four-part television documentary that followed Peter Hayden's journey along Latitude 45 South - crossing from the east to the west coast of southern New Zealand. Peter explored the impact man had on the landscape; and dug deep into history to understand how the land affected their lives.
Part 1 Changes Peter Hayden's journey begins on the East Coast of the South Island; north of Oamaru, and ends at Dansey's Pass. Of all the landscapes along Latitude 45ý the plains and downland of North Otago are the most drastically altered by humans.
Part 2 A Little Continental Central Otago is mild compared to Russia's Gobi Desert, on 45ý North, yet Central has a climate of extremes. In this curious land of mining relics and weather beaten farmers, wildflowers and gold, lizards and rabbits, all living things must cope with its harsh environment.
Part 3 Old Gold New Gold Peter follows in the footsteps of the early Māori into the Cromwell Gorge. For the Māori, greenstone was gold; for Europeans real gold was the lure, and now tourism is the new gold. In this episode wine growing, deer farming and overseas tourism are in their infancy. Little did Peter know there was still gold in those mined-out hills.
Part 4 Atuwhenua Shadowland Towards the setting sun and the end of the journey the land along Latitude 45 degrees South grows more ancient. Neither Māori nor European has changed Fiordland very much - and ancient species found their last refuge here. It's the end of the line for Peter - on land at least, at latitude 45 degrees south he can go no further.
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