0:00:08 > 0:00:11In the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean...
0:00:14 > 0:00:18..lies a land cut off from the rest the world...
0:00:20 > 0:00:22..since the time of the dinosaurs.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35After 80 million years of isolation,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38nature has gone its own way.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45In this lost world, life plays by different rules.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Penguins in the forests.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Parrots in the snow.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00And predators from prehistory.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09Their lives are dominated by the most powerful forces on earth.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15When humans finally arrived, they discovered
0:01:15 > 0:01:20nowhere is more strange and mysterious
0:01:20 > 0:01:21than New Zealand.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34LOW BIRD CALL
0:01:35 > 0:01:41LOW BIRD CALL
0:01:42 > 0:01:47This strange sound can be heard in no other wilderness on earth.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It carries through the forest for miles.
0:01:54 > 0:02:00An extremely loud call from a very unexpected creature.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05A young, male...
0:02:07 > 0:02:08..kakapo.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18He's been up all night, booming, to get lucky.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Just as he has every night for the last few months.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31But not one female has answered his resounding calls.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Now he's rushing back to his roost for a snooze.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Maybe tonight his luck will change.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06Kakapo are by far the heaviest parrot in the world.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15In these tangled forests, it is climbing that counts.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22So it's perhaps no surprise that they can't fly.
0:03:30 > 0:03:36This male is just 19 years old, but he could live for a century,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39which is a very long time to be without a mate.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Cast adrift for 80 million years,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53life in New Zealand slowed down.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02So much so that the kakapo's neighbours, tuatara,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05may take only one breath an hour...
0:04:08 > 0:04:11..and might not eat for months.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18Many species here grow slowly, breed rarely and live longer...
0:04:20 > 0:04:23..in this gentle kingdom of reptiles...
0:04:25 > 0:04:27..birds...
0:04:30 > 0:04:32..and ancient forests.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Even plants take their time.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49The rimu tree can live for nearly 1,000 years
0:04:49 > 0:04:53and produces fruit only two or three times a decade.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04And it's only in these rare years where there's plenty of food,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06that kakapos can breed.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Or, at least, that's how it's been for millions of years.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15But times have changed.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26And now the lonely kakapo
0:05:26 > 0:05:31is the only kakapo on mainland New Zealand.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44The tale of this lonely heart is also the tale
0:05:44 > 0:05:47of what makes New Zealand the land it is today.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54It's the story of the discovery of these distant islands
0:05:54 > 0:05:57and the extraordinary transformation that has followed.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04It begins in the tropical paradise...
0:06:05 > 0:06:07..of Polynesia.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24These islands were conquered by seafaring people.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32The invention of double hulls and simple sails turned dugout canoes
0:06:32 > 0:06:34into oceangoing craft.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48Less than 800 years ago,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52these daring explorers set their course south.
0:07:10 > 0:07:11Beyond the horizon...
0:07:13 > 0:07:14..and into the unknown.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21Across almost 2,000 miles of empty ocean.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33Exactly how they explored the vast South Pacific is still a mystery.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43But legend has it they did not navigate alone.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50These explorers had expert guides.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Sperm whales travel south every year...
0:08:01 > 0:08:05..on the same route from tropical Polynesia to New Zealand
0:08:05 > 0:08:09in search of some of the richest feeding grounds on earth.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17As they neared land,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20flocks of sea birds would have greeted these explorers.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27New Zealand has almost 100 species -
0:08:27 > 0:08:29more than anywhere else on earth.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57After 80 million years of isolation,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01the lost kingdom of New Zealand had been found.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09The last great landmass to be settled by people.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Those first explorers found forests of trees,
0:09:18 > 0:09:23dense and deep and full of hidden life.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Rivers flowing with crystal waters,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37some of the clearest in the world.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Giant mountains,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03towering nearly 4,000 metres into the sky.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14When my ancestors first came to New Zealand,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18they would have encountered a land untouched by any other human beings.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25They discovered vast tracts of rainforests.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32I would imagine that they would look at these trees,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35the size of the trees, and imagine they were literally holding up
0:10:35 > 0:10:37the vaults of heaven.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41They realised the bounty that was here,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44and that took on a spiritual significance for them.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Maori story guardian Michael Elkington
0:10:52 > 0:10:56is offering his thanks to the forest.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58HE INCANTS
0:10:59 > 0:11:02A proud descendant of those brave pioneers
0:11:02 > 0:11:05who became the very first people of New Zealand.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11The Maori.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20But incredibly, they weren't just the first people,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24they were the first large land mammals to ever step foot here.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Life in the slow lane was about to change forever.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Domesticated pigs arrived here as food.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51They bred fast
0:11:51 > 0:11:53and rampaged through the undergrowth.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04The tusked weta is New Zealand's equivalent of a mouse...
