0:00:27 > 0:00:29New Zealand is a wonderful place.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38With its breathtaking landscapes and strong farming heritage,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42it was somewhere I'd always wanted to visit.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Back in 1987, I made the long trip out there
0:00:46 > 0:00:49with my good friend, Duncan.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51# I am a passenger
0:00:52 > 0:00:55# And I ride and I ride... #
0:00:56 > 0:00:59We were young, adventurous, fresh out of agricultural college,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03and hungry to experience everything New Zealand had to offer.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06It didn't disappoint.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11# You know it looks so good tonight... #
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Now, nearly 30 years later,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16I'm revisiting the Land of the Long White Cloud,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19keen to remind myself of just what makes New Zealand
0:01:19 > 0:01:22one of the most exciting places to farm in the world.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28# Sing la-la-la-la la-la-la-la
0:01:28 > 0:01:31# La-la-la-la la-la-la-la... #
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Once they go, they certainly go!
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Along the way, I'll be meeting some old friends...
0:01:42 > 0:01:46You used to snore a lot, you know, when you stayed last time.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49You used to kick me out of bed to make me go and prune kiwi vines!
0:01:50 > 0:01:53..I'll be witnessing farming on a breathtaking scale...
0:01:55 > 0:01:57What sort of numbers are we talking about on this farm?
0:01:57 > 0:02:01- 15,000.- Wow! That's a lot of sheep to look after.- It is.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06..I'll get the chance to help out some of the locals...
0:02:07 > 0:02:11This is really exciting for me, rounding up cattle
0:02:11 > 0:02:14out in the middle of nowhere... It's what dreams are made of really.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16I love it!
0:02:21 > 0:02:23..I need to quickly find my sea legs...
0:02:24 > 0:02:26They put the crayfish into this blue tub here.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28BLEEP
0:02:28 > 0:02:29I don't know what that was!
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Crikey! I thought that was a buoy coming at me!
0:02:38 > 0:02:42..and I'm on the hunt for some rare breeds with unbelievable stories.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45What's that, there? Look, look.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- What's that? That's a pig, is it? Is it a pig?- Yeah.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50- So lucky to see him. So lucky to see him.- Incredible.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53# La-la-la-la la-la-la-la
0:02:53 > 0:02:57# La-la-la-la la-la-la-la. #
0:03:02 > 0:03:05For a country that's roughly the same
0:03:05 > 0:03:09size as the UK, New Zealand's population of a little more than
0:03:09 > 0:03:134.5 million people means there's plenty of open country to explore.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17On my last trip here, Duncan and I bought a sturdy,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21if a little unreliable, Austin 1100, and hit the road.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24This time, I'm far better equipped.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30In 1987, one of our first stops was on North island,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32in the aptly named Bay Of Plenty.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35And that's where I'm heading now.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39It's so good to be back in New Zealand.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43And the Bay Of Plenty here is famed for its perfect growing conditions.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46It's warm all year round, with lots of sunshine and rainfall,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48and rich, deep soils.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51So, perfect for growing grass, but also lots of different fruit
0:03:51 > 0:03:52and veg too.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55And that's why Duncan and I thought here would be a good place to
0:03:55 > 0:03:57pick up some labouring work.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Our point of contact was a local dairy farmer,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01a guy called John Cameron.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04And he found us a month's work pruning kiwi vines.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I thought I was going to be milking dairy cows.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Anyway, it was great fun. And JC, as his mates call him,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14became a good friend and now I'm really looking forward to
0:04:14 > 0:04:17catching up with him back on his farm, all these years later.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28JC!
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Adam.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33How are you keeping, mate?
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- All right!- Haven't seen you for ages!- Great to see you!
0:04:36 > 0:04:38- Yeah, you too. - What a place you've got now!
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Yeah, it's bloody brilliant, isn't it?
0:04:40 > 0:04:44- When did you build this? - Erm, ten years ago, we started.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46And we obviously were in the old home,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49we used to snore a lot when you came and stayed last time.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51You used to kick me out of bed to make me go and prune kiwi vines.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53- Yeah.- So, you've still got cows.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55When I was here last, you had two farms.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58- Milking, what, 1,000 cows, or something?- Yes, that's correct.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Now, we're sort of diversing into sort of I guess other land
0:05:02 > 0:05:04uses, which is kiwi fruit at this stage, yeah.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- You're growing kiwi fruit yourself now?- Yes, thank you very much.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09You used to take the mickey out of those kiwi growers!
0:05:09 > 0:05:12I have to say that I never thought I'd ever do it, you know?
0:05:12 > 0:05:17But economics is doing that, land use etc, so time to do it.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Well, the view has changed dramatically.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22It was all open pasture and thousands of cows.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25And now, there's all these trees and sort of shelter belts everywhere.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Luckily, in the Bay Of Plenty, we've got that chance to do that.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- So it's all good.- I'd quite like to get back down into the kiwi
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- plantations.- Yeah, I'd love to show you. Yes, I'd love to show you.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- Some sweet memories! - Yeah, yeah. Well, good to see you.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38When I was last here,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42kiwi fruit were still seen as an exotic crop to grow.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Pruning them earned Duncan and me
0:05:44 > 0:05:47some much needed cash to fund our travels.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52Today, the fruit is big business. The plantations are vast.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Pollination takes place on an industrial scale.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58And pruning is a full-time job.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Nathan Birt manages JC's kiwi orchards.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03This takes me back.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06And I have to say, 20 years, 27 years on,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10that was one of your claims to fame here.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12I'd like you to give them a go, at least, mate.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Can I still remember...?
0:06:14 > 0:06:17So when we were pruning kiwi vines, it was in the winter months.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20And I think we were taking out the deadwood. But it's all growing now.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23So, basically now, we've gone through flowering,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25so these males, with the male flowers, aren't needed any more.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27So what we're doing is trying to rein them
0:06:27 > 0:06:30back in and get the shade off the females,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and also get good production for flower for next season for the male.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37The gross fruit production now, instead of being at 5,000
0:06:37 > 0:06:41trays back once upon a time when you were here, 10,000 now is the normal.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Wow! That's serious!
