A Tasmanian devil with its mouth wide open, baring sharp teeth, showcases the wild spirit of Tasmania. Its black fur contrasts with the white patches on its chest as it stands among green grass, appearing fierce and animated.
Close-up of a white kangaroo with pink ears and nose, looking to the side. The background is a blurred mix of browns and greens, reminiscent of Tasmania's natural landscapes.
A wombat with thick brown fur is strolling on grassy ground in Tasmania. Ferns and greenery fill the background, creating a natural setting.

Tasmania – Weird and Wonderful

Nature & Wildlife·1 x 50 min·Completed

Tasmania's wild wonders – platypus, wombats, devils & more – thrive in this untouched paradise, revealing nature's quirkiest creatures and breathtaking landscapes.

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Genre
Nature & Wildlife
Duration
1 × 50 min
Definition
4K
Audio
5.1
Status
Completed
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Synopsis

Tasmania is an island bursting full of strange and wonderful wildlife, unlike anywhere else on Earth. 150 miles south of mainland Australia, it’s the last stop before the frozen wastelands of Antarctica. However, with snowy mountains, temperate rainforests, pristine sandy beaches and glacial lakes, Tasmania truly is as unique and awe-inspiring as its giant neighbours.

Tasmanians have always seen themselves as distinctive. Australian yes, but with a twist. The same is true of its wildlife. The bizarre platypus, the echidna (or spiny anteater) and the carnivorous Tasmanian devil are just a few creatures that call Tasmania home.

If Tasmania is internationally famous for one creature alone, then it is the Tasmanian devil. The biggest carnivorous marsupial in the world, it is well known for its powerful jaws and bloodcurdling call. The devils are the hyenas of Tasmania; killers and scavengers with a bite as powerful as a dog four times its size.

The platypus once baffled science with its strange concoction of body parts. This mysterious, secretive animal is difficult to see in the wild. However, one man has managed to nurture a close relationship with a wild platypus, allowing intimate details of its daily to be filmed.

It’s hard to pick the quirkiest of Tasmania’s animal; but the echidna, a relative of the platypus, must surely be a contender. Covered with spines like a porcupine, it definitely doesn’t have a sweet tooth: completely toothless, the echidna uses its extremely long tongue to feed on ants and other insects.

Then there is the wombat. A giant burrowing ball of fur living life in the slow lane. Even its digestion is slow, sometimes taking more than week to process a meal. Where the wombat lives, winter means sub-zero temperatures and heavy snow. So how does a new-born wombat survive?

There is one animal you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see in Tasmania, the penguin. However Tasmania is home to the smallest penguin in the world, aptly called the fairy penguin. Its presence along Tasmania’s shoreline is a result of the island’s unique position close to the bountiful waters that surround Antarctica.

Moving between these key stories as the seasons progress, we’ll showcase the landscapes that make this island so special. We’ll also meet a whole cast of other creatures – including white wallabies, eastern quolls, jumping ants and glowing worms. ’Tasmania: Weird and Wonderful’ will be a visual feast filled with intimate stories and amazing discoveries from one of the few places on the planet that can still be considered truly primeval.

Team

Produced and directed by Matt Hamilton
Executive producers Susanne Lummer, Sabine Holzer
Production companies A production of Terra Mater Factual Studios produced by Humble Bee Films in association with Black Devil Productions and BBC

Awards & Recognitions

New York, USA New York Festivals Gold World Medal (Category: Nature & Wildlife) 2019
Redondo Beach, USA US International Film & Video Festival Silver Screen (Category: Documentary: Nature, Wildlife) 2019
Cogne, Italy Gran Paradiso Film Festival Official Selection (Category: International Competition) 2019
Albert, France FIFA - Festival International du Film Animalier d'Albert Award of Knowledge and Discovery of the Animal World 2018
Netherlands Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam Nomination 2018
Belgium Festival International Nature Namur Nomination 2018
Lihula, Estonia MAFF Matsalu Film Festival Nomination 2018
Sondrio, Italy Facts Produced and directed by Matt Hamilton Executive producers: Susanne Lummer, Sabine Holzer 1 x 50 min., 4K, 5.1 + Stereo Project status: Available Watch the trailer Watch the whole production Awards 2019 New York Festivals 2019 (New York, USA): Gold World Medal (Category: Nature & Wildlife) US International Film & Video Festival 2019 (Redondo Beach, USA): Silver Screen (Category: Documentary: Nature, Wildlife) 2018 FIFA - Festival International du Film Animalier d'Albert 2018 (Albert, France): Award of Knowledge and Discovery of the Animal World *** Nominations *** Gran Paradiso Film Festival 2019 (Cogne, Italy): Official Selected (Category: International Competition) Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam 2018 (Netherlands): Nomination Festival International Nature Namur 2018 (Belgium): Nomination MAFF Matsalu Film Festival 2018 (Lihula, Estonia): Nomination Sondrio Festival Nomination 2018
Germany NaturVision Filmfestival Nomination for German Film Award Biodiversity 2018
Deauville, France Deauville Green Awards Finalist (Category: Preservation of the Biodiversity) 2018
Gödöllö, Hungary International Nature Film Festival Nomination (Category: Nature Films) 2018
Bratislava, Slovakia IFF Ekotopfilm - Envirofilm Festival Nomination (Category: Nature & Natural Science) 2018
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