0:12:08 > 0:12:11..and a worthy snack for a foraging pig.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35With pigs snuffling close behind, there is only one place to go.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39And it's the last place you would expect.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31This weta is an escape artist.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41The pigs can't see or smell him when he's underwater.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05He can stay under
0:14:05 > 0:14:06for up to ten minutes.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41And now the coast is clear.
0:14:43 > 0:14:4880 million years of isolation have endowed this ancient creature
0:14:48 > 0:14:50with extraordinary survival skills.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59New Zealand's wildlife doesn't give up easily.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09But, in 1642, something appeared on the horizon
0:15:09 > 0:15:11the likes of which had never been seen before.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18The first European ship had entered New Zealand's uncharted waters.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23The explorers on board were as astonished
0:15:23 > 0:15:25by this fairy tale kingdom
0:15:25 > 0:15:27as the tourists who flock here today.
0:15:39 > 0:15:46Dutchman Abel Tasman, captain of that first ship, noted,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48"A very fine land, large and uplifted high."
0:15:51 > 0:15:56His discovery would be named after the Dutch region of Zeeland.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Reports of a New "Zealand" soon spread.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09By the 1860s, tens of thousands of Europeans had made their way here.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Most would never see home again...
0:16:22 > 0:16:24..so they brought it with them.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34European-style gardens flourished in New Zealand's temperate climate.
0:16:42 > 0:16:48A pukeko chick and his family might find that they are some of the only
0:16:48 > 0:16:51authentic New Zealanders left in a garden like this.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57He's old enough to set off on his own voyage of discovery.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08His huge feet are adapted for traversing swamps,
0:17:08 > 0:17:12but they also equip him to step out into an exotic new world...
0:17:20 > 0:17:25..where imported flowers from India and China are pollinated
0:17:25 > 0:17:26by British bees.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Ornamental trees from Japan and America
0:17:35 > 0:17:37are home to birds from Europe,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40like blackbirds
0:17:40 > 0:17:41and chaffinches.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55Gardens the length and breadth of New Zealand
0:17:55 > 0:17:58are home to life from all around the planet.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16The pukeko may encounter strange beasts never seen by his ancestors.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Hedgehogs flourish here.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35A few dozen founding individuals became millions.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Their population exploded.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56For some native creatures, new arrivals meant new opportunities.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Especially those prepared to expand their diet.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19The weka.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29He may be flightless, but he's quick to seize an opportunity.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40He's assembling his own picnic.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58And inviting the whole family.
0:20:11 > 0:20:17These young wekas are growing up in a world full of new opportunities.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Life can be very good in New Zealand.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36And so some new arrivals have grown in more than just numbers.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52Brown trout were first introduced to these pristine rivers for sport
0:20:52 > 0:20:53in the late 1800s.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58With little competition and few predators,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01they grew to enormous proportions.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Today New Zealand's trout can reach lengths of almost a metre...
0:21:11 > 0:21:13..and weigh up to five kilos.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20These prize fish have monstrous appetites
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and surprisingly bloodthirsty tastes.
0:21:28 > 0:21:34So some fly fishermen opt for something a little more substantial.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Here, the insect imitations have been replaced with fluffy
0:21:42 > 0:21:44imitation
0:21:44 > 0:21:46mice.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55House mice first arrived in New Zealand
0:21:55 > 0:21:57as stowaways on European boats.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05This youngster is looking for his next meal.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10But first he'll have to run a gauntlet.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07For mouse or man, opportunities come to those who take them.