0:06:43 > 0:06:46So it's around Nathan's ability to exercise
0:06:46 > 0:06:49and get new methods that we're consistently trying to get
0:06:49 > 0:06:51better and better at what we're doing.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- Moving things on.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Now, around a third of all kiwi fruits are grown in New Zealand.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Most them here in the Bay Of Plenty.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06But it's not just kiwis that JC's started to grow.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Avocados in the UK are now outselling oranges
0:07:09 > 0:07:12and they're just as popular in this part of the world.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15There's a lot of fruit on here.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17It's great to see fruit on there, believe me,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20cos it can be difficult to grow them.
0:07:20 > 0:07:21Any severe weather conditions
0:07:21 > 0:07:25from now onwards after budding is done, you can lose the fruit,
0:07:25 > 0:07:30so it's quite rewarding and it's very economic, over and above cows.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33So, are you a dairy farmer, or are you a businessman?
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Hand on heart, I'd say that I'm a dairy farmer,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39but I would have to say I'm a businessperson as well
0:07:39 > 0:07:42and I'm not going to say no to anything, as you know.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I said no to kiwi fruit 27 years ago, but things change.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Well, I'd love to come back in another ten years
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- and see what you're up to, JC. - Ten years is too long, mate.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- You've got to come sooner than that. Please.- I will, I promise you.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- OK.- Cheers.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00It's been really interesting to catch up with JC.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02The farm has certainly changed since I was last here...
0:08:02 > 0:08:04- See you again.- Take care.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08..but JC is just as I remember him.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31I'm leaving the fertile soils of the Bay Of Plenty
0:08:31 > 0:08:35and driving south towards the volcanic centre of North Island.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Farmers in New Zealand have long had a reputation for being
0:08:46 > 0:08:48incredibly adaptable.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52When I was last here, sheep farming ruled,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55but since then, numbers have dropped significantly
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and other livestock have filled the gap in the market.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Deer aren't native to New Zealand, and over the years
0:09:09 > 0:09:12these wild animals have caused environmental damage,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15but with the popularity of venison soaring, farming them
0:09:15 > 0:09:19is becoming increasingly popular, but it's not always been that way.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Here at the government-owned Rangitaiki Station,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31I'm meeting farmer Murray Matuschka, who is going to tell me more.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Murray, when deer were brought to New Zealand back in 1900,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38presumably they loved it here.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Perfect conditions.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Well, it was amazing.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46These deer arrived at a situation where there was so much grass,
0:09:46 > 0:09:51you know. And so they just thrived. They just got out of control.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- Did they go to sort of epidemic proportions?- Oh, hell, yeah.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58They chewed the bush out and all the tussock was gone.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03So the government deployed cullers. And they shot thousands of them.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11At first, the deer were hunted on foot.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14But soon, helicopters were used to devastating effect.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25But as the numbers of wild deer were gradually brought under control,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29marksmen and pilots adapted their skills to catch live animals
0:10:29 > 0:10:31to supply farms.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40By the 1980s, large scale deer farming in New Zealand
0:10:40 > 0:10:42was in full swing.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45And big money had started to change hands for these captured creatures.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52That was an amazing time of our lives. You'll never see that again.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55All of a sudden, all this money poured into the country.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59- I think there was about 15 helicopters.- Goodness me!
0:10:59 > 0:11:02- Out, catching...? - Catching live deer.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04And they'd take them to a sale
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and you'd get 3,000 bucks for a wild deer.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10I remember taking five to a sale and coming home with 25,000.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12That was big money.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14So, once the deer were caught and farmed,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18being typical New Zealanders, you took it to the next level.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21We used to get a hind at about 85 to 90 kilos,
0:11:21 > 0:11:22we thought that was amazing.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27But now, they're 120. And the fawns are getting bigger.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28They're just going so well.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31It seems to me that when you New Zealanders see an opportunity,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33you certainly know how to grab it.
0:11:33 > 0:11:34Oh, we do! Yeah! We do.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45New Zealand has now become the largest exporter of farmed
0:11:45 > 0:11:47venison in the world.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51The Rangitaiki Station is not only the biggest deer
0:11:51 > 0:11:55farm in New Zealand, but the biggest in the southern hemisphere.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Sam Bunny is the station manager.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- Ah, you must be Sam.- Yeah, g'day. - I'm Adam, good to see you.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- How's things?- All right, really good. This is an amazing setup.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- What are you doing in here? - These are our two-year-old stags
0:12:06 > 0:12:08and the vet's just here giving them a health check before sale,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10and they'll be getting sold in the next couple of months.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14And I understand you've got the biggest herd in the country.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Yeah, Rangitaiki runs about 7,500 commercial hinds.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Goodness me!
0:12:19 > 0:12:21- Thousands of them!- Yeah! - Amazing.- Keeps us busy, yeah.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24So when you've got all the hinds and all the fawns
0:12:24 > 0:12:26and all the stags, what does that add up to?
0:12:26 > 0:12:28On any given sort of summer,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31we might have about 14,000 or 15,000 deer running round Rangitaiki, yeah.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32Wow! Serious operation.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35What are you focusing on then to improve the deer?
0:12:35 > 0:12:37We've got the deer stud here, so genetically,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40we're working on their breeding values, which is
0:12:40 > 0:12:43traits around growth rates and carcass weights.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Trying to get them to grow fast
0:12:45 > 0:12:47so we can get the venison production up.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49A lot of focus around pasture management.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52So just eating grass is better, growing more grass,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54and the more grass we can grow and the better that grass is,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57then the more profitable and the better our business will be.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Well, it's fascinating to see how you guys work out here
0:13:00 > 0:13:01and how you think.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Beautiful looking deer. How are they, Andrew? All clear?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- Yeah, they're all clear. Good to go. - Let's leave them to settle down.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21There's good boys.
0:13:22 > 0:13:27- They've got some size about them, haven't they?- Yeah.- Wow!
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Once they go, they certainly go!
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- It's certainly a lot quicker than moving sheep about.- Yeah...
0:13:41 > 0:13:44VOICEOVER: You have hand it to the Kiwis -
0:13:44 > 0:13:46these farmers certainly know how to turn
0:13:46 > 0:13:48opportunities into moneymaking businesses.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53And I know, when it comes to farming,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55New Zealand is very different to back home.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59But what really sets them apart, from what I've seen so far,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01is their attitude.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13My next stop is the Hawkes Bay region, where I'm meeting
0:14:13 > 0:14:16a farmer who epitomises this Kiwi can-do attitude.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21I'm heading east, into the forest, looking for Te Wae Wae,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24an isolated farm, located on the edge of the beautiful Mohaka River.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Wow! What a magnificent view!
