THIS IS MY OLD PASSPORT WITH THE STAMP FROM 2006 AND 2009. THE FIRST TIME HE DECLARED HIS CONVICTION AT THE BORDER WITH NO PROBLEMS. THE SECOND TIME HE APPLIED IN ADVANCE. SO, THAT'S BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THERE A TEMPORARY VISA. THEN IN AUGUST LAST YEAR, HE TRIED AGAIN. THEY SENT ME AN EMAIL SAYING THEY NEED MORE INFORMATION. THEY NEED SENTENCING NOTES FROM 19 YEARS AGO. BUT THERE WAS A PROBLEM; HE WAS TOLD THAT AFTER 10 YEARS, THOSE DOCUMENTS ARE DESTROYED. SO AS HE ENTERED AUSTRALIA, MARK WAS STOPPED AND TAKEN TO VILLAWOOD DETENTION CENTRE, WHERE HE SPENT TWO DAYS LOCKED DOWN. YEAH, GOING THROUGH MY HEAD WAS JUST, 'IS THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENING?' MY WIFE BROKE DOWN AND CRIED, AND THEN LITERALLY SHE HAD TO BE ESCORTED OUT. KIWIS GOING TO AUSTRALIA WHO'VE HAD ANY SORT OF CONVICTION REGARDLESS OF HOW MINOR OR HOW LONG AGO ARE MEANT TO DISCLOSE EVERYTHING WELL BEFORE TRAVEL. YOU SEND A CONSENT FORM TO LET OUR POLICE GIVE THE AUSTRALIAN CONSULATE YOUR FULL CRIMINAL RECORD. IF YOU'RE A RED FLAG, YOU MAY THEN HAVE TO APPLY FOR A VISA, WHICH CAN TAKE MONTHS, BUT AUSTRALIANS COMING HERE ONLY HAVE TO FLAG IF THEY'VE BEEN SENTENCED TO 12 MONTHS OR MORE IN PRISON OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, OR IF THEY'VE BEEN SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS OR MORE AT ANY TIME. A DISCREPANCY, YES, AND THE TROUBLE IS THE PROTOCOLS CAN BE CONFUSING. DO YOU KNOW ABOUT DECLARING CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS? NO, BUT DON'T YOU JUST DO THAT ANYWAY? DO YOU KNOW WHAT` WHAT WOULD YOU DECLARE WHEN YOU GO TO AUSTRALIA? I'M NOT TO SURE. DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT DECLARING CONVICTIONS? NO. WOULD I TELL THEM? PROBABLY NOT. IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY, HERE'S A FUN FACT. I ONCE HAD A CRIMINAL CONVICTION. AS A 17-YEAR-OLD, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE REALLY FUN TO FOLLOW MY 18-YEAR-OLD FRIENDS INTO A BAR. TURNS OUT, IT WAS A VERY BAD IDEA. NOW, BECAUSE IT WAS MINOR, AFTER SEVEN YEARS, THAT CONVICTION WAS WIPED, BUT IN ALL MY YEARS OF TRAVELLING, I'VE NEVER ONCE DECLARED IT. SO HOW SERIOUS DOES AN OFFENCE HAVE TO BE IN ORDER FOR YOU TO DECLARE IT? TURNS OUT EVEN THE EXPERTS AREN'T QUITE SURE. IT'S QUITE GREY IN THAT AREA. IT DOESN'T SET IT OUT QUITE CLEARLY, SO I GUESS IT COMES DOWN TO WHAT IMMIGRATION DECIDE. PER THE FORM, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO FILL ONE OUT IF THEY HAVE A CONVICTION. WHETHER EVERYBODY DOES DO THAT, OBVIOUSLY IS ANOTHER QUESTION ALL