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00:00Woo-hoo!
00:02The Hammonds are here!
00:04Travel is in my blood.
00:06Let's go!
00:07This is the best!
00:08For years I worked as a tour rep,
00:10following in the footsteps of my dear lovely mob,
00:14a hard-working, no-nonsense travel agent.
00:17Thanks to her money-saving tips,
00:19we managed to budget our way to a place that totally captured our hearts.
00:23Look at this! Look at this!
00:24Florida!
00:26I love it!
00:28I was born for Little Havana.
00:30And now the Sunshine State is a big draw for me.
00:34Sorry, I'm still on your foot.
00:35And my son, Aidan.
00:37Good job, y'all.
00:38You see him, mate?
00:39Yeah.
00:41But with holiday prices rising...
00:43Oh, my goodness. I'm in heaven.
00:46Can you do Florida...
00:48without breaking the bank?
00:50$4.99 for these.
00:53Oh, yes, Aidan!
00:55Help you, Mum.
00:56Otherwise, just get out.
00:58It's the best day of my life.
01:06Every year, more than a million Brits come to Florida.
01:10And around 900,000 of them do what us Hammonds do
01:14and make a beeline for Orlando.
01:16For fun and adventure at the world's biggest and most popular theme parks.
01:22But we want to show you a road less travelled side of Florida.
01:27A chance to explore from the other side of the tracks.
01:31And it all starts here at Orlando Airport,
01:34where today we're catching a train.
01:38Come on, keep up.
01:39It's actually a nice train.
01:40It's fast.
01:42There's something about trains that I love.
01:45The sense of adventure.
01:47The freedom.
01:48Move over, Michael Portillo.
01:50Because the Hammonds are taking the Bright Line.
01:52A rare thing in America, a high-speed passenger service
01:57that links Orlando's airport to Miami via our next destination,
02:02Fort Lauderdale.
02:03And this is a bit of a win-win for us.
02:06Because Aidan has always loved trains
02:08and I'm a fan of anything that saves me driving 212 miles.
02:13Come on, babes.
02:15Let's go.
02:16I'm excited.
02:17And that saves me money too.
02:20Good morning, darling.
02:21Hey, are you all right?
02:27I mean, I'm very, very comfortable.
02:29Why are you unashamed, Mum?
02:31Well, I just thought it was nicer than driving.
02:34Also, it's less money.
02:36When you compare the prices to the UK,
02:38the Intercity Railfare here is pretty good value.
02:41We're not only saving ourselves a four-hour drive,
02:45we're saving about half the price of a higher car and fuel.
02:49But the main reason we're taking the train to Fort Lauderdale
02:53is to find out why this city has such a high rate of returning visitors.
02:58It doesn't have world-class theme parks like Orlando
03:01or the vibrant nightlife and glamour of its next-door neighbour, Miami.
03:06So why do so many people, from students to retirees,
03:10keep buying a return ticket to Fort Lauderdale
03:12by plane, boat and now train?
03:17What is that pool that keeps driving people to go back?
03:20I want to find out exactly what it is.
03:22We're all going to find out, aren't we?
03:23We are going to find out.
03:24But before we get there, we're going to make the most of our Florida Railway journey.
03:30Opened just five years ago, this service connects Orlando
03:33with the main cities of Florida's Gold Coast,
03:36reaching its final destination, Miami, in just under three and a half hours.
03:41When you add up the cost of car hire and fuel, we're quids in.
03:45And during the summer, there's an adults travel as kids scheme,
03:50which gives you 50% off.
03:52So, for the price of a normal seat, we've got ourselves a seat
03:56with snacks, drinks and breakfast included.
03:59Would you like to get the breakfast option?
04:01Oh, yes, please.
04:02That is jover, fruit cup, granola butter and a muffin.
04:06Oh, lovely. Thank you very much.
04:08I love a train, but not quite as much as Aidan,
04:11although he's not as obsessed as he used to be.
04:15He keeps horning, he keeps using the horn loads.
04:17I think because there's loads of crossroads...
04:19Oh, right.
04:20See, there's one.
04:21Yeah.
04:21Actually reminds me when you was a kid, you know,
04:23when we used to go and look at the trains,
04:25you were so obsessed with trains.