0:23:17 > 0:23:23New Zealand is a modern paradise for newcomers from around the world.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31They thrive here
0:23:31 > 0:23:33but they've not all had it easy.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49The story of New Zealand's famous sheep
0:23:49 > 0:23:51is not one of overnight success.
0:24:04 > 0:24:10Neil Gardyne is the descendant of an early sheep-farming pioneer.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19My great-grandfather came from the east of Scotland in 1860
0:24:19 > 0:24:21and purchased some land.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24All of this area would have been in scrub.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26There would have been mudflats.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30They would have been extremely tough years.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Their first flocks struggled on New Zealand's meagre grazing.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41The determined pioneers then tried richer grasses imported from Europe.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58But these new grasses began to wither and fail.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05It took the lowly British earthworm to revive the soil.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10At last the pastures improved,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13and New Zealand's famous sheep population grew.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23At their peak, in the 1980s, sheep outnumbered people 20 to 1.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Today's pioneers are not resting on their laurels.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36They're continuing to innovate.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Neil's son Mark is upgrading sheepdog Eve...
0:25:44 > 0:25:45..for a drone.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06This robotic sheepdog in the sky
0:26:06 > 0:26:10monitors, herds and counts their flock
0:26:10 > 0:26:12across miles of rugged terrain.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Through sheer ingenuity and perseverance,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27New Zealand's pioneers have achieved something incredible.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35Creating an agricultural landscape that is now the envy of the world.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50And sheep were just the beginning.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Its position on the planet and clean air
0:26:55 > 0:26:59gift New Zealand some of the brightest sunshine
0:26:59 > 0:27:00anywhere on earth.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Wheat yields here have broken records.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19An obscure Chinese vine does so well,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21we now call it the kiwi fruit.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32And some consider New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc the very best
0:27:32 > 0:27:33in the world.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39With the right kind of help,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43everything that is brought to New Zealand flourishes.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54But the effect of this rapid change on the slow-paced native wildlife
0:27:54 > 0:27:57is just beginning to be fully understood.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11In 1976, under Honeycomb Hill on the South Island,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15forestry workers discovered a portal
0:28:15 > 0:28:18into New Zealand's ancient past.
0:28:21 > 0:28:22A time capsule.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35The remains of giant creatures lay where they fell.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Single vertebrae the size of a child's head.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Leg bones as thick as a man's arm.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54These were the remains of giant birds.
0:28:56 > 0:28:57The moa.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Some of the biggest and most extraordinary birds
0:29:02 > 0:29:03to have ever walked the earth.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08The mightiest could reach nearly three and a half metres
0:29:08 > 0:29:11and weighed almost a quarter of a tonne.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20But these are not fossils from the Jurassic age.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22These are still bones.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33These extraordinary birds were still here when humans first arrived.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42In a sheltered overhang, we can see the evidence.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50Tracing the fading charcoal lines reveals drawings
0:29:50 > 0:29:52etched by eyewitnesses.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Not just of moa, but their predators too.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10The Haast's eagle, the largest,
0:30:10 > 0:30:14most terrifying eagle that has ever lived,
0:30:14 > 0:30:16large enough to prey upon human children.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31For hundreds of thousands of years,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34New Zealand had been a world ruled by these giants.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Within two centuries of human arrival,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46they had all been driven to extinction.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58But many of New Zealand's smaller creatures did survive.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05Witnesses to an incredible transformation.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11He would have seen the coming of the Maori.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14He would have seen the coming of the English.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19They would have seen the decline of the birds.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Their domain slowly shrinking in about them.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30He would have seen the many, many changes.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Throughout it all, the kakapo was clinging on.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46But in 1883
0:31:46 > 0:31:50the arrival of one frenetic creature threatened everything.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59A mischievous, rocket-fuelled rascal from the other side of the world.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02The European stoat.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10Where he comes from, survival is a race.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Life at this speed requires regular meals,
0:32:22 > 0:32:23up to five or six a day.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31It was the stoat's voracious appetite
0:32:31 > 0:32:33that won them a ticket to paradise.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42A few hundred were imported by Victorian farmers
0:32:42 > 0:32:44to control rabbits.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51But that same appetite caused chaos in their new home.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Native birds had no defence against this nimble newcomer.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Their nests
0:33:01 > 0:33:02were exposed.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10And adult birds were at risk as well.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20The red-crowned parakeet, the kakapo's little cousin.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31Mother birds refuse to abandon their nests,
0:33:31 > 0:33:33so they are often the first to be targeted.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45What's more, stoats will tackle much larger prey,
0:33:45 > 0:33:47up to ten times their own body weight.
