Episodes
1. The Coffee Royal Affair
January 27, 1996
60 min
Major Les Hiddins uses his Bush Tucker knowledge, his bush craft and his fascination with the past to bring us this final series, 'Stories of Survival'. In episode 1, Les travels to the West Australian coast where Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's reputation was damaged following one of Australia's earliest aviation disasters.
2. The Cannibal Convict
January 28, 1996
60 min
The wilds of south-west Tasmania are the dramatic backdrop to this story of cannibalism. A bizarre survival technique used by one of Australia's earliest prison escapees, convict Alexander Pearce.
3. The Great Misadventure
January 28, 1996
60 min
How Burke and Wills might have survived. In this episode, Les retraces the famous journey across Australia from south to north by explorers Burke and Wills. If only the men had known about the preparation of bush tucker - particularly Nardo - things might have turned out differently for the ill-fated party.
4. The Best of Them All
January 28, 1996
60 min
The best European explorer of Australia. Les follows in the footsteps of the determined explorer John McDouall Stuart, who became the first European to cross Australia from South to North. Stuart also pioneered the overland Telegraph and rail route.
5. The Dutch Settlement
January 28, 1996
60 min
Were the first European Australians Dutch? Les follows various clues across Australia to investigate an intriguing report. According to the report, a Dutch colony was set up in Central Australia following a ship wreck on the west coast. If the stories and their dates were true, it would mean Europeans had settled in Australia 100 years before the First Fleet.
6. Gold Fever
January 28, 1996
60 min
Is there unmined gold in Central Australia? Bush Tucker Man, Les Hiddins traces Lewis Lasseter's 1930s expedition to rediscover what Lasseter claimed was a rich gold reef in central Australia. Les assesses recent discoveries which may shed light on Australia's most intriguing legend.
7. The Passionate Prussian
January 28, 1996
60 min
In this episode, Les looks at Ludwig Leichhardt's phenomenal journey across northern Australia from Moreton Bay near Brisbane to Port Essington north of Darwin. Leichhardt's early successes were due in part to his botanical observations.
8. Into The Vilest Country
January 28, 1996
60 min
Taming the country, Cape York Peninsula. Les Hiddins travels to Cape York Peninsula in a manner that contrasts strongly with the cumbersome expedition led by Edmund Kennedy. He shows how a seemingly inhospitable environment can be used to one's advantage.
