01x03 - Australia/Hawaii

[bunniefuu]

[siren]

♪ Inspector Gadget's
field trip ♪

♪ We're going on a visit ♪

♪ Inspector Gadget's
field trip ♪

♪ Come on,
let's go with him ♪

♪ Inspector Gadget's
field trip ♪

♪ What's that, you ask?
What is it? ♪

♪ Inspector Gadget's
field trip ♪

♪ Well, no one
wants to miss it ♪

♪ Inspector Gadget's
field trip ♪

♪ We're going on a visit ♪

♪ Inspector Gadget's
field trip ♪

♪ Have fun,
let's go with him ♪

♪ New places,
new faces ♪

♪ Inspector Gadget's
field trip ♪

♪ Inspector Gadget's
field trip ♪

Gadget:
Inspector Gadget here,

bouncing around down under.

Eh, australia, that is.

On this exciting field trip,

we're going down undercover
to reveal

some of the ancient legends
of this mysterious island.

So hop on along.

It's time to
go, go, Gadget field trip.

Gadget: the continent
of australia

is located here--

down below the equator

in the earth's
southern hemisphere.

Wowsers! We're here
in the middle of australia

hovering over the biggest
rock in the world.

My keen sense of detection
tells me

ayers rock stands about

But it prefers to sit.

The rock
is also over 2 miles long

and about
a mile and a half wide.

This is one rock

you don't wanna take
for granted [play on granite].

So what does
a huge rock mean

to australia's first people,
the aborigines?

For one thing,
it cuts off their view

of downtown alice springs.

Actually, aboriginal tribes

are believed to have been
living in australia

for 40,000 years.

Like many other cultures,

aborigines have their own
set of values and beliefs.

A key part of the aboriginal
belief system

is something called
the totems,

and I thought they only had
totems at the pole.

A totem is a symbol
in the form of an animal

or a part of nature.

Ayers rock, or Uluru,

as the aborigines call it,

is the largest totem.

The sides of the rock
are decorated

with these ancient paintings

drawn by local
aboriginal tribes.

The only problem is

no one can find
a half-mile-high frame

to put them in.

The paintings at Ayers Rock
and all over australia

are one way the aborigines
have recorded

and learned
about their past.

Far away, on the southeastern
end of australia,

is another place where
field trippers can learn

about the rich and colorful
history

of the aboriginal people.

I'm talking about Sydney,

australia's
most populated city.

So let's
go, go, Gadget copter.

Wowsers! If alice springs
is outback,

Sydney must be in front.

But even here in the middle
of this bustling city,

you can still explore
the wonders

and legends
of australia's outback

at the...

Let's investigate.

The center was created

to help teach visitors
about the rich history

of the aborigines
in the Sydney area.

Would you believe this man
is showing us

how the aborigines
paint their bodies?

Would you believe
he ran out of canvas?

How about he's preparing
to become human flypaper?

On second thought,

that gooey stuff he's putting
all over himself

is called...

It's like a natural paint
that's made

by mixing together
water and sandstone.

As you know, the aborigines
were nature lovers,

so they would
often praise nature

with different dances.

This is called
the kangaroo dance.

It's a distant cousin
of the bunny hop.

Mind if I cut in?

Here you can
also learn about

some of the different
instruments

local tribes use.

This is called a...

Let's listen.

[plays low
deep tone]

Gadget: gavala also
has a great collection

of aboriginal art

like this beautiful fabric

and these pots and plates.

And now an Inspector Gadget
field trip quiz.

Do boomerangs come back to you
when you throw them?

Let's uncover the mystery.

When most of us
think of a boomerang,

we think of this--

a return boomerang.

If you throw this one
just right,

it'll come back to you.

But there's also
this type of boomerang,

which was originally
used as a weapon

by australia's aborigines.

It's not the same length
on each side

like the return boomerang.

One end is much longer.

This will go a lot further

and is stronger as a weapon.

Unfortunately,
you have to go get it.

So you better not miss.

Welcome back to our
fascinating field trip

to the mysterious island
of australia.

This is the...

A little different than
the crowded streets of Sydney.

Even though this desert
looks deserted,

there are many families
that live out here.

So what do you do
when the nearest school

is hundreds of miles away?

You spend a lot of time
on the bus

or you turn on your radio.

First broadcast in 1951,

the school of the air
in alice springs

broadcast school lessons
to students

living in the outback.