0:14:43 > 0:14:46I've been driving along this forest road for about an hour now.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49And apparently, this was all farmland at one time
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and then it was planted to this vast pine forest.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Now, my directions say that I should go along the road
0:14:57 > 0:15:00until I start feeling lost and then just keep going.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05Well, I certainly feel lost, so I suppose I'd better keep going.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Fortunately, the miles of trees begin to give way to pasture.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Back in 1967, Ian Brickle purchased his first farm with his wife,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Caroline.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37What's remarkable is at the age of 78, Ian's still farming,
0:15:37 > 0:15:42now at this remote location that's hours off the beaten track.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54- Hi, Ian! Good to see you. - Pleased to meet you, Adam.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Goodness me! You're a tough man to find.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58I was coming all the way through the forest and
0:15:58 > 0:16:01I thought I was lost and then got to your farm. What a remote spot!
0:16:01 > 0:16:05- It's remarkable!- It is remote, I agree, but that's the way I like it.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09And you're 78. How do you manage, farming here?
0:16:09 > 0:16:13I honestly believe that you grow unfit more than you grow old.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15As long as you can keep your fitness and obviously,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19if you've got good health, then yeah, you just keep going.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22So, what are you farming here? I see livestock everywhere.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Well, we've got 600 breeding ewes,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29we've got 83 Welsh Black cows.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31And I also breed horses.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Wonderful. So, can we go and take a look at your Welsh Black cattle?
0:16:34 > 0:16:36- You can.- Let's go.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Today, Ian needs to muster his cattle from the mountain
0:16:42 > 0:16:45to do some routine checks in the handling pens.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46His grandson, Jacob,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49and his team of working dogs are on hand to help out.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Right. Goodness me, how many dogs have you got?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56We've got six here, six working dogs and a Jack Russell.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- Wow! And you control them all at once?- Try to, yeah.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- Do my best!- And what are they? Huntaways, I recognise.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Yep, huntaways and heading dogs.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- So the heading dog is a bit like our Border collie, is it?- Yep, yeah.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09And how many cattle have we got to gather then?
0:17:09 > 0:17:10- How many is there altogether?- 200.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13- And if I'm in the wrong place, just shout at me.- Righto.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22The tranquillity is about to be broken.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24WHISTLES
0:17:24 > 0:17:26BARKING
0:17:33 > 0:17:37BARKING AND WHISTLING
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Goodness me, Ian! Those huntaways can really go, can't they?
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Jacob's a really good young shepherd.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01He's probably mature beyond his years,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04when it comes to his dogs. He's got very good dogs.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06So the black and white ones are the heading dogs,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- to get around in front and round them up.- That's right.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11And then a huntaway hunts them away up the mountain.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13That's correct, Adam.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16And why do you love this wild country so much?
0:18:16 > 0:18:18What is it in you that makes you want to be out here?
0:18:18 > 0:18:21We're miles from anywhere.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25I can't answer that. I guess it's my genetic make-up or something.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28But I just love the wild places. Always have done.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37And were all of these calves born outdoors?
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Or do you have to bring them into the sheds out here?
0:18:40 > 0:18:43We don't have sheds, Adam. No, no.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48My cows calf completely on their own, unassisted, no problems.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51And is that part of your mantra, part of what you want to try
0:18:51 > 0:18:53and achieve, a cow that looks after itself?
0:18:53 > 0:18:56I think it's part of the New Zealand hill country farming.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01We've looked to breed a type of animal that are perfectly
0:19:01 > 0:19:04- capable of looking after themselves. - Low cost animal, really.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08- Yep, and low input from our point of view.- Yeah, sure.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10They don't have to pamper them.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13But the Welshies are brilliant at surviving on rough grass,
0:19:13 > 0:19:14they really are.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18It's great to see traditional British breeds still thriving here.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20How popular are the Welsh cattle?
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Not as popular as they should be, Adam.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28But let me say, I have tried all those breeds out, Angus, Hereford,
0:19:28 > 0:19:34Shorthorn, Charolais, and the Welsh leave them for dead, in my opinion.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38I've judged Welsh Black cattle once actually, and really like them.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41And I'm half Welsh. So, you know, I'm feeling quite patriotic.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Well, that's the young cattle through the first gate.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52There's still quite a long way to go.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54I said to Ian, "Shall I go back and get the buggy?"
0:19:54 > 0:19:56And he said, "No, no. I'll go. I'll just run down."
0:19:56 > 0:19:59And he literally meant "run down".
0:19:59 > 0:20:02He's headed off down the hill like a mountain goat.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04This guy is 78. It's quite remarkable!
0:20:15 > 0:20:17We're just chasing these cattle up here now.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Jacob's still working his dogs and moving them along nicely.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23The herd have split a bit. Some have gone along the track
0:20:23 > 0:20:27and then the others are going down this really steep hill.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Just remarkable really.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31This is really exciting for me.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35You know, coming back to New Zealand and rounding up cattle.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39Out in the middle of nowhere. It's what dreams are made of really.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40I love it!
0:20:55 > 0:20:58The cattle are being rounded up for an annual TB test.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02In New Zealand, in 1990, the percentage of cattle with TB
0:21:02 > 0:21:06was about seven times greater than in Britain.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09But by 2011, it was about 40 times less.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12I'm keen to know how they've achieved this incredible
0:21:12 > 0:21:16reduction, as back home, my animals have suffered with TB for decades.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Michelle Murphy is an animal technician
0:21:23 > 0:21:25and TB testing is her full-time job.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30Michelle, over here, you've managed to reduce your prevalence
0:21:30 > 0:21:33of TB in the herds very dramatically, haven't you?
0:21:33 > 0:21:36How have you succeeded doing that?
0:21:36 > 0:21:41- Controlling the infected wildlife. - Which wildlife are you controlling?
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Possums. Field deer.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Ferrets. Wild pigs.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Anything that can carry or spread TB.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52- And so they're all non-native species.- Yes.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- They are.- And do they cause damage out in the environment as well?
0:21:55 > 0:21:59- Is that why they're considered as pests?- Yes, they do.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04The possums ruin the native trees and birdlife.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07And how much TB will be in this area now?
