looks like paradise, but...

0:34:010:34:02

..it isn't.

0:34:040:34:06

There are a lot of unanswered questions, really, about my past.

0:34:070:34:11

There was a lot that I hadn't gone through in my head,

0:34:110:34:13

maybe because I was too scared to.

0:34:130:34:15

I had sort of put a lid on that in order to keep on moving.

0:34:150:34:20

So I hadn't looked back to the initiation ceremony.

0:34:200:34:24

Maybe I should've.

0:34:240:34:26

This is, on the surface, a lovely, idyllic place to live,

0:34:290:34:33

but I'm sure there's a lot of things that I'm not seeing.

0:34:330:34:37

I am hoping to learn a bit more about this initiation ceremony

0:34:370:34:39

that boys undergo here every few years.

0:34:390:34:42

The ceremony takes place around the spirit house

0:34:440:34:47

in the heart of the village.

0:34:470:34:49

Benedict, what did you volunteer to have done to you?

0:34:490:34:51

I didn't know what was ahead of me. It was shrouded in secrecy.

0:34:510:34:55

It's about boys becoming men, who are sort of crocodile men.

0:34:550:35:00

A huge fence of bamboo was erected around the spirit house.

0:35:000:35:05

That was the entrance, we marched in through here into this arena,

0:35:050:35:10

and the contrast couldn't have been more vivid to us.

0:35:100:35:14

All the women were outside crying for their children,

0:35:140:35:16

who are now disappearing to be made into men, telling us to be brave.

0:35:160:35:20

You know something is going to happen, and it did happen.

0:35:200:35:23

We were rained on by clubs and sticks.

0:35:250:35:28

And around this grassy area were upside down turned canoes,

0:35:290:35:34

and we thought, "What are THEY doing here?"

0:35:340:35:37

But then our...

0:35:370:35:38

..godfathers lay on these canoes,

0:35:390:35:42

and we were placed on those canoes and they held us.

0:35:420:35:45

That's when the cutting began.

0:35:450:35:47

The cutting of our skin.

0:35:470:35:49

And that was such a shock,

0:35:490:35:51

to be taken from this world of women and love,

0:35:510:35:54

to one of utter male brutality.

0:35:540:35:56

I'll never forget that moment.

0:35:560:35:58

Benedict had consented to take part

0:36:000:36:02

in one of the world's most brutal initiation ceremonies.

0:36:020:36:06

The initiates' bodies are carved up with bamboo blades.

0:36:070:36:12

HE MOANS

0:36:120:36:14

Sometimes they die from blood loss.

0:36:160:36:19

There was so much blood. I remember someone slipping over.

0:36:190:36:23

I was in shock. I was actually shivering,

0:36:240:36:26

having lost all that blood.

0:36:260:36:29

When the scars heal,

0:36:290:36:32

the patterns look like the eyes and scales of a crocodile,

0:36:320:36:35

invoking the spirit of the creature most feared in their world,

0:36:350:36:39

to defend their community from attack by another village.

0:36:390:36:43

And just when you think, "I've done it," you know,

0:36:430:36:45

then again, again, we were summoned outside and beaten.

0:36:450:36:49

This is where I used to be, on this floor,

0:36:530:36:56

and this was the sort of thing we were beaten with the first day.

0:36:560:37:00

It was like a sort of cat-of-20-tails.

0:37:000:37:03

Yeah.

0:37:030:37:04

Imagine that on your sores.

0:37:040:37:07

Give me a go on the back, let me see what it feels like.

0:37:070:37:09

They were beaten for six weeks, four times a day.

0:37:090:37:12

You don't have to go full pressure on it.

0:37:120:37:15

I can't do this to you, Frank.

0:37:150:37:16

Well, do it with the shirt on. I want to see what it's like.

0:37:160:37:19

-I'm not going to do it as hard as they did.

-No.

0:37:190:37:21

OK, that hurts.

0:37:210:37:22

-Fair enough.

-OK, now imagine me doing...

0:37:220:37:25

Yeah, that'll do!

0:37:250:37:26

THEY LAUGH

0:37:260:37:28

Knowing that so much pain and suffering has happened here,

0:37:280:37:32

there's a sinister air to it.

0:37:320:37:34

Looking back now, I could see...

0:37:390:37:41

I came away, knowing myself so, so well.

0:37:410:37:45

That was incredibly empowering.

0:37:450:37:47

It meant I could leave here and be a better explorer.

