1 00:00:12,180 --> 00:00:13,480 I'm Bear Grylls. Wow! 2 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:16,200 I'm gonna show you what it takes to get out alive 3 00:00:16,260 --> 00:00:18,180 from some of the most dangerous places on Earth. 4 00:00:18,240 --> 00:00:19,260 Whoo! 5 00:00:20,300 --> 00:00:23,000 I've got to make it through a week of challenges... 6 00:00:23,460 --> 00:00:26,300 ..in the sort of places you wouldn't last a day 7 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:28,300 without the right survival skills. 8 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,060 Now I'm in Arnhem Land, Northern Australia. 9 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,280 Where the man-eating saltwater crocodiles dominate the food chain. 10 00:00:41,340 --> 00:00:43,140 Man, did you see the size of that? 11 00:00:46,220 --> 00:00:48,240 I'm hanging on to crumbling sandstone. 12 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:49,480 Ahh! 13 00:00:51,100 --> 00:00:53,100 And I battle to stay out of the water 14 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:55,040 and away from those hungry crocs. 15 00:00:55,100 --> 00:00:56,400 Ahh! (PANTS) 16 00:01:04,420 --> 00:01:06,460 This is a World War II Dakota. 17 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,280 It's gonna drop me at the northern tip of Australia, 18 00:01:10,100 --> 00:01:12,040 into a prehistoric landscape. 19 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,000 That's Arnhem Land! 20 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:15,480 They call it prehistoric 21 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,100 because Arnhem Land is one of those rare places 22 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:20,480 that's remained unaltered since time began. 23 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,080 That's three miles... (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) 24 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,240 With scorching heat and deadly snakes, 25 00:01:30,300 --> 00:01:33,260 it's no surprise that people have struggled to survive here. 26 00:01:33,320 --> 00:01:37,200 Then, at the top of the food chain, the flesh-eating crocodile, 27 00:01:37,260 --> 00:01:39,440 and there's over 100,000 of them here. 28 00:01:41,100 --> 00:01:43,420 Some of those crocs can weigh over a ton. 29 00:01:44,100 --> 00:01:48,020 You make one careless move and you're gonna end up as lunch. 30 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,240 Despite the harshness of this environment, 31 00:01:53,300 --> 00:01:55,240 one group developed survival techniques 32 00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:57,120 that enable them to live here. 33 00:01:57,180 --> 00:02:00,400 The Aboriginal people have adapted to this dangerous terrain, 34 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,380 and they've had over 50,000 years to hone those skills. 35 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,220 My task is to use some of their survival techniques 36 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,260 to make it out of here alive. 37 00:02:12,460 --> 00:02:15,160 If you're gonna survive the Northern Territories, 38 00:02:15,220 --> 00:02:18,320 you've got to throw yourself into it 120%. 39 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:20,120 Here we go. 40 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:22,300 Yah! 41 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,180 MAN: Jumper's away. 42 00:02:25,300 --> 00:02:27,140 MAN: He's gone. Lots of luck. 43 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:50,200 Northern Territory, here we come. 44 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,000 Now, the first thing that hits you about this place 45 00:03:06,340 --> 00:03:09,220 is just the heat and the humidity. 46 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:11,460 I could feel it, just coming in closer to the ground. 47 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,180 Like being in a very hot steamer. 48 00:03:16,460 --> 00:03:18,420 OK, let's get this thing laid out. 49 00:03:20,060 --> 00:03:21,300 We can use this... 50 00:03:22,300 --> 00:03:24,040 ..as an air marker. 51 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,340 So if search and rescue are looking for me, 52 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,380 something big and bright for them to see from the air. 53 00:03:31,380 --> 00:03:33,340 When someone is lost in the wilderness, 54 00:03:33,420 --> 00:03:35,480 aerial reconnaissance is vital. 55 00:03:36,140 --> 00:03:39,220 Make yourself seen from the air and it may save your life. 56 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:43,000 It might well be, though, that nobody knows you're missing... 57 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,140 ..and nobody's out there even looking for you. 58 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:48,340 And if that's the case, then you need 59 00:03:48,380 --> 00:03:51,020 to work out which direction to go. 60 00:03:51,340 --> 00:03:53,320 And in the Northern Territories, 61 00:03:53,380 --> 00:03:56,340 your best option is to head north to the coast. 62 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:00,000 90% of Australians live on the coast. 63 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:03,480 But if you do have to make that difficult decision to travel, 64 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,140 be certain of the direction you're heading in and don't deviate. 65 00:04:07,460 --> 00:04:11,360 I'm gonna use a shadow stick to work out which direction is north. 66 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:18,020 It casts a shadow straight down here 67 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:21,260 and I'll mark the end of that shadow with a rock. 68 00:04:22,180 --> 00:04:25,160 Wait 15 minutes or so, the shadow will move 69 00:04:25,220 --> 00:04:27,060 and we'll get an idea of our direction. 70 00:04:28,260 --> 00:04:30,020 Now, see the shadow? 71 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:31,340 The stick has moved a bit. 72 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,360 Put a rock on the other end and you get a line here. 73 00:04:35,420 --> 00:04:38,160 If you stand on that line and face the stick, 74 00:04:38,420 --> 00:04:40,280 you're gonna be heading north. 75 00:04:40,340 --> 00:04:43,420 And, obviously, the longer you leave it, the wider the line, 76 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:45,160 the more accurate it's gonna be. 77 00:04:45,220 --> 00:04:47,160 What I don't have in my favour, though, is time. 78 00:04:47,220 --> 00:04:50,140 I don't want to wait in this heat any longer. Want to get moving. 