How does it work?

Let's get a Gadget eye view.

Go, go, Gadget
magnifying glass.

A teacher prepares a lesson

just like your teacher does,

but instead of standing
in front of her students,

this teacher talks to them
over their radios.

The teacher's messages are
carried out electronically

from this antenna.

From here, they are
broadcast over a huge area

of australia's outback

to students in their homes
who listen

and talk to their teacher
through their radios.

This teacher has a class
of about 6 students listening.

Not a very popular station.

But hey, no commercials.

At least once a year,

she'll also visit
each one of her students

at their home,

even if it means traveling
up to 1,000 miles

just to see one student.

Wowsers! I wish I only
saw the chief once a year.

Let's follow the signal

and find out where it goes.

Aha. the signal
ends up here.

This is...

She lives on a ranch
with her family

in australia's outback.

She milks the cows,

feeds the animals,

and enjoys riding dirt bikes

with her
younger brother joey.

Raina is also
a school of the air student.

With this
specialized system,

kids who live
thousands of miles apart

can all go
to school together.

Trouble is, their yearbook
never has a class photo.

But the best part is

she can wear whatever
she wants to school.

A similar system is used

to solve another
important problem.

How do people who live
so far away from cities

get medical attention?

Let's explore the answer.

In 1928, reverend john flynn

came up with the idea of
the royal flying doctor service.

The rfds, as it is known,

is just what it sounds like.

They put doctors in a plane
and fly them

to all sorts
of medical emergencies

from broken bones
to acute appendicitis.

I'm not sure if they treat
an ugly appendicitis.

The planes leave
from this airport

and fly...

Allowing doctors to treat
over 150,000 people

throughout the outback.

All you need
are the right symptoms

and an airstrip
in your backyard.

Talk about a house call.

Wowsers!

It's time for me to fly.

I hope you've enjoyed
our field trip

through australia's outback.

We've had
a rocking good time,

uncovered some of australia's
treasured history,

and even gone to school
and the doctor's office

without leaving home.

I'm going to bounce
out of here,

but I hope you'll
boomerang on back,

because when we return,

we'll have another
go, go, Gadget field trip.

Inspector Gadget here in...

Canoeing through canals,

breathing in the breezes,

toning up my tan,

and...

Loving it!

But my latest assignment
is no stroll on the beach.

I'm here to investigate

the secrets of Hawaii's
ancient island culture.

So grab your
feathered friends

and hula on over.

It's time to
go, go, Gadget field trip.

Hawaii is the youngest
united state.

It joined the union in 1959.

It's the fiftieth
out of 50.

Better late than never.

Go, go, Gadget globe.

Hawaii is the only state

that is not on the mainland
of north america.

It sits in the middle
of the pacific ocean,

nearly 2,500 miles away,
and is the only u.s. state

made up of islands.

The first people to live
on the Hawaiian islands

were the Polynesians.

They sailed to Hawaii
nearly 1,500 years ago

in large, handmade canoes.

Polynesian culture includes 7
major pacific island groupings.

They are...

And...

Along with seasickness,

the Polynesians
came to Hawaii

with many
colorful traditions.

Here at the Polynesian
cultural center

on the island of oahu,

traditional Polynesian villages
have been recreated

complete with authentic houses,
dances and crafts.

Let's do a little
Polynesian probing.

Go, go, Gadget legs.

Either that's the smallest
guitar I've ever seen

or the biggest
guitar player.

Actually that's a ukulele,

one of the main instruments

used in traditional
Hawaiian music.

Ukulele in Hawaiian means...

Because the Hawaiians thought
this fancy fingerwork

looked like they were
busy scratching fleas.

I wonder if this house
has fleas.

Looks like the roof
needs a haircut.

This Hawaiian...

Was one of the most
popular places around,

especially at dinnertime.

Hale mua is
the men's eating house,

a kind of no-frills
island diner

where the men came to eat
and discuss village matters.

Next stop tahiti.

Polynesians are known for
their expert weaving skills.

Here a tahitian woman is working
on her latest creation.

Most Polynesian weavers

use pandanas leaves
or coconut palms

to make baskets and mats
that are strong and lightweight.

She looks busy.

We'd better...

Weave her alone.

Ha ha.

Wowsers!

Looks like the natives
are getting restless.

These...

