

The islands of New Zealand are home to an entirely unique menagerie of creatures. It is a place where the normal rules don't apply - the birds can't fly, a small, ancient lizard is a top predator, parrots play in snowy mountain meadows and penguins roam the streets. Seals battle on the beaches, albatrosses soar on the air currents and a monster movie plays out in miniature among the dense undergrowth of this lush, vital land.

At the water’s edge a brave group of male penguins gather, preparing to make the dangerous journey ashore. With many threats ahead, there is safety in number and these petite penguins have important business to attend. It’s time to breed and they must find a burrow before the females arrive.
Aired: 11/6/2017
New Zealand’s West Coast is like nowhere else on Earth. From glacier-covered mountains to rain-drenched native forests to rough frigid seas, the landscape defies belief. Isolated from the rest of the world, this strip of almost untouched wilderness hides a host of endemic animals.