1 Proudly brought to you by... Tonight on Sunday ` the fiery debate over Old King Coal. We're really struggling down here. We've got vacant houses all over the place. Could a new coal mine turn Westport around? It's a very small resource. It's only 4 million ton, so we call it a boutique mine. If they do it right, I can't see a problem with it. If it's not done right, yes, it's going to be a disaster. Or should we leave it in the ground? We've got to stop burning it, because it's gonna end up in the sky, and it's gonna create an extremely uncertain future. They've mined everything but this place. This is the last one we have left. Can't we leave one, you know? Can't we just leave one of these places? How many chickens have we got? We have got about 20. He's known as Paleo Pete, and this is his paradise. It's as big as you, Indii. This way of eating reverses Type 2 diabetes. And guess how quickly it takes? Six to eight weeks, maybe three months. But is Pete Evans diet advice irresponsible ` even dangerous? It's basically meat and three veg. Does Pete Evans walk on water? Yep. He does for me. Should we be taking advice, from someone like Pete Evans? Medical advice? Would you take medical advice from a chef? No. (LAUGHS) I think this is what they say. It's show time. Bring it on. It's a race for riches at the earth's final frontier. We're facing a new Gold Rush down in the deep ocean. China's at the forefront of this new space race. China's the only nation that's sending human beings down there ` other countries are sending robots. But the journey down is a perilous one. I mean, he's risking his life, isn't he? Every time he goes beneath the surface of the ocean, there's good chance he won't come back. It's so, so dangerous. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2017 Kia ora, I'm Miriama Kamo. In the West Coast town of Westport, there's a fight brewing over plans to mine a mountain top called Te Kuha. Many locals welcome the kind of high-paying employment a new mine would bring; others say the environmental damage it could cause isn't worth a single job. John Hudson has been to the coast to find out why they're considering betting on black. Up on the Denniston Plateau, veteran miner Bruce Mumm walks a lonely road. How long has this been closed for? We've been shut for just over 12 months. Business here went bad. When Holcim walked out of Westport, we pretty much didn't have a customer, so the boss said, well, close her down. Holcim is Holcim Cement, shut down last June, and 120 jobs went with it. 57 years we had Holcim out at Westport there - taking this coal, making cement. Another 25 jobs went at Escarpment Mine, which supplied Holcim's coal. It's something that we made in New Zealand that was a good quality product. They've gone overseas. We now get cement from China. Back to the drawing board, yeah. Yep. So today, Bruce Mumm is the last man standing ` the only miner left on the plateau. But that's just part of it. When state-owned Solid Energy went bust, jobs up the road at Stockton Mine were also slashed. From 1800 down to 230 that's, you know, 1500-odd jobs in the last four years. And given that Westport is a town of just 4,000 people, it's no surprise its been shrinking while the rest of the country's been growing. We're really struggling down here. We've got entire families that have just literally had to go away and find another job somewhere. We've got vacant houses all over the place, and we've got a very slow and quiet main street. There's just nobody here. They've had their fair share of economic disasters on the coast before, as resource booms inevitably go bust. And now, once again, there is a chance of a new bonanza. If they do it right, I can't see a problem with it. If it's not done right, yes, it's going to be a disaster. Bruce is talking about plans for an open-cast mine on Te Kuha, this mountaintop overlooking Westport. (JAUNTY MUSIC) We wanted to get a good look at the proposed mine site. So, that's Te Kuha up there? Yeah, so that's going to be the mine site, and there'll probably be a road sidling up the hill and right up onto the summit. No road to the top, so Neil Silverwood sent his drone to take a peek. 884ha, part of which was Department of Conservation land given to the local council for a water reserve. What's gonna happen here, if this permit goes through? Basically they'll remove the top of the mountain. You'll be able to see that from Westport; you'll be able to see that from the Buller Gorge, so it'll make a real mess for the place. Neil's from further down the coast ` he wants to see Te Kuha preserved. They've mined everything but this place. This is that last one we have left. Can't we just leave one? Can't we just leave one of the these places? He's also seen the pollution coal causes