TOGETHER. IT'S NOT CLEAR JUST HOW MUCH OF THE AVERAGE JOE'S RAP SHEET IS SHARED BETWEEN COUNTRIES, BUT THE ADVICE IS DON'T TAKE THE RISK, OR, BETTER YET, DON'T BREAK THE LAW IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT THAT DOESN'T HELP THE THOUSANDS LIKE MARK WHO WISH THEY COULD LEAVE THEIR PASTS COMPLETELY BEHIND. I WISH I COULD CHANGE THINGS FROM MY PAST, BUT YOU CAN'T. HOW'S AUSTRALIA TREATING YOU? LIKE A CRIMINAL. LITERALLY, YES, I'VE DONE MY TIME, AND IT'S LIKE HOW FAR DOES IT GO? YES, INTERESTING. IF YOU HAD A MINOR CONVICTION, HEATHER. LET'S ASK THE BIG QUESTION HERE. WHICH I DON'T. NO, OF COURSE YOU DON'T, AND NEITHER DO I. WE'LL BE HONEST ABOUT THAT. CLOSE. WOULD YOU DECLARE IT TO THE AUSTRALIA AUTHORITIES? NAH. AND NEITHER WOULD I. I DON'T THINK I WOULD. DO YOU FEEL BAD SAYING THAT? NAH. AND NEITHER DO I, BECAUSE IF YOU GO OVER THERE FOR THE WEEKEND, YOU CATCH UP WITH SOME FRIENDS OR FAMILY, OR WHATEVER, YOU WOULDN'T WANNA RISK BEING TURNED AWAY, WOULD YOU? NO, AND THAT'S THE THING. DO YOU THINK THAT THEY ACTUALLY LOOK AT THOSE LITTLE ARRIVALS CARDS AND GO, 'OH, DUNCAN GARNER. WE BETTER CHECK UP ON THIS GUY.' I DON'T RECKON THEY DO. HMM, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS. WE'RE NOT ADVOCATING THAT PEOPLE BREAK THE LAW, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY BREAKING AUSTRALIAN LAW. ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT... I PROBABLY AM ADVOCATING. YOU ARE. I BETTER STOP. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING. OH, GOODNESS. OK. SORRY, GUYS. NOW, ALL OF THIS COMES AT A BIT OF A LOW POINT, OBVIOUSLY, FOR TRANS-TASMAN RELATIONSHIPS. YOU MAY REMEMBER LAST WEEK WE WENT INSIDE THE AUSTRALIAN DETENTION CENTRES, WHERE PEOPLE ARE BEING HELD BEFORE BEING SHIPPED BACK HERE. MANY OF THEM MAY HAVE BEEN BORN IN NZ, BUT THEY DEFINITELY GREW UP IN AUSTRALIA. WELL, THAT CRACKDOWN HAS PROMPTED AUSTRALIAN TELEVISION SHOW 'A CURRENT AFFAIR' TO TALK TOUGH. YOU'VE GOTTA SEE THIS. HAVE A LOOK. GO BACK TO WHERE YOU'VE CAME FROM. THE NEW LAW SENDING CRIMINAL KIWIS LIVING IN AUSTRALIA BACK TO NZ ` NO SECOND CHANCES, NO MERCY. A CURRENT AFFAIR TONIGHT. (EXHALES) THAT MAKES` THAT SORT OF GETS YOU. WE'RE ALL BAD PEOPLE. YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY, AND, IN FACT, IF YOU GO AND HAVE A LOOK ON THEIR WEBSITE, IT'S NOT FRIENDLY TO THE KIWIS AT ALL. THE THING IS WE THINK THAT WE'RE COSY WITH AUSTRALIA, BUT AUSTRALIA HAS ALL THOSE COUNTRIES ABOVE THEM. THERE'S NOT MUCH WATER BETWEEN THEM AND THE OTHERS, AND THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR BORDER