79 00:04:51,060 --> 00:04:52,000 Before you head out, 80 00:04:52,060 --> 00:04:54,140 leave a marker for rescuers to follow. 81 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,400 Use whatever you find around you to make an arrow. 82 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:01,000 North towards that rocky outcrop. 83 00:05:02,140 --> 00:05:04,120 It's hot, hot, hot. 84 00:05:05,460 --> 00:05:08,100 Temperatures here are in the high 90s 85 00:05:08,180 --> 00:05:11,060 but it's the humidity levels that make the heat so intense. 86 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:12,480 I want to keep heading north. 87 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:14,220 We're gonna need to get over this. 88 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,400 Humidity reduces a body's ability to cool itself 89 00:05:17,460 --> 00:05:20,180 by slowing the evaporation of sweat. 90 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,380 The more physical the activity, the greater the chances of heatstroke. 91 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:29,060 I'll need at least a gallon of water a day to survive here. 92 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,200 The scorching heat and high humidity levels 93 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:37,260 mean thunderstorms are common here. 94 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:41,260 But even nature's most potent force can work in your favour. 95 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:43,280 Look, you see there's been fire here. 96 00:05:44,380 --> 00:05:46,240 Probably a lightning strike hit that... 97 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:48,420 ..set it alight. 98 00:05:50,180 --> 00:05:53,400 Actually, charcoal's often a good thing to take with you. 99 00:05:54,220 --> 00:05:55,460 There's lots you can do with that. 100 00:05:56,220 --> 00:05:58,000 Filter water with it, 101 00:05:58,260 --> 00:05:59,460 even help you with fire - 102 00:06:00,020 --> 00:06:03,160 drive a spark into bits of charcoal, 103 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:06,200 you'll often get an ember that's gonna help you get the fire lit. 104 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:08,060 Let's take some of this with us. 105 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:21,000 The landscape is riddled with high ridge lines and towering cliffs. 106 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:24,420 To keep heading north, you'll need to fight your way around them 107 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,280 or take the shorter route and go straight over the top. 108 00:06:29,420 --> 00:06:31,140 But this sandstone is soft. 109 00:06:31,340 --> 00:06:35,420 Eroded by the elements, a path has been cut straight through the face. 110 00:06:41,060 --> 00:06:42,440 This is no easy option. 111 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:44,280 Let's have a look down here. 112 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:46,480 Ahead of me lies a sheer 80-foot drop. 113 00:06:49,220 --> 00:06:51,460 Yeah, I reckon we can work our way down this. 114 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,100 Chimney down this bit, bridge across it. 115 00:07:03,100 --> 00:07:06,360 I need to stay in tight to this chimney. 116 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,100 Use your opposing forces. 117 00:07:09,140 --> 00:07:12,180 Back and legs down this. 118 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,400 It's an awkward little gully, actually, this. 119 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:21,240 (GRUNTS) 120 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:23,160 Oh, look, a snake. 121 00:07:23,420 --> 00:07:24,480 Where has he gone now? 122 00:07:26,380 --> 00:07:28,000 Don't want to mess around with him. 123 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:32,100 There he is. 124 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:34,440 Keelback snake. 125 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,240 Now, they're not deadly, 126 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:41,320 but you certainly wouldn't want to get bitten by one. 127 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:44,160 A snake bite out here is bad news. 128 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,360 Last bit, just down this vine. 129 00:07:53,380 --> 00:07:55,300 The cave climb has worked for me. 130 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:58,400 It's taken me right under the cliff and out the other side. 131 00:08:00,020 --> 00:08:01,260 Check this out. 132 00:08:02,260 --> 00:08:03,300 Just get down here. 133 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:06,020 There's a bit of water, 134 00:08:06,260 --> 00:08:07,480 and it's probably gonna be rainwater 135 00:08:08,020 --> 00:08:10,420 that's just come down here and collected. 136 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:13,260 The thing is, because it's shady... 137 00:08:14,420 --> 00:08:16,140 ..the water's not gonna evaporate. 138 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:17,380 Come on, then. 139 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:20,140 I've still got this charcoal. 140 00:08:20,180 --> 00:08:23,000 I can make a really simple sort of filter with that. 141 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:26,240 The biggest danger is drinking water containing bacteria 142 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:28,460 that will cause diarrhoea or vomiting 143 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:31,200 and that can lead to severe dehydration. 144 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,020 Crunch this up into nice small granules. 145 00:08:36,380 --> 00:08:38,300 And a bit of gravely bigger stuff. 146 00:08:40,300 --> 00:08:43,420 Then on top of that, just some of these grasses. 147 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,140 You see how dirty that water is? 148 00:08:54,220 --> 00:08:55,480 Put it through here. 149 00:08:57,220 --> 00:09:02,100 Let that just run, just get any of the dirt out of it. 150 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:05,140 Give it a couple of goes before we start drinking from it. 151 00:09:13,100 --> 00:09:15,360 For me, this is what survival is all about - 152 00:09:16,020 --> 00:09:19,420 a simple idea using natural resources, and it works. 153 00:09:24,020 --> 00:09:26,240 Look, you see how clear that is coming out? 154 00:09:28,220 --> 00:09:30,260 It's never gonna be 100%... 