overseas. We're going to have to ship that coal to the Asian markets, and then it's going to be burnt in someone else's backyard. There are 300,000 to 500,000 people in China die due to respiratory illness, and a huge part of that is coal-powered plants. I think the coasters need to go to places like China and see what the effect is on the people, and they might actually change their mind. Go to Beijing and take a deep breath? (LAUGHS) Absolutely - you can't` you can't, you know, you meet people that have never seen the sky. It's pretty grim. It's not worth` It's not worth a single job. While most Westport locals support mining, there is strong opposition to Te Kuha from outside the region. I mean, you've got so many different reasons why, you know, that coal mine shouldn't go ahead. Cindy Baxter from Coal Action Network says this is not just a Westport issue. Their coal, she says, affects the whole world. We've got to stop burning it, because it's gonna end up in the sky and, and it's gonna create an extremely uncertain future. That's because coal is responsible for nearly half the man-made greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. If we continue to burn coal at the rate we're going globally, we could get more than four degrees of warming, which would mean complete climate chaos. And this year, we've had a taste of climate chaos. The Tasman tempest in Edgecumbe; the remnants of Cyclone Cook; fire in the Port Hills. For many, the answer to the coal conundrum is simple. We have to leave it in the ground. And some countries are beginning to leave it in the ground. But in New Zealand, coal is still seen as a means to economic salvation. What do you say to people who reckon you should leave the coal in the ground because of what we are facing with climate change? Um, it would be an absolute waste of a good resource to stop mining completely. But the international markets may decide the outcome. Last month, coal prices spiked higher, ironically because Cyclone Debbie knocked out much of Queensland's coal infrastructure. The Aussies are already recovering, while in America... My administration is putting an end to the war on coal. We're gonna have clean coal ` really clean coal. Despite President Trump's move to unleash US coal, the world's largest economies are moving to low-carbon energy. Renewables are becoming much cheaper, and you've also got the gas which is also a cheap alternative. There's a lot of mines not opening up. The people in Westport say they desperately need this. They don't have the jobs any more; the young people are moving away. What they need is job security, and the coal industry is not gonna provide them with that. It's been a boom and bust with layoffs and all the rest of it. We hear a lot of talk about coal being responsible for a big part of climate change. Agreed. But` But you look at the amount we're doing` I know this is a bit of a, you know, 'don't blame us totally' thing, but the fraction that we actually produce and turn into climate changing gases is such a small amount that it's going to have to be a whole worldwide shift. Yeah, so why should New Zealand be the whipping boy for China and America and Australia? Exactly. And if those guys all sat down with us and said, 'Right, are we gonna reduce this greenhouse gas 'and the climate change effects by everybody doing their part', no problem at all. We just have to accept that's what the world wants. After the break,... It's about a billion dollar resource we're talking about here. ...the company dead set on mining the mountain top,... You'd be crazy to leave it in the ground? We would be, yes. ...and the people standing in their way. Where's the line that gets drawn? We're saying now, 'That's it. We are going to protect this last place.' (WHIMSICAL MUSIC) They've been mining coal in the hills above Westport since the 19th century. For more than 100 years, trucks like this one took a total of more than 13 million tons of coal down the Denniston incline to Westport. It was the backbone of the local economy. And with the booms and bust of resources, communities like Denniston have come and gone. The West Coast is now home to about 70 ghost towns. Do you see it coming again? The whole coal industry coming back to what it was a few years ago? It may do depending on what overseas markets do. I don't think its ever going to be quite as vigorous as it was five or six years ago, but you never know. The coal's still there for the taking. Solid Energy's old mines have new owners, and the top of Te Kuha could become a brand new mine. This place is said to be pretty special, and not just because of the coal seam running through it. First of all, there's mature podocarp forest, you know, trees over 500 years old that will` that will be destroyed, too, to