Moa's Ark : Building the Ark

‘Moa's Ark’ set sail 80 million years ago. Botanist and broadcaster David Bellamy becomes an ancient mariner, with contemporary science as his guide, retracing the voyage of the islands of New Zealand. In this first episode, he finds out why New Zealand is called the Shaky Isles, comes face to face with the "living fossil" tuatara, takes inspiration from a meat pie, and discovers geography as he competes in the annual Coast to Coast race over the Southern Alps—with help from legendary race organiser Robin Judkins. For more about Bellamy’s exploration of Aotearoa's unique natural history, see the accompanying backgrounder.

This was just too good for a botanist to miss, a mountain that's falling apart and all its moving scree, smashed-up rocks, is home to plants that grow nowhere else on earth. And this is one of them, a buttercup with the strange name of Ranunculus haastii.

– David Bellamy on a few unique plants of New Zealand in part five

Key Cast & Crew

David Bellamy

Presenter

Peter Hayden

Director, Producer

Craig McKersey

Camera

Mike Lemmon

Cinematographer

Michael Stedman

Executive Producer

Ulla Ryghe

Script Editor