Heat and Dust Patagonia: Earth's Secret Paradise

In a far corner of the Earth

is a South American wilderness.

These extreme landscapes are home to strange

and wonderful animals.

GENTLE ROAR

From the rugged peaks of The Andes...

..across the scorched desert steppe...

..to coasts battered by some of the roughest seas on the planet.

Living here takes guts and determination.

There are incredible opportunities for some.

For others, it's a battle to survive.

The pioneering spirit unites them all

under the spell...

..of Patagonia.

Patagonia is a land of two extremes.

The west is a lush wonderland.

But the east is a different story.

A world battered by the wind.

Then baked by the sun.

This is a journey that blows from the Andes mountains

to the Atlantic coast.

Through Patagonia's increasingly tough desert,

where life copes by reinventing itself in weird and unique ways.

An Andean condor.

One of the heaviest flying birds in the world.

Held aloft on huge wings.

Three metres from tip to tip.

Making the most of Patagonia's powerful winds.

Winds borne far out to sea.

Driving across thousands of miles of ocean.

Laden with moisture, they race towards Patagonia.

And crash into a formidable barrier.

The Andes mountains.

WIND GUSTS

These high peaks strip the clouds of virtually all their moisture.

Over three trillion tonnes of fresh water locked up in glaciers...

..going nowhere.

The winds still blow,

but now they're freezing cold and very dry.

They sweep eastwards from the Andes...

..on a journey towards the Atlantic coast.

WIND GUSTS

The winds blow so fiercely that those who live here

call them La Escoba de Dios - The Broom of God.

In the foothills, the world they create is like no other.

Open moorlands bustling with life.

And unexpected wandering herds.

A male guanaco, wild ancestor of the llama.

At this time of the year, his main concern

is keeping an eye on his harem.

Young bachelors are intent on stealing his females.

GUANACO BLEATS

On the edge of the herd, one female has concerns of her own.

Giving birth to a calf

with legs nearly a metre long.

GENTLE BLEATING

Whist Dad is preoccupied with the bachelors,

a grey fox is taking an interest.

Mum takes no chances.

The new addition takes its first faltering steps.

Joining the family herd.

Even Dad is curious.

After giving birth, the females quickly become fertile.

They must mate again soon -

and the bachelors know it.

The male's entire harem is now at stake.

One bachelor makes his move.

The female spits her disapproval.

The male leaps into action.

FIERCE BLEATING

Using razor-sharp teeth...

..he aims for his challenger's testicles.

An emasculating bite.

Necks are protected by specially thickened skin.

These fights have no rules.

The battles are exhausting.

The challenger is driven off.

His masculinity intact, the male enjoys the rewards whilst he can.

As the wind barrels across the slopes,

it is twisted into ephemeral spirals.

Spinning Patagonia's mysterious flying saucers -

lenticular clouds constantly whipped by the swirling winds.

On the ground below, the challenge is how to cheat the wind.

The stunted vegetation is sculpted and armoured.

BIRDSONG

But under its protection, delicate flowers bloom,

hidden from the shredding blasts.

This is gavilea, a southern specialist.

An Andean sweet pea,

its fragile petals saved from the wind.

And the porcelain orchid,

named after the delicate cracks that adorn its petals.

It relishes these cold conditions.

These spirited blooms each exploit a chink in the hostile climate.

And it's not just the flowers that are keeping their heads down.

BIRDSONG

On the edge of this lake, one bush looks a little different.

Darwin's rhea -

Patagonia's largest bird.

Like the bushes around,

it's hunkered down to avoid the worst of the icy wind...

..keeping something precious warm.

A clutch of up to 50 eggs,

each ten times the size of a hen's egg.

But this isn't Mum - this is a dedicated father.

These eggs were laid by many mothers,

but they all have a single father,

and he's now incubating them alone.

For 40 days, he will barely eat or drink as his clutch develops.

When dads can finally stretch their legs,

they stride out with family in tow.

Four rhea chicks, all sporting a mint humbug camouflage.

In a rhea's world, it's all about growing up fast.

Building up fat reserves to insulate against the cruel winds.

Plants, insects and even lizards are all snapped up.

They'll grow to Dad's three-feet height in just over eight months.

Whilst the chicks can hardly see over the grass...

..Dad's long neck allows him to keep an eye out for danger.

With Dad on the lookout, the chicks can get back to

eating their way through the Patagonian scrub.

A flightless single father is unusual for a bird.

But in Patagonia, those that survive often find unexpected solutions

to the challenges they face.