make this mine. Kevin Hague, the former Green MP who now heads Forest and Bird. This area is also habitat to some pretty endangered species ` the great spotted kiwi, the New Zealand fern bird, the green gecko. A number of` of species that are on the critical list that could be forced closer into extinction. Couldn't you move them somewhere else? Well, the developers will always say, 'Oh, don't worry. They'll move somewhere else,' and sometimes that is what happens. But the problem is we're actually experiencing death by a thousand cuts here, you know, we are losing nature, that most New Zealanders say is really important to them, bit by bit by bit. We'd all love to have` keep our fields green and hills green, but until someone comes up with a viable alternative for all the industries that use coal, then I don't feel that we have any other option. Anne Brewster is the project manager for Stevenson Mining. A 100-year-old family-owned company currently working the open cast mine at Rotowaro near Huntly. Stevenson is the driving force behind the Te Kuha proposal, which they emphasise would be nowhere near as big as this mine. It's a very small resource. it's only four million ton, so we intend to mine it about 250,000 tons a year over 16 years, so we call it a boutique mine. Boutique might sound nice, but the reality is most of the Te Kuha coal would be burned to make steel. It's still putting carbon into the atmosphere? Yeah, but in these industries today, you know, they have advanced technology which minimises the output from those steel plants. The coal in steel making accounts for about 6% of man-made greenhouse gas. But there are other potential uses for the coal. Things like activated carbon, carbon fibre so, you know, people's bikes, sports equipment, kidney dialysis machines and the likes. And this is the sort of industry Westport would welcome. (SEAGULLS CRY) We'd like to add value within New Zealand, if we can, by partnering with a company to set up an activated carbon plant. That is a real possibility. But activated carbon is a small and already competitive market. The long-run prospects for coal are extremely poor. Communities like the West Coast, where I live, have gotta start doing something very different. We have to embrace change. Some Westporters are. We're living in an incredible new era, this whole digital age, where you can literally work from anywhere in the world. Ben Dellaca is the brains behind epic Westport ` a year old business incubator. And these babies are growing. Like Vertigo Tech, who make desktop CNC machines and 3D printers. Or Ben's own company, CerebralFix, creating online games for the likes of Disney and DreamWorks. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) There's a bit of renaissance going on, where a lot those folks who have been out there, have started coming back. Obviously the mission is, from my perspective, to wean us off of those bigger primary industries, cos they can be quite volatile. And I think we've sort of seen that in the last little bit ` that when the coal price goes south, the district goes a little bit south with it. Epic Westport is a start, but its not yet matching the 58 jobs offered by an open cast mine over looking town. It's gonna be an ugly scar on a beautiful hillside. Well, we're going to rehabilitate the mine as you` as we go, and, look, to be fair, you can't not have a` some scar at some stage. But, you know, we mine in an environmentally responsible way, and you have to these days. What does that mean? It's not like now you see it, now you don't. It would be gradually mined. And then in terms of the birds that are protected, there's not actually a lot there. There's the New Zealand falcon which would probably naturally migrate out of the mining area. The spotted kiwi we would- there's a few, but not a lot, that we would take them out of the area as we could. This shows Bathurst's plan to rehabilitate one of their mines on the Denniston Plateau, similar to what's proposed at Te Kuha. The idea is to restore the environment as the coal is stripped out ` but can it be done? I don't think there's a single example of an open cast coal mine that has been restored to what it was, and that has sustained a net benefit to the environment. There isn't one. Anne Brewster disagrees. She showed us this lake, which once was an open cast mine. We've got experts engaged that work in the rehabilitation fields. In terms of the vegetation there what they call direct transfer, so, you know, we pick up some vegetation and transplant it in its whole form. The truth is that actually open cast coal mining creates a very long-term, if not permanent, destruction of the natural environment. Nearby Stockton, he says, is an example that destruction ` a mine so big, it can be seen