1 (GRAND MUSIC) (SEAGULLS CAW) Cape Kidnappers was named by Capt Cook when one of his men was taken here in 1769, but according to Maori legend, the headland that formed the southernmost tip of Hawke's Bay is actually the end of Maui's fishing hook, with which he pulled up the whole of the North Island. (GRAND MUSIC CONTINUES) But Maui was so much more than just a fisherman; he was also a maverick and an innovator. And this coastline has a rich history of people not just making do but making magic. (MUSIC CONTINUES) (DRAMATIC MUSIC) From rubble to reincarnation, mudflats to world-class wine, old coasters returning from the brink ` this is life on a captivating edge, and Coast is plunging in. Marine archaeologist Matt Carter and the lone wolf looking for a kill. And so they submerged and followed it out and fired a torpedo at it. (BOOM!) Geologist Hamish Campbell wants to know if you can taste the sea in the sauce. Yeah, this is less sweet. I'd say this is drier. Author Riria Hotere rolls into the sweet memories of a champion. Up at 5 o'clock, then on the bike with, um, skates, gramophone, records. And I get taken for a ride. Off with the brakes, and engage the clutch. Yeah. There you go. Come on. We're in Hawke's Bay, and this is Coast New Zealand. ('COAST' THEME) Captions by Julie Taylor. Edited by Imogen Staines. www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2017 Our journey along Hawke's Bay begins at Bay View, down to Napier, around Cape Kidnappers and finishes on a distant beach at Porangahau. (SOLEMN MUSIC) In New Zealand, the debate over land use and conservation is an ongoing one, but has a new front open up on this Hawke's Bay headland? You might think that this is typical of the coast of the eastern seaboard of New Zealand, but in fact, it's nothing short of revolutionary. I've come to this community to find out if it's nature that's winning here. Spreading across and down Cape Kidnappers, this is Cape Sanctuary, the largest privately owned and funded wildlife restoration project of its kind in New Zealand ` 2500ha bounded by a 10.5km stainless-steel, predator-proof fence. A lifelong love of the area led to businessman Andy Lowe making an audacious investment. I fell in love with this place when I was 5. My parents had access to a bach down the end of the beach, and it was such a special place that over time I just grew to love it and love it and love it. I'm also a hunter, and, um, when I was 5 or 10 years old in the bush, the bush was bustling with wildlife throughout New Zealand, and I just noticed over the next 30 years our` our` our native forest returning to a desert as our birds were disappearing. Andy joined forces with his billionaire neighbour to experiment with a coastal community of endangered species living alongside human endeavour. I came up with a model, after talking to a lot of people, of sustainability where endangered species coexist with human habitation, recreation and food production. Modern farming has very specific needs and very specific technology. Are they going to buy into making space and allowances for recreation, native species and all the rest? We've gotta work with farmers and accept that some of our practices are not sustainable at the moment, um, and accept that that might carry on for another 10, 15 years, but as long as we're working to a common goal with technology where we can have endangered species coexisting with farming and increase farming production, isn't that a win-win for everyone? (REFLECTIVE MUSIC) Within the sanctuary, there's a micro-sanctuary, an inner sanctum, if you like, that provides protection for some of the cape's rarest species, including one of the world's oldest inhabitants ` a reptile that I particularly want to see. Hello, Nicky. Hey. How's it going? Good. Nicky Nelson is leading a team of biological science students from Victoria University. Is it safe enough in here, do you think? (LAUGHS) Only after we've locked you in. (CHUCKLES) It's like Jurassic Park. Right. Come with me. Lead on. Who lives in this special place? Tuatara, which, uh, can only survive in places where there are no rodents and cats and dogs and so on. And there are takahe in here, as well. There are giant weta. You know, it's just a cool place for all our most vulnerable to mammalian predation. What have you found, Beau? MAN: Oh, there you go. Look at that! Look at the colour of it. Let it settle down. OK, so they do bite, so we don't want your fingers around their mouth area. OK. All right. And they do like to sit on something, so if we just put it on your hand... OK. ...but you have your finger round there, then that should be good. Ooh, it's cold, of course. Of course it's cold ` it's cold-blooded, isn't it? It's pretty much the temperature of the environment, rather than cold, so it was probably close to its burrow. Yeah. Be out getting some sun. Is this fully-grown, or...? No, this is about 10 years, so coming on to sexual maturity. So, if this one is about 10-ish, how long might