0:00:17 > 0:00:21The New South Wales south coast is peppered with nooks and crannies
0:00:21 > 0:00:24that fill it with seductive charm.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31The beauty of this coast is that, big as it is, it still somehow,
0:00:31 > 0:00:37in some places, manages to feel small, intimate, endearingly modest.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40You could call it the protected coast,
0:00:40 > 0:00:42fiercely safeguarded by the locals.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Joining me on this journey,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Professor Tim Flannery explores a wartime mystery
0:00:48 > 0:00:52linking Australia to a lost British treasure.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Who actually is the owner of the ingot?
0:00:54 > 0:00:56I'm not prepared to go into that, Tim.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01Dr Alice Garner revisits a yacht race with life and death stakes.
0:01:01 > 0:01:07160kph winds, with gusts to 200kph.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10And I look into the story of a killer whale
0:01:10 > 0:01:12that helped men hunt other whales.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16I really, really hope it's more than just a folktale.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20This is Coast Australia.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51In this episode, we explore from Seven Mile Beach,
0:01:51 > 0:01:53along the sparkling Sapphire Coast,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56to Gabo Island on the Victorian side of the border.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Heading south from Wollongong is a deceptively treacherous stretch
0:02:13 > 0:02:18of coast, where unpredictable swells crash eternally
0:02:18 > 0:02:22into craggy cliffs, like these at the aptly named Point Perpendicular.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27A formidable promontory that stands between the calmer waters
0:02:27 > 0:02:32of Jervis Bay, and the dangerous underwater rocks of Wreck Bay.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40150 years ago, the ships trading up and down this coast
0:02:40 > 0:02:42had no lighthouse to guide them.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Imagine being a ship's captain,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52edging your way northwards along this coastline,
0:02:52 > 0:02:57at night maybe, in a gale, driven before a stiff southerly wind.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01You've got to hug the coast because just off the coastline
0:03:01 > 0:03:05is the East Australian current, which is pushing against you.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08So you're drifting up here, doing your best to stay out of trouble,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10but there's no guiding light
0:03:10 > 0:03:13to let you know of the existence of this headland.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15It's as though geology and the sea had conspired
0:03:15 > 0:03:17to make the perfect trap.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Wreck Bay.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Today, two lighthouses grace these headlands.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32This one, on the northern Point Perpendicular, is operational.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38The other, on the southern Cape St George's headland, is defunct.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43When it first lit up in 1860,
0:03:43 > 0:03:48it was described in the local Illawarra Mercury, as:
0:03:52 > 0:03:56"It will provide an unerring guide to a haven of rest
0:03:56 > 0:03:58"and safety in the bay adjoining."
0:03:59 > 0:04:01"Unerring guide."
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Except there was one thing wrong, and it led to dreadful tragedy.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08The lighthouse was built in the wrong place.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Instead of saving lives,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14it lured ships into the very place the crews were trying to avoid.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Wreck Bay.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Over a dozen ships were either stranded on the beach,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28or smashed to pieces on the rocks before the colonial bureaucracy
0:04:28 > 0:04:30finally fessed up to its fatal error.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34How could they have got it so wrong?
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Local historian Bridget Sant is the expert on this incredible story.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- Quite a ruin you've got here. - Isn't it grand?- Let's go in.- OK.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57- Bridget, this is the sorriest lighthouse I've seen.- It sure is.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01- How did it come to this? - It was built in the wrong place.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04They should have built it on the northern headland,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07but they didn't, they built it on the southern headland.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09They did it very quickly,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13they had a conference in Melbourne in 1857,
0:05:13 > 0:05:18when 14 out of 18 captains said Cape St George is where they wanted it,
0:05:18 > 0:05:19on the southern headland.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Given that those, you'd imagine, would be the very people
0:05:22 > 0:05:25that you'd think had the wisdom and experience
0:05:25 > 0:05:30to properly site a lighthouse, how did so many of them get it wrong?
0:05:30 > 0:05:33They were concerned about Wreck Bay, which is the area to the south,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36where there had been several wrecks in the previous few years.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40They thought that the southern headland would protect mariners
0:05:40 > 0:05:42from getting wrecked in Wreck Bay.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Why was that wrong?
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Because the shape of the headland
0:05:47 > 0:05:50means that this spot is not visible from Wreck Bay.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54It's too far around the corner, as it were.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59The New South Wales Pilots' Board,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02responsible for deciding where lighthouses get placed,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04questioned the Melbourne decision.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09They preferred the Northern headland at Point Perpendicular.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15But their concerns were ignored by colonial architect Alexander Dawson.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19On a whistle-stop recce to the Cape St George's headland, Dawson
0:06:19 > 0:06:25identified two sites, Point S and Point T as suitable places to build.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31This is a copy of the actual drawings
0:06:31 > 0:06:32that were presented to the builders
0:06:32 > 0:06:37to enable them to find where they were meant to build the lighthouse.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41It's so vague, is it any wonder, when you look at that,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45that the lighthouse came to be built in precisely the wrong place?