SECURITY. THEY DON'T LOOK AT NZ AS A COSY RELATIONSHIP. WE LOOK AT THEM AS A COSY RELATIONSHIP. DO YOU THINK IT DOESN'T CUT BOTH WAYS? NO, I DON'T. I DON'T THINK THEY GIVE A STUFF ABOUT IT. HMM, MAYBE BECAUSE WE NEED THEM A BIT MORE, RIGHT? HMM. YEAH. OK, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TWO LADS AND A WATER TALK, ALL THREE OF WHICH ARE BECOMING WORLD FAMOUS THANKS TO STRONG CANTERBURY WINDS OVER THE WEEKEND. WE'RE JOINED NOW BY JAKE TAYLOR AND QUENTIN JOHANSEN ` FAMOUS FOR DOING THAT VIDEO OF THE WATER TANK ROLLING ACROSS THE CANTERBURY PLAINS. CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? ARE YOU GUYS INSIDE THAT CAR? YEAH. YEP, HOW YOU GOING? HI. HEY, WELL, CAN I JUST START BY SAYING` WELL, THANKS FOR JOINING US INSIDE A CAR, WHICH IS A BIT OF A SURPRISE, BUT REALLY ENJOYED YOUR VIDEO. I ENJOYED PARTICULARLY HOW MUCH YOU ENJOYED IT, JUDGING BY THE LAUGHTER. OH, IT WAS PRETTY GOOD. IT WAS PRETTY GOOD. WHAT WERE YOU ENJOYING SO MUCH THERE, JAKE? OH, JUST CRUISING DOWN THE ROAD AND JUST SEEN WHAT WE'VE SEEN, AND YEAH, NO, IT WAS PRETTY GOOD. IT WAS PRETTY GOOD. THIS IS THE CAR THAT YOU GUYS WERE IN, RIGHT? YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH RECREATING IT FOR US. A SIMILAR ONE. MY OTHER ONE WAS A BIT BUSY TODAY. IT WAS OUT ON A JOB, SO WE HAD TO GET ANOTHER ONE THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IDENTICAL. OH RIGHT, OK. NOW, LOOK, THE QUESTION I HAVE TO ASK; HAVE THE POLICE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH YOU, SEEING AS YOU WERE DRIVING AND FILMING? BOTH: NO. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. NAH, THEY HAVEN'T RUNG YET, BUT WE'LL JUST PRESS ON, ANYWAY. (LAUGHS) YEAH, I LIKE THAT. DON'T WORRY ABOUT, THEY PROBABLY WON'T COS YOU'RE FAMOUS NOW. WHAT ABOUT THE BEER? THERE WAS DEFINITELY A COUPLE OF BEERS. WERE YOU DRINKING, JAKE? YEAH, YEAH, QUINTIE WAS DRINKING. YEAH, NAH, THAT WAS ME. WE WERE BLOODY` WE WERE INTO IT. YEAH, THERE WAS AN EMPTY ONE SITTING IN THE CUPHOLDER, BUT... THIS IS THE VIDEO. NOW, WHEN YOU GUYS HEAR THIS VIDEO, DO YOU JUST CRACK UP ALL OVER AGAIN? OH, IT MAKES US LAUGH EVERY TIME. SO TELL ME, WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK WHEN YOU FIRST SAW THIS THING TUMBLING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE ROAD? WELL, I DUNNO. WE WERE JUST CRUISING ALONG, AND THEN, I SAID TO OLD JAKEY HERE, 'BLOODY, WHAT'S THAT OUT THERE?' HE TOOK A WEE LOOK AT IT, AND NEXT MINUTE, THERE'S THE WHOLE TANK ROLLING DOWN THE ROAD, AND SHE WAS ALL GO. AND SO YOU PUT YOUR LIGHTS ON AT ONE STAGE. WHAT WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO DO? OH, I WAS JUST DOING A BIT OF TRAFFIC CONTROL. I'M IN A PILOT UTE, SO I WAS JUST DOING A BIT OF TRAFFIC CONTROL TO KEEP ALL THE OTHER MOTORISTS SAFE OUT THERE. JAKE, WERE YOU SAVING PEOPLE'S LIVES? OH, I RECKON I WAS. ALL LAUGH CAN YOU PUT YOUR LIGHTS ON? SOMEHOW I DON'T BELIEVE THIS. CAN YOU PUT YOUR LIGHTS ON FOR US? OH, YOU'VE GOT THEM GOING. YEAH, YEAH, THEY'RE ALL GO, MATE. YEAH, EXACTLY WHAT I HAD ON YESTERDAY. OH, FANTASTIC, I FEEL LIKE I'M IN THE MOMENT. UH, LOOK, WE'VE HAD A FEW PEOPLE GET IN CONTACT WITH US, AND ASK IF YOU ACTUALLY LET THE WATER TANK LOOSE YOURSELVES FOR A LAUGH. NO, NO. HELL NO. NO, NO, NO. WE'VE JUST SEEN IT COME ACROSS FROM OUR LEFT-HAND SIDE IN A 100-ACRE PADDOCK, AND THOUGHT, 'OH, THIS IS COOL,' AND THEN IT HIT THE FENCE AND OVER THE RAIL LINE AND STARTED GOING DOWN THE STATE HIGHWAY 73, THERE, AND WE THOUGHT, 'THIS IS COOL. WE GOTTA VIDEO THIS.' OH, I JUST LOOKED JUST BEFORE WE STARTED THIS. IT WAS 2.8 MILLION. OH, SORRY, I'M SORRY. 2.8. I GOTTA KNOW THE CELEBRITY HERE. WE'VE JUST HAD A COUPLE OF GOES AT IT, BUT, YEAH. A COUPLE OF GOES AT IT? YEAH, NAH IT WAS A GOOD LAUGH. WHAT, ARE YOU SUGGESTING YOU'RE PUMPING UP YOUR OWN VIEWING NUMBERS BY WATCHING IT ALL THE TIME? YEAH, THAT'S THE ONE, YEAH. YEAH, WATCHED IT A COUPLE OF TIMES. YEAH, LADS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US. IT'S GREAT TO MEET YOU, JAKE TAYLOR AND QUENTIN JOHANSEN. NAH, ALL GOOD. NO WORRIES. SWEET AS. GCs ` GOOD CHARACTERS. OH, GOOD CHARACTERS, IS THAT WHAT THAT MEANS? TOTALLY, YEAH. ALL RIGHT, THEY ARE GOOD CHARACTERS. COMING UP ON THE PROGRAMME ` WE SEE THEM ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE, BUT THESE ANIMALS AND BIRDS ARE ACTUALLY IN REAL DANGER. SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? AND THEN THEY KEEP AN EAR OUT FOR THEIR OWNERS. WE'RE WITH SOME INCREDIBLY CUTE AND TALENTED HEARING DOGS. ALL RIGHT, WELCOME BACK TO THE PROGRAMME. NOW, TONIGHT WE'RE COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM AUCKLAND'S TUNING FORK, WHERE IT'S A FULL HOUSE. SO WHY ARE WE THERE, YOU ASK? WELL, IF YOU'RE UP FOR A LAUGH, THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE, AND THE OTHER UPSIDE, OF COURSE, IS THAT THE PROCEEDS GO TO HELP REBUILD HOUSING IN NEPAL, FOLLOWING LAST YEAR'S 7.