0:33:50 > 0:33:51Like the kakapo.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59In less than 150 years,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02kakapo have been driven to the very edge of extinction.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11New Zealand's slow and gentle creatures were struggling
0:34:11 > 0:34:13with this new pace of life.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24But there is now the chance to save what was once nearly lost.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32It's a movement with a very unlikely figurehead.
0:34:36 > 0:34:41This lonely kakapo has never found a mate,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43but that doesn't mean he's alone.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45And he even has a name.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53Sirocco was hand-reared as a chick and adores people,
0:34:53 > 0:34:54and they adore him.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05Now Sirocco has a very important job.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08He is the ambassador for his species,
0:35:08 > 0:35:11and a conservation icon in New Zealand.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15Hello. Fantastic.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17We've also been able to confirm a seat for Sirocco.
0:35:17 > 0:35:18Thank you.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22As a government official, he has an aide to handle the admin.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26And to carry his bags.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35Welcome. Welcome to Sirocco.
0:35:35 > 0:35:40He may be a slow, bumbling parrot, but he has a jet-set lifestyle.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47It seems this kakapo can fly after all.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52His strange, charmed, hectic life,
0:35:52 > 0:35:55has become one long conservation mission.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04All the way to the most powerful seat in the country -
0:36:04 > 0:36:07New Zealand's Houses of Parliament.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18Today is his chance to charm the politicians, meet his public,
0:36:18 > 0:36:20and raise awareness for New Zealand's
0:36:20 > 0:36:22world-leading conservation efforts.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30Sirocco is definitely one of a kind.
0:36:30 > 0:36:31He is an online star.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35He has over 100,000 Facebook fans -
0:36:35 > 0:36:36keeps him busy.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39Well, it keeps someone busy.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42And of course he's New Zealand's official spokesbird
0:36:42 > 0:36:45for conservation, so it's about time he paid a visit to Parliament.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Sirocco's colleague, Deidre Vercoe, does the talking...
0:36:48 > 0:36:50No-one else has kakapo.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52..while he laps up the attention.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58We just can't afford to lose what remains of our natural treasures,
0:36:58 > 0:37:02or we really risk losing a big part of our identity.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07So it's up to each of us in this room tonight to make sure
0:37:07 > 0:37:08that they never die out.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13The fight to save New Zealand's wildlife has begun.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20New Zealand is more than two main islands.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25Offshore are nearly 600 smaller islands -
0:37:25 > 0:37:28life rafts for New Zealand's native species.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34Some escaped invasion by predators,
0:37:34 > 0:37:36and others have been carefully cleared.
0:37:39 > 0:37:44Just four decades ago on this small, uninhabited, windswept rock,
0:37:44 > 0:37:48some charming and unassuming creatures were clinging on.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01Just seven Chatham Island black robins remained on earth,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04and the fate of their species would lie with a single female.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10A daring rescue relocated those last birds
0:38:10 > 0:38:13to the safety of a nearby island.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24Melanie Massaro is the caretaker for the black robins today.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29It's a job which takes a certain dedication and specialist footwear.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36The robin's home is honeycombed by three million burrowing sea birds.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Jose.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48Jose.
0:38:55 > 0:38:56Come over here.
0:38:59 > 0:39:00Come on.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02It's now been more than 30 years
0:39:02 > 0:39:05since the black robin was given its second chance.