from outer space. It's pretty much like Mordor, you know, from Lord of the Rings. I think that most people have got no idea what Stockton actually looks like, And if they could see it, they would become deeply alarmed about the prospect of further open-cast mines like this. But there's been little remediation work on Stockton. Work has slowed right down at the former Solid Energy mine. Isn't there the possibility that when you start up this mine, the price of coal will be so low, there won't be a market for it? If the price did drop, we would just, you know, maybe slow down or, you know, wait ` take a breath until the market improves. Stevenson estimates there's about a billion dollars worth of coal in Te Kuha at today's prices. Over the 16-year life of the mine, about half that would end up in the Westport region. But without a mining permit, plans to mine Te Kuha are still pixie dust. So why aren't you mining now? What's holding you up? You've got to get the appropriate consents, so we're going through that process. It just takes a long time. So best case scenario, from your point of view, when could you starting mining? We'd like to be mining some time in 2018. Are you gona fight this every step of the way? Where does it stop, you know? Where's the` Where's the line that gets drawn? We're saying now, 'That's it. We are going to protect this last place.' So, should we dig it up or leave it in the ground? You can make a public submission on the resource consent for the Te Kuha mine, or have your say on our Facebook page. Next, we go home with controversial celebrity chef Pete Evans, and meet the women in his life. 1 Welcome back. Celebrity chef Pete Evans is no stranger to controversy. The judge of My Kitchen Rules is known for his promotion of the Paleo diet. He's been slammed by experts for his provocative statements on subjects like sunscreen and fluoride, and his Paleo diet's been called dangerous by medical authorities. Tonight, he responds to his critics and takes us to the hobby-farm haven he shares with his two daughters and wife Nicola, the Kiwi model formerly known as Nicky Watson. To fully understand Pete Evans, you have to go where he's most comfortable. You name it ` you could eat the best food in the world right here in Australia. We're on our way to a secluded farm in the coastal hinterland of northern New South Wales. It's where I'll get to meet the women in Pete's life. That is beautiful! The girls are probably with the horses or with the chickens or in the garden. So, um, we'll see them soon, no doubt. Come on! Come on! Quick. Pete has created an idyllic hobby farm for his wife Nic and two daughters Chilli, who's 12, and Indii, 10. And their treasured horses, Ollie and Zorro. So you're all over the world; you're all over Australia with your job. It must be so nice to come back here and just relax. This is paradise for us, and we're gonna go grow old here. (LAUGHS) And, uh` And, um, create beautiful experiences and memories for the kids as well. Do you eat everything Dad cooks? Yeah. Really? Most of it. Right, that's good. All your vegetables? Mm-hm. Wow. Spinach? Mm-hm, except oysters. LAUGHS: Except oysters? Ladies first. Certain types of seafood ` no. But surfing? Yes. (UPBEAT MUSIC) And your daughters ` what do they mean to you? Oh, my daughters are just beautiful. They're, uh` they're amazing. They're amazing. They're both unique. They both have their own wonderful personalities. Chilli and Indii are from Pete's first marriage to former-Australian Olympic skier Astrid Ellinger. He married Nicola Robinson last year. I just can't believe I've got no knickers on. Before she found Pete, Nicola was living the life of a celebrity model in her native New Zealand. Not enough clothes on either. (LAUGHS) I wasn't noticing that. Were you leading a natural life, in those days? Oh... (LAUGHS) No, I wasn't leading a natural life, which is why I have two toxic silicone implants attached to my chest. Uh, deepest regret of my life. You know, I dabbled in fillers, Botox, all sorts of things that were driven by my fear to try and make myself feel better. So` and I wasn't eating the right foods, so, no, I wasn't living the clean, pristine life that I do now. What are you going to do now? You're leading a very natural life. Yes, I 100% intend to have these things removed. I do not like them. I've only ever had complications with them. That girl that I was is not the woman I am today. And` And how did that change? My husband, actually, Pete has been a phenomenal guide for me. He has led me to really seek and be the best I can be. You were getting emotional there. (CHUCKLES) Yes, I do get emotional when I think about the love that he and I share. They met in Adelaide five-and-a-half years ago, while Pete was shooting an episode of