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Dawson decided on Point S,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54even though it was closer to Wreck Bay, and lower than Point T.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Probably because it was easier to access,
0:06:57 > 0:07:01and would cost £1,600 less to build.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05And so it was agreed that it should be on Point S,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07but nobody came down to survey the exact spot,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10so when the builders came out to build it,
0:07:10 > 0:07:11they did not know where to put it.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13And, so, they built it in the wrong spot.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Worried that the lighthouse could not be seen from the sea,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24members of the New South Wales Pilots' Board
0:07:24 > 0:07:28wrote a letter of objection, but they were overruled by the chairman.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31The way you recount the tale,
0:07:31 > 0:07:37it sounds very much like a case of ego and stubborn pig-headedness.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38Absolutely.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42They weren't going to blot their copybook by admitting errors.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47The Pilot Board tried again,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51insisting the lighthouse was dangerous and should not be lit.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55But bureaucratic bombast prevailed, with one concession.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00It was agreed that it should be lit as a temporary measure.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03That temporary period was 39 years.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12It was to be 39 years of mayhem as the temporary light
0:08:12 > 0:08:16of the St George's Lighthouse lured many trusting ships to their doom.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23The tragic ironies of this place keep stacking up.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Even after the lighthouse was decommissioned,
0:08:26 > 0:08:27it was still a problem.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30A new one had been built at Point Perpendicular,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33but this great blonde sandstone tower with mirrors at the top
0:08:33 > 0:08:36was still a hazard to shipping because it reflected sunlight,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39so the decision was taken to destroy it.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42For that reason, Australian warships were given the go-ahead
0:08:42 > 0:08:44to blow it to smithereens, which they duly did,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47and it's only now, years after all of that tragedy,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51that the site rests in peace under a preservation order.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10Travelling north-west from Point Perpendicular
0:09:10 > 0:09:12brings you to the sheltered waters of Jervis Bay,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16where Professor Tim Flannery is following a seaweed trail
0:09:16 > 0:09:19to a ground-breaking medical discovery.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Australia's well known as a desert continent.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26But, what's less appreciated,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29is that it's surrounded by a desert sea.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33There's no great rivers or currents to bring nutrients to these waters,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36so they're among the least productive on the planet.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38And therein lies a great enigma.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Although there's not a lot of productivity here,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43there is tremendous diversity,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47and among the most diverse groups here are the seaweeds.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Four times the size of Sydney Harbour,
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Jervis Bay has numerous small coves and beaches.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02This one, Callala Bay, is home to some very special macro algae,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05seaweeds with protective mechanisms
0:10:05 > 0:10:09that have kept them alive for half a billion years.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Dr Pia Winberg has spent her career investigating the slimy gel
0:10:14 > 0:10:17that gives seaweed such strong defences.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Pia, what have you got there?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24I've got a great harvest of all kinds of seaweed.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27The huge diversity that we've got here in Jervis Bay is amazing.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30That's a typical green seaweed called codium.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34You can feel, it's full of these gels that protect the seaweed.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36- Very velvety.- This is brown seaweed.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40- It's a unique and native Australian seaweed, Neptune's Necklace.- Yes.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45What role do these great diversity of seaweeds play in the ocean?
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Well, they're the base of the food chain, so seaweeds are an algae.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Lots of algae cells stuck together in different shapes and sizes.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56They create things like the omega-3 that goes up the food chain.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00- They're the source of the omega-3. - Is that right?
0:11:00 > 0:11:03So the pills that I get, the fish oil tablets, that omega-3
0:11:03 > 0:11:06ultimately comes from algae like this and not from the fish?
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Yes. It started in the seaweed and the fish are just accumulating it.
0:11:12 > 0:11:13For the past 15 years,
0:11:13 > 0:11:18Pia has been at the forefront of researching previously unknown
0:11:18 > 0:11:21health benefits hidden inside Australian seaweed gels.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26I guess the process starts here.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30I see we've got some seaweeds that we picked up this morning.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33That's right. You can see the diversity here on the table.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37Those seaweeds have evolved here in Australia for so long
0:11:37 > 0:11:40that they're unique, and it means that the gels and components
0:11:40 > 0:11:42in those seaweeds are just as unique,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44and we're here exploring those.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50The gels that protect seaweed cells
0:11:50 > 0:11:53are similar to cellular substances in human tissue.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Extracting the gel from seaweed
0:11:55 > 0:11:59requires a complex laboratory process.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Pia's looking to harness the incredibly robust
0:12:04 > 0:12:08anti-inflammatory and immunity boosting properties of seaweed gel.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14It can be used on skin as a protective barrier.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17It has been shown in studies to reduce tumour growth
0:12:17 > 0:12:19and proliferation.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22If we put those gels into the human digestive system,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26they can become a barrier to block the enzymes
0:12:26 > 0:12:30from bacteria that would break down sugars very quickly in our body
0:12:30 > 0:12:36and, in that way, it's a property of managing and preventing diabetes.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40If Pia succeeds,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44she'd have a breakthrough that could revolutionise modern medicine.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47So, what are we seeing here?
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Here you can see some human defence cells,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52cells that we normally have in our body
0:12:52 > 0:12:55defending us against bacteria and viruses.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59We have stressed these cells out with an inflammatory ingredient.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02But some of the cells have a seaweed gel in them -
0:13:02 > 0:13:05that's these on the right, and some don't.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09You can see how much better the ones with the seaweed gels survive
0:13:09 > 0:13:13the inflammation stresses than the ones without seaweed gels.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19The research is especially exciting when it comes to stem cells.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Those versatile cells capable of developing into many different
0:13:23 > 0:13:25types of human tissue.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29When you place stem cells into the different types of seaweed gels,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33these gels can actually direct how a stem cell might develop.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Say, for example, into bone tissue, or into muscle tissue,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39or nerve tissue.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42So, really, everything from someone who's massively burned and needs
0:13:42 > 0:13:45to regrow their skin, through to saving eyesight,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47through to better gut health,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50this little seaweed is unlocking the secret to all of that?