155 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:32,440 ..but it takes a lot of the dirt out, 156 00:09:33,380 --> 00:09:36,020 and the carbon and the charcoal 157 00:09:36,060 --> 00:09:37,260 filters out a lot of other impurities 158 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,140 as well that you can't see. 159 00:09:46,180 --> 00:09:48,000 Oh, man. That is good. 160 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,160 You're in a desert this hot, 161 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,120 you find a little hole like this with rainwater in it, 162 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:57,480 you gotta make use of it. 163 00:09:58,020 --> 00:09:59,320 You ought to stay here 164 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:02,220 until you're well-hydrated before you move on again. 165 00:10:05,180 --> 00:10:07,300 I've had my fill and now it's time to get going. 166 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:11,320 Let's see if we can get round this corner. 167 00:10:37,460 --> 00:10:39,240 I'm in Arnhem Land, Australia... 168 00:10:39,300 --> 00:10:41,300 Get around this corner. 169 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:43,180 ..heading north towards the coast. 170 00:10:43,260 --> 00:10:45,980 But I've ended up at a difficult dead end. 171 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:54,080 (GRUNTS) 172 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:56,240 If I can get my foot back on it... 173 00:10:58,000 --> 00:10:58,380 I got it. 174 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:03,460 Don't think we'll be going round that way. 175 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:06,080 (PANTS) 176 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:10,060 OK. Back up. 177 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:16,380 In tough country like this, you'll never win every battle. 178 00:11:17,340 --> 00:11:19,340 There's no shame in making another plan 179 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,120 and searching out an alternative route down. 180 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,440 Look, there's a mad old cave here. 181 00:11:25,220 --> 00:11:26,300 Goes all the way in there. 182 00:11:31,420 --> 00:11:34,020 See, it's more than likely gonna be Aboriginal, this. 183 00:11:34,220 --> 00:11:38,000 See all the soot here on the ceiling, from the fires? 184 00:11:40,140 --> 00:11:41,340 It's gonna be a good place, though, 185 00:11:41,380 --> 00:11:44,980 just to shelter from the heat of the day, get out of the sun a bit. 186 00:11:47,020 --> 00:11:49,440 OK, let's use this as a base, gonna try and find some food. 187 00:11:55,100 --> 00:11:58,420 Generations of Aboriginal hunters going back to the Stone Age 188 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:00,420 have left a record of their prey 189 00:12:01,020 --> 00:12:03,120 on thousands of sites across Arnhem Land. 190 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:07,060 There's cave art here. 191 00:12:08,060 --> 00:12:09,440 Looks like a fish - a barramundi. 192 00:12:11,380 --> 00:12:13,180 There's a little turtle there. 193 00:12:13,220 --> 00:12:15,340 You know, this is what the Aboriginals would do. 194 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,460 Paint their prey onto walls like this in caves. 195 00:12:20,260 --> 00:12:22,160 They believed if they then rubbed it, 196 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:25,000 it would encourage the prey to multiply 197 00:12:25,100 --> 00:12:26,300 when they next passed through. 198 00:12:26,460 --> 00:12:28,020 That's amazing. 199 00:12:28,060 --> 00:12:30,380 Some of this stuff could be up to 40,000 years old. 200 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:34,440 A barramundi is a really positive sign - 201 00:12:34,980 --> 00:12:39,080 it means there must be water nearby and a chance of catching some food. 202 00:12:43,300 --> 00:12:45,080 It's a whole river. 203 00:12:51,140 --> 00:12:54,100 Still want to be a bit careful with rivers, 204 00:12:54,140 --> 00:12:56,060 even this far inland. 205 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:58,260 Still got saltwater crocodiles here. 206 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:04,980 But, look, it's only knee deep and it's crystal clear. 207 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:14,200 For the survivor lost in this hot and dry environment, 208 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,140 it doesn't get any better than this. 209 00:13:16,340 --> 00:13:19,400 It cools you down and makes life bearable again. 210 00:13:24,380 --> 00:13:27,220 Very...very... 211 00:13:28,220 --> 00:13:30,020 ..very nice. 212 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,440 This is probably why that Aboriginal camp was there. 213 00:13:37,980 --> 00:13:39,460 They were close to a water source. 214 00:13:42,220 --> 00:13:44,040 OK, I need a refill. 215 00:13:51,420 --> 00:13:54,020 Oh, simple pleasures. 216 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:57,460 Arnhem Land's freshwater streams are 217 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,160 home to black bream and jungle perch, 218 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,020 but other creatures also patrol these shallows. 219 00:14:03,100 --> 00:14:04,440 Water snake. 220 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:12,340 Yeah, no, I can just see his tail under here. 221 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:19,180 Whoa. Good-sized one. 222 00:14:19,220 --> 00:14:20,980 Get him up on this bank. 223 00:14:24,020 --> 00:14:25,180 It's a file snake. 224 00:14:25,220 --> 00:14:28,000 Look, that really rough skin. 225 00:14:28,220 --> 00:14:30,040 That's why they're called that. 226 00:14:31,020 --> 00:14:35,060 And these guys, well, they do use their tail to wrap around. Look. 227 00:14:35,100 --> 00:14:38,080 Like he's trying to do to my fingers, clinging onto a branch. 228 00:14:38,220 --> 00:14:43,020 And, as he gets his prey, will constrict it and then swallow it. 229 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:46,200 It's a good find. 230 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:49,340 Actually, what the Aboriginal women would often do with these snakes 231 00:14:49,380 --> 00:14:53,060 is bite the head, give it a yank to break the neck. 232 00:14:54,060 --> 00:14:58,360 Be careful doing this so you don't get bitten yourself in the process. 233 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:05,080 The way to do it is quickly in and out so the neck's broken. 234 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:09,040 OK. Good. 235 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:10,400 That's food. 236 00:15:11,460 --> 00:15:13,040 Food secured. 237 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:14,420 Like trying to eat rubber bands. 238 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:18,080 But soon I go from the hunter to the hunted 239 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:19,440 as I enter croc country. 