Australia Remastered: Forces of Nature Series 1
From Sunday 30 January 6.00pm 4 episodes
The apocalyptic forces that shape wild Australia. Hosted and narrated by Aaron Pedersen.
Forces of Nature is a four-part series, hosted and narrated by Aaron Pedersen, which explores how the natural forces of DROUGHT, FLOOD, CYCLONE and FIRE define life on the island continent.
What causes such powerful forces of nature? How do they alter life around them? Over these four episodes we investigate how these irresistible forces impact the landscape and the flora and fauna of Australia.
These epic natural forces bring destruction, but also provide surprising opportunities for renewal.
But as the climate changes, Australian wildlife must keep pace to survive.
Episode 1 – DROUGHT
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth and drought grips the nation regularly, and even outside of this, arid conditions brought about by low rainfall remain common for much of the continent.
Australia is also phase locked to the cycles of El Nino and La Nina, which bring alternating dry conditions and wet conditions to the east coast every few years.
This is a continent of great extremes, but developing in these conditions for several million years means Australian life is uniquely prepared for these challenges. Adaptations to boom and bust cycles are a key feature of Australian flora and fauna, and our species have evolved to take advantage of times of plenty to help them through times of scarcity.
Production credits: Produced by WildBear Entertainment in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Episode 2 - Flood
Australian droughts are often followed by flood. It’s a rhythm of life that the country has adapted to. While the inland is still subjected to natural floods, elsewhere the flood regimes are changing. Hosted and narrated by Aaron Pedersen.
Australian droughts are often followed by floods. Cyclones born at sea hit land, then turn into rain bearing depressions.
The average annual rainfall can fall in only a couple of days, and desert country that has been dry for years springs back to life. Many of Australia’s rivers flow inland toward the vast expanse of dry salt known as Kati-Thanda Lake Eyre and it transforms into an inland sea.
Almost overnight myriads of waterbirds arrive, and breed. Frogs lay their eggs, dingoes hunt around the edges. The explosion of life continues as long as there is water. But far away the rain has stopped, the water evaporates. Everything waits for the next rains that could be years off. These floods are natural, elsewhere in Australia the flood regimes are changing.