Episode
60 Minutes Australia: 2013-03-31
Overview
The Imposter Big Man, Big Heart Roam Free The Imposter Truth may be stranger than fiction but this story is simply gob-smacking. It begins with the disappearance of a teenage boy. His family searches for him, desperately but unsuccessfully. Then, 3 years after vanishing, Nicholas Barclay reappears on the other side of the world. There’s joy, jubilation, and there’s his harrowing account of what happened to him. But as you’ll see, something’s not quite right. Reporter: Karl Stefanovic Producer: Gareth Harvey Big Man, Big Heart David Foster is a World Champion woodchopper, the undisputed King of Australian Axemen. He’s been Tasmanian of the Year and won an Order of Australia. Then 3 years ago, a family illness cut David Foster’s life in half. His wife was sick, and doctors had given up all hope. But not Dave. This is a story of a big bloke, with an even bigger heart.
Details
- Series
- 60 Minutes Australia
- Season
- Season 2013
- Episode
- Episode 9
- Air date
- 2013-03-31
Episode context
2013-03-31 is Episode 9 in Season 2013 of 60 Minutes Australia. It aired on 2013-03-31.
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Episode 8: 2013-03-24
The Survivor Independents’ Day Loss of Faith The Survivor By now, most people know the incredible story of Australian woman, Gill Hicks. In 2005, both of her legs were blown off, during the terrorist attacks on London. Since that horrible day Gill has inspired the world with her superhuman recovery, her work to promote peace and her love of life. Late last year she called us with wonderful news, she’d moved back to Australia; she’d found a new man and at 44 she’d fallen pregnant. But Gill had devastating news to come that would require all of her inner strength. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Stephen Taylor Independents’ Day When Prime Minister Julia Gillard isn’t fending off Kevin Rudd in the party room her fate rests with 3 independent MPs, who hold unprecedented power. Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter may represent just 290-thousand voters, but what they think, and how they vote in parliament, has a very real impact on every Australian.
Episode 10: 2013-04-14
Top End Fashion
The Missing
Brave Levi
Top End Fashion
The reporters on this show can find themselves in all manner of sticky situations but Michael Usher never thought he’d be dangling from a helicopter and dropped straight onto a very angry saltwater crocodile. It’s what a group of daredevil blokes in the Top End do for a living, all part of Australia’s rapidly growing crocodile skin export business currently valued at 25 million dollars. The crocs are grown from hatchlings to adults and their skins are sold to top French fashion houses, before they end up as handbags worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Reporter: Michael Usher
Producer: Nick Greenaway
The Missing
It’s almost too hard to fathom but every 15 minutes someone in Australia disappears. For the families left behind, the anguish of not knowing what’s happened to their loved one, can be overwhelming. It’s exactly what Lorrin Whitehead’s five children are facing, eight weeks ago their 43-year-old mother left home and vanished without a trace. The police have no firm leads, there are no suspicious circumstances and for Lorrin’s kids, they just want to know if their mum is ok.
Reporter: Charles Wooley
Producer: Stephen Burling
Brave Levi
Four years ago, we brought you the story of the brave and bubbly young boy, Levi McCormack. Levi was born with only half a working heart and a mysterious lung condition. His ability to take on every challenge, with a smile and a laugh, won your hearts. Since then, little Levi has gone on to attend school and recently had his 9th birthday. But amid the celebrations there are some very tough days ahead for Levi and his family.
Reporter: Karl Stefanovic
Producer: Ali Smith
More episodes from this season
Episode 7: 2013-03-17
Justice Overboard To the police, she’s a cold blooded killer. To her supporters: the victim of justice denied. Susan Neil-Fraser is serving 23 years in a Hobart prison for the murder of her de facto husband and at first, it might seem like the perfect crime. You see there’s no body, no weapon, and no direct witnesses. And for Susan’s friends and family, that’s exactly the point: there was never any hard evidence to convict her. Legal experts are even likening her plight to the Lindy Chamberlain case. It’s the perfect murder mystery. Reporter: Charles Wooley Producer: David Alrich Holding Them Back It’s only six weeks since three hundred thousand Australian children took their first steps through the school gate. For many of their parents, along with the usual tears and butterflies, can be a niggling doubt – is their child ready? And if you’re looking for reassurance that you’ve made the right decision, the latest research doesn’t help.
Episode 11: 2013-04-21
Joel Madden Lancaster 739 Brave Levi Joel Madden For most Australians Joel Madden is now a household name. As lead singer of American band Good Charlotte he'd already built a legion of fans, but in his role as a coach on The Voice he's won over an audience not even he expected. Lancaster 739 Ron Conley, an Air Force officer from Brisbane, was last heard from on June 6, 1944 while on a top secret bombing mission. For Ron's family, what happened to this young Australian navigator and his crew mates has always been a mystery. Brave Levi Four years ago, we brought you the story of the brave and bubbly young boy, Levi McCormack. Since then, little Levi has gone on to attend school and recently had his 9th birthday.
