| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (54 min. 12 sec.) ; 328544585 bytes |
| Summary |
Over many millions of years, Australia has spawned a fabulous variety of islands dotted across the Pacific. From New Guinea, through New Britain and Lord Howe Island to New Caledonia and New Zealand, they stretch from the equator to the sub-Antarctic. All are in some way related to Australia but each has its own distinct character and unique wildlife.The youngest of all is New Guinea, which was an integral part of Australia until rising sea levels cut it off just 10,000 years ago. Unlike the dry and crusty continent of Australia, this is a dynamic island where high tropical rainfall, enormous mountains with glaciers on their peaks and luxuriant tropical rainforest give it a feel all its own. Kangaroos live here, but because there is so much forest, most species live up in the trees and have evolved into a distinct type - the tree kangaroo. New Guinea also sustains a huge variety of the beautiful birds of paradise and the local people use their feathers to decorate elaborate traditional head-dresses. Even further out into the Pacific, New Caledonia is a bit of Australia that broke away during the time of the dinosaurs. Isolated for 80 million years, its forests contain some of the world's most primitive trees. It is also a world of reptiles, with more varieties of lizard than anywhere on earth.In the stormy Southern Ocean, New Zealand, too, has been isolated from Australia for about 80 million years and life in this remote spot has taken its own strange route. The world's heaviest insects, barely changed in 200 million years, bats that are becoming flightless and parrots that play in the snow are some of its oddities. New Zealand also has many flightless birds, such as the kiwi. Island Arks is a colourful journey of exploration, uncovering unique wildlife and spectacular landscapes, from the steamy tropics to the icy islands of the sub-Antarctic.PRODUCTION DETAILS:A BBC / ABC TV /Animal Planet production. Producer ABC TV Jeni Clevers, series producer Neil Nightingale |
| Event |
Broadcast 2007-07-06 at 20:30:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: G |
| Subject |
Geese.
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Natural history.
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Water birds -- Ecology.
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Water birds -- Habitat.
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Biodiversity.
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Landscapes.
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Australia.
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| Form |
Streaming video
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| Author |
Day, Matt, cast
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