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE. SHE'S ALL GO THERE, HEATHER, ISN'T IT? YEAH, IT LOOKS LIKE A BARREL OF LAUGHS, DOESN'T IT? I THINK WE SHOULD` YOU THINK SO? NOT REALLY. BOTH LAUGH WELL, THERE'S A NICE RED FILTER OVER THE... IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING'S ON FIRE. THIS IS A VERY GOOD EVENT. IT'S CALLED STAND-UP FOR HUMANITY, AND IT'S GOT ALL THE USUAL SUSPECTS THERE ` PAUL EGO, JEREMY CORBETT AND SO ON, SO I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN THOSE GUYS LIVE, AND THEY REALLY ARE FUNNY. THEY ARE HILARIOUS, BUT NO ONE'S LAUGHING. THE CROWD LOOKS... NO ONE'S LAUGHING. NO, POOR` IT MUST BE THE WARM-UP. YEAH, IT MUST BE. MAYBE THEY'RE WAITING FOR IT TO START. YES, THEY'RE BEHAVING, YEAH. IF YOU GOT OUT AND ABOUT THIS WEEKEND ANYWHERE NEAR A LAKE OR THE SEA, YOU PROBABLY CAME ACROSS A FEW SEAGULLS, AND IF IT'S A NORMAL DAY, PROBABLY QUITE A LOT OF THEM. I DUNNO ABOUT YOU, BUT I FIND IT SURPRISING TO HEAR THEY'RE ENDANGERED. DO YOU BELIEVE IT? WELL, AS YOU SAY` IT'S ON TV... IT MUST BE TRUE. OK, SO... (LAUGHS) STOP PINCHING MY LINES. UM, SEAGULLS AREN'T THE ONLY WELL-KNOWN NZ ANIMAL OR BIRD THAT'S ACTUALLY SURPRISINGLY RARE. OUR ONE LACHLAN FORSYTH HAS THE LOWDOWN OF WHO'S IN TROUBLE. BIRDS SQUAWK, DRAMATIC MUSIC LET'S FACE IT, IF YOU HAD TO NOMINATE A NATIVE ANIMAL THAT'S UNDER THREAT, SEAGULLS WERE PROBABLY THE LAST THING YOU'D NAME. OH! <BLEEP> <BLEEP>. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. WELL, <BLEEP> OFF. BUT FOR HOW MUCH LONGER? LOOK AT THESE BLOODY THINGS. THEY'RE THICK AS THIEVES. YEAH, THEY ARE, BUT THEY'VE ACTUALLY TANKED IN TERMS OF THEIR POPULATION, SO, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE RED-BILL GULLS, THAT YOU SEE HERE, ARE THREATENED. YES, TO ENSURE THAT WE COULD FIND LOTS OF SEAGULLS, WE WENT TO A LAKE. WE THINK THAT THEY ARE EATING THE LITTLE SMELT IN THE LAKE HERE. ALL OF OUR BREEDING COLONIES OUT AT SEA HAVE CRASHED, SO THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON ON THE OCEAN, AND IT'S A REAL HARD ONE FOR PEOPLE TO GET THEIR HEAD AROUND. NOBODY BELIEVES THAT, YOU KNOW, SEAGULLS ARE AT RISK, BUT THEY REALLY ARE. THE BLACK-BILLED GULL IS NOW THE RAREST SEAGULL IN THE WORLD. AND THEY'RE NOT ALONE IN TEETERING ON THE BRINK. WE'VE GOT 800 THREATENED SPECIES IN NZ. AND WE'VE GOT OVER 2500 FURTHER SPECIES AT RISK. AND THEN THERE'S A WHOLE OTHER PILE OF SPECIES CALLED DATA-DEFICIENT ` WE JUST DON'T KNOW. WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH KIWI AND THEIR BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL. NINE OUT OF 10 KIWI CHICKS DON'T SURVIVE UNTIL 1 YEAR OF AGE. AND THAT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY'RE SITTING DUCKS FOR THINGS LIKE STOATS. NICOLA TOKI IS NZ'S THREATENED-SPECIES AMBASSADOR. WE'RE FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL TO HANG ON TO THE THINGS