0:37:470:37:51

I was fearless.

0:37:510:37:53

I could do whatever I wanted, and so I did big journeys,

0:37:530:37:57

and it was all because of this place.

0:37:570:38:00

I think our lives have been defined by violence.

0:38:000:38:04

I think that's...

0:38:040:38:06

partly why we have this affinity.

0:38:060:38:09

For me it was a voluntary act,

0:38:090:38:11

I suppose, and that is a crucial difference.

0:38:110:38:15

That act of going through the ceremony,

0:38:150:38:18

launched me out into the world.

0:38:180:38:21

And Frank's world, by contrast, was suddenly shrunk.

0:38:210:38:26

I think it's pretty strange to travel to the other side of

0:38:290:38:32

the world and volunteer to be sliced up in 200 places,

0:38:320:38:36

but I do understand why he did it.

0:38:360:38:39

The people doing this to you, there was no malice in it.

0:38:390:38:43

There is no malice, but...

0:38:430:38:45

I did sometimes think there's no compassion.

0:38:450:38:47

Where is the compassion? People beating their own sons.

0:38:470:38:51

I also admire him hugely for his honesty in thinking,

0:38:510:38:57

"Right, I need to be accepted by these people and, to do that,

0:38:570:39:00

"this is what I've got to do."

0:39:000:39:02

A recent initiate, Eli, is proud to show off his crocodile marks.

0:39:030:39:07

Wow. This is quite... This is recent, yeah?

0:39:100:39:12

-Two years ago?

-Yes, two years ago.

0:39:120:39:15

When I first turned up,

0:39:150:39:17

I think I didn't allow myself to think of the reality.

0:39:170:39:20

Just glossed over the fact that boys were beaten and scarred.

0:39:200:39:25

Are you pleased, Eli?

0:39:250:39:27

Yes.

0:39:270:39:29

Coming back, and as a father,

0:39:290:39:32

I realise, well, there's a lot about that culture

0:39:320:39:35

that I found difficult to cope with.

0:39:350:39:37

-So, one day, he will go through the ceremony?

-Yeah.

0:39:370:39:41

But he doesn't know about it yet.

0:39:410:39:43

I've got to say, I have mixed feelings about it because,

0:39:430:39:48

on the one hand, it's really impressive that this tradition,

0:39:480:39:51

that is so ingrained in their culture,

0:39:510:39:53

has survived into the 21st century.

0:39:530:39:56

And I can understand it, that it makes them strong.

0:39:560:39:59

They've got to deal with this harsh life out here,

0:39:590:40:01

the idea that you've got to make the village strong,

0:40:010:40:04

and the boys strong, I get that.

0:40:040:40:05

Theoretically, it's voluntary.

0:40:050:40:08

But you know that it isn't, really,

0:40:080:40:10

because, you know, if somebody says no, he's not going to...

0:40:100:40:14

You know, the peer pressure on him is going to be enormous to do it.

0:40:140:40:20

And you know, it's slightly unnecessary, in a way,

0:40:200:40:24

to go through this horrendous pain and scarring.

0:40:240:40:29

So I've got mixed feelings about it.

0:40:300:40:32

I think I know the answer, why I left these people.

0:40:380:40:43

This place is actually the worst place for anyone who's a traveller,

0:40:430:40:50

a sort of nomad, an adventurer, like me.

0:40:500:40:54

Because you're confined.

0:40:540:40:56

You're defined and confined by the rituals,

0:40:560:41:00

by the expectations of a very, very tight community.

0:41:000:41:03

In the end,

0:41:050:41:06

I can have fleeting glimpses of this life...

0:41:060:41:10

but I can never really be a Niowra.

0:41:100:41:13

The expedition will move on later today.

0:41:220:41:25

It's my last day. I'm leaving Kandengi.

0:41:270:41:31

The Kandengi villagers welcomed me back as a son.

0:41:310:41:35

But in the end, however kind they have been to me,

0:41:350:41:38

it's not where I belong.

0:41:380:41:41

My home is on the other side of the planet, back with my family.

0:41:450:41:49

I'm just going through the book of birds of Papua New Guinea.

0:41:590:42:04

We haven't come near seeing any birds of paradise,

0:42:040:42:07

but I'm really hoping that we're going to get a sighting soon.

0:42:070:42:11

Birds of paradise are the ultimate prize for many bird-watchers.

0:42:110:42:16

Their rarity, combined with the male's striking plumage

0:42:160:42:19

and courtship dances, make them unrivalled in the avian world.