04:26I bought you a Thomas the Tank Engine outfit
04:28and we used to stand on the platform
04:30and you used to have a little whistle and a flag
04:32and when the trains come in, you'd be like,
04:34Oh, shit.
04:35And then waving them on.
04:36And they used to hoot because they went past.
04:38So good.
04:39Literally, if you was restless,
04:40I would just take you to the train station.
04:42I'd sit and read a book
04:44while you was just, like, looking at trains,
04:45whistling at them.
04:46Tying me out.
04:47You was loving them.
04:48Can you remember all that?
04:49I can remember it vaguely.
04:50I can remember it.
04:51You wanted to be a train driver?
04:52Yeah, I know.
04:53Now you're a DJ?
04:54Yeah.
04:55How did that work out?
04:58The other thing Aidan can't really remember
05:00is Auntie Mavis.
05:01The reason I always used to head to Fort Lauderdale
05:04when Aidan was a baby.
05:06We used to have so much fun staying in her house and stuff,
05:09going to church, going shopping, going to the beach.
05:12Now we're going back again.
05:13She absolutely adored you.
05:15Did she?
05:16Yeah.
05:16I remember her.
05:17Oh, you were only tiny.
05:18Oh, she had the best Jamaican accent you've ever heard.
05:22It's kind of like an American twang,
05:24but with that Jamaican influence coming through, it was lovely.
05:29We're making quick progress on the train,
05:31which might help to explain why Fort Lauderdale's tourism numbers
05:35have been rising in recent years.
05:37It was already a well-connected city with an international airport
05:41and one of the busiest cruise ports in the world.
05:44But train passenger numbers have leapt since the line was extended
05:48to Orlando Airport in 2023,
05:50with total journeys expected to hit 5 million this year.
05:55And there's a good variety of passengers travelling south with us today.
05:59Commuters, holiday makers and even friends on a hen-do.
06:03Or as it's known in the US, a bachelorette party.
06:07Oh, look at these lot.
06:09This looks like the party I want to be at.
06:11Are you the bride? I am.
06:13Oh, lovely. And are you partying?
06:15Yes. Oh, yeah. For four days straight.
06:17Why did you get the train?
06:18Because so many people in America don't really do the train, do they?
06:23They don't. No, I mean, it's kind of new.
06:24We felt like it was a better option for us,
06:26that when we could all ride together at the same time
06:28and then we would have the option to kind of just hang out
06:30and the party kind of started already.
06:32The party started, that's what I want to know.
06:34Oh, I think so.
06:36It looks like it started.
06:38Oh, baby. Yes.
06:39Fort Lauderdale used to have a bit of a reputation as a wild party town.
06:45It was one of the original spring break hotspots,
06:48with thousands of students letting their hair and their parents down here year after year.
06:54But these bachelorettes are going to have a great time
06:58and I wish Ashley and her fiancé all the luck and love in the world
07:02at their next destination, marriage.
07:07Fort Lauderdale, here we come.
07:09The thing I've always loved about this place is the retail therapy.
07:13This city is a major shopping hub.
07:16In fact, nearly 50% of tourists who come here list shopping
07:20as one of their top Fort Lauderdale activities.
07:24So before I show you more of the city, check this out.
07:27It's home to one of the largest outlet malls in the USA.
07:32So millions of visitors come here specifically to snag a designer bargain.
07:37But as always, we're on a budget
07:39and Aidan's taken the search up a level
07:42and found not a bargain, but a bargain hunter.
07:46A thrift shopper.
07:49I know you like shopping.
07:50Yes, I do, Barb.
07:51So I've brought you to the shop and I've got some money for you to meet.
07:54Really?
07:55Yeah, so let's go meet them.
07:56Is this going to break the bank?
07:57Hopefully not.
07:58OK.
07:59Depends on how much you want to buy.
08:01We're about to pick up some top thrifting tips from Dion Dean.
08:06She's made a bit of a name for herself online,
08:08championing her frugal but not cheap approach
08:11to living fabulously.
08:13And I'm well up for that.
08:15I'm excited.
08:17Thanks, sir.
08:19You're welcome.
08:22With the cost of living going up,
08:24Fort Lauderdale has gone a bit thrift-tastic lately.
08:28There are more than 40 thrift and consignment stores in the city now.
08:33So shoppers on a budget have plenty of choice
08:36when they want to do that old-fashioned thing of,
08:38you know, actually trying stuff on.
