Built to Survive

In the heat and humidity of the rainforest Phil reveals the survival adaptations of the elusive tree kangaroo, the colourful cassowary and the lethal scrub python.

In the endless heat of the sands near Munga Thirri, (The Simpson Desert), Phil encounters Australia's largest lizard - the perentie, our fastest flightless bird - the emu, and the world's largest marsupial - the red kangaroo.

Phil Breslin ventures into Australia's notorious swamp country where he encounters the speedy freshwater crocodile, the predatory barramundi and the world's largest reptile, the saltwater crocodile.

Phil Breslin heads along the rugged cliffs and sandy flats of the coast where he finds a master of the skies - the sea eagle, a master of disguise - the estuarine stone fish and the master of camouflage - the sting ray.

Phil Breslin heads into the mangroves, for a muddy encounter with a feisty mud crab, a shovel-nosed ray that he catches bare-handed and a mosquito, well quite a lot of mosquitoes that almost eat him alive.

Phil Breslin heads out into the deep blue ocean for a close encounter with the toothy tiger shark, the graceful and majestic manta ray and a giant of the deep - the humungous humpback whale.

Phil Breslin leaves the Australian mainland for some island-hopping fun and encounters a green sea turtle laying her eggs, a pack of wild dingoes on the hunt and a snake with a terrifying name - death adder, lying in ambush.

Phil Breslin visits the savannah for an encounter with Australia's largest predatory bird, a wedge-tailed Eagle, one of the world's most venomous snakes - the coastal taipan and a real-life dragon - the frill-necked lizard.

Phil Breslin journeys down Australia's river system by kayak, all the way from the rocky rapids to the wide brown estuaries. Phil encounters a duc-billed platypus, a long-finned eel and a bull shark.

If you go down to the woods today you might just find Phil Breslin tracking down a yellow-bellied glider, an eastern brown snake and the cuddliest of all Australians, the koala.