it live? Um, maybe 100 years. (GASPS) But we're still watching this space on that. 100 years. You've got a long way to go. From a biological point of view, what exactly is a tuatara? It's a tuatara. It's in its own order, all by itself. The only living species in the rhynchocephalia order. So, on planet Earth at the moment, the tuatara is its own thing, without relatives? Unless you go back, you know, sort of, to the branch with lizards 230 million years ago. Wow. But an ancestor of this walked the same earth as dinosaurs? That's the idea, yeah. Let you take him. Gosh, he's got sharp claws too. Yeah, yeah. All right. Well, we'll just sit down and measure it, shall we? Yep. But wait, there's more, as Liz Lowe and restoration ecologist Steve Sawyer approach. Gidday, Neil. We've found you something else to have a look at. This is a Cook Strait giant weta. Oh, this place is crawling with strange life. Another one of the amazing species that we breed here at Cape Sanctuary. Wow. Oh, you breed these? She's a vegetarian. This one's about 2 years old; a breeding female, so very special. One of our most spectacular invertebrates that we have in New Zealand. LIZ: And this one here is another female, which is only a year old. Uh-huh. So this will become that in another year. Wow. How rare is it to encounter one of these? Extremely rare. They're only found on offshore islands. I just don't expect to see insects this size. Would this be good eating for a tuatara? Oh, absolutely. This is, uh` Yep. This has tuatara burger written all over it. Ooh, I've got a brooch. It's like something from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. (ALL CHUCKLE) (REFLECTIVE MUSIC) Along with neighbours, councils and 500 passionate volunteers, the local iwi, through Jem Te Huia, also work hand in hand with Andy. How many places can you walk around and a takahe just walks past you? How many places do you know where kakariki are flying around like sparrows? It's beautiful, and just hearing the songs of the` of the manu again ` priceless. Cape Sanctuary is a bold endeavour. It's a glimpse of a possible future, in which a country's most vulnerable flora and fauna can be protected from landscapes degraded and debased by humankind and given the chance thereby once more to thrive. Coming up ` the bizarre voyage of U862. They surfaced; they could see city lights, cars, people dancing, could even hear the music. That's how close they were. Wow. 1 (DRAMATIC MUSIC) It was the only enemy shot fired in New Zealand during World War II, and it happened here, in the hitherto untroubled waters of Napier ` a torpedo launched by a German submarine. Matt Carter investigates an incredible story that only surfaced nearly 50 years after the war. They were known as the wolves of the sea; Germany's Second World War submarines that hunted the Atlantic in packs. But in the dying days of the war, one U-boat peeled away, sailing farther than all before, slipping into New Zealand's waters on a random search for a victim ` a lone wolf looking for a kill. This is the bizarre story of Kriegsmarine U862. Helmed by Capt Heinrich Timm, the only commander of any navy with combat experience in every ocean during World War II, U862 was the farthest travelled of the entire fleet. In 1992, First Watch Officer Gunther Reiffenstuhl published a personal war diary with reference to the U-boat's voyage all the way to New Zealand. That mention captivated military enthusiast and researcher Peter Trevathan. So, what route did it take to get down here? It went to Jakarta, uh, where there is a naval base there, then it come around to Australia. Uh, there was a lot of US Liberty ships coming around off Australia, obviously taking a lot of stuff to the Pacific for the war ` uh, the Americans and Australian, New Zealand forces over there. On its way, it hunted two other ships, and the last ship it sunk was just off Sydney. Why was the troop over here? Well, he went to the top of the Cape, top of New Zealand, and then he surfaced a couple of times to get his bearings, got his bearings off the Cape, and then he decided to come down that lower part of the North Island into Gisborne, where he hunted for some ships, had no luck, uh, then he come down to Napier. So, they come here on the 16th of January, they went round to the far side of the harbour, they surfaced. One by one, the crew come up and had a look in the binoculars. They could see city lights, cars, people dancing, could even hear the music. That's how close they were. A lot of guys actually got homesick, so, actually, it's quite sad, really. Here they are, far from home; all these people enjoying themselves, and here they were in this sub. Homesickness was the least of their problems. Nine months away from Germany, no change of clothes, no baths; just sweat and diesel fumes. U862 needed a win that night of the 16th of January 1945, as naval historian Michael Wind recounts. Oh, hello. How are you? Not too bad. So, what happened on the night of the attack? How