Scuba diving in South Australia's sink holes

The west coast colonies began differently to the east, it was originally populated by people who migrated by choice, at least initially. And that is how the west still likes to view itself today, different from the rest. A truly magical landscape, and a history that is unique, particular and compelling. Perth is striking, and different, about one fifth of the water drunk by the population is desalinated, Neil investigates this process and discovers some unique marine life that have developed as a result. Emma explores the sustainable fishing practices of the western rock lobster and Dean tests a brilliant and unique invention, that is the Dyson of the sea, allowing international vessels to have their hulls cleaned without dry docking, and most importantly without releasing harmful alien marine organisms into the local waterways.

People fantasise of escaping to Far North Queensland, its remote beaches and beautiful rainforests are the stuff of dreams. You can't get further north on the continent than Cape York, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia, a complex mosaic of rainforest, wetlands, beaches and forests, the beauty of the landscape is almost beyond compare. But it is also home to fascinating people and a rich history of exploration, survival and opportunity. Tim retraces Burke and Wills most northerly steps, they never hit the water, but they came close enough to smell the sea. In 1902 Flinders noted a reddish hue to some of the mountains, today one of Rio Tinto's Bauxite mines is driving the local community and Neil shows how valuable this aluminium ore is to the world; and Australia has six of the seven species of turtles in the world, but they are struggling to adapt and survive, Emma tries to help at a local Indigenous turtle hospital.

This episode of Coast Australia explores how one of the most picturesque waterways in the world: Sydney, became one of the world's most impressive working harbours. With an indigenous history dating back tens of thousands of years, and a modern history from the first tents of the first settlement, Sydney never ceases to amaze for its brilliance and weight of stories. Neil is shown behind the scenes of Australia's oldest naval base at Garden Island in Sydney Harbour, with hidden tunnels running through the island, and a dry dock that looks like one of the world's largest meccano sets, it is a jigsaw of old and modern military expertise in one location. He also visits the final resting place of the third Japanese midget submarine that escaped during the Sydney Harbour attack in World War II, in now lies 56m below the seas surface off the northern beaches of Sydney. And Dave explores the history of gas lighting in Sydney, a moment when the city grew up, and finds the ramifications of the harbour side gasworks are still being felt today.