After exploring the wild south in his award winning TV ONE series SOUTH, Marcus Lush has gone to the other extreme of the country for his next show, NORTH. From lighthouses to lava flows, kayaks to kiwis, beaches to butterflies, Marcus covers a lot of ground - and water - in his latest adventure about New Zealand's special places and people. Opening with spectacular aerial views of Manukau Harbour, Marcus travels up and down the east and west coasts, visiting the islands of the gulf, and telling the stories of the great harbours of the Manukau, Hokianga, Kaipara and the Waitemata, concluding 10 weeks later with an A to Z of Auckland in classic Lush style. As always, Marcus becomes intimately involved in the stories of the landscape and the people that populate it, as he undertakes a journey that travels the coasts and harbours, the hills and sand dunes, of the top of the North Island.
North (Season 1)
The beginning (Episode 1)
Air date: 2011-04-27
Runtime: 23 min
Overview: Marcus arrives in the Manukau via container ship and uses a variety of sea-going vehicles to explor Auckland's neglected harbour - spookier than it sounds.
Kaipara (Episode 2)
Air date: 2011-05-04
Runtime: 22 min
Overview: Marcus finds out what we dont learn about Piha on 'Piha Rescue', goes nude… again, and boats the Kaipara exploring its and his own canning history.
Hokianga (Episode 3)
Air date: 2011-05-11
Runtime: 22 min
Overview: The Hokianga feels like a separate state of New Zealand sometimes. Marcus asks why, has a lesson in horse riding and astronomy, and fails to not be sentimental about Opo the dolphin.
To the top (Episode 4)
Air date: 2011-05-18
Runtime: 23 min
Overview: Marcus goes further north than he has ever been in New Zealand - to Cape Reinga and beyond to the Three Kings, touches what was once the world's rarest plant and turns for home.
Boats (Episode 5)
Air date: 2011-05-25
Runtime: 23 min
Overview: This is the Boat Show - house boats, canoes, dinghys and a two-master. Marcus travels by boat to the Bay of Islands and falls in love with lighthouses and islands again.
Concrete (Episode 6)
Air date: 2011-06-01
Runtime: 23 min
Overview: Is the history of concrete interesting? Marcus finds that it is, on Limestone Island He also becomes fascinated by the history of gambling and whaling, and lends a hand at the local growers market.
The outer islands (Episode 7)
Air date: 2011-06-08
Runtime: 23 min
Overview: How many islands can you visit in one episode? Marcus finds the answer is plenty. Tiri and its lighthouse, Kawau and its bookclub! Little Barrier and its gorgeous bird life and spiders as well as Barrier and its million dollar fence.
Coromandel and Barrier (Episode 8)
Air date: 2011-06-15
Runtime: 23 min
Overview: Marcus drives! The length of Great Barrier and the Coromandel - hoping to find a place to party for New Years. But first he has to extract tea tree oil with a tricky local on the Barrier, go back to the hot pools and climb the pinnacles before he finally finds nirvana with the hippies…
Donkeys (Episode 9)
Air date: 2011-06-22
Runtime: 23 min
Overview: Marcus loves a donkey and finds New Zealand's only feral ones surprisingly close to Auckland. He also goes to New Zealand's party island as well as its island for drunks - and he ends up talking to his father.
Auckland (Episode 10)
Air date: 2011-06-29
Runtime: 23 min
Overview: What is there to like about Auckland? Marcus finds a great deal. He ends his journey with the alphabet of Auckland likes.