did it all play out? Oh, well, basically, um, they looked at the port; they really couldn't see any target, so they're incredibly frustrated. But early on the morning of the 17th, they spot a small coastal steamer leaving, and so they submerged and followed it out and fired a torpedo at it. It missed, and Timm was convinced that they'd been spotted and that the New Zealand forces were gonna be sending aircraft and ships and he was gonna be hunted. So he made a decision to head south towards Wellington. In fact, Capt Timm was mistaken. There was no detection of their near miss, and so Napier remained totally unaware of the killer in their midst. New Zealand didn't even know that a U-boat had appeared in our waters until after the war when evidence was given to Wellington to say, 'Oh, by the way, here's the crews of 862.' So, what happened to the torpedo? Somewhere out in the ocean, we can find it ` if it's still there. That's all we have. You know, that's the thing about U-boats ` they don't leave a lot of evidence behind that they've` they've been here. Something that really strikes me is ` why so late in the war? Well, Germany decided in 1943 that they were going to help the Japanese and send U-boats out to the Indian Ocean. Um, U862 was one of the boats that was sent, so she was given authorisation to operate in Australian and New Zealand waters to try and cause some disruption in this part of the world and try and draw some forces back from the Pacific. I guess as an alternative history, what would have happened if she'd successfully sunk the ship? I think there would have been some measure of panic in New Zealand. I, uh` It's certainly by 19` January 1945, our coastal defences had been wound down. I mean, we're here in Napier, the` the guns that they had here were removed in November 1944, the patrols that we had were being wound down, so we didn't expect any enemy vessels in this water. So this would have actually caused some` some issues for, uh, defending. And I think it shows too that` how vulnerable and isolated New Zealand is. You know, we could only patrol so much, and` and we really, essentially, patrolled around the four major ports, so we weren't really focusing on Napier. It certainly would have been a shock to the New Zealanders to know that the enemy was so close. (GRAND MUSIC) With a 15,000km coastline, New Zealand has had a long history of living off the sea, and Hawke's Bay is a proud part of it. But declining fish stocks have forced new quotas on the industry, while consumers are increasingly conscious about how and where their seafood is caught. In Napier, Riria Hotere is portside to find out about a local innovation that could mean we have our fish and eat it guilt-free. Any talk of commercial fishing is usually tied to sustainability and its many challenges. I'm here to check out an idea that might change things for the better. Karl Warr began fishing here 20 years ago. So, what's the problem? Selectivity. What I was finding with just using a standard net was I was having problems with fish I can't sell, fish that are small, uh, fish that I can't find quota for, so we're trying to make the escape of the fish that we're not chasing ` small fish and by-catch fish ` uh, easy and friendly on those fish so that, uh, not only do they actually get out; they get out in good health and carry on doing their business. Karl's innovation is a steel cage at the end of his net that, in effect, acts like a specialised sieve. So I'm using this mesh to try and catch things like gurnard, sole, flounder and` and red cod. When I go into a` a fishery which I'm just wanting to catch, uh, good-sized flounder, for instance, I will put another panel in with a different shape. Science and data collection is critical to managing the fishing industry ` one of the responsibilities of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. Karl's invention is part of that data mix, as NIWA marine ecologist Emma Jones tells me. We're working with Karl and some other fishermen here in Hawke's Bay to, um, learn about what they're doing and what they're changing in their nets and` and how that affects what they're catching. What's interesting about Karl's cage in particular is the fact that it's rigid and the fact that he's able to really control and be precise about the shape and the size of his escape holes. It's important in terms of being able to put actual numbers around, uh, what Karl's doing. You can see the difference in` in things on the deck. (PENSIVE PIANO MUSIC) New Zealand has one of the most extensive quota-based fishery management systems in the world. It's a billion-dollar industry, employing 26,000 Kiwis, and is strictly monitored to maintain quality. (MUSIC CONTINUES) An hour later, we arrive where, hopefully, there'll be some fish below us. For the first demonstration, Karl drops his net with cage panels, which should catch gurnard and red cod. (TRANQUIL MUSIC) And here they come. Holes in these panels should allow undersized and non-target fish to escape before the net comes to the surface. (WHIRRING) Whoa. So, is this what you'd expect to see in the cage? Yes. With these panels on the side, I would. We'll pull those out; we'll give Emma a chance to count and measure. So let's tip some out and, um` and have a look at them. All right. Red cod, 55. For NIWA's Emma Jones, this is vital information. 