New Zealand: Earth’s Mythical Islands

More magical flora and fauna as the series continues

We're off to the South Island for the second episode of this three-part series. The southerly tip of the antipodean island chain is New Zealand's most extreme region, which means the wildlife living there has been forced to come up with ingenious ways to deal with difficult weather conditions and an equally challenging environment. Tonight's highlights include an insect called the mountain stone weta, which can bring itself back to life after being frozen, a fist-sized snail gobbling up an earthworm in one go and thousands of glow worms which look like a constellation of stars. But the highlight of the show has to be the country's national emblem – the flightless, nocturnal and rarely seen kiwi bird.