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Er, very little, if any.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13We've got a similar problem at home, but the vectors,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16the animals in the wild that carry TB, particularly badgers,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20have been in our country for centuries, if not thousands
0:22:20 > 0:22:23of years, so they're a native species, very symbolic to Britain.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26And there's a huge amount of controversy over culling them,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29although the government has taken that decision,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31but also, we are TB-testing our herds.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34So it's really difficult for us to get on top of it.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36But interesting how you've managed it over here,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- you've been really robust about it, haven't you?- Yes.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41- Yes, definitely.- Yeah.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Thankfully, this herd was later given the all clear.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Testing is a stressful process for the cattle, so we release them
0:22:48 > 0:22:52as quick as we can and drive them towards some fresh mountain pasture.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Well, it's been about a ten-hour day and we're still climbing up
0:23:00 > 0:23:04the hills and I'm starting to fade, but Ian's still going strong here!
0:23:04 > 0:23:08I have to say, Ian, I'm so jealous of the place you live
0:23:08 > 0:23:10and work, your wonderful cattle.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12This farm's just extraordinary!
0:23:12 > 0:23:15I know I'm truly blessed, Adam. I know that.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19But I've got a wonderful wife. She's been very supportive too.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22And I've still got my health. I've got no reason to stop.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- And I certainly don't want to stop. - And you've got lots of children,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27grandchildren too, all following in your footsteps.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30We've got seven children and 24 grandchildren and yeah,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33there's a bit of talent starting to show up amongst the grandkids too.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Well, that's just good breeding on your part, isn't it?
0:23:36 > 0:23:40I wouldn't say that! Maybe they get it from their mother.
0:23:40 > 0:23:41Well, I have to say, Ian,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43this is a day that I'll remember for a very long time.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Oh, that's lovely, Adam. I hope you've enjoyed yourselves.
0:23:46 > 0:23:47It's been great.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Oh, that's good. That's good. It's a pretty special place.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Ian's farm was my last stop on North Island.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05After a couple of days in the wilderness,
0:24:05 > 0:24:10it's strange being back on the road and seeing so many cars.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12And the weather's not making the driving any easier.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24But four hours later, and with the weather looking up,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26I reach my destination.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32I've just arrived in Wellington in the North Island, about to catch
0:24:32 > 0:24:36the ferry across the Cook Strait to Picton in the South Island.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39And it's pretty blustery today. I hope it's not going to be too rough.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Right, I'd better get checked in.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I know from experience the Cook Strait between North
0:24:45 > 0:24:49and South Island can be a notoriously choppy stretch of water.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53The last time my pal Duncan and I made this crossing,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55the weather was far from kind.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Luckily, today, the high winds amount only to a light swell.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Only part of the three-hour journey is on the open sea, so it's not long
0:25:15 > 0:25:18before we're cruising down the calm waters of Queen Charlotte Sound.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35With the ferry docked in the port of Picton, it's time to disembark.
0:25:37 > 0:25:38This brings back memories.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42The last time I was getting off this ferry, our old Austin had
0:25:42 > 0:25:45a flat battery, so I had to push while Dunc jump-started it.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49But where I'm heading next, I won't need a car.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53I'm boarding another boat, heading back out into the sounds.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01The calmer waters here have long been a haven for sailors
0:26:01 > 0:26:04seeking refuge from treacherous seas,
0:26:04 > 0:26:09including intrepid British explorer Captain James Cook,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13who in 1770 was the first European commander to sail through it.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Cook and his crew soon discovered New Zealand wasn't like any
0:26:25 > 0:26:26place they had ever seen.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29It appeared to have no native mammals
0:26:29 > 0:26:34and the country was dominated by birds.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37But Cook was about to change that, with the introduction to
0:26:37 > 0:26:41New Zealand of one of its first farm animals, an old English goat.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Incredibly, almost 250 years later, wild descendants of these
0:26:52 > 0:26:57first goats can still be found on the isolated island of Arapaoa.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58And that's where I'm heading,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01in the hope of seeing one of these elusive creatures.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07For the journey, I've got myself a great skipper.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11And to tell me more, rare breed expert Michael Willis has joined me.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15He's as passionate as I am about protecting heritage livestock.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18So we're going to look for these goats. Tell me about them.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Cook always carried goats on board.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Particularly English goats cos they're tougher.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25They kept them for milk for the officers
0:27:25 > 0:27:27and they also kept them to liberate them,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29it was standard practice to let goats and pigs
0:27:29 > 0:27:32and fowl go on remote areas, remote islands like this,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35so a source of food for when they came back again.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Quite standard practice.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39So when they returned, there'd be food,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42- ready-made, on the island for them. - Absolutely.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45In 1773 and 1777,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Cook made two voyages to Arapaoa Island with animals on board.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Amongst his special travellers were the ancestors of the goats
0:27:53 > 0:27:54we're looking for.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Cook released some of the goats on to the island.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03More than 50 years later, in 1839, a visitor to the island
0:28:03 > 0:28:06wrote in his diary that it was swarmed with goats.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Today, this breed is critically close to extinction.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20It's pretty extraordinary, isn't it, here we are all these years later,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24with an ancient British breed that its safe haven
0:28:24 > 0:28:25is on a New Zealand island?
0:28:25 > 0:28:28It's almost an ark of genetics.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30I wonder what the natives thought of these white men turning up
0:28:30 > 0:28:34with these weird animals - a goat, that they'd never seen before.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Yeah, I think they actually were terrified to start with.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39But they soon realised the benefit of the goats
0:28:39 > 0:28:43and the Maori chief put a protection order on the goats.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46So that showed the respect they had for them.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51But Cook, his crew, and animals were not always welcome.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Maori people sometimes forcibly resisted the European settlers.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Skipper Peter Beach has a ruthless story to tell me.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07While Cook was here, a number of his men came down with scurvy.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11He sent ten men to look for wild celery,
0:29:11 > 0:29:13as an antiscorbutic medicine.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16They didn't come back that day.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20The following day, Cook came around the corner here
0:29:20 > 0:29:22- and you see the beach up there? - Yeah.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25There was a whole lot of people milling around
0:29:25 > 0:29:28and they said it looked like a carnival atmosphere.