32. We focus on looking at the species competition and for all those species, the size competition and the numbers, and` and that's, kind of, data that isn't normally collected as part of fishing operations. K, red cod, 55. That should pop off. For the second demonstration, Karl changes panels in the hope of catching only flatfish, like flounder or brill. And we should be able to drop this into place. It's gonna go... If you wanna slide that pin through. Yep. Yep. Good to go. (TRANQUIL MUSIC) In come the flatfish, along with some jellyfish and one red cod. And then, as Karl hauls up the cage, the undersized red cod turns right and gently swims out through the mesh unharmed. That's fantastic. Wow. (CHUCKLES) This is so different from the first catch. This is what we want wanna offer industry as an option. We've got the right species, the target species, and they're all of a good size. Good sizing. And to my untrained eye, these look like fantastic-looking fish. These are gonna be easy sells. With his innovative cage selecting the right fish at the right size, Karl has seen his usable catch rising from 40% to about 90%. But most importantly, there's no juvenile fish in here, which means` ...they're still there, so` ...they're still out there. So the big thing in this picture is what you're not seeing. It's one small innovation for a Napier fisherman that could be one giant leap for a global industry. Coming up ` the colossal take and give of tectonic terror. All this land rose up ` an area of 2000km2. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) 1 Dominating the southern sweep of Hawke's Bay are the tawny sandstone cliffs of Cape Kidnappers, which provide a dramatic nesting site for 8000 pairs of Australasian gannets. This is the largest mainland gannet colony anywhere in the world. Gannets belong to the booby family. This colony has been nesting in what is now a reserve since the 1870s. In amongst all these beautiful, golden-headed adults, you can pick out grey juveniles. Now, when they reach the age of 4 months, they'll take off. Their maiden flight is all the way to Australia, 2200km away. Once they reach the age of about 3 or 4, they come back, and they spend the rest of their lives in New Zealand waters. But that first adventure is like all Kiwi youth ` they go away for an overseas experience. (REFLECTIVE MUSIC) The cape cliffs are not just a striking setting for ocean-going gannets; the multilayered rocks, tilts and fault lines are also towering evidence of New Zealand's vigorous geology. Living in the shaky isles, Kiwis are well aware of earthquakes wreaking indiscriminate havoc. Occasionally, though, the menacing clouds of destruction can bear a silver lining. Hamish Campbell goes in search of one rather pleasant outcome from the region's devastating shake in 1931. The first thing we need to understand when we consider New Zealand's unstable foothold is that not all quakes are created equal. The earthquake that so savagely took 250 lives and reshaped the cities of Napier and Hastings in 1931, was the result of a blind thrust fault ` an intense fracturing that occurs deep below when tectonic plates shove against each other. Geologist Julie Lee has studied the telltale rock structures at Cape Kidnappers. Good to see you. Nice to see you. Yeah. So, here we are. The whole of the North Island's on the Australian Plate, and it's been bulldozed by the incoming Pacific Plate, and it's generating this lovely folding. Yes, if we think about the land being uplifted, it's kind of bowing things up and also dropping things down underneath. And I can` I can demonstrate to you how` how this, kind of, works. Great. Let's have a look. So, th-this piece of plasticine here. If we imagine that there's pressure on the top layers, these layers are gradually going to be folded and folded and towards the top,... Oh, yes. Look. ...you're going to get cracking. We're getting cracking right there. So while you're getting uplift in some` in some layers, you're getting subsidence in another area. Right, and these cracks would reflect tears or little faults, uh, that, uh, perhaps been picked out by the topography, by the erosion. That's right. That's what we can see in the cliffs over there. Faults that can dramatically alter the land we live on and off. Just imagine ` 1931, here we are on this hill, and it was an island. And then the earthquake struck. February the 3rd, just before 11 o'clock in the morning, and out of nowhere, all this land rose up. It rose up about a maximum of only about 3m, but that's a lot. And around here, the Ahuriri Lagoon rose about 1.5m, and it was part of