Episode 6: 2013-03-10
For Better or Worse After 50 years together, you’d think Bill and Gladys Forward had seen-off all life could throw at them. That was until Gladys was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease 8 years ago. Gradually, Bill has come to care for Gladys more and more, and today, he does everything for his wife. But it’s not just what Bill does that’s so inspiring – it’s the way that he does it. Theirs is a remarkable story of love, commitment and a most unusual bicycle. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Hannah Boocock Tony Abbott We’re still 6 months out from election day, but if the polls are to be believed, Tony Abbott is destined to be elected Australia’s 28th Prime Minister. After coming so close three years ago, the “new Tony” is determined to win this time, and is going to great lengths to convince us he’s a changed man. Even his gay sister is speaking out, to endorse the new and improved Tony Abbott – a 21st Century man who can admit the mistakes of his past.
Episode 12: 2013-04-28
Settling Scores
Leonardo
Frozen Waterfalls
Lauren’s Story
Settling Scores
This is a story about facing your demons head on. In 2009, Navy clearance diver Paul de Gelder lost his arm and leg in a bull shark attack, in Sydney Harbour. His zest for life and determination to succeed despite his horrific injuries inspired you all. He was seemingly impervious. But Paul’s been harbouring a secret. He still has one score to settle, to go face to face with his nemesis – The Bull shark.
Reporter: Peter Overton
Producer: David Alrich
Leonardo
Leonardo DiCaprio is one of Hollywood’s heavyweights, successfully evolving from a child star, over a career that has already spanned two decades. In Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby, he plays the title role of Jay Gatsby, a handsome social climber, trying to win the heart of a married woman. Baz and Leo first teamed up 17 years ago when Luhrmann gave DiCaprio a big break, casting him in the lead role of Romeo + Juliet. Now they’re at it again and Allison Langdon has just spent time with Leo ahead of The Great Gatsby’s world premiere.
Reporter: Allison Langdon
Producer: Steven Burling
Frozen Waterfalls
We’ve just witnessed an incredible death defying sport. In the bitter temperatures of winter, a growing number of adventurous and audacious climbers around the world are now scaling frozen waterfalls. As they cling to brittle ice their every move is heart-stopping, one false step and they can fall to their death. Even for the most experienced it is a serious test of their physical and mental skills.
Reporter: Liz Hayes
Producer: Phil Goyen
Lauren’s Story
Lauren Huxley is one of the great survival stories, a triumph of good over evil. The beautiful 18 year old was savagely attacked in her own home and left for dead by a man she’d never met. Now aged 26, Lauren is getting her life back, she’s working full-time, travelling overseas and there’s even some baby news.
Reporter: Ray Martin
Producer: Ali Smith
Episode 5: 2013-03-03
Titanic Clive
Mention the name Clive Palmer and everything that comes to mind is BIG. Big money. Big ideas. Big opinions. One of Australia’s richest men – he’s also one of the most outspoken. But what he loves even more than a good stoush – is a grand idea. His latest is titanic. Titanic Two. To be precise. You see, he’s building an updated, near-perfect, replica of the legendary luxury cruiseliner that sank 100 years ago. Clive doesn’t know what it will cost and in typical Clive style, he doesn’t seem to care.
Reporter: Ray Martin
Producer: Jo Townsend
Fore and Against
It’s been going on for thousands of years but it’s still controversial. We are talking about male circumcision. Not only is it contentious, it’s confusing. Depending on who you speak to, rates of circumcision in Australia are both rising and falling. It’s either a life or death decision or a complete waste of time. The only certainty in this debate – it’s sure to raise hackles.
Reporter: Tara Brown
Producers: Stephen Taylor, Jo Townsend
Wild at Heart
40 years ago, a glamorous young Italian woman, swapped her life of privilege for the wilds of Africa. Kuki Gallman turned a vast cattle ranch, into Kenya’s largest private wildlife sanctuary. It would prove such an adventure that Hollywood made her story into an epic film. But there was also great personal sacrifice. And now, everything Kuki has fought so hard to protect, is being threatened by the poachers’ bullets.
Reporter: Allison Langdon
Producer: Nick Greenaway
Episode 13: 2013-05-05
Jungle Orphans
The People Smuggler
Dear Mum, Love Turia
Jungle Orphans
This is a story about Indonesia’s jungle orphanage. Not for humans but for baby orangutans. Hundreds of incredibly cute but sadly orphaned orangutans, are getting a second chance at life. They’re cared for by dedicated human mums, who raise these hairy little bundles into young adults before releasing them back into the wild. As Allison Langdon discovered, it’s their best hope of avoiding extinction.