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Yes, keeping the cells alive so we can repair ourselves.
0:13:53 > 0:13:54That is amazing.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09At the end of the day, you'd have to think the world is a better place
0:14:09 > 0:14:11for having people like Dr Pia Winberg.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15People who take something utterly ordinary, like this,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and turn it into something extraordinary.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21I, for one, at least, will never think of seaweed the same way again.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36The tranquil fishing village of Eden
0:14:36 > 0:14:39lies at the southern edge of the Sapphire Coast.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44100 years ago, this sleepy township witnessed an astonishing history.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49One, if it is to believed, that's unique in the world.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56I've come down here to Twofold Bay in search of a wonderful story.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58It's about cooperation.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01In fact, it sounds more like comradeship
0:15:01 > 0:15:05between pods of killer whales and the whaling community of Eden.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08They've been telling it around here for 80 years and more,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12and I really, really hope it's more than just a folktale.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20European whaling began in Eden back in 1828.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22The village was perfectly situated.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27Twofold Bay is on the whales' annual migration route.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30But the area had another
0:15:30 > 0:15:32literally killer asset.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Twofold Bay was home to three pods of orcas,
0:15:39 > 0:15:45killer whales that regularly preyed on other whale species.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47And diaries, accounts, and photographs
0:15:47 > 0:15:49from the time describe the indescribable.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56These killer whales working in harmony with men,
0:15:56 > 0:15:57communicating with one another
0:15:57 > 0:16:00as they hunted giant baleen whales - together.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Now, there were three pods, or groups,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08of killer whales that hunted in the Eden area,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10and the most famous of all the orcas
0:16:10 > 0:16:11was the one they called
0:16:11 > 0:16:13"Old Tom" - a seven-metre long
0:16:13 > 0:16:15killing machine accustomed to
0:16:15 > 0:16:17consuming 50 kilos of meat a day.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Now, that's not him,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21but it is a very convincing replica that we've borrowed,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24and it gives you a real spine-tingling sense
0:16:24 > 0:16:27of what the nature of the beast really was.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34Greg McKee is one of Australia's top animatronics artists.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37He made this life-size model of Old Tom for a documentary
0:16:37 > 0:16:41about this unique aspect of local whaling history.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46What is it, Greg, that you so admire about these animals?
0:16:46 > 0:16:48They have these astonishing qualities.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52They have a brain six times bigger than a human,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55so they're incredibly social, they are faster than a racehorse,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59they're more powerful than virtually any other predator on earth.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02They co-operated with the humans, the Europeans
0:17:02 > 0:17:08and the indigenous people, in this amazing relationship.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14But it's the special relationship between Old Tom
0:17:14 > 0:17:19and local whaler George Davidson that really sets this story apart.
0:17:22 > 0:17:28Greg takes me to meet Martin Davidson, George's great-grandson.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Can you talk me through how a typical hunt would work?
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Well, I suppose it's basically a case of,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36the orcas are out to sea looking for whales,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38and they'd be herding them up the coast, and one of the whales
0:17:38 > 0:17:42would come into the bay and physically wake 'em up.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44And it wasn't just an accident,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46a huge amount of intent was involved.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50The whale chase might have been 10km down the coast,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54so the bulk of the pod would be hammering at this baleen whale,
0:17:54 > 0:18:00and they would assign one or two members of the pod to swim kilometres
0:18:00 > 0:18:05- 10, 15km - completely away to the mouth of the river here.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12And they would floptail - as the family called it -
0:18:12 > 0:18:16and somersault, make a huge racket, and then the Davidsons would get out
0:18:16 > 0:18:20in their whale boats and swim out to the orcas,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and pretty well they'd go, "Where are we going, guys?"
0:18:23 > 0:18:27And the killer whales would direct them miles out to sea,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30they'd eventually kill the whale, then go home again,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and they'd leave the first spoils to the killer whale.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37It sounds like a Disney movie,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40but studies reveal that killer whales are adaptive hunters,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44able to learn new techniques and teach these to their young.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51They're known to hit their tails on water to signal other whales,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54so it's not inconceivable that they adapted this behaviour to
0:18:54 > 0:18:57communicate with the Davidson whalers.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59So could they spot your family?
0:18:59 > 0:19:02They basically went by the colour of the boats, the boats were
0:19:02 > 0:19:05painted green, so they had that heads up
0:19:05 > 0:19:08to a certain degree on everybody else.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11And the whales had really distinctive personalities as well.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15Tom was called "Tom Tug" at one stage, or "Tom the Humourist,"
0:19:15 > 0:19:19and sometimes he'd picked up guys who were fishing out in the bay
0:19:19 > 0:19:21and tow their dinghy around for fun.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24If they were exhibiting that kind of behaviour, it's no wonder they
0:19:24 > 0:19:28- thought, "That's not just an animal, that's one of us."- One of us.