Small pools dot the foothills,

formed from the meagre winter snow.

They provide a refuge for an unlikely wanderer.

Chilean flamingos.

Flamboyant and seemingly fragile,

they are, in fact, hardy nomads,

living over 50 years.

After a freezing night, ice has formed on the water.

Soon, they won't be able to feed,

so they must leave before they become trapped.

Flamingos can travel over 300 miles in a day, looking for a new lake.

But as they head east, away from the mountains,

not any old lake will do.

It must be shallow.

Salty, but not too much.

Ideally warm, getting lots of sun.

Then, like this lake,

it will be teeming with the tiny crustaceans the flamingos eat...

..which give their feathers such dramatic colour.

Their tongues pump vast quantities of water through their bills,

sieving out the microscopic food.

Filtering the lake as fast as they can.

It's essential, as they can't bank on where they'll find their next meal.

The winds are still blowing,

but now the powers of the wind and the sun combine.

Together, they start to strangle the lake.

As it evaporates, its chemistry changes,

gradually killing off the flamingos' food.

Tempers begin to flare.

Once again, they must leave

and resume their search for the next perfect lake,

racing the power of the sun.

Ahead of the flamingos, everything changes.

The foothills give way to the Patagonian Steppe.

A vast landscape nearly 300,000 square miles,

three times the size of Britain.

East of here, the wind is warmer and the sun hotter,

and the more difficult life becomes.

The soils here are too dry for trees.

Instead, another plant has the upper hand.

This is the kingdom of grasses.

Over 50 species.

Tough, shiny leaves defy the bone-dry wind.

The first Europeans to see this land weren't so impressed.

Even Charles Darwin said it was "wretched and useless".

But this land is very good for something.

These grasslands produce some of the finest wool in the world,

from some of the finest sheep in the world.

The merino.

Patagonia's dry air keeps the sheep cleaner.

Their whiter fleeces are prized by the fashion houses of Europe.

Once a year, Patagonia's eight million sheep are rounded up.

SHEEP BLEAT

SHEEPDOG BARKS

It's been said that the culture and economy here

is built on a sheep's back.

As the gauchos bring in the sheep...

..the shearers are on their way.

They travel the Steppe, living, sleeping

and eating together for months on end.

Cesar Gueide has been shearing sheep for 25 years.

TRANSLATION:

DOG BARKS

The flock gathers.

The shearers are ready.

TRANSLATION:

TRANSLATION:

FAINT SINGING AND WHISTLING

WIND WHISTLES

Making a living in these rolling grasslands is all about

being part of a community.

They all seek a home out of the wind.

The architect of all this is the big, hairy armadillo.

ARMADILLO SNIFFS

He scratches a living searching for grubs

and beetle larvae hidden underground.

His sense of smell is acute.

He can detect food buried under 50 centimetres of soil.

Inside his nose are special filters to keep out the dust.

He can breathe where others would suffocate.

He works his way around the Steppe...

..excavating as he goes.

While he does, others are taking advantage of his tunnelling skills.

A burrowing owl.

And his mate.

With no trees for shelter, the Steppe wind drives them underground.

So an old armadillo burrow makes for a snug home.

They have a strong, lifelong bond.

But their domestic bliss is threatened

by nightmare neighbours.

Maras.

Perhaps Patagonia's oddest animal.

It's like a guinea pig on stilts.

Patagonia's answer to an antelope.

She's also looking for a burrow.

But they're in short supply -

so the maras take them by force.

That doesn't go down well with the owls.

They're only eight inches tall, but don't give up without a fight.

There's a lot at stake for the mara, too.

She needs the armadillo's burrow just as much -

for her pups.

This one's only a day old.

He was born eyes wide open and fully furred.

He'll share this nursery with up to 40 others.

Burrows are vital to his survival.

Whilst his parents can sprint from danger,

his only defence is to dive underground.

Today, the community's a hive of activity.

The maras graze,

the armadillos trundle about...

..and the owls...well, they take it easy.

And for the newborn, it's time to play.

HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAL

Before long, the pups are hungry.

Each mother only feeds her own.

Their smell is unique, so she sniffs each one.

But the others still try their luck.

So every female is harassed by hungry mouths.

HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAL

The newborn joins in - but he's in for a shock.

He tries again and again.

But female after female drives him away.

HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAL

Desperate for a meal,

he tries one last time.

And his courage is rewarded.

This is HIS mother.

This community's success goes to show that with a little help,

you can make a home in the Steppe.

These rugged landscapes have, over the years,

attracted people seeking freedom and a fresh start.

