Nature of Australia was originally aired on the ABC back in 1991. Now it?s back and available on DVD digitally re-mastered. Twelve years have elapsed and it is still one of the best documentaries I have seen on our great island continent. The series is narrated by Robyn Williams (not Mork, another one). There are five episodes in total, each one running for around fifty minutes.

EPISODE 1 A SEPARATE CREATION

This episode basically discusses the evolution of the marsupials and the break up of the large southern landmass, Gondwanaland which helps explain why our native animals are so unique. They arose from a ?separate creation?. The only other marsupials are found in South America, which were also part of Gondwanaland. Excellent footage inside pouches of various marsupials can be marveled at in this first episode (particularly the Tamar wallaby and echidna) plus wonderful scenes where kangaroos fight for supremacy amongst their group (Let?s just say that they are the true champions of kick boxing!!).

You also get a brief look at the marsupials of South America, the opossums. Let?s just say, that Australia got the cute ones. This episode gives you an insight into the earliest marsupials (through drawings and recreations) and discusses how Australia?s climate has changed over millions of years and why the kangaroos now rule this vast continent.

EPISODE 2 SEAS UNDER CAPRICORN

This episode starts with a glimpse of Antarctica and the animals that inhabit the region (seals and penguins mainly). All the animals that swim around the Australian coastlines are discussed (including fish, sharks, mollusks, jellyfish, turtles, seals and of course whales) as well as the coral reefs and the mangrove swamps that form higher up along the coastline.

Footage of seals competing against each other for the best positions on a rock ledge and the birth of a baby seal are shown in this episode. There is also plenty of footage of Australia?s natural wonder, The Great Barrier Reef. There is plenty of courtship behaviour of the various fish species to enthrall you and the role some of the male fish play in the development and protection of their offspring.

This is another excellent episode but not a personal favourite of mine as I prefer fur to fins but it is still very informative and educational. Seeing this episode may make you think again about swimming in the ocean and around reefs when you see all the sex cells (sperm and eggs) floating around in the water. If you still feel the desire to swim, try not to swallow. YUK !!!

EPISODE 3 THE MAKING OF THE BUSH

This episode starts by discussing the scattered rainforests that remain in Australia where competition is mainly for light and not water. The numerous bird species of the rainforests are discussed including the bowerbirds and the roles the birds play as pollinators. At night the mammals come out to feed and they take on the pollinator role.

The episode then discusses the eucalypts, which now dominate the landscape. Lyrebirds and sugar gliders both call these habitats home. Cockatoos and lorikeets also feast on the eucalyptus fruits. When fire ravishes the eucalyptus (due to the abundance of fuel the plant creates), it only takes a few weeks for the eucalypts to start producing leaves again, another reason why they are so numerous. The mistletoe, a parasitic plant, is also mentioned and its relationship with our gum trees.

There is plenty of footage of insects, boring!! Bring on the cute mammals. Wait to you see the mating habits of the antechinus, very brutal indeed, the males die at the end of the breeding season. Their immune system fails, poor dears. The lace monitors also inhabit these woodlands and make a meal of galah eggs.

I must say though that the footage of wasps trying to mate with an orchid is entertaining. The clever little flowers stooge the wasp into thinking they are a female wasp. Numbats also thrive in these woodlands, feeding on the termites, whom feed on the plentiful wood in these woodlands.

Of course this episode eventually leads us onto the most famous of all eucalypt inhabitants, the koalas who manage to live on a diet solely of eucalyptus leaves even though they are full of toxins. How cute are the koalas. We get to see some courtship behaviour too. The eucalypts make up most of the habitats across Australia and provide food and shelter for many native animals and are essential to their survival. Another excellent episode overall.

EPISODE 4 THE SUNBURNT COUNTRY

This episode looks at what happens when Lake Eyre fills with water (Australia?s largest lake) and how quickly the arid heart of Australia teems with life (3/4 of Australia is arid now). However before the water arrives a quick profile is given on the marsupial mole, skinks, tiny marsupials and snakes that thrive in the hot sands of the desert (not to mention the massive goannas, scary!). The courtship rituals and behaviour of the Lake Eyre dragon is particularly entertaining in this episode.

When the rain arrives a whole new array of species inhabit the desert, including frogs, fish and the numerous bird species. Reproduction seems to be on the minds of all these animals and mating occurs quickly while the conditions are favourable. Pelicans surround Lake Eyre and its shore turning it into a nursery as all the birds begin to hatch. We also get to see inside a hopping mouse burrow (their babies are so cute).

The mulga is the classic desert plant and thrives in the hot conditions with the help of ants that protect it from grazers for a reward of course ? nectar! Of course all good things must come to an end and as the land dries out again there are always casualties. When the resources diminish, some animals don?t make it and become food for the many scavengers eager for their share of the action.

EPISODE 5 LAND OF FLOOD AND FIRE

The focus of this episode is the first human inhabitants on our island continent, the aborigines. It discusses their origin and how they arrived in Australia. This episode also discusses the various seasons the top end is subjected to and how the other inhabitants in this area of Australia cope with this.

The arrival of the monsoon season leaves a lot of animals suddenly surrounded by water and predatory instincts go out the window, a python shares its tree with a water rat as they both try to escape the floods. Baby bats become a very nutritious meal for the frogs and snakes during the monsoon season. Fruit bats are also discussed, not only do they make a good meal for the aborigines but we also get to see them mate (they reproduce upside down and the female has to catch the baby after it is born so it doesn?t plunge to it?s death).

Aboriginals then begin to use fire as the water begins to submerge to burn all of the vegetation and to enable them and other species to find a source of food. This use of fire plus the action of the termites are the reasons why the eucalypts are so successful and widespread in this country.

This episode gives you an excellent insight into the aboriginal culture, their myths and rituals, and the way they work the land to their own benefits and the impacts this has had on our flora and fauna over thousands of years.

Unfortunately this DVD does not contain the sixth episode of this series (which is available on VHS), END OF ISOLATION which is probably my favourite episode even though a lot of the footage is depressing. This episode focuses on the introduction of the Europeans to Australia and the effect they have had on our fauna and flora and the introduced species they bought with them.

I can?t help but recommend this documentary to anybody that loves this genre. The camera work is superb and who can resist a kangaroo or a koala. Not I. It is extremely interesting and informative as one would expect and takes you to many parts in and around this wonderful country of ours that you will probably never get to see.

The documentary took five years to complete as a result of all the time lapse photography that has been used. It was certainly worth the effort. The ABC are known for producing excellent documentaries and this is no exception, it even won a Logie. A more deserving winner I believe than that hideous Lisa McCune and Georgie Parker. However, they would make a nice meal for the goannas.

Length 250 minutes

THE EXTRAS

English Sub titles for the Hearing Impaired are available. No other language options are available. There is scene selection available of course for the five episodes and on disc two there is a photo gallery of the many species featured on the DVD as well as numerous landscapes.

CONCLUSION

Nature of Australia is a magnificent documentary series on the making of our vast continent and the unique flora and fauna found on our beautiful country. The five episodes trace; the creation of the marsupials over time, the marine environments surrounding Australia, the ancient rain forests and woodlands, the ?dead heart? and the animals that thrive in it and finally the effect native aborigines have had on our landscape.

If you love documentaries, then this DVD is a must. It has been digitally re-mastered and so is even better than when it was first shown on television back in 1991. You can?t get through this DVD in one sitting as there are 250 minutes of breathtaking footage to enthrall you. Take your time to enjoy this DVD, you will be glad you did. The five years it took to film this documentary is five years well spent. This DVD is a Biology teacher?s dream come true.