240 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:37,240 I'm in Arnhem Land, Nothern Australia. 241 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:41,340 I've just plucked a file snake from the river that will feed me tonight, 242 00:15:41,380 --> 00:15:43,160 but first I need to cook it. 243 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:46,220 Gonna grab this for making fire. 244 00:15:50,140 --> 00:15:54,200 Bet your bottom dollar that this isn't the first time 245 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,260 somebody's tried to start a fire in this cave 246 00:15:58,060 --> 00:16:01,060 with a hand drill like this. 247 00:16:01,260 --> 00:16:03,200 The Aboriginals would have been using this 248 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:07,040 as a friction fire tens of thousands of years. 249 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:11,380 And it's a pretty rare kind of 250 00:16:11,420 --> 00:16:15,120 connection through the ages. 251 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,200 I want this to be as smooth as I can 252 00:16:19,300 --> 00:16:24,340 so it doesn't create any blisters when I start to spin it. 253 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,080 We'll use this as a base plate, 254 00:16:28,420 --> 00:16:31,160 create a bit of a notch in it here, 255 00:16:32,100 --> 00:16:34,040 just to make a little indentation. 256 00:16:34,260 --> 00:16:39,360 Start it off...with a little pinch of sand or gravel... 257 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:42,020 ..to put on there. 258 00:16:42,060 --> 00:16:46,340 That's gonna create even more friction and heat. 259 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:53,320 And then, as you create an ember, 260 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:58,000 it will drop down into the tinder and you get it flaming. 261 00:16:58,260 --> 00:16:59,960 That's the theory. 262 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,060 Trust me, the practice is always much harder. 263 00:17:06,260 --> 00:17:09,040 It can take hours to light a fire this way 264 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:11,340 and you often end up with more blisters than embers. 265 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:13,440 Patience is the key. 266 00:17:13,980 --> 00:17:15,960 You want to take your time initially. 267 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:18,960 Just build up that heat... 268 00:17:20,980 --> 00:17:25,220 ..and keep the drips of sweat off, falling onto the ember. 269 00:17:27,120 --> 00:17:30,320 Building up the heat and building up that friction. 270 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:35,340 And then once you've got that heat, 271 00:17:35,380 --> 00:17:38,220 you can then start really putting in the effort 272 00:17:38,260 --> 00:17:40,180 and start to speed it up a bit. 273 00:17:50,180 --> 00:17:51,420 OK. 274 00:17:53,120 --> 00:17:54,380 Just tip that in. 275 00:17:55,380 --> 00:17:57,160 Gather this up gently. 276 00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:58,420 There's no hurry at this stage. 277 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:00,340 This ember will keep burning for a little bit. 278 00:18:09,340 --> 00:18:11,080 And there's fire. 279 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:12,280 OK. 280 00:18:20,020 --> 00:18:21,260 There, right in the middle. 281 00:18:22,260 --> 00:18:24,060 And then just cover him up... 282 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:29,020 ..with lots of embers and some more wood as well. 283 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:31,960 OK, that's going nicely now. 284 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,220 Leave that 50 minutes or so to cook. 285 00:18:34,380 --> 00:18:37,040 In the meantime, I'm gonna go grab some materials 286 00:18:37,300 --> 00:18:38,980 to make something to sleep on. 287 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,360 Just so many paperbark trees here. 288 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:52,960 Strip some of this bark off. 289 00:18:55,240 --> 00:19:00,100 And the Aboriginals would use the paperbark tree for so much. 290 00:19:00,260 --> 00:19:03,020 You know, they'd use it for tinder for fire, 291 00:19:03,060 --> 00:19:04,400 waterproofing shelters, 292 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,180 clothing, blankets. 293 00:19:07,220 --> 00:19:09,180 You know, it's even got antiseptic 294 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,000 and antibacterial properties as well. 295 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:16,440 Normally you'd never want to strip bark all the way around a tree. 296 00:19:16,980 --> 00:19:18,180 It can kill it. 297 00:19:18,220 --> 00:19:20,000 With a paperbark tree, 298 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:23,240 this is really just like it's shedding its dead skin. 299 00:19:28,340 --> 00:19:31,220 It's not just the bark that's useful for bed making, 300 00:19:31,260 --> 00:19:33,380 the branches are strong but supple 301 00:19:33,420 --> 00:19:36,260 and will make great struts to sleep on. 302 00:19:37,180 --> 00:19:39,200 There's a nice, natural gully here. 303 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,220 You can very easily just use these paperbark branches, 304 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:45,280 pull it across... 305 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:50,000 ..and make a bed platform. 306 00:19:51,360 --> 00:19:54,100 The good thing about that, it's gonna keep me off the ground... 307 00:19:55,220 --> 00:19:58,340 ..give me room underneath, though, to put some embers, 308 00:19:58,380 --> 00:20:00,960 and that's just gonna filter through the smoke 309 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:02,440 to keep the mosquitoes away. 310 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:13,300 And then just the paperbark is gonna make it all a load more comfy. 311 00:20:16,340 --> 00:20:17,400 Oh, man. 312 00:20:18,260 --> 00:20:20,180 That stuff is so nice. 313 00:20:22,140 --> 00:20:24,160 OK. Come on, then. 314 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:28,160 Let's see if this snake's ready. 315 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,420 Australians are renowned for their barbecues. 316 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:37,960 Maybe not that sort. 317 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:41,340 This smells and looks pretty bad. 318 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:46,300 But it's energy and that's the important thing. 319 00:20:54,220 --> 00:20:55,960 Very bony. 320 00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:58,100 Very rubbery. 