WE LOVE. IT'S NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM, THOUGH. THERE ARE PLENTY OF SPECIES WE CAN MAKE WELCOME AT HOME, MAYBE NOT TUATARA, BUT CERTAINLY SKINKS AND GECKOS. THERE'S GREAT THINGS YOU CAN DO. YOU CAN CREATE A GECKO GARDEN. SO YOU CAN PLANT THE KINDS OF PLANTS THAT WILL ATTRACT GECKOS. WE CAN GENUINELY DO SOMETHING FOR ALMOST ALL OF OUR SPECIES. I THINK WE DO TEND TO WRING OUR HANDS AND SAY 'IT'S ALL TOO USELESS.' THE OTHER THING I THINK THAT HAPPENS IS WE THINK OUR NATURE IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS OUT THERE, IN THE BUSH, OUT THERE IN THE NATIONAL PARK, INSTEAD OF THINKING THAT WE COULD HAVE IT IN OUR BACKYARD. FROM GARDENS TO WATERWAYS. AND THE WRIGGLY BEASTS THAT LIVE IN THEM ` EELS. THE POPULATION IS IN DECLINE, AND THEY DON'T RAISE HEADLINES AS MUCH AS SOME OF OUR MORE POPULAR SPECIES, LIKE KAKAPO, DO. YES, SOMEHOW, THIS NATIVE FISH, DESPITE BEING CHRONICALLY THREATENED, IS STILL BEING FISHED COMMERCIALLY. THEY ONLY BREED ONCE, SO AN EEL IS EITHER ON YOUR PLATE OR IT HAS A CHANCE TO BREED. THEIR PROBLEM IS THAT THEY'RE JUST A BIT UGLY, THOUGH, ISN'T IT? NAH, I GUESS IT'S ALL IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. I HAPPEN TO THINK THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. THEY GOT BLUE EYES. THEY'RE LOVELY AND VELVETY. MAYBE WE'RE JUST NOT, KINDA, GIVING THEM ENOUGH KUDOS. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO UGLINESS, NOTHING BEATS SMEAGOL THE GRAVEL MAGGOT. WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT SMEAGOL, THOUGH? HE LOOKS LIKE REPULSIVE. (LAUGHS) SOMETIMES THOSE UGLY THINGS HAVE BENEFITS TO US THAT WE CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE. SO IN THE UNITED STATES, BATS ARE WORTH $3.7B TO THE US ECONOMY IN JUST PEST CONTROL ALONE. NOT ALL OUR THREATENED WILDLIFE IS UGLY, THOUGH. FEWER THAN 10,000 OF THESE NATIVE FALCONS REMAIN. KAREAREA ARE BEAUTIFUL BIRDS. THEY TEND TO FLY UNDER THE RADAR. THEY'RE LIKE SPITFIRES. THEY CAN FLY OVER 100KM/H, AND I JUST THINK THEY'RE AMAZING. NEXT TIME YOU GET A $20 NOTE, HAVE A LOOK. WAYS TO HELP THESE BIRDS ` WELL, IF PEOPLE COULD STOP SHOOTING THEM AND RUNNING THEM OVER, THAT'D BE GREAT. SPARE A THOUGHT FOR ALL OUR SPECIES OUT THERE. SO WHILE YOU MIGHT THINK ANY OF THESE SPECIES MAY BE UNIMPORTANT, IT WOULDN'T HURT TO CONSIDER THEM ALL A BIT RARE AND PRECIOUS. HOW FORTUITOUS THAT WE DID THAT STORY, BECAUSE, AS IT TURNS OUT, I'VE SIGNED YOU UP FOR A THING. YOU ARE NOW THE` WHAT HAVE YOU SIGNED ME UP FOR THIS TIME? YOU ARE THE AMBASSADOR FOR THE TAKAHE. I WANT TO BE THE AMBASSADOR