0:29:28 > 0:29:34And they went ashore and they found 20 baskets full of meat.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36And they went up and checked these baskets out.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40And they were able to identify the remains of their shipmates
0:29:40 > 0:29:43by the tattoos on the forearms of their men.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45- Goodness me!- Yeah.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50- So they were going to eat them? - Yeah. It was a carnival.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52- Yeah.- Yeah.- Goodness me! Horrible! Horrible!
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Dolphins!
0:30:04 > 0:30:06There's some little dolphins just here.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08About six or eight of them. Wow!
0:30:08 > 0:30:12There's two there that have got small ones next to them,
0:30:12 > 0:30:15little babies. I think these are dusky dolphins, they call them.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19Just hope we manage to get a glimpse of the goats now.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24On a sunny day like today, it's likely the goats are keeping
0:30:24 > 0:30:27cool in the shade, so they're going to be hard to spot.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30But it's not long before we see something.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32- Sheep. So there's a breed of sheep here too.- Yes.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36- So, where did they originate from? - Nobody's really sure,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39but the recent DNA research shows that
0:30:39 > 0:30:41the nearest sheep that they look like
0:30:41 > 0:30:44they belong to are some kept by North American Indians,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46up the North American coast.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49And they were reputed to come from Spain in the 1500s.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52- So sort of Navajo sheep, something like that?- Yes, exactly. Exactly.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55- Something like that.- Incredible. - So that's the nearest link.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59It's interesting how wildlife often link where people travel.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Yeah, that connection with livestock and people
0:31:01 > 0:31:04and history is very entwined, isn't it?
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Absolutely, very entwined. And you can trace people's migration to the
0:31:07 > 0:31:09livestock that they carry with them.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13- And they're enjoying that person's lawn there.- Oh, they are!
0:31:13 > 0:31:16No goats yet though. Let's keep looking.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23What's that there? Look. What's that?
0:31:23 > 0:31:26- Just to the left of the tree there? - Yeah, yeah. That's a pig, is it?
0:31:26 > 0:31:28- Is it a pig?- Yeah, it's a pig.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31It's a pig. You're lucky to see a pig!
0:31:31 > 0:31:33- It's quite a big one too. - You hardly ever see them.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Yeah, that's an Arapaoa pig.
0:31:35 > 0:31:40- Considered one of New Zealand's feature rare breeds.- Really?
0:31:40 > 0:31:42- So lucky to see that. So lucky to see it.- Incredible.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45So that's a definite breed then, recognised as an Arapaoa pig.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Absolutely. Absolutely. Nobody knows
0:31:47 > 0:31:49whether they're the pigs that Captain Cook let go.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Their DNA shows that they're European,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53so they would have come out
0:31:53 > 0:31:57a long time ago. Their real history? Not sure.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59It's great to have seen the sheep and the pigs,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02but I've come a long way to see the Arapaoa goat. It's getting towards
0:32:02 > 0:32:06the end of the day and we're just about to give up hope, when...
0:32:06 > 0:32:08There's one! There's one! On the beach!
0:32:08 > 0:32:11On the beach! At least we've seen ONE!
0:32:11 > 0:32:15- That's amazing! Really is amazing.- Oh, wonderful!
0:32:15 > 0:32:18I remember my dad used to have some goats that he called
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Old English goats, and they were very similar to that.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22Almost identical, in fact.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25There's something moving around in the bushes up there, look.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Have a quick look.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32I can see, yeah, more goats. There's a nanny and some kids there.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35This is easy! There's loads of them!
0:32:35 > 0:32:38There's not, actually! We've seen more than our share.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40There must be a dozen goats there.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43They're all following each other up the track.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45So, on a normal day, if you came out,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48how regular is it to spot them like this?
0:32:48 > 0:32:50I've been up this coast several times,
0:32:50 > 0:32:54I've been here looking for pigs, with probably 12 people
0:32:54 > 0:32:56and dogs, for three or four days,
0:32:56 > 0:32:58never found a pig, never saw a pig.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00- Wow!- And now we're seeing one just like that.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02And now we've seen all the goats too.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04And I've been on the coast looking for goats and never seen them,
0:33:04 > 0:33:06so this is special. This is a really special day.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09- Well, what a treat.- Yeah.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Knowing how elusive these goats can be, Michael wasn't going to let me
0:33:12 > 0:33:16travel from the other side of the world without seeing some up close.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21So, he's arranged to have a couple of domestic Arapaoa
0:33:21 > 0:33:22goats on standby.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Look what we've got here!
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Some Arapaoa goats.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31This is the first time I've ever touched an Arapaoa goat.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34A true Old English, delivered by Captain Cook himself.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37And reasonable milk, but plenty of meat,
0:33:37 > 0:33:40so you can understand why Captain Cook left them and then knowing
0:33:40 > 0:33:43that people might return and then there was a ready source of food.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47- Yeah, they are a meaty goat. - Yeah.- And a hardy goat.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50And this is the backbone of agriculture here in New Zealand.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52- It's how it all started, isn't it? - Absolutely.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55It's really quite an amazing story and as you say, it is
0:33:55 > 0:33:58the birth of a nation, their colonisation, the release of these
0:33:58 > 0:34:02animals into the country, the effect on the country, and so it goes on.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05So it's really very much the story of New Zealand.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07I think they deserve their place, don't they?
0:34:07 > 0:34:09They need to be conserved and looked after.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11They deserve their place, they certainly do.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20These little goats may have played a major role in allowing
0:34:20 > 0:34:24Europeans to get a foothold, but within 30 years of Captain Cook's
0:34:24 > 0:34:28arrival, settlers were turning their sights to much bigger creatures.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33Whales.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45Whaling in New Zealand was eventually banned in 1968.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48But the haunting remains of the country's biggest whaling
0:34:48 > 0:34:51station still clings to Arapaoa's shore.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06Amazingly, some whaling families still live on the island.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08I'm meeting Joe Hebley and his wife Heather.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Joe is the last of five generations of his family to hunt
0:35:11 > 0:35:13out in the strait.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19Just describe how it worked here, then, in the bay.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21As soon as a whale was spotted, the Union Jack flag would go up
0:35:21 > 0:35:25the pole over there, and that was to tell the factory to get steam up,
0:35:25 > 0:35:27there was a whale spotted.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30And then the mother ship would take off, and the three chasers.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34So the mother ship was to bring the dead whale back into the factory?
