Bush Tucker Man

Major Les Hiddins of the Australian Army explores Arnhem Land, northern Australia, and learns Aboriginal survival methods. He's on a mission to record the many bush foods and medicines of northern Australia. Les travels to the closed Indigenous community of Ngukurr, where locals share some remarkable bush tucker secrets.

Surviving the rainy season in Australia's Northern Territory.

Les Hiddins travels through some of the most arid desert country in search of food and water.

Northern Western Australia: (end of wet season - start of dry) by chopper into the Kimberly sandstone plateaus - Prince Regent River gorge - boab tree and nuts - carved history on trunk by sailors from HMC "Mermaid" 1820 (Capt. King) - bush passionfruit introduced from Argentina scattered around all over northern Australia - ill-fated exploration in 'The Wet' by George Grey expedition from north to south WA - kept journal but didn't use bush tucker such as mangrove snails - Les climbs escarpment escaping the salt water crocodile - superb lookout over huge St George Basin - isolation and stillness - tucker amongst lush vegetation in the gullies - famous Vitamin C content in Terminalia fruit - eating lemon/lime ants - also the superb Kalumburu almonds Les' favorite bush tucker - food water and shelter needs - rocky overhangs littered with ancient tools and indications of life - bush tucker of the area baby pandanus - vine growth pointing to underground yam (tuba) - dogs nut berry called 'rubbish tucker' by local men - Grey's journal - mystery of the wandjina paintings - bush secrets lost forever - so much to explore - King's Cascades - uses lure in the waters of the gorge for barramundi whilst awaiting chopper ride out.

Far North Queensland: dry season in rainforest near Cooktown, similar to where Les grew up and started Bushtucker studies - Les used rainforest experience in Vietnam - Meg Waterfall, fast flowing river drops 1000m to coastline on horizon - abseiling - Tin mining ruins, edges of "Big Scrub", north of Townsville - lacked understanding - tried to grow bananas, chilli - local food, water, shelter - ginger pips - ginger roots as strong flavouring - but in general the looks of fruits etc can be deceptive - looking for something to add to stew - caution on rainforest stinging leaves - travels further north, out of rainforest near Cooktown, Black Mountains volcanic granite - caves and crevices - legends of convicts and lost tribe of locals - mud road to Cape York - excellent Land-Rover scene crossing Cape York creek - open savanah country, Iron Range a great undisturbed rainforest - makes natural shelter in cane frame and banana leaves - leaves a yabby trap in the creek a few hours - eels, turtle, fish, yabbies, water snakes, nocturnal animals - boils the billy and makes yabby stew with rice and ginger - candle nuts as high energy food and 'candles' - sets up candle nuts.

Les goes coastal. Bush Tucker Man, Les Hiddins is dropped into the east coast of the Cape York Peninsula and travels via chopper, on foot and even via blow-up mattress along the Jardine River to the west coast.

Crash survivors could have prevented starvation. In this episode, Les Hiddins is in the Gulf Country of Queensland around Doomadgee. In 1942, an American bomber crashed not far from here. Les relives the extraordinary story of the crash's survivors as he moves through the region. Those American airmen, like the majority of Australians, had no knowledge of native bush food or survival. The men starved to death surrounded by abundant food.

Les Hiddins joins a group of soldiers on an expedition into the Bush to learn first-hand about the survival techniques of Aborigines