The Kimberley: Australia’s Wild West, a three-part series, captures never-before-seen footage of The Kimberley, Australia’s remote northwest region, from a First Nations perspective, chronicling a year of extreme tropical seasons to reveal the stories hidden within the rugged landscape.

The Kimberley spans over 400,000 square kilometers of tropical wilderness, including turquoise coastlines, towering gorges, sandy deserts and sprawling savanna. The harsh, inaccessible terrain hides remarkable biodiversity, from the fearsome crocodiles who rule the rivers, to the marsupial gliders who soar over the savanna, to the hundreds of thousands of migratory shorebirds who travel from all over the planet to feed on the rich coastline. This near-pristine corner of the world is vital refuge for countless creatures. It is also the frontline of biodiversity conservation, where Traditional Owners and ecologists are working together to save the species who call the Kimberley home.

From the scorching dry season of Lalin, when desperate wallabies risk “death by ancient reptile” as they brave the last water sources to drink, to the monsoon season of Wilakarra, when the annual pulse of water brings the landscape roaring to life and sparks an inter-species baby boom, each season brings new challenges and new opportunities to Kimberley.

The Kimberley: Australia’s Wild West showcases a year of these animals’ lives and tracks the quests of those working to protect them.

Episode Preview

Episode 1: “River of Life” – Wed, Jun 17 at 9:00 pm on APTV

At the end of Lalin, the Kimberley’s intense hot dry season, parched wallabies face peril to reach water in rivers ruled by fearsome saltwater crocodiles. When heat and humidity peak, frill-necked lizards battle for mates under skies rippling with lightning. Wilakarra (the rainy season), returns life to the Kimberley and revives the mighty Martuwarra/Fitzroy River, where Nyikina man and actor Mark Coles Smith launches a rafting expedition to explore its remote reaches. Tiny jacana chicks learn the ropes in the wetlands and frill-necked lizard hatchlings emerge, joining the host of new life born in the wet season.

Episode 2: “Tidal Territory” – Wed, Jun 24 at 9:00 pm on APTV
In the season of Koolawa, thousands of migratory shorebirds fatten up on the world’s richest intertidal mudflats. Mudskippers battle for mates and attempt to evade an ultra-rare reptilian predator. The cool dry season of Barrkana brings humpback whales to near-pristine coastal waters, where the Dambimangari Land and Sea Rangers hold back threats on their Country. Northern quolls face a cane toad invasion, and find refuge on stunning tropical islands, and the jewel in Dambimangari Country is revealed when Australia’s biggest tides draw the ocean away from hundreds of square kilometers of coral.

Episode 3: “Into the Fire” – Wed, July 1 at 9:00 pm on APTV
As the cool dry season of Barrkana ends, savanna gliders explore the canopies of the Kimberley’s sprawling savanna. Traditional Owners start their vital early burning regimes, using ancient knowledge to help threatened species like the colorful Gouldian Finch. When the growing heat of Wilbooroo dries the wetlands, crocs are forced into overcrowded rivers, where the close quarters spark territorial tiffs. In Wunambal Gaambera Country, an array of unique creatures survives the extreme heat of Lalin in sandstone refuges, watched over by First Nations rangers, and Jirrbal’s lightning sparks dangerous wildfires in the bone-dry savannas.

How to Watch The Kimberley: Australia’s Wild West

The Kimberley: Australia’s Wild West will air and stream Wednesdays beginning June 17 on APT (check listings), PBS.org and the PBS app.