Australia Wild

This film examines the myths and realities of wombat life, above and below the ground, as scientists begin to understand these intrepid and resourceful creatures.

In the Victorian hills of Australia, there's a curfew - a curfew on cats. And it's all because the local population of lyrebirds has been decimated by feral cats and foxes over the past few years. But the curfew decision has created problems of its own, splitting the local community down the middle. Cat Wars looks at the lifestyle of these rare and exotic birds and the reactions of the local people to the solutions.

On the rugged, fortress-like island of Tasmania on Australia's southern tip, live Tasmanian Devils, Tiger Quolls and Eastern Quolls, carnivores and marsupials alike. These pouched killers survive by living in a precarious harmony whilst competing for a limited resource - flesh. While the ferocious devils appear to be the greatest winners, there seems to be an unexpected alliance.

A somewhat gawky bird that has the most unexpected sexual habits is probably Australia's most recognisable bird. The emu is found over most of the country, from the tip of Cape York, through the centre and down into the south. But for a bird so common, we are only just now finding out about its habits. Life for the male emu is not only hard work but has little reward, while the female enjoys the luxury of running the show in the emu world.

From the microscopic drama of an animal-eating plant to the majesty of the sea eagle, this program explores the vital connection between the water and wildlife in a unique corner of Australia. It's a story of the water's journey from alpine peaks to the fertile coastal lakes of the Gippsland watershed over the span of four seasons: the winter snows in the high country, the icy torrents of the spring thaw, summer bushfires and autumn flooding in the lakes.

Brushtail possums are one of the few marsupials that have adapted well to life in the suburbs of Australian cities. They sleep quietly through the day in trees and roofs and it's only at night that they come out to find food wherever they can. But possums are not always precious, and they're certainly not in New Zealand.

There are more lizards in Australia than any other continent on earth and most of these are found in Australia's lizard capital - the spinifex sandplains of the arid Centre.

We resoundingly applaud life strategies that neatly exploit a particular evolutionary strength but forget that such risks can make an animal or plant vulnerable. Will life that has become so specialised and attuned to a particular ecological niche be able to adapt again to a changing world or will it evolve itself into extinction? What is the price of such specialisation when we see the past littered with many such failed 'success' stories?

Employing the latest in filmmaking techniques, this film follows the fascinating 800km migration of the Bogong Moth, one of the longest of the insect marathons. In their billions they ascend, climbing high into the jet-stream which carries them south. Navigating by the light of the moon, these moths cover hundreds of kilometres in a single night. But the survival test has only just begun. Over the coming days, weeks and months they must battle other creatures, weather, humans and time.

William Cooper is the greatest in Sir David Attenborough's books. The greatest painter of Australian birds that is. Cooper lives in the rainforests of Northern Queensland where spectacular Birds of Paradise frequently visit his garden and where Sir David Attenborough has also been seen on occasions. Sir David presents the abundant colour of Australia's spectacular birds as well as Cooper's paintings and he also introduces the occasional wild bird or two.

The film follows Australia's most recognised and widespread tree, the River Red Gum, through a season of its 400 year life. It documents its battle with its attackers: squadrons of insects and animals which are eating the tree alive.

A volcanic eruption in Northern Queensland more than 199,000 years ago spewed lava streams 23 kilometres long creating the Undara lava tubes. A remarkable refuge for wildlife, researchers are drawn to the tubes to discover why the population of cave creatures is so high; to examine the similarity of its basalt to that on the Moon; and to observe the changes that the seasons bring to the lives of the bats, beetles, spiders, mites, flies and moths that inhabit them.

In most species, long-held notions of motherhood, fatherhood and monogamy are being questioned, with evidence showing that even females presumed to be monogamous mate with more than one male during their reproductive cycle. Only recently have scientists observed the intriguing tactics used in the battle to ensure that a males sperm reaches the female egg and not a competing male's sperm.

Birds of Paradise hold a magnetic attraction for the highland people of Papua New Guinea who greatly prize their delicate and spectacular plumes as symbols of wealth. Also used as decoration in tribal rituals, the village men search the forests in the hunt for the feathered gold. This program explores the elaborate courtship rituals and remarkable sexual displays of these exotic birds and the relationship between the highlanders and their feathered friends.

On a spring night, a spawning of coral takes place on the largest coral reef in the world - the Great Barrier Reef off the north-eastern coast of Australia. The reef plays host to the greatest diversity of plant and animal life.

A land of rivers and flood plains, paperbark and eucalypt woodlands split by ancient sandstone cliffs - this is the home of Bill Neidjie and the Gagadju people. Part of Kakadu National Park in Australia, the region is an ever-changing vista that rules the lives of the Gagadju people. They divide their year into six seasons which can be heralded by a plant coming into flower, dragon flies swarming, a change in wind direction or grasshoppers singing to welcome a new season.

Climbing high in the treetops of some of Australia's most inaccessible rainforests is a man on the hunt - on the hunt for one of the four species of Birds of Paradise that exist on the island continent. John Young is one of the few who know where to find the magnificent male birds as they perform their spectacular dance-like mating display in an attempt to impress potential partners. Join him on an amazing journey of discovery.