Meet Peter
A life dedicated to the hidden secrets beneath our feet.
The inheritance
Rangi Matamua is bringing the astronomical knowledge of his ancestors into the light.
A visit to the past
Retracing lives of long ago.
What we do in the shallows
The ocean is our playground, storehouse, transport corridor, driver of weather and coastal change. We’ve learned the hard way that it’s possible for us to exhaust its resources and overwhelm its natural processes. Now, scientists are mapping the web of relationships between the sea, the land and human industry, to figure out how fishing, aquaculture, tourism, land development, and recreation affect its health. What should be permitted, and what prohibited—and where? How can we best strike a balance between using and protecting our seas?
Ecological cartography
New Zealand is a biodiversity hotspot, one of 36 areas around the world recognised by the global scientific community as containing unusual, irreplaceable forms of life. Within these hotspots are cities, and in particular areas, city growth is on a collision course with biodiversity. By combining layers of data, three landscape architects created maps of the 33 largest, fastest-growing cities in these biodiversity hotspots, showing how growth projections conflict with endangered species and remnant habitat. One of those cities is Auckland. This map superimposes an urban growth forecast for 2030 by Seto Lab with data on remnant vegetation and ranges of terrestrial animals ranked on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. (Maps and data are collated on the project’s website, Atlas for the End of the World.) Hotspot cities, write the authors of the atlas, are the custodians and beneficiaries of their extraordinary life, and recognising where that life is threatened by urban growth is the first step towards protecting it: “The cultural equivalent to destroying these landscapes is akin to bulldozing the world’s libraries and burning all the books.”
Safe harbour
Niue has announced its intention to protect 40 per cent of its exclusive economic zone, or 127,000 square kilometres of ocean, from fishing and other extractive activities. The protected area will include deep ocean seamounts and the biodiversity-rich Beveridge Reef. “Our commitment is not a sacrifice; it is an investment for our future and a tribute to our ancestors,” Niue’s Minister for Natural Resources, Dalton Tagelagi, said in a statement. At the same time, Chile also announced an increase in protection, from four per cent to 29 per cent of its waters. By contrast, New Zealand protects 0.3 per cent of its exclusive economic zone, and a proposal to create a sanctuary incorporating the Kermadec Islands has stalled.
The lava caves hidden beneath suburban Auckland
Hidden beneath quiet suburban streets are clues to Auckland’s tumultuous geological past: lava caves.
What Kaikōura taught us
Last year’s earthquake is now believed to be one of the most complex ever recorded.
Experience: Astrolabe fly-over
Take flight over the remote Astrolabe Reef.
Cyclogenesis is so 2016…
So in January we tried the ‘explosive’ kind.
The Outback
Continent hopping virologist Dr Mike Leahy is going to need every ounce of his adventurous spirit to survive Australia’s Outback. With average temperatures of around 100 degrees, the Outback is home to some of the deadliest creatures on Earth—making it the ideal stopover for a travel junkie with a passion for some of the planet’s smallest but most lethal inhabitants.
China Quake
In the aftermath of China’s worst earthquake in decades, the survival of thousands of people buried under razed towns depends on ground-shaking science guiding rescuers to find them.
India
From the hustle and bustle of Mumbai to Varanasi—one of the holiest cities in the world—there’s a lot to watch out for if you want to keep your cool in India. Join Dr Mike as he bravely takes a dip in the Ganges, endures leech therapy and meets some cranky monkeys with a thirst for blood.
Queensland
Join Dr Mike on an adrenaline packed visit to Queensland, Australia. With its dense rainforest and endless white sandy beaches, it’s a vacationer’s paradise. But looks can be deceiving and Mike soon discovers that Queensland is also packed full of potentially painful and poisonous creatures.
Inside New Zealand
What is it about New Zealand that generates such passion and loyalty in its inhabitants and how has the rugged land influenced their lives?
Secrets of Paradise
Discover the mysterious dark side behind the crystal clear waters and sandy beaches of the idyllic South Pacific islands.
Islands of War
Discover the darker side of paradise as we reveal the secrets concealed among the crystal blue waters and white sands of idyllic South Pacific islands.
Beyond the Bermuda Triangle: The Devil’s Sea
Discover why ‘The Devil’s Sea’ off the south coast of Japan is so extraordinarily deadly and decide for yourself if this stretch of water could be the Bermuda Triangle of the Pacific.
Vietnam
From the chaotic city streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, to exotic jungles and picturesque paddy fields, there’s a lot to be on guard against in Vietnam for inquisitive virologist and daring explorer Dr Mike Leahy.
Mexico
From its hot, harsh interior to the chaotic city streets, Mexico is virologist Mike Leahy’s dream destination. This exotic North American country is home to a host of tiny terrors whose size defies their capacity to damage your holiday plans and your insides in an instant.
Loading..
