TRAVEL OZ

6pm from Wednesday April 9, 2007

ABC1 begins screening a new series of travel programmes featuring Australian culture and characters in remote and exotic locations next Wednesday, April 9.

TRAVEL OZ, airing at 6pm Wednesdays on ABC1, is a lively new series drawing on Australia’s abundant characters, unique locales and rich culture.

EPISODE 1: 6pm April 9:

• Christmas Island: face to face with giant whale sharks, the mass migration of red crabs.
• Norfolk Island: The annual Bounty Day cleebrations where locals speak their own language.
• Barunga: Indigenous Australians tap trees to find and make didgeridoos for a music festival.

The diversity of Australia’s culture, wildlife, landmarks and celebrations are presented by veteran documentary producer Greg Grainger and two hot new talents, the Two Tims.

Greg and the Two Tims criss-cross this amazing continent, highlighting cultural festivals, stunning natural formations, alluring travel routes, and exciting wildlife experiences while revealing the true Australian spirit in cities and in the Outback.

TravelOz captures the heart of Australia, exhilarating experiences with wildlife and encounters with unique characters.

Grainger and his team have been filming the series for the past 12 months, from Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean to Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean.

A variety of segments will feature during each show including:

AMAZING WILDLIFE * A very close encounter with two huge juvenile whale sharks
* swimming with amorous fur seals
* the beach kangaroos of the far South Coast,
* the most amazing come-back story of our times, the humpback whale migration along Australia’s East Coast.
* A mass gathering of manta rays on the Great Barrier Reef.
* The mass migration of red crabs on Christmas Island.

CULTURE:

* The annual Bounty Day celebrations on Norfolk Island, where descendants of the Bounty Mutiny still speak their own language.
* The unique culture of the Torres Strait. A colourful wedding.
* A Bush Balladeers contest in Central Queensland.
* A swaggy singing Waltzting Matilda at the billabong made famous by Banjo Patterson.
* Indigenous culture: Celebrations on the Tiwi Islands for their AFL grand final, catching frill neck lizards.

Utilising stunning photography, TRAVEL OZ will capture the dazzling beauty of Australia, from its beaches to the bush. Each segment reveals the uniqueness behind popular Australian tourist destinations and enlightens viewers about hidden treasures off the beaten path.

Grainger Television Australia has produced over sixty international travel documentaries for primetime screening on the Seven Network in Australia, programs which have also screened on Travel Channel Europe and Travel Channel USA.

GREG GRAINGER is an award-winning producer/presenter of topical travel documentaries and wildlife programmes to remote and exotic locations. His programmes are seen across the world, from Grainger’s World screened daily on the Travel Channel transmitting across Europe, to wildlife specials on the Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel. His highly acclaimed adventures have captured on film activities as diverse as sky burials in Tibet to shark riding in Tahiti, expeditions across the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as along the Andes and Himalaya.

A winner of the prestigious Logie Award for Top Australian Newsman, Greg has worked for leading radio and television stations in Britain and Australia for the past 35 years. His track record includes radio station general manager and news director to prime-time national television news presenter.