08:41I haven't even said hello to Dion yet
08:43and I've already found a pair of heels I need in my life.
08:46They're like made for me.
08:50I love them.
08:52Oh, they're sexy they are.
08:54OK.
08:55I'm shopping here.
08:56$4.99.
08:57$4.99 for these.
08:59Oh my gosh.
09:00I'm having these.
09:01I'm sorry.
09:02They've got my name written all over it.
09:04I'm the Imelda Marcus of the Midlands,
09:06always looking to add to my collection
09:08and I've never seen style so cheap.
09:11Oh, God.
09:13Come and get them off.
09:15OK, time to meet Dion before I get sidetracked again.
09:19How are you?
09:20Nice to meet you.
09:21Oh my God, I'm going to love you already.
09:23Oh my God.
09:23This massive store is one of Dion's favourite places
09:26for finding frugal fabulousness.
09:29The selection is huge, the prices are low
09:32and you even get 50% off every Wednesday.
09:36What is it that you love about thrift shops?
09:39Um, I love the creativity, right?
09:40Some are plus size girly, but I love luxury.
09:43Yeah.
09:43And so I can go ahead and, you know,
09:45look at all the runway shows and read all the Vogue magazine
09:48and Elle, but I can come here and recreate it on a budget.
09:51On a budget.
09:51That's such a good idea.
09:53So you look just the same.
09:54Exactly.
09:55They're not making it for me,
09:55so I'm going to make it for myself.
09:57I don't necessarily look for a designer,
09:58but I look for like a designer dupe, right?
10:00So if I know that plissé is on the runway,
10:03then I'm looking for plissé.
10:04Right.
10:04If I'm looking for like animal print
10:07or like an army green or camo,
10:09then I'm going to pick up camo.
10:10So it's not that I'm looking for a designer,
10:12but with a designer you can look at the tags.
10:14Like this one here, right?
10:15This is Ryan White.
10:17It's a size 3X, 699.
10:18But what does it look like?
10:20DVF.
10:21It looks really good.
10:21It looks like a DVF like wrap dress, right?
10:24Yeah.
10:24So you can look for a designer
10:25or you can just look for something that looks like designer.
10:27Because nobody's going to be checking your tags, right?
10:29Of course.
10:29You can very well be like,
10:30you know, this is DVF.
10:31Yeah.
10:32They're not going to know.
10:33But then the thing with thrift, right?
10:34If you don't thrift it, where's it going to end up?
10:36Sure.
10:36In the landfill.
10:37It's kind of recycling.
10:38It's a good thing that you're doing.
10:39Yeah.
10:40Can I call my husband right now?
10:41Come on.
10:43Alison said I'm doing a good work.
10:45You are.
10:46I'll tell you what,
10:46I'm going to leave you two to it.
10:48Because I need you two to go on.
10:49I'm going to go have a look at the men.
10:50So I'll see you later.
10:51Enjoy.
10:51Enjoy.
10:52Oh my gosh.
10:53This is fantastic.
10:54I know.
10:55So where do we start, babes?
10:56Mmm.
10:57First of all, I love that you call me babes.
10:58I've been waiting for that all day.
10:59All right.
11:00So let's go.
11:02Let's go.
11:04And so Dion's thrift shop masterclass begins.
11:07And we're off on a mission to up love our wardrobes.
11:12That is sick.
11:13How good is that?
11:15It's got a tag on it.
11:16I told you.
11:17So what's the tag say?
11:18It's $49.99.
11:19And what do they have it for?
11:20$5.99.
11:22And that is brand new?
11:23Brand new.
11:24Cover me up.
11:28Very Diana Ross.
11:29Yes.
11:31Oh, look at this.
11:32Look.
11:33Look.
11:34Look at me.
11:36Taking in all the shopping intel Dion has to offer.
11:39Look at tags.
11:40So that's not been touched.
11:41Not been touched.
11:42$5.99.
11:43Yep.
11:43But I can't help feeling the connection might be more than just a love of being thrifty.
11:49So Dion, are you originally from around here?
11:52No.
11:53So I'm from Hackney, East London.
11:55Stop it.
11:55Upper Clapton.
11:56Yeah.
11:57You're from the UK?
11:57I'm from the UK.
11:58Came over when I was small.
11:59I was about nine years old.