0:19:34 > 0:19:40Whale numbers inevitably declined, ending Eden's whaling bonanza.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43The pods of killer whales moved away, but Old Tom
0:19:43 > 0:19:47still returned, year on year, and was a regular visitor in the bay.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53It would be nice to think that Old Tom came back
0:19:53 > 0:19:54just to see George Davidson.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57And then on the 17th September 1930,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Old Tom's body was spotted floating in the bay.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03He was dead, and George was devastated.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06What happened next is strangely touching.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11George carefully recovered the body and then preserved the skeleton,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14and Old Tom will be in Eden forever,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16here in the Killer Whale Museum.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23The teeth of this larrikin old killer whale provide one last clue
0:20:23 > 0:20:25to the truth of the story.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Could a rope have caused these abrasions, like the one
0:20:29 > 0:20:34on George Davidson's whaling boat, being towed out to sea by Old Tom.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Believe it or believe it not, it's a fabulous story.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57For those who live on the New South Wales south coast,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00gale-force winds and wild seas are a fact of life.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07On a blustery wet day in Eden, Tim Flannery has come to explore
0:21:07 > 0:21:10a maritime mystery linking Australia
0:21:10 > 0:21:13to a First World War British secret cargo.
0:21:17 > 0:21:23In 1917, the huge freighter The Cumberland sank off this coast.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25The Great War was dragging on in Europe,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28but she was the first casualty in home waters.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30It took everyone by surprise.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35A formidable 9,000 tonne steamer,
0:21:35 > 0:21:40The Cumberland could move massive cargoes at speed.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44In July 1917, she was loaded with supplies critical
0:21:44 > 0:21:46to the Allied war effort.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51Materials destined for British munitions factories.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55For fear of attack, The Cumberland's cargo was kept top-secret,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59but as she navigated Cape Howe, heading for Bass Strait,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03a sudden explosion blew a hole in her bow and all but sank her.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10- Rob, is it?- G'day, Tim.- Hello, mate. - Nice to meet you.- Good to meet you.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12- There's Twofold Bay.- Beautiful.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16'Rob Whiter's family has lived in Eden for nearly 80 years.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18'He's well-versed in the story of The Cumberland
0:22:18 > 0:22:19'and its special cargo.'
0:22:21 > 0:22:24So what was she carrying?
0:22:24 > 0:22:27She had on board a huge amount of precious metal ingots
0:22:27 > 0:22:30in the form of copper, lead and zinc.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35We're told to the order of 300,000 British pounds.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37Not chicken feed.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40No, no, I guess many millions of dollars in today's...
0:22:40 > 0:22:41Absolutely, yeah.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47The cause of the explosion was a mystery, and after a makeshift patch-up job,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51the crippled British steamer headed to Eden for a full repair.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56They got here, somewhere close to Green Cape,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00they encountered a terribly strong north-easterly gale,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04sea got very rough, and the blanket material
0:23:04 > 0:23:09they had underneath the hull to stop the inrush of water started
0:23:09 > 0:23:13to get adrift and she started taking on water very quickly.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19When she sank, sabotage was suggested.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Prime Minister Billy Hughes announced
0:23:21 > 0:23:24a large reward for information about the supposed crime.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26INCOMING ARTILLERY
0:23:26 > 0:23:30At the time, the Anzac war effort was heavily engaged,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32fighting on the Western Front in France.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36No-one predicted an attack in faraway Australia.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40So it was a shock to discover the explosion was caused
0:23:40 > 0:23:45by a German mine cunningly rigged to float five metres below the surface.
0:23:47 > 0:23:48The loss of the Cumberland
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and its precious cargo was
0:23:50 > 0:23:51the first conclusive evidence
0:23:51 > 0:23:53that the Germans laid minefields
0:23:53 > 0:23:55this far from Europe.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02It's somehow fitting to be here on this storm-tossed day,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05because it was weather like this that, nearly a century ago,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07sent the Cumberland to the bottom.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09What's truly amazing for me
0:24:09 > 0:24:13is that this southern coast of New South Wales, so far from any
0:24:13 > 0:24:17theatre of war, should have seen the loss of so many vessels.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19And, of course, because of the value of her cargo,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22The Cumberland was destined to become the most famous of them all.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29In the 1950s, the British came to Eden to launch
0:24:29 > 0:24:32a brave salvage operation.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36They reached the wreck, lying deep in 100 metres of water,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40the gaping nine-metre hole from the mine still clearly evident.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Blasting it apart,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46they recovered almost 2,000 tonnes of the sunken metal.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Is there any chance I could see that ingot?
0:24:50 > 0:24:54'It turns out that Rob has a piece of this treasure,
0:24:54 > 0:24:55'left to him by his father.'
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Well, there you go, Jim, that's the ingot.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03That represents the treasure that the Pommies were after
0:25:03 > 0:25:05when they came in '52.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Really? And what is it? It look like...is it copper?
0:25:09 > 0:25:13It's copper, yes, the grease on there indicates copper.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Well, it was cast nearly 100 years ago, so it's a historic piece.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21- Absolutely. Shortly to be placed in Eden Killer Whale Museum.- Really?
0:25:21 > 0:25:24It's very interesting, who actually owns it?
0:25:26 > 0:25:29It's already been gifted to the museum.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33But, before that, who actually is the owner of the ingot?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35- I'm not prepared to go into that, Tim.- Oh, are you not?
0:25:35 > 0:25:37THEY LAUGH
0:25:37 > 0:25:41OK. Well, fair enough. So it might or might not be contraband.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Yes.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45I could assume that it was given to my dad
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- and his brother in lieu of payment for work they did on a boat.- Right.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51So there's no chance that it could be
0:25:51 > 0:25:54the property of Her Majesty's Imperial Government then?