a broad uplift about 90km long, 19km wide ` an area of 2000km2. But immediately after the earthquake, you can imagine fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and for months this place would have reeked with all this dead stuff, and now it's beautiful soil. Talk about a makeover. Down the hill is a vineyard belonging to the Jardine family. Lisa Jardine recalls its bizarre beginning. So, Lisa, tell me about this place. It was acquired in the late 1800s,... Right. ...by my great-great-grandfather. Wow. How did`? How did he come by this land? So, he was a stonemason, and he, uh, made a monument for some people, and this was their, um, way of paying him. And when he came over from England, um, he was very excited about his farm. (CHUCKLES) Uh, but, unfortunately, when he got here and realised that it was all, uh, mudflats and there was a lot of crabs and things roaming around and the tide came right up to the big hill behind us here, the family jokingly called it Crab Farm. (LAUGHS) The joke's on them now, because after the 1931 earthquake, this new uplifted terrain was put to a rather palatable use. Vines were planted 40 years ago, and today, Lisa's father, Hamish, is still reaping the benefits. The soil, it's mainly made up of` of sea life, of shell life, of everything that would` would come from an estuary ` lots of crabs. Um, and so, if you... if you could imagine that thousands of years of crustacean,... Mm. ...it would definitely give the, um` the land a difference. And does that come out in the flavour of the wine? I think it does, yeah. Soil does play a huge part in what a vine will` will take up and` and deliver to its fruit. (SOFT, COMPELLING MUSIC) So, how distinct is this coastal drop? The proof is in the glass, (CHUCKLES) but which one? To test my layman's palate, we're blind-tasting three different bottles to see if I can pick the Crab Farm wine from the others. There you go, Hamish. Yeah, this is less sweet. Mm. Mm. I'd say this is drier. And I reckon the middle one's probably Crab Farm. Oh, I know the middle one's Crab Farm. Do you? Yep. Yeah-hoo! Yeah. I got it. You got it. Yeah, it's fantastic. Suits my palate. (GLASSES CLINK) Bottoms up. Absolutely. It truly is a turnaround from mudflats to Pinot Gris, off the back of the ute with a sea view second to none. In vino veritas ` in wine there's truth ` and the truth is the Hawke's Bay is a hotbed of tectonic activity and always will be. But if we bear with Mother Nature's occasional outbursts, she will reward us with gifts, like a perfect glass of wine. Next ` it didn't begin well. It was surrounded by swamp, by lagoon. He called it a 'hopeless site for a town'. 1 (PLEASANT MUSIC) Since its very early beginnings, more than 100 years ago, Napier's foreshore has been the place where the people of Hawke's Bay come to tilt the work-life balance towards play. Riria Hotere strolls down Marine Parade to find out why Napier became New Zealand's poster child for the grand old tradition of seaside promenading. (RELAXED GUITAR MUSIC) It's opening day at Napier's skatepark,... (APPLAUSE) She's quicker than me with the scissors. ...the latest upgrade in the long evolution of the city's renowned Marine Parade. It began as a dream to turn a quiet town's waterfront into a version of Britain's famous seaside resort, Brighton. Michael Fowler is a Hawke's Bay historian. So, why Brighton? Well, it was an attempt to recreate the English seaside of the old country. They wanted something to remind them of home, except with a better climate. (CHUCKLES) What was Napier like back then? Paint me a picture. Well, when Alfred Domett, who was sent by the, uh, Crown in 1854 to` to settle Napier, to plan it out, he called it a 'hopeless site for a town'. So it was surrounded by swamp, by lagoon. Well, I can actually show you a` a picture of what it was like. This is a bit earlier, but, as you can see, not a lot happening there. Uh, that is the main street, Hastings St, there. Quite watery, isn't it? It is very, very watery. Compared to now. Yes, and when there was a really rough sea, the water came pretty much right over there. So as` as Domett said, it was a 'hopeless site for a town'. But they were very hardy in those days, and they set about reclaiming the land by draining some of the swamps over there. So, that there is Napier in 1885. So that was the beginnings of a promenade. You see they've got the park benches there. A new sea wall was built and a row of Norfolk pines, chosen for their hardiness. Playgrounds were added, swimming baths and street lighting. Then came 1931, which changed everything. What was Napier like after the 1931 earthquake? It was an uplift of land around this area of about 2m. Now, they'd already started to reclaim some of the land here by forcing shingle up and trapping in to actually create more of a` a` a level, kind of like a platform here, but after the earthquake, there was a man called, uh, JS Barton. Now, he the commissioner appointed by the government to