0:39:09 > 0:39:14And that single female became the mother of her entire species.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19We are now 30 years on and the species is still here.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21That's actually very, very special.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Today there are hundreds of black robins
0:39:26 > 0:39:28which Mel locates and monitors
0:39:28 > 0:39:31with the help of a tasty bribe -
0:39:31 > 0:39:32a mealworm.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43And Jose is putting his reward to good use.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54He's hoping to win the affections of his partner Maria
0:39:54 > 0:39:55for another season.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02If she accepts his gifts,
0:40:02 > 0:40:06there will be another precious generation of black robins.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14It takes extraordinary effort to save a species
0:40:14 > 0:40:17on the very brink of extinction.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28In the wake of this success story,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32New Zealand is now the world leader in a unique brand
0:40:32 > 0:40:34of intensive care conservation.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42Today, a specialist team are heading to Codfish Island.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51The world headquarters of another pioneering project.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59One that would impress Sirocco above all else.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Dozens of scientists and volunteers
0:41:17 > 0:41:19from all over the globe are arriving.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26And this remote island, cleared of introduced predators,
0:41:26 > 0:41:28becomes a hive of activity.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35And the reason for all this?
0:41:42 > 0:41:43An egg.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48It's due to hatch tonight.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54The mother is a mile away...
0:41:58 > 0:42:02..in a nest beneath a tree that has been wiretapped and camera-bugged.
0:42:08 > 0:42:09A kakapo female.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15Sirocco might be the lone ambassador on the mainland,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18but here on Codfish Island, 69 kakapos,
0:42:18 > 0:42:20half of those on earth,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23are slowly rebuilding their numbers.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26Every single bird has a name.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31This is Rakiura.
0:42:31 > 0:42:37She doesn't know it, but this egg is a porcelain replica.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41Mother kakapos have been known to break their eggs
0:42:41 > 0:42:44so this is the safest way to ensure they hatch.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53Daryl Eason is caring for one of the most delicate
0:42:53 > 0:42:56and precious babies in the world.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06I've worked with these birds now for 17 years and it's kind of special
0:43:06 > 0:43:11because it's not often you get to meet every individual of a species.
0:43:13 > 0:43:18I'm passionate about them and I'll do my best to ensure their survival.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29When Daryl first started working with kakapo,
0:43:29 > 0:43:31they were at their lowest ebb.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34The last 50 birds on earth required intensive care.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46Kakapo only breed two or three times a decade.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51So nothing can go wrong tonight.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Ensuring the species survives takes care,
0:44:00 > 0:44:04commitment and a healthy dose of underhand cunning.
0:44:11 > 0:44:16Rakiura has no idea that she is under surveillance.
0:44:19 > 0:44:24Codfish base, Codfish base, this is Rakiura's nest on 17, copy?
0:44:24 > 0:44:26Codfish base receiving. Go ahead.
0:44:26 > 0:44:31Good evening, Rakiura has left the nest so you can send him up. Over.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34Thanks for that. He'll probably be with you in about an hour. Over.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Rakiura's departure starts the clock ticking.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52It's time for this chick to meet its mother.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13They need to make sure Rakiura isn't nearby.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15If she sees them, she might desert her nest.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21One final warm meal and the chick is ready.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27I think she's coming back.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47This might be the most vulnerable moment in its life.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55Kakapo mothers, surprised by the sudden new arrival,
0:45:55 > 0:45:58have been known to attack their own baby.
0:46:38 > 0:46:39She's feeding it.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41Yeah, looks like it.
0:46:47 > 0:46:51When I see her accepting it straight away, it's just magic.
0:46:56 > 0:46:57Just got to wait now.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00Wait and see how well she goes.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07Rakiura's chick is one of just five hatched on Codfish Island this year.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14But every new arrival is a small step
0:47:14 > 0:47:16on the long road to kakapo recovery.
0:47:29 > 0:47:34This is a land that has undergone many transformations,
0:47:34 > 0:47:38but at its heart remains a world apart,
0:47:38 > 0:47:40an awe-inspiring wilderness.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48Which is why, every year,
0:47:48 > 0:47:52people flock here in their millions to marvel at its splendour.