The original Patagonians were nomads,

but the new settlers wanted to put down roots.

In 1865, Welsh pioneers set up a new homeland along the rivers.

This was to be a Welsh utopia, far from English influence.

By pulling together, this fledgling community, 153 strong,

made farmsteads from the wilderness.

Life was tough,

but they had a lifeline that kept their remote settlements together.

It still does today.

TRAIN WHISTLE

La Trochita - The Little Gauge.

Better known as the Patagonian Express -

a steam train in miniature.

TRAIN WHISTLE

La Trochita was built to open up the Steppe.

A vital link, transporting settlers in

and wool and livestock out to the coast.

It's still going strong,

lovingly maintained by Carlos Kmet and his team.

TRANSLATION:

Even with La Trochita,

the Steppe remains one of the most sparsely populated places on Earth.

Carlos relishes his link to Patagonia's past.

TRAIN WHISTLE

La Trochita survived,

but the unpredictable climate really tested new settlers.

In 1902, the famous bank robbers Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

escaped here to invest their loot.

Butch declared, "This part of the country looks so good,

"I like the place better every day".

But life proved too tough.

After just five years, they packed it in -

only to die in a Bolivian shootout.

Monuments to failed ventures still haunt the Steppe today.

Halfway across the Steppe, the winds begin to lose their power.

The sun takes control.

Success in the stifling heat

depends on the ability to seize the day.

One creature is determined not to miss his chance.

Patagonia's male wandering tarantulas are searching for love.

This male's spent four years reaching maturity.

But in two months, he'll be dead.

He's in a serious hurry.

He'll barely eat or sleep.

This is what he's looking for.

Silken threads left by a female.

Impregnated with her pheromones,

chemical love letters advertising her availability.

They lead him to her lair.

She can live for 30 years.

She's seen many suitors in the past.

He taps a seductive rhythm to tempt her out.

She replies.

For him, this is a very dangerous liaison.

He eyes her up.

If he's not her type, she'll eat him.

But this male has a talent for seduction.

He tenderly stokes her body.

She relaxes, opening her fangs,

allowing him to move closer.

He carefully delivers his packet of sperm.

During mating, the female falls into a trance-like state.

She stays like this for several minutes.

He has to make a quick getaway before it wears off.

For tarantulas, lingering goodbyes are generally fatal.

The winds are coming to the end of their journey,

reaching the edge of the continent.

Yet here,

Patagonia is at its most brutal.

This is a true desert,

and also Patagonia's most mysterious landscape.

For most of the year, there's not a drop of rain.

It's so hot and arid little can survive here today.

But this was once a lush forest.

It's littered with tree trunks now long dead.

Over millions of years, they've been petrified.

Turned to stone.

They're evidence that the steppe was once far wetter.

But that changed catastrophically.

Seven million years ago,

the rising Andes mountains reached their full height.

The mountain stole the rain,

transforming Patagonia's climate for ever.

A reminder that entire worlds can be snuffed out

when the elemental forces of nature collide.

Within touching distance of the Atlantic,

Patagonia's desert is at its most extreme.

Yet life triumphs even here.

Not a mirage -

a penguin.

She's on a mission,

walking deeper into the desert.

Her lifelong mate is waiting for her.

Just one couple in the largest penguin colony in South America.

Magellanic penguins,

over half a million of them.

So the competition for burrows often boils over.

Magellanics have short fuses.

They aim for bare patches of skin

where blood vessels are closest to the surface.

The damage looks worse than it is,

but he'll think twice before stealing another's burrow.

This couple have come to the desert for one reason -

the dry air.

Their new chicks are covered in a fluffy layer of down.

Despite the searing day,

nights are cold,

so the down is essential for warmth.

But if it gets wet,

the chicks will chill and die.

So everyone suffers in the heat.

Each day, their parents take turns trudging to the sea

across a mile of desert.

Dad's feet are leathery -

protection from the burning sand.

Finally.

The ocean is a welcome relief.

He'll swim miles out to sea,

fishing tirelessly for over eight hours.

Back at the burrow,

it's tough for Mum.

With her thick feathers and a layer of fat,

she's in danger of overheating.

But, despite the heat,

she can't doze off.

The colony is not safe.

Kelp gulls.

They skulk around the colony

searching every burrow

looking for unattended chicks.

They won't try anything with Mum around.

The gulls keep her on her toes,

but the main threat to her chicks

is the desert itself.

Their only source of water's within the food

their parents bring back from the sea.

Around them, the gulls are making the most of early casualties.

But these chicks are lucky.