oversee the affairs of Napier, so he superseded the council. So he really had a` a blueprint for the` for the Marine Parade. So it was id` his idea to come up with some kind of outdoor theatre, such as the` the Soundshell. And here it is in 1938 with some of the, um, improvements that were` that were made. You can see the Soundshell there. Now, there was a lot of opposition to that Soundshell going there. Why's that? Because it would obstruct views. So it was basically there on a two-year trial, and it was obviously still here today. Still here today. So` So` So they kept it. Marine Parade's recreational renewal included the Colonnade, the National Aquarium, Marineland and Sunken Gardens. So, is this Brighton? Well, they called it the Nice of the South Pacific, so they've actually advanced from Brighton to` to Nice. Oh, good. (LAUGHS) One of the most popular activities on the Marine Parade was roller skating after a rink was built in 1934 for skating and dancing. Undisputed star of the rink, and of New Zealand roller skating, was fresh-faced teenager Valerie Whyte, who's returned after many decades away to walk me through her vivid memories. Oh, hello. Lovely to meet you. What was it like for you growing up here? I think it was the best. I think it was just the best time, really. What was your routine? Right. Up at 5 o'clock, breakfast, then on the bike with skates, gramophone, records and, uh, a broom, in case it was wet up here, and then we'd have to sweep the rink. Occasionally` I must say that occasionally it would be good if it was wet. (CHUCKLES) Just to have a break. When you get into competition, uh, you've gotta put such a lot of work in, which I did have to do, and everyone else that had` was in competition had to do the same. I do remember falling asleep at school. (CHUCKLES) Because of skating? Because of skating, yes. (CHUCKLES) Look at you. (CHUCKLES) I was about 11 there, I think. That's a sit spin, or a Jackson Haines. Wow. And where are you going here? Off to Nelson in this tiny little aircraft. I don't` I think I was very brave, don't you? I do. And, uh, this one here was taken, uh, before I went to Barcelona. That one there. Take us back to that time when you used to skate here. Uh, yes. They used to bring the, um, forms and, uh, seating arrangements out from the bottom of the Soundshell there, and we used to set them up all the way. And the moment the music went on, the people would come up. (REFLECTIVE MUSIC) At only 15, Valerie headed to Barcelona for the World Roller Skating Championships ` the first time New Zealand had competed internationally. Valerie was New Zealand Ladies' Free Skating champion from 1955 to 1960. (REFLECTIVE MUSIC CONTINUES) Valerie, how does it feel to be back here? I can't tell you. It's quite emotional, really. From the time I was 3, I, sort of, grew up here, so it's so special. And just being here and it being such a beautiful day and seeing the Norfolk Pines and Soundshell, everything all around, and just being back on the rink, really. You know that saying, 'The more things change, the more they stay the same'? Well, the wheels have evolved, but roller skating is still busting out the moves with golden memories, along Napier's grand old, seaside promenade. Next ` the Mongols and Persians did it ` but not on a beach. Swing. Swing. I think my chances of doing this and hitting the ball are minimal. No, no. They'll be fine. I love your optimism. (SERENE MUSIC) Travelling down the coast from Napier, and the noise of urban living gives way to rolling waves and seaside idylls that attract both the languid, the active and, here, a sport not usually associated with a beach. Well, here, in the small Hawke's Bay settlement of Porangahau, they've put a new twist on that most ancient of sports, and I've come to find out why polo has left the turf and gone on to the sand. Polo is one of the oldest team sports in known history. It was first played by the warring, nomad tribes of central Asia over 2500 years ago. Genghis Khan allegedly played with the decapitated heads of his opponents. Shahs and sultans, khans and caliphs of the ancient Persians, Arabs, Moguls and Mongols adapted the game, which is why it's known as the sport of kings. Harriet Kuru has been breeding and trading polo ponies locally for more than 30 years. These are my first polo ponies. I've never seen polo ponies. (CHUCKLES) Haven't you? What's special or different about a polo pony? They're smaller than the average pony. They're a lot more agile on a field. How do you go about training a pony that's never been around polo to get ready for the game? Once you bring them in and break them in, the riders will just ride them around on the paddock and swing the mallet from them without hitting a ball. Right. And that gets them used to having something swinging around their body and round up past their face and... Yeah. What's the difference with the animals that you breed? For me, it's their temperament. Like, I would be happy in putting you