321 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:00,380 Like trying to eat rubber bands. 322 00:21:06,140 --> 00:21:08,100 I'll just leave all of those guts. 323 00:21:09,300 --> 00:21:11,280 I've got food, fire and water, 324 00:21:12,020 --> 00:21:15,120 which means, at least for now, I've got a fighting chance. 325 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,940 Yah! MAN: Jumper's away. 326 00:21:39,980 --> 00:21:43,220 I've thrown myself headfirst into one of the harshest places on Earth, 327 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:46,060 Arnhem Land, Northern Australia. 328 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:48,260 If the landscape doesn't get you... 329 00:21:50,220 --> 00:21:51,980 ..the wildlife will. 330 00:21:52,020 --> 00:21:53,220 Oh, look at that head. 331 00:21:54,180 --> 00:21:56,940 And a new day will bring new challenges. 332 00:21:57,340 --> 00:21:59,080 On our way. 333 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:05,100 Quite a mad place in here. 334 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:12,300 Oh, now, look. 335 00:22:12,340 --> 00:22:14,040 Spider in here. 336 00:22:14,180 --> 00:22:16,020 It's a huntsman spider. 337 00:22:16,220 --> 00:22:18,980 He's called a huntsman - he won't build a web. 338 00:22:19,020 --> 00:22:21,160 He'll actively go out and hunt his prey. 339 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:23,400 And that's the nasty bit of him. 340 00:22:23,940 --> 00:22:25,200 Take the head off. 341 00:22:32,020 --> 00:22:33,320 Take the fangs out. 342 00:22:39,300 --> 00:22:42,280 And that really is fine to eat. 343 00:22:43,060 --> 00:22:46,160 Doesn't look very appetising but that's fine. 344 00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:54,280 Oh. 345 00:22:57,960 --> 00:22:59,200 OK. Moving on. 346 00:23:01,980 --> 00:23:05,100 This maze-like landscape, riddled with rocky outcrops, 347 00:23:05,140 --> 00:23:06,420 is so disorienting. 348 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:10,360 You can't see far ahead and it's easy to stray off course. 349 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,000 Actually, look. That one's even higher. 350 00:23:14,180 --> 00:23:15,300 Get up there. Come on. 351 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,400 Finding a high point will provide a much-needed view 352 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,000 and let you plan your route through. 353 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:25,220 It's all sandstone. 354 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:27,400 Well weathered. 355 00:23:28,140 --> 00:23:30,140 Still want to be a bit careful of this stuff. 356 00:23:30,340 --> 00:23:32,080 Can be pretty loose. 357 00:23:39,220 --> 00:23:42,380 This is a tricky climb, over 60 feet. 358 00:23:42,420 --> 00:23:45,180 But if you risk nothing, you gain nothing. 359 00:23:45,300 --> 00:23:47,080 It's worth the gamble. 360 00:23:57,260 --> 00:23:59,000 (GRUNTS) 361 00:24:15,180 --> 00:24:16,220 OK, I'm up. 362 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:18,300 Have a look at this place. 363 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:26,260 The thing is trying to keep your direction amongst all of this scrub. 364 00:24:28,420 --> 00:24:30,120 Probably the easiest thing to do 365 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:35,040 is follow between that rock pinnacle and that one, 366 00:24:35,300 --> 00:24:39,940 and then, in the far distance you can see, like, a saddle. 367 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:43,240 Pass between that... 368 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:46,280 ..and that's gonna lead me down to the flood plain. 369 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,060 OK. 370 00:24:48,100 --> 00:24:49,340 Let's get down off this thing. 371 00:24:56,220 --> 00:24:57,940 As you head to the flood plain, 372 00:24:57,980 --> 00:25:00,220 the vegetation becomes thicker and greener. 373 00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:04,300 But now we're entering more dangerous territory. 374 00:25:08,140 --> 00:25:09,400 Come here, come here. 375 00:25:17,100 --> 00:25:19,080 Straight through there. Crocodile. 376 00:25:19,120 --> 00:25:21,200 See? Do you see the ridges on its back? Very distinct. 377 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:22,940 Down, down, down, down. 378 00:25:22,980 --> 00:25:24,220 Yeah, it's a salty. 379 00:25:27,140 --> 00:25:28,340 You can tell it's not a freshwater. 380 00:25:28,380 --> 00:25:30,360 Freshwater have that long, narrow snout. 381 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:32,380 Look at the size of him, though. 382 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:35,420 Freshwater will live off just fish. 383 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:37,960 This guy, anything's on the menu. 384 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:39,040 Including us. 385 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:43,200 Don't be deceived by the name 'saltwater crocodiles' - 386 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:46,160 these guys have been found up to 100 miles inland. 387 00:25:48,140 --> 00:25:50,160 There are loads and loads of stories 388 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:53,100 of campers thinking they're safe, back from the water's edge, 389 00:25:53,140 --> 00:25:55,360 and then getting taken by saltwater crocodiles. 390 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:57,340 This is the first I've seen here. 391 00:25:57,380 --> 00:26:00,260 But there are over 100,000 crocodiles in Arnhem Land, 392 00:26:00,300 --> 00:26:02,360 and you're never gonna be far away from one. 393 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:07,040 Look at it like that and it looks almost docile just laying there, 394 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:10,040 but when these guys go into attack mode, 395 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:12,080 you will know all about it. 396 00:26:12,120 --> 00:26:14,380 Lightning fast, strong, 397 00:26:15,100 --> 00:26:18,100 just pull you, roll you, take you into the water. 398 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:25,380 Just because there's one of them 399 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:27,960 doesn't mean they're gonna be on their own. 400 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:29,380 You see one, there are often gonna be more. 401 00:26:29,420 --> 00:26:32,220 That's why we've got to keep so vigilant around here. 402 00:26:32,260 --> 00:26:33,340 I'll just leave her. 403 00:26:35,100 --> 00:26:38,020 The land here is dotted with deep pools of floodwater 404 00:26:38,060 --> 00:26:39,300 called billabongs, 405 00:26:39,340 --> 00:26:41,300 the crocodile's favourite ambush site. 406 00:26:41,340 --> 00:26:43,960 I've just seen bubbles in here. 407 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:46,060 Here, caution is king. 408 00:26:47,360 --> 00:26:49,060 You look at this sort of place 409 00:26:49,100 --> 00:26:52,960 and think it's perfect, just come along, fill up your water bottle. 