0:25:54 > 0:25:58- Absolutely not.- LAUGHING: Right, fair enough, I won't go any further.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01And it wouldn't be the first time anyway a piece of
0:26:01 > 0:26:05- potential contraband had ended up in a museum.- No. Or in Eden.- Right! OK.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Travel south past Disaster Bay to the border of Victoria,
0:26:25 > 0:26:26and look offshore,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and you'll see Gabo Island -
0:26:28 > 0:26:33a 154-hectare punctuation mark off the corner of the coast.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38Notorious for wild storms, record tides as high as 16 metres,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and over 100 shipwrecks.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48The Gabo Lighthouse is one of the tallest in Australia,
0:26:48 > 0:26:52at 47 metres. It was built in 1858,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56out of the distinctive pink granite on the island.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Manned by dedicated lighthouse keepers living in frugal conditions,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03it quickly became a vital navigational aid.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Marine biologist Professor Emma Johnston has
0:27:08 > 0:27:10a personal connection to this untamed place.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16My great-great-grandmother lived on this island, she was
0:27:16 > 0:27:21married to the lighthouse keeper, and she gave birth to two children here.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Seeing it now from the sky, so small, isolated, rugged,
0:27:25 > 0:27:31exposed...I am in awe at her strength.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36I'm not here to uncover my family history,
0:27:36 > 0:27:42but rather for a privileged peek into a secret method for growing pearls.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47I'm here to meet Gerry and Mary Menke.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50The Menkes have worked out how to grow pearls in abalone,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53those one-shelled molluscs that live on the sea floor.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Theirs is a unique claim to fame, at least in Australia,
0:27:56 > 0:28:01and I'm here to find out why and - if they'll let me - how.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05'Gerry and Mary are pioneers.' Hi!
0:28:05 > 0:28:08'As Australia's only abalone pearl farmers,
0:28:08 > 0:28:12'they've succeeded where others have failed, drawing on
0:28:12 > 0:28:14'Gerry's 40 plus years of experience
0:28:14 > 0:28:18'diving for these highly-prized univalved molluscs.'
0:28:18 > 0:28:22So why is it so difficult to farm pearls in the wild?
0:28:22 > 0:28:27For a start, to get good pearls you've got to have rough conditions.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Because the abalone love rough areas,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33and that's where they grow the biggest.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Abalone is a kind of sea snail.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Unlike oysters, they move around -
0:28:38 > 0:28:42another reason their pearls are difficult to cultivate.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45This is the black lip abalone.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47It's native to the area, "haliotis rubra,"
0:28:47 > 0:28:51and it's the one that the Menkes have chosen to cultivate.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Most commercial abalone are farmed,
0:28:58 > 0:29:03but in the inaccessible seas off Gabo Island Gerry's pioneered a technique
0:29:03 > 0:29:07of keeping wild-caught abalone in specially designed ocean cages.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10And about how long does it take for an abalone pearl to grow?
0:29:10 > 0:29:12Year-and-a-half to two years.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15You feed 'em regularly, cos they're in a cage now
0:29:15 > 0:29:18and can't roam around the seabed.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23And the abalone pearls actually look quite different to the oyster pearls.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26We're doing it in the wild, where every animal produces
0:29:26 > 0:29:28a different colour and pearl and shade.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30The variety is enormous.
0:29:30 > 0:29:35Until now, pearls found in wild abalone were tiny, whitish
0:29:35 > 0:29:37and very, very rare.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40By feeding his animals specially blended seaweed,
0:29:40 > 0:29:42Gerry's found a way to vary the colours,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46and the Menkes wild-farmed pearls are considerably superior.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52The Menkes have a very secretive method that's under patent,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55and we've promised not to show the entire thing, but they've
0:29:55 > 0:29:57very generously agreed to show us
0:29:57 > 0:30:00part of the process of inserting the pearl.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03'Because abalone molluscs are 90% muscle,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06'they're difficult to handle, and must first be anaesthetised.'
0:30:06 > 0:30:08So how do you anaesthetise an abalone?
0:30:08 > 0:30:10- Oh, with alcohol. - Of course!
0:30:10 > 0:30:12THEY LAUGH
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Oh, look at them move, what's happening here?
0:30:14 > 0:30:17The alcohol is starting to relax their muscle.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20That's when we are able to work on the animals.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24But here you can see the one we took out of the cage,
0:30:24 > 0:30:30- and there's an example of a pearl in process.- A green pearl.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32You never know what colour is going to come out of it.
0:30:32 > 0:30:37- Silver or green or in between.- It's beautiful.- Each animal is different.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40- And you seeded this pearl? - Yes, yes.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46'Gerry seeds tailored plastic beads under the abalone mantle.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49'It will take two years for the mollusc to cover the bead with
0:30:49 > 0:30:52'nacre and form a pearl.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54'So Gerry tags each shell with the year
0:30:54 > 0:30:56'and month of seeding.'
0:30:56 > 0:31:00A lot of the techniques has been trial and error.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03It's very exciting for a scientist to hear about this
0:31:03 > 0:31:06because, essentially, what you've been doing is experimenting
0:31:06 > 0:31:08- with these animals.- Yeah, yeah.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11- And working out new techniques. - Yeah, yeah.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- And now you've achieved something really special.- Yeah.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18'These freshly seeded abalone go back into the ocean
0:31:18 > 0:31:20'and in about two years, hopefully, there will be a result -
0:31:20 > 0:31:23'one that looks like this.'
0:31:23 > 0:31:24That's stunning.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28For a marine biologist this is triple value
0:31:28 > 0:31:31because it's the product of a lot of research and experimentation.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35It's a biological product. It's been grown by an animal
0:31:35 > 0:31:40and it shines with all of the colours of the ocean.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44- That's the major profit for us. - I might have to take one home.