0:42:190:42:24

My mum got me into bird-watching when I was very young,

0:42:240:42:26

when I was about ten. I remember mocking my mother, saying,

0:42:260:42:29

"Oh, gosh, look, you're bird-watching again.

0:42:290:42:32

"Off you go with your binoculars, what a waste of time."

0:42:320:42:34

She said, "Well, you know, don't knock it. Here, have a look."

0:42:340:42:37

And I thought, "Wow, these are really beautiful.

0:42:370:42:40

"These are stunning creatures."

0:42:400:42:42

-Gosh, it's very peaceful, isn't it?

-Yes.

0:42:450:42:48

Before he leaves, the women have promised to take Frank

0:42:490:42:53

for a morning of bird-watching on the lake.

0:42:530:42:55

It's very restful, bird-watching.

0:42:570:42:59

It's quite therapeutic, actually. It's lovely.

0:42:590:43:02

It gets me out into wild places.

0:43:020:43:04

Go on, let me do it. Let me have my moment of glory.

0:43:060:43:09

Or shame. There we go.

0:43:090:43:11

The Niowra are a fishing community

0:43:130:43:16

and the women dominate the workplace.

0:43:160:43:18

They catch the fish, feed their families, and trade the surplus.

0:43:180:43:22

Oh, here we go!

0:43:230:43:25

No.

0:43:250:43:26

Did it take it? It did, didn't it?

0:43:260:43:28

OK, what am I doing wrong here?

0:43:280:43:30

-Talk me through this.

-You're too slow.

0:43:300:43:32

I can't be any quicker than that.

0:43:320:43:33

I am not too slow, it's the fish that are too fast.

0:43:330:43:36

If the women are out working, doing the fishing and preparing it,

0:43:360:43:40

what do the men do?

0:43:400:43:42

-The men do nothing.

-The men do nothing.

0:43:430:43:46

-Do these fish have teeth?

-Yes.

0:43:460:43:49

Are these the ones that come and bite you round the knackers?

0:43:490:43:52

-Yes.

-OK.

0:43:520:43:54

I had read about this.

0:43:540:43:55

These fish that we're catching, they're known as "the ball cutter".

0:43:550:43:59

Nice. They, erm...have a habit, apparently,

0:43:590:44:02

of swimming up to your groin and taking a bit of a chunk out of you.

0:44:020:44:07

I get a restfulness, I think, from looking at nature.

0:44:070:44:10

I do this job in news, and you're dealing with horrible things,

0:44:100:44:13

like the bombing of Aleppo and suicide bombers,

0:44:130:44:16

and it's a nice escape to be amongst nature,

0:44:160:44:20

and to observe the beauty of it.

0:44:200:44:22

-Is she helping?

-Yes.

0:44:220:44:24

Oh, that's so lovely.

0:44:240:44:26

How old will she be when she can fish?

0:44:260:44:30

When can she start fishing?

0:44:300:44:33

-Like me.

-Yeah.

0:44:330:44:35

-Yes.

-My age.

-17.

-Yes.

0:44:350:44:37

Right.

0:44:370:44:38

Yay!

0:44:400:44:42

-He shoots, he scores!

-Yes.

0:44:420:44:44

It is a giant! It is a whopper.

0:44:440:44:46

Will you stop laughing there?

0:44:460:44:48

And do you know what the joy of it is?

0:44:480:44:50

We've got the fish and the bait - he hasn't taken the bait.

0:44:500:44:53

Yes. That's a big one.

0:44:530:44:56

I'm going to hand that to you, Selma.

0:44:560:44:58

You will need both hands because it's huge.

0:44:580:45:01

The women are also taking a lead back in the village.

0:45:050:45:09

They want to see if Benedict really is a crocodile man.

0:45:090:45:13

I am being inspected by everyone.

0:45:140:45:16

OK, I'll take it off.

0:45:180:45:20

THEY LAUGH AND SHOUT

0:45:210:45:24

OK, nice.

0:45:240:45:26

There we are, a fine body of a man.

0:45:280:45:31

-Nice!

-Nice.

0:45:360:45:38

Down by the river, the support team has been hard at work.

0:45:430:45:47

So, here it is. The Emperor's chair.

0:45:500:45:52

This looks the height of comfort.

0:45:530:45:56

Um...

0:45:560:45:58

How do I get into it, with these...?

0:45:580:46:00

-Backwards. You can go backwards.