0:35:34 > 0:35:36Yeah, yeah.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38When a whale came up to breathe,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- you could see them underwater, the dark...- Yeah.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44..and you'd get as close as you can and then bang!
0:35:44 > 0:35:47That's the harpoon that went down the barrel of the gun.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50So that would be in a gun that you would pull the trigger
0:35:50 > 0:35:52- and that would fire out into the whale?- Yeah, yeah.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Oh, there's some weight about it, isn't there?!
0:35:55 > 0:35:57Were there ever any accidents with these things, Heather?
0:35:57 > 0:36:00There was, in the early 1940s.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Joe's father had been working in the whaling station,
0:36:02 > 0:36:07and a young guy was manning the gun on a chaser,
0:36:07 > 0:36:09and he fired it and the actual gun
0:36:09 > 0:36:11blew back in in his face
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- and he was killed virtually instantly.- Oh, no!
0:36:14 > 0:36:17And the next day, Joe's dad had to go out
0:36:17 > 0:36:21and be behind the same gun, same boat, do it all again,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24- and that was the start of his whaling career...- Wow!
0:36:24 > 0:36:27- ..on a boat and not the factory.- And how do you feel about it now, Joe?
0:36:27 > 0:36:30Because it must have been pretty horrific. They're big mammals.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Well, it was damn cruel, but that's how it was done.
0:36:33 > 0:36:39- And now you have gone from hunter, turned conservationist.- Yeah.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42We spotted the whales for the Department of Conservation,
0:36:42 > 0:36:46and it was great to be, you know, involved in that.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04When you see the scale of what happened here, it's clear
0:37:04 > 0:37:07why the conservation of these creatures is now so important.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Between 1911 and 1964,
0:37:14 > 0:37:19more than 5,000 humpback whales alone were killed in New Zealand -
0:37:19 > 0:37:21many here in the Cook Strait.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27Falling prices and competition from foreign fleets finally
0:37:27 > 0:37:29brought the industry to an end.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40However, the Hebley family are still determined to make
0:37:40 > 0:37:41a living from the sea.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46Joe's son, James, is the sixth generation to work these waters,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49but his prize catch is something a little smaller.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52I've been invited on board his vessel.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56James, this is pretty intense. What are you after here, then?
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Crayfish. New Zealand crayfish.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01What's it like, having a dad who was a whaler?
0:38:01 > 0:38:03- HE CHUCKLES - I'm very envious.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06- Really?- Yeah.- You'd have liked to have gone into that trade?
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Oh, yeah. For sure.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11What made you feel like you would have liked to have done it, then?
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Oh, just the thrill of the chase, I suppose.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16I enjoy hunting, so...
0:38:16 > 0:38:17I enjoy the sea and fishing,
0:38:17 > 0:38:21so I'd say it would be right up my alley.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Righto, Ethan.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25And you're brilliant at handling this boat.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27I suppose that comes with generations, does it?
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Grandpa taught Dad, and Dad taught me,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32and I'm teaching Ethan now, so...
0:38:32 > 0:38:36Catching crayfish is a skilled operation.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39When the time is right, Ethan launches a hook to catch
0:38:39 > 0:38:41a line that's attached to a crayfish cage.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55It's a long way down. How deep is it, James?
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- 24 fathoms.- 24 fathoms?- Yeah. - What's that in metres?
0:38:58 > 0:39:02- I don't know. You tell me. - LAUGHTER
0:39:02 > 0:39:04There we go.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06VOICEOVER: The line is winched out of the water,
0:39:06 > 0:39:08pulling up the cage from the reef below.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15Unwanted catch is returned to the ocean.
0:39:33 > 0:39:38Crayfish are put to one side, and the traps are loaded with new bait
0:39:38 > 0:39:41and sent back to the ocean floor.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45These are full of fish that attracts the crayfish into the pots.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47They can smell it.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51And then they go down inside, crawl down inside to get to the fish,
0:39:51 > 0:39:53and then they get stuck inside this netted cage.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57James is just now looking on his echo sounder to find the best
0:39:57 > 0:40:00spot now to reset the trap.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25And away you go.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27You wouldn't want to get wrapped up in that rope!
0:40:27 > 0:40:29You'd end up down at the bottom of the sea.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34The crayfish are measured to make sure they're big enough.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38The process needs to be sustainable, so anything too small gets returned.
0:40:43 > 0:40:44Once they've lifted the pots,
0:40:44 > 0:40:46they put the crayfish into this blue tub here...
0:40:46 > 0:40:48BLEEP
0:40:48 > 0:40:50I don't know what that was! His hat, was it?
0:40:54 > 0:40:57Was that your hat? LAUGHTER
0:40:57 > 0:40:59Crikey! OK, sorry.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02I thought that was a buoy coming at me!
0:41:03 > 0:41:05The right size crayfish end up in
0:41:05 > 0:41:08a container of seawater, to keep them alive.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Can I have one?
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Here we are, this is what they're after.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19The New Zealand crayfish.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22These get exported, live, to China by plane.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26Apparently they're worth about 140.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28I better not drop it.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38This is pretty serious out here.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41We're just going around, picking up a few lobster pots.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45Imagine if you were out here on a whaling boat, chasing after
0:41:45 > 0:41:49a 50-foot whale with a massive great spear gun on the front.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53It would be so exhilarating, but at the same time fairly terrifying,
0:41:53 > 0:41:56and in today's world, pretty gruesome, too.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07In the world of sea fishing, this is a calm day, but for me, it's
0:42:07 > 0:42:11a relief when we head back to the sheltered waters of the sounds.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27The remarkable people and animals here on Arapaoa are a real
0:42:27 > 0:42:30testament to the pioneering spirit of many New Zealanders.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40My time here has come to an end.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44I'm on board skipper Pete's boat again, heading back to the mainland.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50Luckily, the sun is shining and I'm able to take in the amazing scenery.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01It's been a glorious day, just off Arapaoa Island
0:43:01 > 0:43:03here in New Zealand.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05But I wonder what the weather's doing back home.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07Let's find out, with the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17I'm in New Zealand, retracing a journey I made here with
0:44:17 > 0:44:20one of my best friends, Duncan, almost 30 years ago.