0:31:44 > 0:31:45THEY LAUGH
0:32:02 > 0:32:05'Boxing Day in Australia marks the start of the annual
0:32:05 > 0:32:07'Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12'But, in 1998, the world famous race was disrupted
0:32:12 > 0:32:16'by a monster storm that brought calamity and heartbreak.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21'Dr Alice Garner is in Eden, the town that became the hub
0:32:21 > 0:32:24'of the rescue effort.'
0:32:24 > 0:32:27The Sydney to Hobart has nurtured a world-wide reputation
0:32:27 > 0:32:30for being tough. But when that intersected
0:32:30 > 0:32:33with a once in a lifetime weather bomb,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36it turned into something altogether different.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41It became Australia's largest ever peacetime rescue operation
0:32:41 > 0:32:46and a humbling reminder of the power and unpredictability of the ocean.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52'In 1945, the first Sydney to Hobart race
0:32:52 > 0:32:57'saw nine starters attempt the 1,163 kilometre course
0:32:57 > 0:33:00'that would take them across Bass Strait,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03'the most treacherous stretch of water in Australia.
0:33:06 > 0:33:12'Despite the danger, by 1998, the field had swelled to 115 teams,
0:33:12 > 0:33:14'from all over the world.'
0:33:17 > 0:33:19- RADIO:- Warning...
0:33:19 > 0:33:23There is a storm warning...
0:33:25 > 0:33:28'But no-one predicted just how bad things would get
0:33:28 > 0:33:30'on that ill-fated Boxing Day.'
0:33:31 > 0:33:33- RADIO:- Mayday, mayday, mayday.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36We are getting life rafts on deck.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42'Dr Roger Badham is a marine meteorologist and consultant
0:33:42 > 0:33:44'to major yacht races.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48'But even 30 years' experience couldn't prepare him
0:33:48 > 0:33:50'for the fury of this storm.'
0:33:51 > 0:33:55Clouds, where were you when the '98 Sydney to Hobart kicked off?
0:33:55 > 0:33:57I was at the Yacht Club running around, doing briefings
0:33:57 > 0:34:00to all different yachts and everyone knew that a low pressure
0:34:00 > 0:34:04was going to develop but not to the intensity or complexity
0:34:04 > 0:34:05that actually unfolded.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09The new run of computer models had just become available
0:34:09 > 0:34:12and instead of a broad low pressure system,
0:34:12 > 0:34:14somewhere to the east of Tasmania,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18here was an intense little low pressure system in Bass Strait,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21heading pretty much for where the front end of the yachts,
0:34:21 > 0:34:24the front end of the fleet, were going to be.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26It just got worse and worse.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31'At the edge of the volatile Bass Strait,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34'warm air coming down from the north,
0:34:34 > 0:34:38'combined explosively with this intense low pressure system,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41'creating what is known as a weather bomb.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45'The shallow seabed of the Strait then catapulted this mega storm
0:34:45 > 0:34:49'directly into the path of the racing fleet.'
0:34:49 > 0:34:54'160kph winds with gusts nearly to 200kph.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58'When it got to the corner of Gabo Island,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01'it hit the current coming the other way
0:35:01 > 0:35:05'and what was a seven to ten-metre, or 11-metre waves,'
0:35:05 > 0:35:10doubled in height, so you had 14 and 16-metre waves.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19'Eden is a harbour where struggling yachts often retire from the race.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24'But in 1998 it became the front line of the enormous rescue effort.'
0:35:24 > 0:35:26- REPORTER:- One by one, they pulled out of the race,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29all thankful to escape with their lives.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33'When the storm hit, the 83-foot trawler, Moira Elizabeth,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36'was returning to Eden.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40'Owner and captain Tom Bibby had sought refuge at Gabo Island,
0:35:40 > 0:35:44'when he got a call to rescue 17 stricken sailors
0:35:44 > 0:35:45'on the yacht Team Jaguar.'
0:35:47 > 0:35:50At that stage, it was very, very bad weather.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52I couldn't order my crew to go and do it,
0:35:52 > 0:35:56so we actually had a discussion and I gave them the option -
0:35:56 > 0:35:58yes/no, do you want to go?
0:35:58 > 0:36:00Of course they just said yes,
0:36:00 > 0:36:03because you don't like leaving people out there.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05If you can do something about it, you do.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08How anxious were you about going to do this rescue?
0:36:08 > 0:36:12There was always that anxious moment.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Like, here comes a big wave, here comes a bigger one,
0:36:15 > 0:36:16here comes an even bigger one!
0:36:16 > 0:36:18It's just phenomenal.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22We were trying to travel as fast as we could to get to these people,
0:36:22 > 0:36:24who we thought were in danger.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28So we were probably taking a lot more risk
0:36:28 > 0:36:30- with the boat on that night than we do normally.- Mmm.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35I'm standing on the foredeck of the Moira Elizabeth,
0:36:35 > 0:36:37about three metres above sea level.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43On that night the waves were coming up over the bow
0:36:43 > 0:36:45and up over the wheel house.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51Tom and the crew describe seeing nothing except water.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54In fact, they said it was a bit like going down a mine.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57VOICES OF THE CREW
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Well, we'd got a position on them.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06They could see us because we had big flood lights and everything else
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and it was lit up like a Christmas tree.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11We came up across them and tried to get a line across them.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13We actually fell off...