-I can't go backwards.

0:46:000:46:04

Slightly embarrassingly, they have rigged up

0:46:040:46:06

this sort of Victorian sedan chair thing that I've got to be carried in

0:46:060:46:10

like some Chinese emperor through the forest,

0:46:100:46:13

so I'm going to try this.

0:46:130:46:14

-I'm going to sit on the bits.

-Yes.

0:46:140:46:16

No complaints there.

0:46:250:46:26

Yeah, I think this is brilliant.

0:46:270:46:29

Wow, it's brilliant.

0:46:330:46:34

This is really good. I mean, it's embarrassingly comfortable.

0:46:340:46:37

I mean, I was expecting... I'll be very happy with this.

0:46:370:46:40

This is great.

0:46:400:46:42

Being a wheelchair user

0:46:420:46:44

just means I'm dependent on other people to get me to places.

0:46:440:46:47

But it doesn't stop me having to go there.

0:46:470:46:49

I mean, let's go a decent distance, see what it's like.

0:46:490:46:52

I survived a near-death experience,

0:46:530:46:55

and that definitely kind of colours your view on the rest of life.

0:46:550:46:58

You just think, "Wow, OK, life's there for living".

0:46:580:47:00

I tell you what, there's a bit of a breeze up here!

0:47:000:47:03

This is brilliant, up at this height, up at this altitude.

0:47:030:47:06

I love the beauty of nature,

0:47:060:47:08

and sometimes I'll stop on the way to work, pull over,

0:47:080:47:12

and take a photograph of something in London.

0:47:120:47:15

You know, the light on a bridge or on a lamppost or something like that

0:47:150:47:17

which is particularly beautiful.

0:47:170:47:19

Is there room for two up there?

0:47:190:47:21

Well, you can go in coach. You can go in economy.

0:47:210:47:24

As usual.

0:47:240:47:26

I think I probably notice things that, to me, are beautiful,

0:47:260:47:29

much more than when I was able-bodied.

0:47:290:47:32

There's lots to be happy about.

0:47:320:47:34

Can we get them some cushions for their shoulders

0:47:340:47:36

-because that's going to be really hard for them?

-OK.

0:47:360:47:39

Fine now, but after 15 minutes, that's going to start to hurt.

0:47:390:47:43

How does it feel?

0:47:430:47:45

-It's OK.

-It's heavy.

0:47:450:47:47

It is heavy, but it's OK.

0:47:470:47:49

Brilliant, I think this works.

0:47:490:47:51

It's very, very comfortable. It's really good.

0:47:510:47:53

-Well done, good job.

-OK, we have transport.

0:47:530:47:56

I enjoy Frank's almost feverish appreciation of things around him.

0:47:570:48:01

He's sucking in life.

0:48:010:48:03

He's making the most of what he's got, and I hugely admire that.

0:48:030:48:06

The village chief is throwing a feast

0:48:120:48:14

in honour of Kandengi's departing guests.

0:48:140:48:17

Your traditions are very strong,

0:48:200:48:24

and it's wonderful for me to see your welcome back here.

0:48:240:48:29

This is the best trip for me, ever.

0:48:290:48:32

So, thank you straight.

0:48:320:48:34

APPLAUSE

0:48:380:48:41

Now the food is going to be distributed

0:48:430:48:45

amongst all the different clans of the village.

0:48:450:48:48

The food is eaten by the villagers, but still the symbol is there.

0:48:480:48:51

That they're offering up this for the good luck of our journey.

0:48:510:48:55

So it's with the blessing that we now leave.

0:48:550:48:59

This is our send-off.

0:48:590:49:01

They're wishing me and Frank the best of luck on our quest.

0:49:020:49:06

The expedition's heading to the mountains,

0:49:090:49:11

where Frank hopes to find his birds of paradise.

0:49:110:49:14

Johnny knows where they might see

0:49:150:49:17

one lower altitude species along the way.

0:49:170:49:19

So we're now setting off in canoes, yes,

0:49:210:49:23

to look for birds of paradise, at last!

0:49:230:49:25

Frank's just over there, and I don't really want him to hear this.

0:49:250:49:29

But I am worried. He's already found it tough,

0:49:290:49:32

and we've hardly been anywhere.

0:49:320:49:34

Out there, it's going to be relentless.

0:49:340:49:37

Under the sun, out on the lake, through the swamps,

0:49:370:49:40

through that thick forest in this sort of humidity.

0:49:400:49:42

It's going to be so tough.

