Wildest New Zealand

At the water’s edge a brave group of male penguins gather, preparing to make the dangerous journey ashore. With many threats ahead, there is safety in number and these petite penguins have important business to attend. It’s time to breed and they must find a burrow before the females arrive.

In New Zealand, two wild fortresses protect the vulnerable native animals: one a remote island protected by a moat of saltwater, the other a hilltop citadel surrounded by a predator-proof barrier. This is the story of these delicate sanctuaries and the life that thrives within them.

New Zealand’s isolated islands are famed as an unusual paradise, home to a variety of unique wildlife. Best known for its flightless birds, ancient reptiles and coastal mammals, a closer look reveals another world...