410 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:56,140 But you'd be dead, dead wrong. 411 00:26:56,180 --> 00:26:58,200 If there's a saltwater crocodile in here, 412 00:26:58,380 --> 00:27:01,980 they will attack with explosive speed out of the water. 413 00:27:02,980 --> 00:27:04,220 See if we can... 414 00:27:10,180 --> 00:27:11,260 Whoa! 415 00:27:17,340 --> 00:27:19,160 And, look, then he's just gone. 416 00:27:20,260 --> 00:27:21,960 Under the surface. 417 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,280 Ultimate stealth predator, 418 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,380 just lying there waiting. 419 00:27:27,380 --> 00:27:32,200 And then just grab anything that comes near it, buffalo or human. 420 00:27:33,340 --> 00:27:36,080 Gonna want to leave that guy in there. Skirt around this. 421 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,220 Faced with an aggressive predator, my nerves are on edge. 422 00:27:42,340 --> 00:27:46,060 Even the smallest ripple makes me wonder what's lying below. 423 00:27:53,020 --> 00:27:57,140 Need to find a way across this river somehow. 424 00:27:58,140 --> 00:27:59,400 Way off course now. 425 00:28:03,340 --> 00:28:06,060 This isn't that great. 426 00:28:06,100 --> 00:28:09,020 You know, there's only 20, 30 yards. 427 00:28:10,360 --> 00:28:14,400 The water looks just so benign. 428 00:28:15,420 --> 00:28:19,040 Still, calm, you think there can't be any dangers in that. 429 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,380 But there are saltwater crocodiles in here 430 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:24,220 and the consequences of over-confidence, 431 00:28:25,060 --> 00:28:26,400 basically, death, you know. 432 00:28:26,940 --> 00:28:29,140 Look. See all these trees? 433 00:28:30,020 --> 00:28:32,360 Almost reaching across the river here. 434 00:28:33,360 --> 00:28:34,960 Just not quite. 435 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:38,040 Keep going, see if we can find a better one. 436 00:28:48,060 --> 00:28:51,220 Well, it does go across the river all the way. 437 00:28:52,300 --> 00:28:53,940 Give us the camera. 438 00:28:54,300 --> 00:28:56,120 Let's just do this. 439 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:12,940 Seems pretty solid at this stage. 440 00:29:14,180 --> 00:29:18,420 It's just it's gonna get more bendy the higher I get. 441 00:29:19,180 --> 00:29:21,180 There's a local story where three guys were swimming 442 00:29:21,300 --> 00:29:24,160 when they spotted a large crocodile in the water. 443 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:27,160 Two of them made it to a tree, the other was taken. 444 00:29:27,940 --> 00:29:31,140 It then went quiet for five minutes until the croc returned 445 00:29:31,180 --> 00:29:33,960 with their friend's torso still in its jaws. 446 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:36,400 The croc then waited in ambush for the other two 447 00:29:36,940 --> 00:29:38,380 under the tree, for two days 448 00:29:39,100 --> 00:29:41,260 until, finally, they were rescued by helicopter. 449 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:44,040 Look, bubbles there. 450 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:47,420 I'm worrying about the crocs but I've got to stay focused. 451 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,080 It's no time to lose concentration. 452 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:51,180 OK. 453 00:30:06,060 --> 00:30:08,220 I'm battling across a crocodile-infested river 454 00:30:08,260 --> 00:30:10,220 in Australia's Northern Territory. 455 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:12,960 Look, bubbles there. 456 00:30:13,140 --> 00:30:15,320 (GRUNTS) 457 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:19,300 But focusing on the crocs and not the climb is a bad mistake. 458 00:30:21,100 --> 00:30:24,000 One slip and I'm hanging on for dear life. 459 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:29,220 The sanctuary of solid ground can't come too soon. 460 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:42,240 This climb is over, but ahead of me lies hundreds more rivers. 461 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,000 I don't want to go through that ordeal again. 462 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:47,340 I need a better plan. 463 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:54,300 I'm seeing a lot of these sort of big, dead old trees. 464 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,080 The good thing about these, they're big, strong and buoyant. 465 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,360 With this sort of thing, I'm gonna be able to build a raft 466 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:04,260 and that's gonna take me downstream way faster 467 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:07,160 than trying to meander along all these banks 468 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:09,040 and crossing back and forth the river. 469 00:31:09,980 --> 00:31:11,000 Come on. 470 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:17,340 Probably the best way of making this 471 00:31:17,380 --> 00:31:20,000 is just to do these bunches - 472 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:23,240 with three logs like this. 473 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:30,000 Bind these together to a couple of those. 474 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:32,180 You've got, like, these two hulls. 475 00:31:34,380 --> 00:31:38,060 And then just do cross struts to that, 476 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:41,040 and this sort of bamboo vine is gonna 477 00:31:41,100 --> 00:31:44,020 be great to lash all this together. 478 00:31:45,180 --> 00:31:48,080 Rule of thumb for the sort of vine you're looking for 479 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:49,340 when you're building things like rafts 480 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:51,260 is you want to remember - 481 00:31:51,940 --> 00:31:53,100 strength, 482 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:54,960 length, 483 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:56,280 bend 484 00:31:57,160 --> 00:31:59,080 and also bite. 485 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:07,060 A load of this paperbark on top. 486 00:32:08,060 --> 00:32:09,260 Right, like this. 487 00:32:09,300 --> 00:32:10,940 For three reasons - 488 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:13,340 gets me even higher out of the water, 489 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:17,200 camouflages me from the saltwater crocodiles... 