on any of my home-breds as opposed to a thoroughbred, because I know I can trust them and I know that you'll be safe on them. Well, I've got myself a horse ` or I should say pony. And having got a pony, I need a crash course in polo. I wish I hadn't said 'crash'. Harriet's business partner Hamish McLean is a keen polo player, who's brought the came to Porangahau Beach. Now, I have my polo pony. OK. What I need to know is what to do with one. Okey-doke. Up and over. Good man. Very well done. If you take a couple of practice swings... OK. You have to lean over a little bit. OK. You want the` You want the` the` the mallet to` Don't want to hit my horse on the nose. Absolutely. You don't want to do that. We want to be friends. You want to be friends ` exactly. (CHUCKLES) There you go. Very good. OK. Now, off with the pressure,... Off with the brakes. ...and squeeze with the legs. Off with the brakes and engage the clutch. There you go. Good girl. (CLICKS TONGUE) Good girl. Good. Good. Well done. Now, swing the mallet. Come this way. Swing the` Swing. Swing. I think my chances of doing this and hitting the ball are minimal. No, no. They'll be fine. I love your optimism. Just do what you practised before ` lean over, get the horse close to the ball. Good man. OK. Same one. Same again. Here we go again. Do it again. Yes! Same again. Three for three! Very good. (LAUGHTER) I'm gonna turn pro in a minute. Effortless. Effortless. Well done. How'd that feel? It's great, yeah. She's lovely. It's a thrill, isn't it? She knows what she's doing. Sylvester Stallone said playing polo was like playing golf in the middle of an earthquake, so, taking that very much to heart, I'm gonna leave the match to the professionals. OK, Hamish. How do we get this started? You just roll it in. You just roll it in between the` between the teams. OK. OK. And then that` that's the go. Right. So just go ahead and roll it in. Polo is played in seven-minute chukkas. (LAUGHS) Oh, head-on collision. There they go. They're gonna play the ball. Oh, he missed the ball. All missed the ball. Yep. So it's not` it's not as easy as it looks to hit the ball. No. How does beach polo differ from polo on turf? Beach polo is played on` on a much smaller pitch ` it's only 120m x 50m ` whereas a regular polo field is at least three times that size. Consequently, there's a lot more action. There's a lot more turn, thrust, play, hit, and the horses really like playing on the sand, cos they can get some grip and they can really turn, and they enjoy it. It's absolutely spectacular when you see it against that setting of the breaking waves. It's stunning. It's absolutely stunning. And the other, uh, real attraction about beach polo is because you're using a softer ball, the spectators can be actually right standing on the sideline. In` In traditional polo, the ball is` is like a brick, and if it hits you ` serious damage. Right. But this is a softer ball; you can stand right on` on the, uh, perimeter, and the horses can come literally down right beside you at a` at a flat-out gallop. It's certainly no canter in the park ` four horses thundering around each other to hit a ball at 50km/h. What is it about this landscape, this beach, that lends itself to this sport? The expanse of sand. At` At low tide, you've got all this room to` to` to exercise your horses, to run the horses, to practise with the ball and what have you. Is there anywhere else in New Zealand ` or in the world ` where people can go and see polo being played on the beach like this? At this stage, there's nowhere else in New Zealand, but there is quite a number of countries that play beach polo ` Australia in particular, uh, Florida is where beach polo started. It's been around other countries for quite some years, but in New Zealand` It's` It's very new sport to New Zealand. Porangahau may be a rural dot on the map, but this team is truly international. Polo's a game that's famously connected to the wealthy. Do you find that you've become part of that elitist world? Absolutely not. The polo that we're part of is very much grass roots, um, and a mixed` a mixed culture of people. For instance, down here playing today, we've got Maori people, we've got an Englishman, we've got a` a young` young man from, uh, Mongolia. It's amazing given the supposed origin of polo that here on the beach in New Zealand you've got a Mongolian lad playing with everyone else. It is very ironic. Of course, there's` there's quite a debate about where` where polo began. There's` There's a Persian camp, and there's a Mongolian camp. So here you fly the flag for Mongolia? Absolutely. Absolutely. Polo is a test of skill and strength and stamina for horse and rider. But whether it's being played by the rich and powerful, half a world away, or on this remote beach in Hawke's Bay, still it stirs the passions best captured in the 14th century by the Sufi poet Mahmud 'Arifi ` 'Let others play at other things. 'The king of games is still the game of kings.' (GRAND MUSIC)