0:49:420:49:45

And I of course want him to fulfil his dream,

0:49:450:49:48

but I also have a duty to make sure

0:49:480:49:50

he gets safely back home out of here.

0:49:500:49:53

Right, stop, stop, stop.

0:49:540:49:56

Let's go up.

0:49:560:49:58

Up and in. Gently.

0:49:580:50:00

Gently.

0:50:000:50:01

The great part is, you can feel this community is willing us on.

0:50:010:50:04

They want this to succeed.

0:50:040:50:06

They want Frank to see those birds of paradise.

0:50:060:50:08

-Are you all right, Frank?

-Yeah, yeah, I'm good.

0:50:080:50:11

We're all in this together.

0:50:110:50:13

Do you think Benedict's up to it? I'm worried, actually.

0:50:130:50:16

To be honest, I'm not sure.

0:50:160:50:17

-I don't know.

-He's getting on a bit.

0:50:170:50:20

I would just, I don't know, hang up his trekking boots, really.

0:50:200:50:23

Yeah. What, and become an accountant in Reading?

0:50:230:50:26

Yeah. Or find himself a nice, gentle expedition.

0:50:260:50:28

He could be a tour guide around Prague.

0:50:280:50:31

I am more of a swamp man, I think.

0:50:310:50:34

All right, are you comfy?

0:50:340:50:36

-Good man.

-We'd better go.

0:50:370:50:39

Felix, I have to stop you calling me sir.

0:50:400:50:43

I'm not knighted yet. When I become Sir Frank, you can call me sir.

0:50:430:50:46

But for the moment, Frank.

0:50:460:50:48

Just because I respect you.

0:50:480:50:50

I know, but I respect you too, Felix, and I don't call you sir.

0:50:500:50:53

THEY LAUGH

0:50:530:50:55

Faster, Benedict, faster!

0:51:000:51:03

We can save on fuel this way.

0:51:030:51:05

BENEDICT LAUGHS

0:51:050:51:06

It's a final farewell to the Kandengi people.

0:51:120:51:15

And to the tranquillity of the River Sepik.

0:51:170:51:20

The next stage of the journey will take Frank and Benedict

0:51:270:51:30

into dense rainforest on foot.

0:51:300:51:33

I have just noticed something terribly poignant.

0:51:370:51:40

The sight of Frank's big boots.

0:51:400:51:42

Because they are totally spotless.

0:51:420:51:46

Because he hasn't taken a single stride in them.

0:51:480:51:51

My boots are covered in mud because I am able to go where I want.

0:51:510:51:56

This is Wagyu community.

0:52:030:52:05

Arriving in style.

0:52:120:52:14

-Very good.

-Stage one successful.

0:52:160:52:19

We're going to make our way out through the forest.

0:52:190:52:22

Very good. Well done.

0:52:220:52:24

Now I'm just nervous. Are we going to see them, or not?

0:52:240:52:27

Or am I just going to catch a glimpse of a tail feather through

0:52:270:52:30

some distant canopy? There you go, that's your bird of paradise.

0:52:300:52:33

I just never imagined that I would go bird-watching like this.

0:52:350:52:39

This is so weird.

0:52:390:52:41

I tell you what my fear is that we are in a column of 15 people.

0:52:430:52:48

You know, if I was a shy bird of paradise,

0:52:480:52:51

I would not be hanging around.

0:52:510:52:53

If Johnny is right,

0:52:570:52:58

this could be Frank's first sighting

0:52:580:53:00

of one of the most elusive birds in the world.

0:53:000:53:03

BIRD SINGS

0:53:030:53:06

(Hey.)

0:53:090:53:11

(Hey, shhh!)

0:53:110:53:12

That's the one. That's a bird of paradise.

0:53:120:53:15

That's the bird of paradise.

0:53:150:53:16

Listen to that.

0:53:160:53:18

That's a kind of mysterious call.

0:53:180:53:22

I'm not going to imitate it.

0:53:220:53:24

Actually, I am. Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo.

0:53:240:53:28

And it's just... I've never heard this call before.

0:53:280:53:31

It's kind of almost otherworldly.

0:53:310:53:34

BIRD CALLS

0:53:340:53:37

It sounds to me like there's three.

0:53:370:53:39

There's one there, there's another one up there,

0:53:390:53:42

and one further in the forest.

0:53:420:53:44

But seeing them is going to be really hard.

0:53:440:53:47

They're up in the tree canopy.