490 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:21,960 ..and it's comfy to sit on. 491 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,300 This is ready to launch. 492 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:34,060 It's worth just throwing sticks into the shallow water. 493 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:37,320 If there is any crocodile there... 494 00:32:40,380 --> 00:32:42,400 ..this will just give me a good indication. 495 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:52,940 This raft will take me downstream towards the coast. 496 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:57,140 But you could be on this for days, so you need a way to hunt for food. 497 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,020 Check out the barbs on that. 498 00:33:05,180 --> 00:33:07,000 Actually make a hook out of this. 499 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:10,980 The fibrous barbs of the pandanus plant are incredibly strong, 500 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:13,140 ideal for making a fish hook. 501 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:15,260 Take a small section of it... 502 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:20,240 ..tie some para-cord to that and we can fish. 503 00:33:25,020 --> 00:33:27,000 OK, that's gonna work nicely as a hook, 504 00:33:27,180 --> 00:33:30,020 and then I just need something to act as a lure for it. 505 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,260 Be a bit careful getting off this raft to go and find something. 506 00:33:38,100 --> 00:33:40,020 It's only knee deep, though, here. 507 00:33:42,140 --> 00:33:43,980 OK. Let's just be quick about this. 508 00:33:51,980 --> 00:33:54,140 Spider web's always gonna make a good lure. 509 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:59,140 You grab the whole thing and wrap it up in the web. 510 00:34:03,300 --> 00:34:06,120 Grab it like that, put it onto the hook. 511 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:11,100 And then, literally, just wrap it in the web. 512 00:34:11,140 --> 00:34:15,340 The golden orb spider's web is said to be almost as strong as Kevlar 513 00:34:15,380 --> 00:34:17,140 and has been known to trap birds. 514 00:34:17,180 --> 00:34:19,060 OK, let's get back on the raft. 515 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:25,340 On the raft. 516 00:34:26,220 --> 00:34:30,100 The thing is, you can never switch off in these swamps. 517 00:34:34,020 --> 00:34:35,260 Switch off for a moment... 518 00:34:36,940 --> 00:34:40,160 ..you shoot down the wrong end of the food chain in a place like this. 519 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:51,280 Just not human if you don't feel a little bit...scared... 520 00:34:52,300 --> 00:34:56,300 ..floating down a river that's got a lot of crocs in it, 521 00:34:57,060 --> 00:34:58,940 when you're just on a little raft. 522 00:35:00,300 --> 00:35:03,980 It's just 'cause you are so vulnerable. 523 00:35:06,140 --> 00:35:10,340 And you're definitely not the king in waters like this. 524 00:35:11,060 --> 00:35:14,400 That title belongs to the salty. 525 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:22,140 But, you know, it's all about trying to use that fear, 526 00:35:22,180 --> 00:35:24,360 use it to sharpen you 527 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:26,360 and not let it overtake you. 528 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:31,360 A little bit of fear is no bad thing. 529 00:35:33,220 --> 00:35:35,340 The river has opened up to a deep billabong. 530 00:35:35,380 --> 00:35:38,160 Fish should be larger and more plentiful here. 531 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:41,320 Time to try my rod and bait. 532 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:43,180 But there are lots of crocs around. 533 00:35:44,100 --> 00:35:46,360 There's freshwater water crocodiles on the bank here. 534 00:35:48,940 --> 00:35:51,220 Look. Just on the bank. Freshwater crocodile. 535 00:35:52,180 --> 00:35:55,240 Sunning on the rock. 536 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:58,100 When you're fishing in water teaming with predators, 537 00:35:58,140 --> 00:36:01,040 you're never gonna be the fastest hunter. 538 00:36:01,260 --> 00:36:03,980 There's a fish on the line, but not for long. 539 00:36:05,260 --> 00:36:07,060 Whoa. Look at that head. 540 00:36:08,260 --> 00:36:10,240 Trying to take the fish off. 541 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:21,220 That's one battle I don't mind letting him win. 542 00:36:21,980 --> 00:36:23,380 Man, did you see the size of that? 543 00:36:26,140 --> 00:36:27,380 OK. 544 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:30,380 Tell you what, mate, 545 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:33,380 my nerves are gonna be a wreck at the end of this trip. 546 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:36,300 He's pretty delighted with that. 547 00:36:50,340 --> 00:36:53,280 I've been rafting in the crocodile-infested flood plains 548 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:55,940 of Australia's Nothern Territory, 549 00:36:55,980 --> 00:36:59,000 but the waterway has just reached a dead-end. 550 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:06,020 Looking like the end of the road for this raft. 551 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:11,220 Getting loads shallower again here. 552 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:15,980 It's looking properly dry ahead there. 553 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:19,160 We want to keep heading that way. 554 00:37:19,220 --> 00:37:21,060 Let's ditch the raft, go on foot again. 555 00:37:32,380 --> 00:37:34,080 There's a croc skull. 556 00:37:35,340 --> 00:37:37,200 Try and get this out. (GRUNTS) 557 00:37:39,020 --> 00:37:40,220 Look at the size of that. 558 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:43,120 Man, look at those teeth. 559 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:44,960 If that came down on you, 560 00:37:45,140 --> 00:37:48,180 they say it's the same force as a truck landing on top of you. 561 00:37:48,300 --> 00:37:50,240 Take you, death-roll you 562 00:37:50,340 --> 00:37:54,160 and then, literally, just rip you limb from limb. 563 00:37:56,380 --> 00:37:58,220 Bad way to go. 564 00:37:59,240 --> 00:38:02,320 And, really, your only chance of surviving a croc attack 565 00:38:02,900 --> 00:38:04,120 is either to get lucky 566 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:07,280 and hope that the croc lets you go to try and get a better grip of you, 567 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:11,380 or to try and roll with it so it can't shake you, 568 00:38:11,980 --> 00:38:13,220 and then go for the eyes. 569 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:15,240 But, really, with a big salty... 