WildDownUnderWildAustralasiaThisfirstprogrammeoftheseriesisasweepingintroductiontothenaturalwondersofAustraliaandrevealswhyitsnaturalhisoryhasbecomesodistinctiveandstrange.Itfeaturessomeofthemostbizarreanimalsandevocativelocationsacrossthecontinent.WhenAustraliafirstbrokeawayfromtherestoftheworld45millionyearagoitwasaverydifferentkindofplace-lush,greenandforested.AndyoucanstillexperiencesomethingofthattimebysteppingintoanAustralianrainforesttoday.Thesearetheoldestrainforestsonearth,over100millionyearsold,andthoseinQueenslandandTasmanialookmuchastheywouldhavedoneintheageofthedinosaurs.Budgerigarsarecolourful,noisylittleparrotsoftenseeninfast-flyingflocksincentralAustralia.Theyarenomads,sometimesflyinglongdistancesinsearchoffoodandwater.Inthewildtheyarebrightgreenandyellow,butpetbudgiescanbegreen,blue,grey,whiteorallyellow.KoalasareoneofAustralia'smostrecognisableanimalsandareusuallyseenasleepinagumtree,munchingongumleavesorsometimeswithababyontheirback.Akoalaisnotabearbutamarsupialwithapouchwhereababykoaladevelopsandsucklesmilkuntilit'sbigenoughtoventureintotheworld.Youngkoalasstaywiththeirmothersuntiltheyarearoundayearold.MostobviousofAustralia'suniqueanimalsarethemarsupials,mostofwhichcarrytheiryoungaroundinapouch.Theyareanoddlot!Tasmaniandevilsarethelargestmeat-eatingmarsupials,aboutthesizeofabigdomesticcat,withsharpteethandpowerfuljaws.Theyfightfuriouslyovermealsandsoasnottoinjureeachotherwiththeirteeththeyoftenresorttobumbashing,turningroundandbargingeachotherwiththeirbacksides!Koalasaresomeofthecutestofallmarsupialsandalsooneofthelaziest-theyspendmostoftheirtimeasleep,sotheyarequiteachallengetofilm.Eveninthebreedingseasonthemalesoftendozeoffduringmating-theyjustdon'tseemtobeabletokeepupthepace!Perhapsonlystrangeristheplatypus,withabillandwebbedfeetlikeaduck,aflattenedtaillikeabeaver,poisonlikeasnake,furandmilklikeamammalbutegg-layinglikeareptileorbird.SoweirdisitthatthefirstspecimenbroughtbacktoEuropewasthoughttobeahoax,abiologicalpracticaljoke.TheAustralianlandscapetooisfullofsurprises.Althoughmostisdeserttherearealsohugeareasofwintersnow,inthemountainsoftheGreatDividingRangeandTasmania.Daintylittlewallabiesandwombatssurviveinthesnowandhavebeenfilmedforthefirsttimebravingsevereblizzards.Thesnowwassobadourcameramanbecamestrandedfortwodays.Theonlywaytocapturetheenormityandbeautyofthisvastlandisfromtheair.FromUlurutoKakadu,theSnowyMountains,theMurrayRiverandtheGreatBarrierReefwefeaturetheiconiclandscapesofAustralia,butinafreshlight.Wealsoincludemagicalnewlocationssoremotetheyarerarelyfilmed:thelongestseacliffsintheworldattheedgeoftheNullarborPlain,thegiantsaltexpanseofLakeEyreandtheparalleldunesoftheSimpsonDesertthatstretchforhundredsofkilometres.