0:48:00 > 0:48:07Today, 2,000 passengers are on board the largest ocean liner ever built.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15More than three times the weight of the Titanic,
0:48:15 > 0:48:19and yet completely dwarfed by the sheer majesty
0:48:19 > 0:48:23of New Zealand's Milford Sound.
0:48:27 > 0:48:33Unknowingly, they sail past the entrance of a very special valley,
0:48:33 > 0:48:36one that represents hope of a better future.
0:48:44 > 0:48:49This is Sinbad Gully on the southern edge of Milford Sound.
0:48:51 > 0:48:55It's one of the very last places on mainland New Zealand
0:48:55 > 0:48:59where wild kakapo were heard to boom.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05Hidden and protected by ramparts of high mountains.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12Perhaps one day, when Codfish Island's kakapo
0:49:12 > 0:49:14are numerous enough,
0:49:14 > 0:49:17this is where they will first return.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22Home at last
0:49:22 > 0:49:23to boom again.
0:49:40 > 0:49:45Codfish Island lies 30 miles off the mainland's southern coast.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49It's here that the kakapo is being brought back
0:49:49 > 0:49:50from the brink of extinction.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55Kakapo only breed every few years,
0:49:55 > 0:49:58so it's a great opportunity to be invited to film them
0:49:58 > 0:50:00during this critical season.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06For series producer Mark Flowers,
0:50:06 > 0:50:11the kakapo expedition was a boyhood dream come true.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14Making the New Zealand series was the complete dream job.
0:50:14 > 0:50:18I mean, it's not often that a professional assignment coincides
0:50:18 > 0:50:23with a personal passion, but I've always been obsessed with parrots.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25I've kept them, I've spent ages drawing them.
0:50:25 > 0:50:30They're real characters and I think they've got really expressive faces
0:50:30 > 0:50:34and of course New Zealand is home to the strangest parrot of them all.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37Way back in the '90s,
0:50:37 > 0:50:42I was given this book with beautiful illustrations of kakapo
0:50:42 > 0:50:44and the sad thing is they felt like the dodo of the time
0:50:44 > 0:50:46because they were in danger of going extinct,
0:50:46 > 0:50:48so I never thought I'd ever get to see one.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00There's this bonkers rumour about the kakapo and that is that it's
0:51:00 > 0:51:02supposed to have its own smell,
0:51:02 > 0:51:05something like a parrot with a perfume.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07And I've always wanted to find out if that's true or not.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13But actually getting to film them means having to go through
0:51:13 > 0:51:16some of the most stringent bio-security checks in the world.
0:51:17 > 0:51:22Codfish is pristine and needs to be kept that way.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24So long before you get on the plane to fly there,
0:51:24 > 0:51:28every case and item of clothing needs to be checked
0:51:28 > 0:51:30for foreign matter.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32- Busted.- You're busted?
0:51:35 > 0:51:39I'm being sneaky and seeing if I can clean the seeds from my waterproofs
0:51:39 > 0:51:42so I don't get caught out like Scott did.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45The team are finally given the all clear.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50But then, bad news.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55Something's happening.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59OK. Cos we're actually at the airport hangar now.
0:51:59 > 0:52:04It seems Codfish Island is living up to its impenetrable reputation.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10The beach is too rough to land.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13- Is it?- And there's some really rough tide, so...
0:52:14 > 0:52:17- We weren't expecting that, were we? - No, I wasn't.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20Well the sea was too rough to land the plane on the beach,
0:52:20 > 0:52:23the weather forecast looked terrible for a whole week,
0:52:23 > 0:52:27and I really remember thinking, "We're not going to make it."
0:52:28 > 0:52:30But then a miracle -
0:52:30 > 0:52:33the ever-resourceful Department of Conservation
0:52:33 > 0:52:35manages to rustle up a chopper.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40The next worry is, will all the equipment fit in?