0:37:13 > 0:37:16The whole boat fell off the side of one of these waves,
0:37:16 > 0:37:18which was about 30 foot high
0:37:18 > 0:37:21and free fell through the water
0:37:21 > 0:37:23and hit the wave and then it just came over the top of us.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25It was like being in a submarine.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Just drive it out, get it back up and then we postponed
0:37:28 > 0:37:31getting a line across and just waited till daylight.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34Then we took them under tow
0:37:34 > 0:37:36and we towed them into Eden.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46'In total, five vessels sank.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49'66 were forced to seek refuge in Eden.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52'55 sailors were rescued.
0:37:53 > 0:37:54'And six lost their lives.'
0:38:01 > 0:38:05'Were it not for the courage and seamanship of Tom and his crew,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08'the death toll would have been far higher.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11'On a day when one of the world's most notorious yacht races,
0:38:11 > 0:38:14'turned into a race for survival.'
0:38:29 > 0:38:32'Charming coves are just one attraction
0:38:32 > 0:38:34'of the New South Wales south coast.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37'Completely free of high-rise buildings,
0:38:37 > 0:38:39'the 400-kilometre stretch
0:38:39 > 0:38:41'between Shoalhaven and Gabo Island
0:38:41 > 0:38:45'connects directly to another Australian tradition.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51'Brendan Moar has come to explore a 95-year-old love affair
0:38:51 > 0:38:53'with the fibro beach house.'
0:39:01 > 0:39:04When I was growing up, every summer like clockwork,
0:39:04 > 0:39:08my family and I would pack the car and head to the same beach
0:39:08 > 0:39:12and the same town and we would pitch our tent in exactly the same spot
0:39:12 > 0:39:14and I loved it.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16As I wandered about that town, there was
0:39:16 > 0:39:18something that captured my imagination,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20and it seemed like a step up from our tent,
0:39:20 > 0:39:23and I always imagined what it would be like to stay there.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27They were fibro beach shacks, just like these ones.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33'Bounded by 14 sandy beaches,
0:39:33 > 0:39:38'the coastal village of Currarong has a unique claim to fame.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42'It's built almost entirely out of holiday homes.'
0:39:42 > 0:39:45- G'day, Ian.- Hi, Ben, nice to see you. - Good to see you.
0:39:45 > 0:39:50'Ian Hoskins is a coastal historian with a love of beach house culture.'
0:39:50 > 0:39:51You know, Ian, standing here,
0:39:51 > 0:39:55this seems to me like the perfect Australian scene -
0:39:55 > 0:39:56the cottage on the beach.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59It feels like it was always like this.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01Well, Australians certainly define themselves today
0:40:01 > 0:40:03as a beach-going people,
0:40:03 > 0:40:05Sun-bronzed Aussies and all the rest,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07but that's quite a recent development,
0:40:07 > 0:40:10it's a 20th century slow development.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13In the late 19th century, there would be very few cottages
0:40:13 > 0:40:15on the New South Wales coast
0:40:15 > 0:40:18with absolute water frontage like this one here.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Because through the 19th century, the identity that was developing
0:40:21 > 0:40:25was very much one that focused on the bush and the interior.
0:40:25 > 0:40:30We were people who grew sheep and wheat, and dug gold and coal.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33You know, that was the identity that developed.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36So what drove that change from inland to coastal?
0:40:36 > 0:40:38There was a change in attitude.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40There was a revolution, almost,
0:40:40 > 0:40:44at the beginning of the 20th century where we discovered surf bathing.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46We fell in love with the sea.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50Alongside that, you had to have the time to go and enjoy the coast.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52Access was very important.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56Roads, cars, after the Second World War, particularly.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00You had people heading from the towns inland
0:41:00 > 0:41:05directly across to the south coast and just building little houses,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08little shacks, where they could, on the small beaches.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12'The double whammy of the Great Depression
0:41:12 > 0:41:16'and Second World War forced beach holidays to take a back seat.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23'But with the end of the war came enormous social change,
0:41:23 > 0:41:25'including the 40-hour working week.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29'A reform that effectively created the weekend as we know it.'
0:41:30 > 0:41:31So this is pretty original.
0:41:31 > 0:41:37'The humble beach shack now had new status. It became the weekender.'
0:41:40 > 0:41:43So in their time were these houses ever considered fancy?
0:41:43 > 0:41:47The traditional fibro holiday house would never have been fancy.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49You would have been very lucky to own a second property,
0:41:49 > 0:41:51let alone a first property,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54even in those couple of decades after the Second World War.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57It would almost necessarily, unless you were quite wealthy,
0:41:57 > 0:42:00have been a modest dwelling. Fibro fits the bill there.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05It's a vernacular expression of our relationship with the coast.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08They have a design integrity based on their simplicity,
0:42:08 > 0:42:10based on the materials that were used
0:42:10 > 0:42:14because fibro was an easy material to use, easy material to bring in.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17It's lightweight, it's durable, it's practical
0:42:17 > 0:42:19and I love seeing it still exist.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31Currarong, like so many of the little villages dotted along the south
0:42:31 > 0:42:34coast has total postcard appeal.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37A lot of that comes through the preservation of the built
0:42:37 > 0:42:38environment just as it is.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43So much so that that means any building from here south to the
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Victorian border, there is nothing over three stories.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50That means nothing taller than the trees - sounds perfect to me.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13'Stretching north from the Shoalhaven delta,
0:43:13 > 0:43:16'the expanse of Seven Mile Beach slopes gently to the sea.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18'Its hard, compact sand, long,
0:43:18 > 0:43:23'an irresistible draw card to those with the need for speed.'