FOR THE TUI. NO. SO WE'VE GOT` IT'S THE FOREST` IT'S THE BIRD OF THE YEAR COMPETITION, AND ALL THE ENDANGERED BIRDS ARE BEING RUN OFF AGAINST EACH OTHER. WE ARE THE AMBASSADORS FOR THE TAKAHE, COS REMEMBER WHEN THE DOC` SOMEBODY SHOT THEM, THINKING THEY WERE WHAT... YEAH, OUT ON THE ISLAND. WHAT DID THEY THINK THEY WERE? THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE PUKEKO. YEAH, SAME, SAME. SO THEY SHOT THEM, AND NOW THERE ARE ONLY 300 LEFT. SO I'M NOW AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE TAKAHE? YOU ARE NOW AN AMBASSADOR. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TAKAHE THERE ARE, THEN? 300. LESS THAN. FEWER THAN 300. AND DO YOU KNOW MUCH METREAGE OF POO THEY DO A DAY? UH, YOU CAN TELL ME. 4M, SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO HELP US, AND DUNCAN ESPECIALLY, PLEASE GO TO OUR FACEBOOK PAGE THE STORY NZ AND VOTE FOR THE TAKAHE. AND WHAT ARE YOU AMBASSADOR FOR? ALSO THE TAKAHE, WITH YOU. OH, WE'RE BOTH DOING IT? YEAH. OK, STILL TO COME ON THE PROGRAMME ` A BOY AND HIS DOG. THE BIG DIFFERENCE ALBERT THE HEARING DOG IS MAKING TO HIS MASTER'S LIFE. HEY, WELCOME BACK TO THE PROGRAMME. NOW, WE'VE ALWAYS GOT TIME FOR A CLEVER CANINE STORY ON THIS PROGRAMME. LAST WEEK, IT WAS DOGS HELPING WITH MOBILITY ISSUES. AND IT TURNS OUT THERE ARE HEARING DOGS, AND THEY'RE ALREADY TRANSFORMING THE LIVES OF DEAF ADULTS, AND NOW AS SARAH STEWART FINDS OUT, THEY'RE LEARNING TO HELP CHILDREN TOO. THEY LOOK NOTHING MORE THAN DECORATIVE. BUT THEY'RE COMING TO THE RESCUE... OF THE HALF A MILLION KIWIS WHO STRUGGLE TO HEAR. DOORBELL RINGS, PHONE RINGS IMAGINE LIFE BEING UNABLE TO HEAR THE BABY MONITOR, THE OVEN TIMER, A KNOCK AT THE DOOR. THESE DOGS BECOME THEIR OWNER'S EARS. BUT NOT ALBERT. ALBERT, SIT. HE WAS A BIT TOO MUCH OF A SCAREDY-CAT TO GET HIS STRIPES AS AN ADULT-HEARING DOG. HE QUITE OFTEN BARKS AT PEOPLE, AND HE'S A LITTLE BIT FRIGHTENED, AND THAT'S NOT THE BEST. INSTEAD, THE LITTLE CAVOODLE IS PROVING THE PERFECT MATCH FOR 5-YEAR-OLD TOM. THE FIRST THING THAT YOU NOTICE IS THAT THEY'RE BOTH SAME HAIR COLOUR, AND IS LIKE, 'OH, ISN'T THAT CUTE?' IT'S, YEAH, A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN, PRETTY MUCH. SO SIMILAR. ALBERT, COME ON. TOM WAS BORN PROFOUNDLY DEAF. AT 2, HE COULD ONLY BABBLE LIKE A BABY AND WAS OFTEN FRUSTRATED, BUT COCHLEAR IMPLANTS OPENED UP HIS WORLD. I BELIEVE THAT YOU KNOW HAVE REAL TOM. HE'S CHEEKY. HE'S QUITE` PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES. HE'S GOT A BIT OF A SENSE OF HUMOUR. HE LOVES TO READ. BUT LIFE IS STILL A BATTLE. HE CAN'T FILTER OUT BACKGROUND