Manapouri, The Toughest Tunnel

New Zealand's Doubtful Sound is a stunning area of tranquil lakes, plunging fiords and dense rainforests but is also one of the most treacherous and remote places on Earth.

In the 1960's a team of more than a thousand men undertook New Zealand's biggest ever construction project, to build a hydroelectric power station to take advantage of the massive water supply in the region.

The men battled seemingly insurmountable odds using the dangerous technique of drilling and blasting - costing the lives of 16 workers.  Thirty years later, a team of courageious men is attempting the excavation of an additional tunnel - set to be one of the toughest civil engineering projects in the world.      

How will the determination of the men and the cutting-edge technology stand up to the challenges posed by the dangerous geology, inhospitable weather, isolation and unforgiving environment? Will more lives be claimed?

Manapouri - The Toughest Tunnel is a compelling techno-tale of courage, tragedy, brilliance and hard, hard work, of massive machines and brave people, and follows the highs and lows of the project from start to finish.