MKR. How would you describe Pete in three words? Trusting, accepting and authentic. Not a bad fella. A very, very special fella. And how is your relationship with the girls, as a stepmum? They are, by far, one of the greatest blessings I have ever been bestowed. It's just three` three girls, three farm girls (LAUGHS) living a beautiful adventure together. And this is one of the family's favourite places. It's as big as you, Indii. It's where Pete grows his fresh ingredients ` the family veggie patch out the back. So good. It's so good on burger patties. It's all organic, all natural, all good. You want some? Sure, why not? - Looks good. - (NICOLA LAUGHS) How many chickens have we got? We have got how many... About 20? All this fresh food is part of Pete's popular, but controversial diet called The Paleo Way. The diet ditches the grains and dairy, replacing them with meat and veggies. He lives it. And so do his tens of thousands of followers. Across the board, they say by removing grains, removing the dairy, removing the legumes, removing the toxic oils, eating a low-carb, healthy fat Paleo approach, they're getting better very, very quickly; they're improving their health. And we've seen it over and over again, that this way of eating reverses Type 2 diabetes. And guess how quickly it takes? Six to eight weeks. Maybe three months. Back in the kitchen, Pete's Paleo food is on the menu ` a pork belly has been slowing roasting. NICOLA: Chef? I'm told this is an ordinary everyday lunch in the Evans household. I can't wait to eat that. Pumpkins, cucumbers, lettuces, whatever. And so Nic, is this man here right now the same as the one on TV? Is there any difference? Oh my goodness, no. He transforms into this completely different person when he puts on a suit. (LAUGHTER) (DRAMATIC MUSIC) The flavour is there. I d` I disagree. The combination of everything on that plate... It was very hard to eat. I score you a four. When you're testing the food... Yes. ...what happens? Do you actually eat that? Do you spit it out? What happens? Do you spit it out, because it's not exactly Paleo, is it? Mm, no, of course I do spit it out. Are you crazy? That's what I've heard. Who would even think of such a thing? (CHUCKLES) I mean,... Yeah. ...I've been doing this show for eight years ` this competition ` and it's great. I look forward to each and every meal that I get to judge. I mean, it's a complete honour. We love being able to judge the food. I mean it's part of the job, and we love it. So you do eat it? Of course I eat, mate. Yes. If I was sitting there with 10 teams around me, or however many teams, and I said, 'Oh, excuse me for a minute', and... Yeah. It wouldn't be a good look. Do you think I'd be in this position? No. No. MKR made Pete the biggest name in cooking in Australia. He's also one of the most outspoken. (DOORBELL CHIMES) But it wasn't always that way. His mum Joy says he was the quiet one. He wasn't noisy. He wasn't naughty. He was always an easy child. I never really had any prob` Never had any problem with him. I've read that you suffered from crippling shyness. Yeah, I was a really shy kid at school, that's for sure. And it's, um` It's been something that's sort of been with me all of my life, even now I like to keep a pretty low profile, believe it or not, and... That's surprising. And really just be around my family, ` my family unit ` my kids, my wife, or animals, and live a pretty quiet life. At 17, Pete headed to Melbourne to become an apprentice chef. How many hours a week were you doing? Uh, I started off probably doing anywhere from 60-80 hours a week, just to support myself. At the age of 19, that jumped up to 80-100 hours, maybe 110 hours, 120-hour weeks. Hard work paid off. Pete and his brother, David, opened Hugos, their first Sydney venture, in 1996. A few years later, a young Frenchman put his CV under the door. His name was Manu. Wow. A French chef in Bondi. Uh, so straight away I got on the phone and said, 'Can you come in? Basically today or tomorrow, and start.' And, uh, that was the beginning of our long-term mateship or friendship. And, uh, he's like a brother to me ` I love him dearly, and we have the utmost respect for each other. Despite what some publications say. Oh, you would never read anything in those magazines that say that, uh, we don't like each other. So you're setting the record straight here. You and Manu are great mates. Manu and I are best mates, yes. Hand on my heart, and, uh, he would say exactly the same thing. MANU: Uh, hello? Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. If we could have your attention, just for a minute, please. At the official launch of MKR Season 8, Pete and Manu are holding court. You wore white. Well, you told me you are going to wear white, so I just wanted to look like you. Manu is keen to put those rumours about friction in the kitchen to rest. We don't argue. We work` We work without communicating. Like, we worked together for so long, it's just` It's like working with your best mate, really. Oh, right. Despite what some tabloids have said. You don't believe everything you read. Pete's plus one is his mum, Joy,... PHOTOGRAPHER: So good! ...who's happy to see Manu, her second-favourite chef. How are you, Mum? Good. And Manu's mother and stepfather are here too, all the way from France. So Michel and Evelyn. How are you? It feels like a cheerful family reunion, but the heat is about to be turned up in Pete's kitchen. (FIRE CRACKLES) Yes. So the Australian Medical Association has accused Pete Evans of endangering lives with his unscientific advice. After the break, some of Pete's more contentious views, and the celebrity chef bites back at his accusers. I think there's a bit of movement towards listening to celebrities. There's a halo effect where celebrities will often glow, and everything they say can be believable. Can that advice be dangerous? Definitely. Why did you get into so much trouble over that book? Because a journalist wrote a lie about it, which got regurgitated through all the media outlets that said 'Pete Evans promotes bone broth over breast milk,' and I never said that. 1 # Now am I wrong # for trying to reach the things that I can't see. # When Pete Evans isn't entertaining millions on TV,... Should we do it? (GRUNTS) ...he's drawing big crowds. Come on in! Let's go. They've gathered to hear him preach about his biggest passion ` The Paleo Way. He's a pretty charming fella, isn't it? He is. He is. I think we're all happy to have selfies with him. (LAUGHS) Nearly a thousand people, mostly women, have come to feel the love. His name starts with Pete, ends in Evans. He's a bit of a legend. A massive amount of applause, ladies and gentlemen. This gathering has all the hallmarks of a church service. His followers are reverent, adoring. Star struck too. They call themselves 'The Tribe'. And Pete is very much their leader. Paleo is really, really simple. It's basically meat and three veg. That's it. Does Pete Evans walk on water? Yep. He does for me. So Paleo works across the board for a lot of people. Are you liking what you're hearing? Loving it. Yeah, yeah. But for all the love in this room for Pete's alternative views, there are many who believe he's just too alternative. His advice on sunscreen, fluoride, and what to feed babies has generated widespread hysteria. And some heated debates. I don't why, I mean, I thought I'm talking to intelligent people here. Oh, don't insult our intelligence. Do not insult our intelligence. We thought we were talking to an intelligent person, as well. And we're gonna show you some delicious recipes, as well, using some of my favourite ingredients, such as offal and broth. And, no, it won't kill your babies. I have nothing against him at all. But, yeah, I just find that if he's telling people bad advice, he needs to be called out on that. Sydney GP Brad McKay has been practicing for 15 years. And even had a stint as a celebrity doctor on a TV series. Dr McKay claims Pete Evans isn't qualified to provide health advice. We're gonna talk about broth ` bone broth, in particular. There's a lot of misinformation about the media about what this does or does not do. I think there's a bit of movement towards listening to celebrities. There's a halo effect where celebrities will often glow, and everything they say can be believable. Can that advice be dangerous? Definitely. Yeah, we've heard all sorts of different things coming out from Pete Evans. One of the things that I really took a disliking to was talking about sunscreen, and saying that it wasn't necessary. Is it our hurting our skin? It's not hurting our skin, Pete. How do you know? Have you got any proof, Pete? Yeah, but what are the` Have you got any proof? Last year, Pete was asked on Facebook what sunscreen he used. And I said, 'Generally, none,' because I'll only go out in the sun for 30 minutes or so, and try to do that every single day, because so many of us are lacking vitamin D. But I did say, in that comment, I said, 'But if we go out in the middle of the day, 'for long periods of a time, when we're gonna go for a surf, then I use a non-toxic sunscreen.' So this is what I've got on the kids faces here, and what I've got on my own here. Because a lot of sunscreens, as I said, are full of toxic chemicals that you just would not put on your face or for your kids faces. So I've never said, 'Don't use sunscreen.' I've just said, 'Make sure you choose one that is the least toxic, that's out there.' To apply sunscreen or not is just one of Pete's public relations disasters, none bigger than the baby broth brew ha-ha. 