570 00:38:16,220 --> 00:38:19,360 ..you know, slim chances, really. 571 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:28,240 You've just got to take your time going through this sort of stuff, 572 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:30,120 not rush it. 573 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:35,080 You want to keep scanning just for any signs of bubbles on the water. 574 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:42,120 Also, I just want to watch out for any of the waterlilies moving. 575 00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:45,320 It's another indicator of crocs. 576 00:38:48,260 --> 00:38:50,200 Ah, I'm getting so many of these. 577 00:38:53,300 --> 00:38:55,040 These leeches. 578 00:38:59,140 --> 00:39:00,960 There are two of them. 579 00:39:02,300 --> 00:39:07,140 The whole swamp is just riddled with these guys. 580 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:09,260 What they do, look, squeeze it 581 00:39:09,300 --> 00:39:11,100 and you'll see what they're feeding off. 582 00:39:15,940 --> 00:39:17,180 My blood. 583 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:21,000 This is what they'll do, they'll suck on... 584 00:39:21,340 --> 00:39:24,360 ..and then inject an anticoagulant. 585 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,340 It will mean you'll just bleed and bleed till they've had their fill, 586 00:39:29,100 --> 00:39:31,260 and then they'll just drop off. 587 00:39:32,980 --> 00:39:34,260 The biggest worry about these 588 00:39:34,300 --> 00:39:37,360 is you then get the wound infected in water like this. 589 00:39:41,260 --> 00:39:43,220 Environments change quickly here 590 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:46,960 and I've moved from rainforest into thick tidal mangrove, 591 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:48,940 which means I'm close to the coast. 592 00:39:49,940 --> 00:39:53,300 There's 2,500 square miles of it here in the Northern Territory. 593 00:39:54,060 --> 00:39:57,360 The dense roots and even heavier mud make it tough to travel through. 594 00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:01,920 OK, we need to find a way through this stuff. 595 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:06,080 Arggh! It's horrible. 596 00:40:07,940 --> 00:40:11,200 Also, the air is just thick with mosquitoes here. 597 00:40:13,220 --> 00:40:17,980 You know, the danger is getting something like Ross River fever. 598 00:40:18,060 --> 00:40:19,060 You get it from mosquitoes - 599 00:40:19,100 --> 00:40:21,160 it's gonna wipe you out for about three months. 600 00:40:21,900 --> 00:40:24,900 And this sort of place is just a breeding ground for mozzies. 601 00:40:25,340 --> 00:40:27,920 Actually, look, just use some mud. 602 00:40:29,140 --> 00:40:30,260 Put that on me... 603 00:40:32,260 --> 00:40:36,200 ..and use that to dry and act as a barrier. 604 00:40:37,120 --> 00:40:38,940 It's gonna stop the mozzies biting. 605 00:40:51,240 --> 00:40:52,980 Let's try and pick up the pace. 606 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:09,980 Actually, look, lots of dead, rotten wood on this tree. 607 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:16,340 They're actually often good places to find mangrove worms as well. 608 00:41:22,140 --> 00:41:25,080 You can see, actually, burrows of where they've been. 609 00:41:25,980 --> 00:41:28,320 Whoa, here we go. Look, shooting out of the end. 610 00:41:28,940 --> 00:41:30,180 Grab him. 611 00:41:32,980 --> 00:41:35,100 The Aboriginals would collect deadwood 612 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:37,360 and pile it up for the worms to colonise it. 613 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:40,000 When they next passed through the area, 614 00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:43,240 they would harvest the worms and be certain of a good meal. 615 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:44,980 Mmm. 616 00:41:47,020 --> 00:41:51,380 The Aboriginals talk about these tasting like salty oysters. 617 00:41:52,180 --> 00:41:55,020 I'd say that's a compliment to the worm. 618 00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:56,080 God. 619 00:41:59,160 --> 00:42:02,200 In the thick mangrove with few visual references, 620 00:42:02,240 --> 00:42:04,100 finding a bearing is difficult. 621 00:42:07,300 --> 00:42:09,320 Use a long, straight stick like this. 622 00:42:10,140 --> 00:42:12,340 It's gonna help us keep on our direction 623 00:42:12,900 --> 00:42:14,360 and stop us going round and round in circles. 624 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:18,000 Jam it through in a straight line. 625 00:42:19,340 --> 00:42:22,000 And then however I weave my way to it, 626 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:26,300 so long as I weave my way back to the end of the stick, pick it up, 627 00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:28,020 I know I'm gonna be on line. 628 00:42:29,340 --> 00:42:35,280 Also, people tend to have a dominant foot, whether it's left or right. 629 00:42:35,940 --> 00:42:38,060 When they're in terrain that's really confusing, 630 00:42:38,340 --> 00:42:42,380 to stay on course they'll tend to veer towards that dominant foot 631 00:42:43,120 --> 00:42:46,000 and just end up going round and round in these slow circles. 632 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:55,320 (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) 633 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:03,060 Finally, I emerge from the mangrove into a clearing. 634 00:43:03,240 --> 00:43:06,240 There's footprints ahead and they're not crocodile. 635 00:43:06,980 --> 00:43:08,020 These are human. Look. 636 00:43:08,380 --> 00:43:10,240 Come on. Follow! 637 00:43:14,980 --> 00:43:16,360 Hey! Wait up! 638 00:43:17,220 --> 00:43:19,960 My Arnhem Land encounter is over. 639 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:21,040 An ancient place 640 00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:22,200 where Aboriginal hunters 641 00:43:22,240 --> 00:43:23,360 have survived in harmony 642 00:43:23,900 --> 00:43:26,200 with nature for over 40,000 years. 643 00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:28,220 It's an extraordinary place 644 00:43:28,260 --> 00:43:29,220 and it's been 645 00:43:29,260 --> 00:43:31,040 an extraordinary experience. 646 00:43:33,320 --> 00:43:35,300 To see more great moments from the show,