Reporter: Allison Langdon
Producer: David Alrich
The People Smuggler
So far this year nearly 7000 refugees have tried to seek asylum in Australia by boat. It’s a desperate journey, and the numbers are only increasing. One of the reasons, too many People Smugglers are getting away with their deadly trade. In fact, one of the most ruthless, is living as a free man, collecting welfare, under the protection of a foreign government and our authorities can’t touch him. He helped load 400 people onto the doomed Siev X which sank on its way to Christmas Island. 353 people drowned. 146 of them were children. He’s been on the run for more than a decade and we’ve just tracked him down.
Reporter: Michael Usher
Producer: Stephen Rice
Dear Mum, Love Turia
Sunday, May 12 is Mother’s Day, a time to thank our mums for their unconditional love and unwavering selflessness. Over the years, 60 Minutes has met some very special mothers and Celestine Vaite is one of them. She’s nurtured her daughter, Turia Pitt back to health, after Turia was severely burnt while competing in the Kimberley ultra-marathon. For this Mother’s Day, Turia has written her mum a letter to say “thank you”.
Producer: Ali Smith
Episode 4: 2013-02-24
Superbugs No-one would expect an innocuous little cut to threaten your life or cost you all 4 limbs. But that’s exactly what happened to Aimee Copeland, when her body was attacked by an aggressive flesh eating bug. She’s a living example of the rise and rise of superbugs. In this frightening new era in medicine, that our once faithful friends – antibiotics – simply don’t work. And this national health threat is so serious, our Government has now launched three separate Superbug inquiries. But, as Michael Usher discovered, some brilliant scientific minds here and overseas are working fast to find some amazing new cures. Reporter: Michael Usher Producers: Danny Keens, Hannah Boocock Howard’s Way By any measure, this is an unusual election year. With more than 200 days till polling day, it’s the longest campaign in Australian history. Then, there’s the growing uncertainty over the leaders.
Episode 14: 2013-05-12
Flight 447 A Cultural Revolution Flight 447 This Sunday, the story of Flight 447. It has been called the "Titanic of air disasters". A passenger aircraft so advanced that the chance of it falling out of the sky is unthinkable. But on a stormy June night in 2009 that's just what happened to an Air France A330. Its terrifying descent into the Atlantic Ocean took just four minutes. For three years, what happened inside the cockpit remained a mystery. But as you'll see now, the black box tapes have revealed a shocking and scary scenario of how quickly and easily a high tech passenger plane can crash. Reporter: Karl Stefanovic Producer: Gareth Harvey A Cultural Revolution There's an old Chinese proverb that says "women hold up half the sky". And in China today, there are plenty of tough, independent and very wealthy women who seem to prove it. Half of the world's female billionaires come from China. Not surprisingly, a lot of young women would like to follow in their footsteps.
Episode 3: 2013-02-17
Matthew Newton Say the name Matthew Newton and most people will offer an opinion. The view is that he’s either a violent boyfriend, or a mentally ill man. Repeatedly, courts here in Australia, and in the US, have judged Newton, on the grounds of his psychological state. Just last November, a Miami judge spared him jail, despite him punching a hotel receptionist. Now Matthew Newton says he’s on the road to recovery, but there are some extraordinary admissions along the way. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Phil Goyen Mountain Madness The wonder of extreme adventure is, you never know how things will turn out. By its very nature, it involves pushing the limits of human endeavour and demands a bit of good luck. Australia’s Adrian McRae thought he’d dreamt up the ultimate adventure, to paraglide off the roof of Africa. Hundreds of daredevils joined his incredible quest up Mount Kilimanjaro. But as Allison Langdon discovered, none of them could know what the mountain had in store.
Episode 15: 2013-05-19
The Lost Pharoah Trail Blaiser Cleveland’s Evil The Lost Pharaoh In the modern history of Ancient Egypt, new world-headline-making discoveries are rare. This Sunday a Royal tomb full of golden treasure that is likely to be bigger and grander than the discovery of the famous boy king, Tutankhamen. Renowned archaeologist John Romer believes he’s found the tomb of the long lost Pharaoh, Herihor. Along with the King and his priceless relics, there could also be all of Ancient Egypt’s missing Queens. It’s an ambitious quest that takes us to a secret desert valley and could transform what we know about these exotic and remarkable people. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Stephen Taylor Trail Blaiser Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability among Australian children. 34 thousand people struggle through life with the crippling condition. And the little boy you’re about to meet, Blaise Wyatt, suffers from the most cruel form of this affliction.