Dad emerges from the dust,

his stomach full of fish and squid.

Food and drink in one gulp.

For this couple,

100 days of trudging the desert lie ahead,

before their chicks are old enough to leave the colony,

heading out to spend winter at sea,

saying goodbye to Patagonia

for another year.

The theft of rains by the Andes mountains may have destroyed a world,

but, in doing so,

it has created a new one.

A windswept land to the east...

..an arid world of plucky and adaptable survivors...

..pioneers who take on a punishing combination of elements

and, against all the odds,

they triumph.

Patagonia has a rugged beauty,

and the jewel in its crown is Torres del Paine,

famous for its iconic granite towers.

It's where the Patagonia team have come to film two creatures

during the brief spring.

Their aim is to capture the birth of a wanako

and a rhea father with his newly-hatched chicks

and, to do so, they turn to the people who know Torres best,

Chilean film-makers Christian Munoz-Donoso

and his son Christiaan Munoz Salas,

also known as Doco.

They would each take on one of these challenges.

With Doco is director Hannah Hawe.

Their mission was the rhea family.

Rheas are massive. They're Patagonia's biggest birds.

I just didn't think it would be that hard to find them.

But I hadn't really banked on the scale of the landscape.

It's just vast, and rheas are incredibly well-camouflaged.

They just vanish.

From a distance, every rock looks like a rhea.

They needed extra help, so local rancher Juan led them

to the spots he knew.

So, Juan is just going to check the route ahead for us.

There's a bit of a, er...

Well, from here, it looks like a bit of a cliff.

He's just going to check if there's a route down.

It's his land, so...

..whatever he says goes.

It's not his car, however.

Ooh!

CAR DOOR SLAMS

BIRDSONG

Finally, a rhea.

But too far away.

And not stopping.

Rheas run at nearly 40mph.

BIRDSONG

But if the rheas were proving difficult,

the guanaco team seemed to have the harder mission -

to film a mother giving birth.

Very soon, they saw a welcome sight.

Getting close wasn't the problem.

But they'd missed the birth, and only by minutes.

But for the rhea team, Patagonia had unleashed its powerful winds.

They're called the Broom of God.

Gusting over 100mph...

..and making filming impossible.

WIND ROARS

I can't... I genuinely can't stand up!

HE LAUGHS

WIND ROARS AND WHISTLES

HE LAUGHS

HE EXHALES DEEPLY

CAR ENGINE WHIRS

The next day, the wind dropped.

The rhea team had a new lead.

But Christiaan had a word of warning before they went their separate ways.

HE CHUCKLES

Like any father, Christiaan was concerned for their safety.

If we encounter pumas, what... What's the protocol?

THEY LAUGH

OK.

Bye.

Off we go.

Puma country.

Hyunh!

I'm sticking with you, Doco.

SHE CHUCKLES

Here is...

..the first sign I've got that we are...

definitely in puma country. Not much left of that.

I guess that was a guanaco.

Finally, a rhea that was staying put.

But as soon as we found the rhea, I forgot about the pumas.

It was the closest we'd managed to get to one.

He was sitting on a nest and he wasn't going anywhere.

He just sat tight on that nest.

And we just had to do the same.

BIRDSONG

They needed this dad to have chicks beneath those feathers.

After five hours, he stood,

only to reveal that there were no chicks, just eggs.

And rheas can sit on their eggs for five weeks before they hatch.

It was disappointing.

We just didn't have time to sit with him and wait for them to hatch.

It was really gutting.

But we had to move on.

Down the road, for the guanaco team, it was all kicking off.

Suddenly, there were chulengos appearing all over the place.

The guanaco mission was complete.

But the rhea team were running out of options.

They had one last tip they could check out.

We'd been told about a lake where rheas are often seen.

It was called Lake Nandu, which is

the local Spanish word for 'rhea', which I thought was a good omen.

After a couple of tense hours scouring the horizon...

I've just seen a rhea with his chicks.

He's just come over the big hill.

His chicks were just a few days old.

BIRDSONG

And this time, Doco managed to get the shots that he needed

that helped us tell that story of our dad with his little chicks.

It was a huge relief.

Sometimes, it's the things that you think are going to be easy

that take you by surprise and prove to be the most difficult.

It just goes to show that you can never second-guess Patagonia.

BIRDSONG

Next time, we travel along Patagonia's coastline,

from the turbulent, freezing waters of Cape Horn...

..forging northwards over 1,000 miles...

..where rich ocean currents favour those who dare to be different.

SEALS BARK AND SNARL