0:43:24 > 0:43:26In the 1920s and '30s,
0:43:26 > 0:43:30this was one of the most famous beaches in the whole of Australia.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34It was the great age of speed and Seven Mile Beach, with its long,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36straight stretch of hard-packed sand,
0:43:36 > 0:43:40was the best natural beach track for car racing in the entire country.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43Nowadays, it's a national park
0:43:43 > 0:43:46but, just for the day, we have been allowed to wind back the clock.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52It's like being in an old aircraft, than being in a car.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55More like flying.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02'Before December 1929,
0:44:02 > 0:44:06'the Australian speed record was a ripping 107mph.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13'It was held by an engineer, Don Harkness, who teamed up with
0:44:13 > 0:44:19'a driver known as Wizard Smith for his magical powers behind the wheel.'
0:44:19 > 0:44:23I'm waiting in a few moments to attempt to break
0:44:23 > 0:44:28a world land speed record and I feel very confident of success.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30Cheerio.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33Don Harkness and Wizard Smith brought their home-made car,
0:44:33 > 0:44:35the Anzac, down here.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39In those days, attempts on the speed record often ended in the cemetery.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41You look at this place
0:44:41 > 0:44:44and you have to think they must have been a bit mad.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48You take a look at their car, and you know they were mad.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53'For a record breaker, the Anzac was a DIY deathtrap.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57'A V12 Rolls-Royce airplane engine,
0:44:57 > 0:44:59'bolted into a huge Cadillac chassis.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04'On the first attempt, the Anzac hit a bump in the sand
0:45:04 > 0:45:07'and took off, becoming airborne.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10'Clambering out, a shaken Wizard called it a day.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13'But the very next day, with Don by his side,
0:45:13 > 0:45:17'the Wizard had another go and hit a new record
0:45:17 > 0:45:19'of 128mph.'
0:45:27 > 0:45:30'Speed had become a social currency and the speedsters
0:45:30 > 0:45:33'and their cars - stars.'
0:45:38 > 0:45:41The thing that's good about this car...
0:45:41 > 0:45:45'Tim Shellshear is the proud owner of this grand Crossley Mercedes.
0:45:45 > 0:45:51'Originally owned by one Mrs JAS Jones who, at 43 years old,
0:45:51 > 0:45:53'became Australia's Queen of Speed
0:45:53 > 0:45:57'when she decided to use the family Crossley as a race car.'
0:45:57 > 0:46:01Mrs Jones put herself in as driver.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04Now, the organisers promptly banned her because she was a woman.
0:46:04 > 0:46:08That led to a significant uprising within women and they reversed
0:46:08 > 0:46:14their edict and she was allowed to drive and, in fact, did very well.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16The Sydney Morning Herald said at the end of it
0:46:16 > 0:46:19she drove as well as many of the men in the Commonwealth.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22All right. Praise indeed at that time.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24An extraordinary woman, in fact.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30'Kent Patrick's bright blue '37 Bugatti has been
0:46:30 > 0:46:36'restored from components of a famous 1929 37A Bugatti that also
0:46:36 > 0:46:38'raced on this beach.'
0:46:38 > 0:46:41On a good day, what is this car capable of?
0:46:41 > 0:46:44About 200km an hour.
0:46:44 > 0:46:46120mph.
0:46:46 > 0:46:50- What does that feel like? - Terrifying!
0:46:50 > 0:46:52Absolutely terrifying.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56'For the first time in 80 years,
0:46:56 > 0:47:00'these glorious old cars are back on the beach that made them famous.'
0:47:01 > 0:47:06This is the era of motoring that a chap has to dress properly for.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11Hence the leather coat - but wait until you see this.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14Here's the piece de resistance -
0:47:14 > 0:47:17flying helmet and goggles.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22Toot-toot!
0:47:22 > 0:47:24Permission to come aboard.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42As you say, this was really just designed to race.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45130mph is definitely terrifying.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53I'm acutely aware of how many things there are to impale
0:47:53 > 0:47:56- yourself on, if anything was to go wrong.- Yes.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08'After the teeth rattling speed of the Bugatti, I'm looking
0:48:08 > 0:48:10'forward to the grace of the Crossley.'
0:48:12 > 0:48:15This car is a bona fide piece of coastal motoring history.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17You've only got to see it.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20You've only got to sit inside it to understand why people get completely
0:48:20 > 0:48:24consumed by owning them and, more particularly, by driving them.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28There is something undeniably special about historic cars.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31What is it that never goes out of fashion?
0:48:31 > 0:48:33I'll tell you.
0:48:33 > 0:48:34It's style.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39I have to say that for myself I feel like Toad of Toad Hall!
0:48:54 > 0:48:55Next time...
0:48:55 > 0:48:56In the Pilbara,
0:48:56 > 0:49:01palaeontologist Tim Flannery enters a hot zone from the Cold War.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05We're getting a significant reading off the Geiger counter.
0:49:05 > 0:49:06That's in the red zone.
0:49:06 > 0:49:11We join an elite team of welders who practise their alchemy underwater.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13It's pretty treacherous.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16And I help to park an ocean giant.
0:49:16 > 0:49:17- A metre?- Yeah.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20- Between the bottom of this monster and the seabed?- Yes.