Represent the islands
of new zealand.

The twirling poi ba*ls

are used as
a percussion instrument

which imitate
the sounds of nature.

Maori warriors would
tattoo their faces

and stick out their tongues
to ward off enemies.

Hmm.

Must be something I said.

Let's go, go, go on to
the village of samoa.

If we're going to survive
on the islands,

we'll need to learn
a few basic island skills.

First, how to make a fire like
they did hundreds of years ago.

By carving wood sticks
and rubbing them together,

our samoan friend is able
to create fire from friction.

Coconuts were some
of the first plants

brought to Hawaii
from polynesia.

Getting them here
was the easy part.

Opening them is another story.

Samoan villagers crack
the skin with small rocks.

Inside there's up to
a quart of coconut milk.

Bottoms up!

If you think that
was a chore,

try getting the coconut
out of the tree.

There are 2 methods.

You could climb up
with this guy

or you could
go, go, Gadget neck.

Aha!

From up here, I can see

the villagers gathering
in the lagoon.

Let's investigate.

Would you believe this is
a samoan ship-cleaning service?

Would you believe
they lost their oars?

How about they're sweeping
for leaping fleas?

Polynesian dances
like the hula

aren't just entertainment.

The movements of the dancers

also tell stories about
the history of the islands

and help to keep
the culture alive.

If I'm reading these
movements properly,

I'd say the Polynesians come
from a long line of hippies.

And now an Inspector Gadget
field trip fact.

Did you know that Hawaii has...

That's like having a beach
stretching

from Denver, Colorado,
to Dallas, Texas.

Now, if we could just
teach cowboys how to surf.

Welcome back to
our field trip

to the islands of Hawaii.

Since you're just returning,

you deserve a traditional
island greeting.

These fresh flowered wreaths
are called...

And are placed around the necks
of arriving visitors.

Ancient Hawaiians believed
leis helped to ward off

evil spirits.

I guess evil spirits
aren't big on flowers.

Genuine Hawaiian hula skirts
are also made by hand

using these
Hawaiian tea leaves.

Wowsers!

Look at those nails!

They sure come in handy
for slicing.

Ancients believed that
the tea plant

had godly powers.

And the leaves are still used
today for wrapping food

before cooking, but I
suspect she'd rather

wrap it around her waist.

Nice moves.

She must've learned that
in hula school.

All this talk of tea leaves

has given me
a Gadget-sized appetite.

I'm so hungry
I could eat a pig.

Wowsers!

We're in luck.

An imu!

That's Hawaiian for
underground oven.

Either that or these guys
have lost a contact lens.

The imu is the center
of the famous Hawaiian luau

or feast.

The main dish at a luau
is roasted pork.

The pig is filled
with super hot stones

wrapped in tea leaves and cooked
in the shallow hole

along with other authentic
Polynesian foods

such as bundles of fish,
chicken, fruits and vegetables.

Mmm! According to my

Gadget guidebook
to dimly lit dining,

no luau is complete without
some island entertainment.

Tonight's revue includes
the daring samoan fire dance.

The islanders have long
been fascinated by fire,

and many Hawaiians still pray
to their fire goddess pele.

Pele is said to live inside
the kilauea volcano

and is responsible
for its lava flows.

Polynesians aren't the only
people that make up

Hawaii's rich culture.

Here at Hawaii's
plantation village,

a small community
of plantation homes

show what life was like for
many of the 400,000 immigrants

that came to Hawaii
in the late 1800s

to work in
the sugarcane fields.

Each of the 30 restored
and replicated buildings

represent a unique
ethnic group.

The workers came from
all over the world.

Hawaiian plantation village
is like a mini field trip

within a field trip.

Today sugarcane is still
Hawaii's most important crop,

which is good news
if you have a sweet tooth.

Here on the island of maui,

the pioneer sugar company
operated 2 railroads

between 1882 and 1952

to move sugarcane
from the fields

to the processing plant.

Visitors to the islands can hop
on the sugar cane train here

for a 12-mile round-trip ride
through some of Hawaii's

most spectacular coastline.

All aboard!

[screech]
Wowsers!

I think I've
run out of steam.

I hope you've enjoyed
our field trip

through Hawaii's
island cultures.

We met the natives
and floated through lagoons.

We ate a luau feast
and heard Hawaiian tunes.

Until next time,
go, go, Gadget field trip!