0:52:42 > 0:52:45It looks like we've got everything in it.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52It's only once they're finally in the air that Mark has the chance
0:52:52 > 0:52:54to reflect on where he's really going.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58Well, I completely convinced myself we were never going to make it,
0:52:58 > 0:53:02so I couldn't believe it when we were finally on the helicopter
0:53:02 > 0:53:05and we were going to the island that I'd heard so much about
0:53:05 > 0:53:07and I remember thinking,
0:53:07 > 0:53:09"I'm finally going to get to see it."
0:53:13 > 0:53:17The crew are welcomed by a team of dedicated kakapo guardians.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23But there's no time to stop.
0:53:23 > 0:53:27Mark and cameraman Scott have to ferry all the filming equipment
0:53:27 > 0:53:29into the wild heart of the island.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34It is not an easy task.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55On the way, Mark and Scott are stopped in their tracks.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57Look what we've found.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01Some kakapo feathers and apparently the kakapo has a fabled smell.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06I think it smells a bit like...
0:54:07 > 0:54:11I don't know, a herby forest or a pine-fresh bath wash.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16I think it's a mix of honey and earth that's been left to sit
0:54:16 > 0:54:19for a hundred years or so.
0:54:19 > 0:54:23Battered and relieved, the team reach the island's summit.
0:54:23 > 0:54:29Now it's only a short descent to the nest of a living, breathing kakapo.
0:54:29 > 0:54:33The kakapo's nest is down there, further in the forest.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35I guess like a surveillance base is what this is.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39It's a race to get all their gear set up before nightfall.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49The team have come to film the moment when a female kakapo
0:54:49 > 0:54:52meets her chick for the very first time.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55And that means installing cameras in her nest
0:54:55 > 0:54:58while she's out for the night.
0:54:58 > 0:54:59A nerve-racking job.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08Rakiura's movements are closely monitored
0:55:08 > 0:55:13as tonight is the night when the porcelain egg she's been incubating
0:55:13 > 0:55:15will be swapped for a living chick.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24We were all sat there with absolute bated breath because you don't know
0:55:24 > 0:55:26if she's going to attack the baby or what.
0:55:28 > 0:55:29Here we go.
0:55:42 > 0:55:43Crikey.
0:55:47 > 0:55:51Somewhere under there is a little white bird
0:55:51 > 0:55:53and that looks like a very happy mother to me.
0:55:56 > 0:56:02That's one of those times as a wildlife film maker that you do feel
0:56:02 > 0:56:03incredibly privileged.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07This is a bittersweet moment for Mark.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11But I thought, "How ironic."
0:56:11 > 0:56:13I'm not ever going to see one in the flesh
0:56:13 > 0:56:17having come all this way and waited so long for this moment.
0:56:22 > 0:56:26But then, just as the crew are getting ready to leave,
0:56:26 > 0:56:30Codfish delivers a final piece of magic.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34Literally, with just hours to go before we had to leave,
0:56:34 > 0:56:36I got the most unexpected news.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40The chance of a lifetime, cos the vets had to go and treat
0:56:40 > 0:56:43an elderly kakapo and they asked me to go with them.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47And that meant I finally, finally
0:56:47 > 0:56:50might get the chance to go and meet one.
0:57:04 > 0:57:08Veteran female Suzanne has been spotted in the branches.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14For Mark, this is the moment when his dream comes true.
0:57:28 > 0:57:32Kakapo on Codfish have their own private health care.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34If one of them so much as sneezes,
0:57:34 > 0:57:38a dedicated team of vets are on call 24/7.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45With her checkup complete,
0:57:45 > 0:57:50now is the time to find out what perfume a kakapo really wears.
0:58:06 > 0:58:10So I guess that's pretty much near the end of our story.
0:58:11 > 0:58:15About 35 years ago, a young lad in Wensleydale
0:58:15 > 0:58:20made a wish and that was to see one of the strangest and rarest birds
0:58:20 > 0:58:22in all the world.
0:58:22 > 0:58:24And I have to say,
0:58:24 > 0:58:27he never, ever for a minute
0:58:27 > 0:58:28expected to see it.
0:58:30 > 0:58:31How amazing is that?