0:44:22 > 0:44:28Starting in North Island, I've gradually been making my way south.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31Well, thanks very much, Peter. It's been absolutely brilliant.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33Along the way,
0:44:33 > 0:44:36I've been constantly reminded that rural life here is every
0:44:36 > 0:44:39bit as challenging and exhilarating as it was on my last trip.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49But although New Zealand's vast wilderness lends itself to
0:44:49 > 0:44:53adventure, there are dangers which can stop you in your tracks.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01Earthquakes are common here. The day before I arrived
0:45:01 > 0:45:04in New Zealand, one struck, devastating parts of the
0:45:04 > 0:45:06South Island and causing mass destruction
0:45:06 > 0:45:08to buildings and infrastructure.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12My plans have changed a bit, because I was supposed to be
0:45:12 > 0:45:14heading down to a farm near Kaikoura, but that's where the
0:45:14 > 0:45:17earthquake hit recently, and there's a lot of damage
0:45:17 > 0:45:18to the buildings and roads.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21So now I'm heading to a sheep farm where things are supposed to
0:45:21 > 0:45:23be a bit safer. But just take a look at this.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26This is evidence of the earthquake, where the road has collapsed
0:45:26 > 0:45:28and there's been a landslip.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31And also, they're now talking about more aftershock quakes.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33This is all a bit worrying, really.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40So I'm now heading to a farm near the small coastal
0:45:40 > 0:45:42village of Havelock, in the Marlborough region.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47SHEEP BLEAT
0:45:48 > 0:45:51Romney sheep thrive in this area.
0:45:51 > 0:45:53It's a breed I farm at home.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55But the New Zealand Romneys are renowned for being
0:45:55 > 0:45:57a better all-round animal.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00I'm getting involved in a sheep muster,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03and I'm hoping to find out what they do differently here.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05Hi, Bill. Good to see you.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08Bill Brownlee and his family have always farmed this breed.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11Well, it's not a bad spot, is it?
0:46:11 > 0:46:14No, no, it's not a bad spot here, I'd have to say that.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16And did you feel the earthquakes recently?
0:46:16 > 0:46:19Certainly did. The first one was probably the strongest I have felt.
0:46:19 > 0:46:24- Is it scary?- It makes you wonder when it's going to stop. Yes.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27- Yeah.- And if you're out on the field, say working on the farm,
0:46:27 > 0:46:28can you feel it out here?
0:46:28 > 0:46:31I can't say I have, but if you're in a vehicle
0:46:31 > 0:46:34and stopped or in a house, you certainly do.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36And how long have your family farmed around here, then?
0:46:36 > 0:46:40- We've been here for over 100 years.- Really?- Mmm.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43I understand that pretty much half of the sheep in New Zealand,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45- if not more, are Romneys now. - That's right, yeah.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47Because of their versatility, I guess.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50I mean, back home, they obviously come from the Romney Marshes,
0:46:50 > 0:46:52and they're fondly known as the "Kent sheep".
0:46:52 > 0:46:55It's flat land, very marshy, and here they are in New Zealand,
0:46:55 > 0:46:58- roaming around up on the mountains. - Mmm.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00- But this isn't your farm, is it? - No, it's not.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03This belongs to Paul and Muff Newton, who are away,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06and Grant, the stockman, wondered if I could come over and give him
0:47:06 > 0:47:08- a hand to shift some of them. - So, can I give you a hand?
0:47:08 > 0:47:11You certainly can. A bit of free labour from the other side
0:47:11 > 0:47:13- of the world? - LAUGHTER
0:47:19 > 0:47:22We head into the mountains where the muster is well under way.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25Come on! HE WHISTLES
0:47:25 > 0:47:27We need to move the flock onto another hillside where there's
0:47:27 > 0:47:29plenty of fresh pasture.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34Back home, our average flock size would be a lot smaller than
0:47:34 > 0:47:35here in New Zealand.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38What sort of numbers are we talking about on this farm?
0:47:38 > 0:47:415,000 breeding ewes on this property.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44- Where some of the farms are bigger, you've got 10,000-15,000.- Wow!
0:47:44 > 0:47:46- That's a lot of sheep to look after! - It is.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48It makes my 700 look like peanuts. Goodness me!
0:47:48 > 0:47:51- LAUGHTER - It's just small-time for you.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53I know! Yeah, we're just playing at it.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56- That's right.- And it is about those economies of scale, isn't it?
0:47:56 > 0:47:59That's why you can produce lambs so cheaply?
0:47:59 > 0:48:01- That's right, yeah.- But my lamb would still taste nicer,
0:48:01 > 0:48:04- wouldn't it?- Oh, I don't think so! - LAUGHTER
0:48:04 > 0:48:07And what makes these Romneys so suitable to New Zealand?
0:48:07 > 0:48:10- Good wool, good lambs. - And is that something
0:48:10 > 0:48:13that's been developed through selection,
0:48:13 > 0:48:15the way the New Zealanders farm?
0:48:15 > 0:48:18I guess it's... Over the years, the genetics have improved.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21So you've selectively bred for sheep that can survive,
0:48:21 > 0:48:23- that look after themselves? - They do, yeah.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25They're not mollycoddled like the ones in the UK.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27And they live off this green stuff,
0:48:27 > 0:48:31- rather than feeding them sheep nuts and grain.- Correct. Yeah.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34Goodness me, Bill. Is this earthquake damage?
0:48:34 > 0:48:36I guess it's had a bit of a shake
0:48:36 > 0:48:38and the water's got in behind it.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41- And caused the slip? - And caused the slip, yes.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43I remember seeing that bit on the news with those Hereford
0:48:43 > 0:48:46- cattle caught on the top of that landslip. Incredible.- Yeah, it is.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49Yeah, no, they were very lucky.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53Well, I think they all look very happy out on that fresh pasture,
0:48:53 > 0:48:56- Bill.- I think they'll appreciate that all right.
0:48:56 > 0:49:00And this grassland management over here is very particular, isn't it?
0:49:00 > 0:49:03Yes, you've got to keep it under, under control,
0:49:03 > 0:49:04stop it getting too long.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07When the grass is shorter, it's full of sugars, isn't it?
0:49:07 > 0:49:10- It is, yes.- More palatable and more nutritious for the sheep.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13- It is, yeah.- I notice that you've got the hill here blocked up,
0:49:13 > 0:49:14so you can keep moving them around,
0:49:14 > 0:49:17and the same with the dairy cattle in these paddocks.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19- Managing the grass.- Yeah. - Incredible, really.