'Pete Evans promotes broth over breast milk.' You know, that's the one that always gets regurgitated in the media. And never have we said that. It was our book that came out a few years ago, and we promote breast milk, first and foremost. In the book, 'Bubba Yum Yum', Pete suggested a liver and bone broth recipe for babies who couldn't have breast milk. It's a controversial cook book that's caused quite a stir. The outcry that followed led to the book being pulped by the publisher. Pete then revised it and published it himself. He's always advocated for breastfeeding, which is perfectly fine. But, yeah, saying that bone broth is another alternative... Um, yeah, it's certainly a poisonous recipe. And that's why the book was taken off the shelves, um, because it could potentially harm people. Why did you get into so much trouble over that book? Well, because a journalist wrote a lie about it, which then got regurgitated through all the media outlets that said, 'Pete Evans promotes bone broth over breast milk', and I never said that. It's in the bloody book. It says, 'breast milk, breast milk, breast milk, breast milk, breast milk.' And I don't know how many more times I have to say it. The bone broth recipe that's in there, right, there's certain children out there, babies, that can't take 'human milk'. Do you take criticism well, do you think? Uh, it depends who the criticism comes from, and what it's about. Cos they` they do attack you. There's` And they say you're kooky; they say you're wacky. They say you have insane views. Does` Does that hurt? Not at all. No, cos I even show the kids some of the articles that have been written, and point to them ` the lies. And just show them how certain sectors of the media work. A lot of them argue that you don't have the qualifications to say these things. How do you respond to that? What do you need a qualification for to talk common sense? That's what I say to it. Mm-hm. Again, why do you have to study something that is outdated, that is industry-backed, that is biased, that is not getting the results? That would be insane to study something that you're gonna waste your time with. (LAUGHS) That's just crazy. It is just crazy. Back at the family farm, Nic avoids the headlines and headaches that come with Pete speaking his mind. The poor guy is just trying to tell people to reconnect with their food; to feed their families nourishing, wholesome goodness. It's` He's not a whack-job. It's... Well, occasionally. (LAUGHTER) It's common sense, you know. Despite it all, Pete's life's pretty good ` at home, at the MKR office, and among his adoring Tribe. Hello. Gidday. And even though it can get pretty hot in Pete's kitchen,... Thanks for asking. You're only the 1000th person to ask that question. No, look, I know, I know, I know. ...he's not planning to get out any time soon. I know where I'm going. And I know the choices I have to make that will enable me to get there, and to live the life I want to do, which is how I'm living now. So, what I'm doing works for myself. And if it ever doesn't, then I'll change. And the next MKR grand final is this Thursday on 2. Next ` the dangerous race to find valuable minerals and new life forms on the ocean floor. The pilot is China's most experienced submariner, Fuen Tao. In China, he's a celebrity, treated like a rockstar. Fuen Tao's absolutely risking his life. Every time he goes beneath the surface of the ocean, there's a good chance he won't come back. Oh! So dangerous. GIRL: One day, my mum went looking for something. She didn't have a map or anything. She said she was following her heart. It led her to strange lands. It took her up mountains and down into dark caves. She even looked for it in her sleep. She went further and further. Then one day, my mum, she found it. If she can find it, so can you. Welcome back. It's being called the next Gold Rush. Countries are racing to lay claim to the unexplored riches of the deep ocean, and China is leading the charge. But getting there is no picnic ` it's one of the earth's most inhospitable environments, and one wrong move can end in disaster. Tonight, we join a celebrity submariner on a perilous dive to the bottom of the sea. 44km off the west Australian coast, we're ready to take the plunge. I think this is what they say ` it's show time. Bring it on. Rachel, bon voyage. RT: Launching. The show is the great and unexplored world under the sea ` a final frontier of adventure and discovery. Topside, topside, topside. It's Dave here, topside. How are you going? David, permission to dive. Over. Three-quarters of the world's surface is covered by ocean, yet so little is known about what's underneath. Now the race is on to explore what riches might be buried deep. A contest much like the