12:01Oh.
12:01But I go back every year.
12:02And so when I land, I'm back.
12:04That accent comes straight back.
12:06It comes right back.
12:06Oh, my God.
12:06I knew there was a connection between me and you.
12:08Listen.
12:09And what about the communities here in Fort Lauderdale?
12:12Do you get a lot of the Caribbean communities?
12:14Oh, yeah.
12:14So we have a lot of expats that went from Jamaica to England back here because it's the closest
12:19thing to home.
12:20So I actually go from here now and go back to Jamaica.
12:23It's about an hour away, isn't it?
12:24Yeah, it's like an hour.
12:25Yeah, I have a girlfriend that goes home every week.
12:27Really?
12:27Yeah.
12:28Whenever there's a party, she's like, I'm gone.
12:30So you're like, bye.
12:31I'm gone.
12:32Coming here, it really hit home how much Fort Lauderdale acts like a magnet for so many
12:38people.
12:39A lot of it is down to where it is on the map, which makes it a kind of mean
12:43place.
12:44A mountain pot for lots of different communities from the north, south, east and west.
12:51South Florida is a major shopping hub for Central and South America and the Caribbean,
12:54right?
12:55Right.
12:55And so this is where people come to shop, whether it be the mainline stores, the mall or thrift,
13:00right?
13:01It's also the place wealthy Americans come in the winter months to spend time in their
13:06second homes in the sun.
13:09Snowbirds is what we call them, right?
13:10So they come and they're like, oh, you know what, we want to redo the house, we want to
13:13redo the wardrobe.
13:14And so they'll actually take that stuff and they'll donate it here.
13:16So not only is it, you know, the shopping centre as being Fort Lauderdale, it's also just
13:21the place to get the best of South Florida shopping.
13:24I've got to say, this has been a bit of an education.
13:28I thought I knew loads about sniffing out a good deal, but Diane has upped my thrift
13:33skills so much.
13:34I can even afford to pay for Aidan's stuff as well.
13:38Your total is $5.
13:41Can you add these off for me, please?
13:43That's nice.
13:44Yeah?
13:44Good lad.
13:45And I've got a nice little hat there.
13:47That's so nice.
13:49So you're happy I bought you?
13:50Oh my God, yeah.
13:51I've loved it.
13:51I've got a little skirt.
13:52Nice.
13:54I've got some shoes.
13:55They look good.
13:56This is the best.
13:57Beautiful shoes.
13:58And is it all under $20?
14:00It's all under $15.
14:02Wow.
14:03$14.97.
14:05Would you like to round up the house?
14:07Round it up, babe.
14:08Do you know what?
14:09I'm going to push the boat out.
14:10Have the $20.
14:11Have the $20.
14:13You're welcome.
14:14Come back and see us.
14:15See you later.
14:17Now, that's what I call a result.
14:20That was really good.
14:22Well done.
14:22I enjoyed that.
14:23It was good.
14:23I did.
14:31It feels like we've already got ourselves a pretty good handle on why people keep coming
14:36back to Fort Lauderdale.
14:38It's location, location, location.
14:41It's all about where it is in Florida and what lies on its doorstep.
14:45On the eastern side, beaches and the Atlantic Ocean.
14:50Running through the city are 300 miles of canals.
14:53So it rivals Birmingham, the UK's version of the famous floating city.
14:58And has the nickname, the Venice of America.
15:02Then on the west, what my auntie Mavis always called the jewel in the crown.
15:08The Everglades.
15:10And today, after years of coming to Florida and Fort Lauderdale,
15:13Aidan and I are leaving the city behind.
15:16And finally heading towards that famous river of grass.
15:21Big swamp, isn't it?
15:23Oh yes, it's like a big swamp.
15:25But river of grass sounds better.
15:27And it's not just a vast wetland.
15:30It's the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States.
15:33A UNESCO World Heritage Site that's home to hundreds of species.
15:38From alligators, to manatees, to the elusive Florida panther.
15:43I'm really excited.
15:44I'm excited to go on one of them boats.
15:47Alligator Alley.
15:48Yeah.
15:49You know we're going towards some serious alligators.
15:54It's a 30 minute drive from Fort Lauderdale to the edge of the Everglades.
15:58So it's back behind the wheel for me.
16:00And a chance to trip down memory lane again.