0:53:470:53:49

Yeah. Are you excited, or are you just...?

0:53:490:53:52

Frustrated. I want to see them!

0:53:520:53:54

I can hear the bloody things, I just want to see them now.

0:53:540:53:57

BIRDS SING LOUDLY

0:53:570:53:59

Can you put it down because I can't...?

0:54:100:54:13

We're moving so much.

0:54:130:54:14

Thanks.

0:54:160:54:18

I can see that...

0:54:240:54:26

-Gold, gold.

-I can't see, where is it?

0:54:260:54:29

The gold... Shhh.

0:54:290:54:32

Guys...

0:54:320:54:34

Like a flash of gold.

0:54:340:54:36

You can see a white tail hanging down.

0:54:360:54:38

-Yes.

-Yeah, it's gold, like a sort of flame.

0:54:380:54:41

-And I can't see it.

-No!

0:54:410:54:44

This is really...

0:54:440:54:46

Shhh! Guys, will you please keep your voices down!

0:54:460:54:49

-Sorry, sorry.

-Thanks.

0:54:490:54:51

So within reach, aren't they? And yet not.

0:54:520:54:55

I'm loving their calls, though.

0:54:550:54:57

There's only one thing worse than not being able to see

0:55:020:55:06

the bird you really want to see - is when every other bugger has seen

0:55:060:55:10

them around you, and I can't see it because I am trapped down here.

0:55:100:55:14

Argh!

0:55:140:55:16

This is immensely frustrating.

0:55:170:55:19

Maybe it's not a bird of paradise, it's a mockingbird.

0:55:190:55:22

That's what it is.

0:55:220:55:23

Look, look. Do you see it?

0:55:290:55:32

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

0:55:320:55:33

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

0:55:360:55:38

Can you see it? It's moving about.

0:55:380:55:41

-It's going up, up, up.

-Yes.

0:55:410:55:43

Yes!

0:55:460:55:47

Wow!

0:55:470:55:49

OK.

0:55:490:55:51

He's gone! I saw it for a split second.

0:56:010:56:04

It's this guy here.

0:56:040:56:06

Look at this.

0:56:060:56:08

This is the lesser bird of paradise.

0:56:080:56:10

But what a stunning bird!

0:56:100:56:12

We're very lucky, actually, because look, the light's going fast.

0:56:130:56:17

You know, the sun's well off the tree canopy now.

0:56:170:56:21

Night's starting to fall.

0:56:210:56:23

They're still calling, but we're lucky to get those views.

0:56:230:56:28

God, it's a tantalising business,

0:56:280:56:30

looking for these birds of paradise, isn't it?

0:56:300:56:33

Guys, well done. Well done for bringing us here.

0:56:330:56:37

With night drawing in,

0:56:390:56:41

that one glimpse is all Frank's going to see today.

0:56:410:56:45

To have gone up there in the forest,

0:56:470:56:50

through all of those jungle vines

0:56:500:56:52

and heard those amazing raucous calls,

0:56:520:56:55

melodic, mysterious,

0:56:550:56:59

and tantalising, and then at first not being able to see them...

0:56:590:57:02

You know, I was really like a spoilt child

0:57:020:57:04

because I was desperate to see these things.

0:57:040:57:07

Of course now there are 39 different birds of paradise

0:57:070:57:09

and I want to see more.

0:57:090:57:10

So the quest isn't over yet.

0:57:100:57:12

Next time...

0:57:160:57:18

Frank, Frank, Frank.

0:57:180:57:19

..Frank's search for birds of paradise intensifies,

0:57:190:57:23

heading high into Papua's remote mountains.

0:57:230:57:26

This is bird of paradise country.

0:57:260:57:28

I want to see proper displays of the males in all their finery.

0:57:280:57:32

The more diverse ones are higher up in the forest.

0:57:320:57:35

The terrain gets tougher...

0:57:350:57:38

We have to keep this chair absolutely stable.

0:57:380:57:42

If I fall, there's a fair chance I'm going to break something.

0:57:420:57:45

And Frank's past catches up with him...

0:57:450:57:47

-Today we're not going anywhere.

-Yep.

-At all.

0:57:470:57:50

It is a big wound, and that will take you down fast.

0:57:500:57:54

Do you know, I hate the way that the curse of my injuries

0:57:540:57:57

comes up to dog me 12 years on.

0:57:570:58:00

Maybe paradise, in the end, is just simply unobtainable.

0:58:000:58:04

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