NOISES, SO LIVES WITH A CACOPHONY OF SOUND. DOG BARKS, TREE RUSTLES AND WHEN THE COCHLEARS COME OUT ` IN WATER AND AT NIGHT ` HIS WORLD GOES SILENT. NO WONDER HE'S SCARED OF THE DARK. EARLY ON, WE WEREN'T AWARE THAT TOM WAS SCARED, BECAUSE HE COULDN'T ARTICULATE, WHEREAS NOW HE LIKES TO TELL US THAT HE NEEDS A LITTLE LIGHT ON, AND BOTH BOYS QUITE LIKE HAVING THE NIGHT LIGHT ON. YES, ALBERT IS NOW ON GUARD FOR TOM AT NIGHT WITH VARYING DEGREES OF SUCCESS. HE'S SLEEPING IN MY BED. HE SLEEPS IN YOUR BED? YEAH, BUT HE DOESN'T CLOSE HIS EYES. HE JUST KEEPS WAKING UP AND WALKING AROUND. AND ALBERT TAKES MY PILLOWS AWAY. AND I SAID, 'NO, ALBERT,' AND I PUSH HIM A LITTLE AWAY, BECAUSE HE'S GETTING ALL MY BLANKET. EVERY MORNING, THEY WALK TO SCHOOL TOGETHER. TOM LEAVES ALBERT AT THE GATE. BYE, ALBERT. AND THAT'S WHEN ROGER TAKES OVER. (HUMS) EXCELLENT. NOT A DOG, BUT A CLEVER DEVICE, WHICH AMPLIFIES HIS TEACHER, MEANING TOM CAN NOW KEEP UP IN CLASS. WITH NO ROGER, I COULDN'T HEAR MS JONES. ALBERT, ALBERT. AFTER SCHOOL, IT'S HOMEWORK TIME FOR TOM. CALL MUM. AND ALBERT. GOOD BOY. WHERE'S TOM? HE'S A LOT MORE CONFIDENT. HE'S TAKEN ON A LOT MORE RESPONSIBILITY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, HE KNOWS THAT HE HAS TO LOOK OUT FOR MORE THAN JUST HIMSELF. ALBERT MIGHT NOT HAVE PASSED HIS ADULT EXAMS, BUT HE'S TRANSFORMING THIS KID'S WORLD. WHO'S YOUR BEST FRIEND? ALBERT. ALBERT. IT'S HOPED THIS PILOT SCHEME WILL NOW BE EXTENDED TO MORE CHILDREN. HE'S PIECE OF MIND FOR TOM'S PARENTS, AND A MATE FOR LIFE FOR TOM. LOOKS LIKE AN ALBERT TOO. (LAUGHS) DON'T YOU THINK? ALBERT'S CUTE. I LIKE HIM. HEARING DOGS NZ TRAINS 10 DOGS A YEAR. THEY'VE JUST BEEN AWARDED A 30 GRAND JETSTAR FLYING START GRANT TO HELP, AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF FUNDING, GO TO OUR WEBSITE. THE TROUT-FISHING SEASON HAS STARTED, SO WE'VE GOT A TREAT FOR ALL YOU KEEN FISHERS OUT THERE. WE HEADED OUT TO LAKE TARAWERA FOR YOU. WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE SHOTS OF THE LAUNCH OF THE SEASON. IT'S A BIT OF A BIG EVENT THAT KICKS OFF IN ROTORUA WITH A BIT OF HAGGIS AND THE BLESSING OF THE LAKE. YEAH, IT'S A BIG ONE, ISN'T IT? THE BLOCK NZ: VILLA WARS IS UP NEXT. THAT IS IT FROM US. THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR STORIES WITH US, AND THAT IS STORY TONIGHT. BAGPIPES PLAY UPBEAT MUSIC UPBEAT MUSIC CONTINUES OH, IT'S A HARD LIFE, ISN'T IT? YEAH, FISH ON. FIRST ONE OF THE YEAR. UPBEAT MUSIC IT'S TIME FOR A NEW STORY. RETHINK WHAT YOU KNOW. STORY IS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE ALL-NEW FORD MONDEO.