0:49:21 > 0:49:26One thing I've learned on my journey so far is that New Zealanders
0:49:26 > 0:49:28don't do things by halves.
0:49:28 > 0:49:32Down on Bill's farm, his fertiliser pile is, well, pretty substantial.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38Well, this is one of the secrets of keeping the countryside green.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41- What is it, then, Bill? - It's mussel shells.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43And this is the...
0:49:43 > 0:49:45When they arrive here, the mussel shell,
0:49:45 > 0:49:47- with the green-lipped mussel shell. - Oh, yes.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51And then we crush it up into, like, a lime product.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53And so the lime is crushed
0:49:53 > 0:49:55- and produces nutrients for the soil, does it?- It does.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58- Helps the grass grow?- It does, yeah, and it's got a lot of nutrients
0:49:58 > 0:50:01- in the shell.- Amazing!- Especially in the membrane alone.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03And how do you spread it up on the top of those hills?
0:50:03 > 0:50:05You can't get a tractor up there.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07Oh, it's a bit of a secret, we can't really tell you that.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09Come on, I'm going to push you for an answer.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11LAUGHTER
0:50:15 > 0:50:18Luckily, Bill agrees to tell me, so I'm off to a nearby farm.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23I've been told to bring my earplugs and expect mayhem.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27But when I arrive, the setting couldn't be more tranquil.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30I'm not sure I'm in the right place.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33But, all of a sudden...
0:50:41 > 0:50:43This process, called top dressing,
0:50:43 > 0:50:48was started in the 1940s. Returning World War II fighter pilots,
0:50:48 > 0:50:51who were keen to keep flying, developed ways to fertilise
0:50:51 > 0:50:55steep and inaccessible hillsides using small aircraft.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02I arrived in this field, and it was a lovely serene environment
0:51:02 > 0:51:06with bees and skylarks singing, and then the plane turned up
0:51:06 > 0:51:08and the loader turned up,
0:51:08 > 0:51:12and now it's all kicked off and they're full at work.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16It's just remarkable. I've never seen anything like it.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18The plane comes in, the hatch opens on top of the plane,
0:51:18 > 0:51:20the loader goes in, the fertiliser is
0:51:20 > 0:51:24dumped into the top of the plane, and away he goes again.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26There's no messing around here.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33That's it. He's fully loaded. Take-off!
0:51:42 > 0:51:45- The turnaround - comes in, lands, loads and gone.- Yes.
0:51:45 > 0:51:46A matter of minutes, isn't it?
0:51:46 > 0:51:49Yeah, well, when you're paying the amount of money that we charge,
0:51:49 > 0:51:53- it needs to be done fairly quickly. - LAUGHTER
0:51:53 > 0:51:58Terry Nuttall has worked in this industry for more than 20 years.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00- We are a grass-growing country. - Yeah.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04Our meat and wool guys wholly and solely, really, rely on growing
0:52:04 > 0:52:07grass, and by fertilising it, we get grass growth
0:52:07 > 0:52:10pretty well all year round.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12I suppose you can use tractors down on the flatland like here,
0:52:12 > 0:52:15but it needs a plane to be able to get that fertiliser onto the hills,
0:52:15 > 0:52:17which there's a lot of in New Zealand.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19There are, there are a lot of hills,
0:52:19 > 0:52:21and that's why we have a lot of aeroplanes putting
0:52:21 > 0:52:23- fertiliser on them.- Pretty scary, being up in the plane, is it?
0:52:23 > 0:52:25How long's the pilot been flying?
0:52:25 > 0:52:28I think he started flying in 1966 or so.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31- So about 50 years of experience? - About 50 years.- Goodness me.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33So he knows what he's doing.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35He's still doing it, so obviously he does.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38LAUGHTER Looking at the landing strip here,
0:52:38 > 0:52:40I imagined it to be like a bowling green -
0:52:40 > 0:52:42you know, mown and clean and marked out.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44- It's just a field.- It is.
0:52:44 > 0:52:49And when he comes in, he bounces in and then comes into the loader.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51That was a pretty smooth landing, that one.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53You know, one in ten is not too bad, is it?
0:52:53 > 0:52:56LAUGHTER
0:53:06 > 0:53:09In my visit here, it's just reminded me
0:53:09 > 0:53:12of that New Zealand attitude of "can-do", "go get it", "push on".
0:53:12 > 0:53:16It's like you're still breaking the country in.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18We've always been a nation of can-dos.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20And I suppose that freedom from legislation has allowed you
0:53:20 > 0:53:24to really get on and develop areas for agriculture.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26We've been extremely fortunate, I suppose, that it
0:53:26 > 0:53:31has been recognised that we need to have the freedom to develop.
0:53:31 > 0:53:33And we still do, probably, have a
0:53:33 > 0:53:37lot more freedom than lots of countries do. Which is a good thing.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40I mean, it's the only way that we probably survive.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44And it does look beautifully green.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46There's a lot of grass growing right up on the tops.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49It's been a good spring for us for growing grass. It really has.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51You look up there on the hill and you watch what's going on
0:53:51 > 0:53:52and you think,
0:53:52 > 0:53:55"my God, yeah, there'll be some fat animals coming off there."
0:53:55 > 0:53:58Yeah. You'll be sending them all the way over to my supermarket shelves.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00- Absolutely. - LAUGHTER
0:54:00 > 0:54:03- I can't be doing with that.- The best meat that you will ever have.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07I'll have to agree to disagree on that point.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15But I do take my hat off to Kiwi farmers.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17They're a competitive bunch.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20And finding ways to get the most out of their patch of land has
0:54:20 > 0:54:23made them a force to be reckoned with
0:54:23 > 0:54:25for farmers all over the world.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42My time in New Zealand is drawing to a close.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45I've been on an incredible journey.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48It's amazing how far farming has progressed
0:54:48 > 0:54:50in such a relatively short space of time.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59Since those early arrivals of livestock,
0:54:59 > 0:55:01it's gone from strength to strength.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05Returning all these years later,
0:55:05 > 0:55:08I've been reminded that the pioneering spirit of those
0:55:08 > 0:55:11first settlers is still very much alive and well.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23I'm in complete awe of this country, its people,
0:55:23 > 0:55:26and their positive forward-thinking attitude.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29It's been a real privilege to witness it first-hand.