space race of the 1960s is underway. The world's superpowers competing to be the first to explore and lay claim to new discoveries. We're facing a new gold rush down in the deep ocean ` down 5,000m, 10,000m. On the bottom there, there's incredible riches in certain spots of things like cobalt, zinc, gold. Deep-sea ecologist Professor David Booth is closely watching the race for riches. The Chinese, he says, have the edge. Do you think they're plundering ahead of everyone else? I think the Chinese have a slight edge, at the moment, with their technology and their interest in getting down to those deposits. But, of course, Americans, the Japanese, the English et cetera, are developing technology that will allow them to exploit these rich mineral deposits. The Indian Ocean ` 1200km off the African Coast. China's the only nation that is sending human beings down there. Other countries are sending robots. Australian journalist Rachel Thornton has been given unprecedented access to China's deep-sea exploration programme. It is the next gold rush. Their target on this mission is a football-field sized bit of the seabed they think could contain untold mineral riches. A team of scientists will descend 4km in a capsule designed to withstand the crushing pressure. (MOMENTOUS MUSIC) The pilot is China's most experienced submariner, Fuen Tao. In China, he's a celebrity, treated like a rockstar. I mean, he's risking his life, isn't he? He is. Fuen Tao's absolutely risking his life. Every time he goes beneath the surface of the ocean, there's a good chance he won't come back. The dive location has been selected because it's where major tectonic plates are tearing apart. The incredible geological pressure forces rare and valuable minerals up through the earth's crust. Volcanic smoke stacks vent super-heated water laden with toxins. In this most inhospitable of places, they discover an abundance of life. (BEEPING) The hydrothermal vents are extremely valuable ` they're like little microcosms of life in little natural laboratories. Um, they contain organisms we've never known before. What happens in the hydrothermal vents could really unfold the secrets of how life began on earth. 4km down, it is one of the most dangerous places on the planet. Down here, one mistake could mean disaster. It's very, very dangerous. And then, trouble. (RUMBLING) The sub's hydraulic arm jams. Trying to fix it, the crew doesn't notice they're drifting towards the super-hot jets of water. That hot smoke` that smoke can get to 300 degrees, 400 degrees Celsius. It's hot, really, really hot. If the window was broken, there's no way to get back. And his heart just kind of thumping out of his chest, he threw the machine into reverse, and get the hell out of there. He describes it as millimetres from death. (TENSE MUSIC) MOUTHS: Yes. How close they came to disaster is shown by the scalding on the sub's skin and windows. Oh my God. FUEN: That one is most dangerous one. The deep-sea exploration is extremely risky. It's very difficult to produce the craft, the pressures, the temperatures are huge. The rewards probably outweigh more risks. Oh! So dangerous. The sub is cleared to return to the deep. And on the dives that follow, the Chinese strike pay dirt ` rare minerals needed for everything from mobile phones to motorcars. But then there's also the discovery of exciting new life forms. Below about 1000m, it's pitch-dark down there. So the only way these animals can communicate, through visual means, is by producing their own light. And so there's some amazing things ` glowing jellyfish, glowing fish that communicate with each other just through that means. Muscles and little shrimp and fish and sea anemones, and they can only survive down there from the heat and the bacteria from the hot vents. These creatures may offer the discovery of new medicines. Samples have been collected and taken back to China for research. Well, medical breakthroughs are very likely when we look at deep-ocean products. Things like sponges in the deep ocean, for instance, are known to contain a anticarcinogenic chemicals and all sorts of other goodies that can help develop human medicines. But there's more ` a microbe called archaea, has been discovered on these deep-ocean vents, an environment not unlike our planet billions of years ago. This toxic mix of chemicals and heat could well have been the incubator for the very beginnings of life on earth. What's down there is really the stuff of science fiction. There are` There are creatures you couldn't even imagine, and, uh, I think what will be found in future will be even more remarkable. Wow. And Rachel Thornton's documentary about China's deep dive is currently in production. That's our show for tonight. Do join us on Facebook and Twitter, SundayTVNZ.