16:03And reminisce about Aidan's lovely school teachers.
16:07They gave you a project to do, didn't you?
16:09Yeah, I remember them making that little project about Florida.
16:12The project that I did.
16:13I remember you doing it for me.
16:15Oh my gosh.
16:17That was a good project there.
16:18That was a good project.
16:19I actually smashed that project.
16:20It did.
16:21I think I've still got that somewhere at home.
16:23A plus.
16:25I always knew that that Florida project would come in handy one day.
16:28Because now, even though I've never been there, I'm basically an expert on the Everglades.
16:34It's 1.5 million acres of wetland.
16:38They've got boats.
16:39And if we're going to find an alligator, it's definitely in the Everglades.
16:44I don't really want to find an alligator.
16:45I think we might today.
16:48Look at that, Mum.
16:48Look at the Everglades.
16:49That's starting to come in the Everglades.
16:50Look how swampy it is.
16:51It is really swampy, isn't it?
16:53Yeah.
16:54Oh my God, we're nearly there, Mum.
16:57We are nearly there.
16:59We're so close now, I can almost hear the alligators licking their chops.
17:04Hopefully, if we get close to one, it'll be attracted to Aidan's shiny thrift shop sun visor.
17:09And leave me well alone.
17:11I love that hat.
17:12Go on, put it on.
17:15I like it.
17:15This is it.
17:16This is it.
17:17Everglades tours.
17:20Look at this.
17:21Look at this.
17:21Look at the boats.
17:22Oh, yeah?
17:23Oh, this is going to be so good.
17:25This is going to be good.
17:28It's hard to believe we're just a few miles from downtown Fort Lauderdale, but here we are in sawgrass country,
17:35about to enter the Amazon of North America.
17:37A unique ecosystem that's home to 350 species of birds, 750 species of plants and lots and lots of hungry
17:47gators.
17:49Oh, hey, y'all.
17:50Hey.
17:51How's it going?
17:52How's it going?
17:52How are you doing?
17:53Luckily, we're in good company with Tim Swartzman.
17:56I like the top as well.
17:58It's like a gator.
17:59Yeah.
17:59You do blend in.
18:14You do blend in.
18:15And as the water slowly moves through this, what we call river of grass, out to sea, it's basically cleaning
18:21it up.
18:22It also provides a huge water source for the human population.
18:26This is all of our drinking water starts off as this Everglades water here on the surface, and it percolates
18:31down into our aquifer.
18:32And then, of course, the plethora of wildlife that we have here, all the birds, the panthers, the alligators, all
18:38the different snakes and fish species that call the Everglades their home as well.
18:41So it's basically protecting the ecosystem here?
18:44So the whole Everglades itself currently is about 5,000 to 6,000 square miles.
18:48That's bigger than the state of Connecticut.
18:49That is half of what it once was.
18:51Wow.
18:51Due to overdevelopment of, of course, along our east coast here, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, but also a
18:57lot of agriculture around Lake Okeechobee and Central Florida areas occupied huge chunks of what was formerly Everglades.
19:03But what's left of it is still pretty amazing.
19:06What I would know is, why airboats? Why not a normal boat?
19:09So the Everglades is a very unique waterway.
19:11It's not like a traditional lake or river where you have plenty of clearance underneath where a normal propeller is
19:17going to have no problem.
19:18Here, we have very shallow bodies of areas of water where it can be a few inches to maybe a
19:22few feet at the most.
19:23But even in those areas that are deeper is still there's a lot of vegetation and things like that that
19:27we get tangled up in the propeller.
19:29So everything here is above the water, completely flat bottom. We can actually slide right over even dry land at
19:34times if necessary.
19:35A bit like a hovercraft.
19:36Kind of, yeah, just without the hover part.
19:38Okay, right.
19:39But yeah, we have the same propulsion system. Steering and everything is like an airplane basically strapped to a boat.
19:44I can't help but notice this boat is very open.
19:47Yes.
19:47Are we going to be okay and any alligators going to eat me?
19:50So we haven't had any alligators jump on the boats this week.
19:53Oh!
19:55Oh no!
19:56Now generally speaking, luckily alligators are actually pretty shy.
19:59So if you've ever been like in the woods in North America where there are possibly wolves, coyotes, black bears,
20:04not grizzlies,
20:06generally these animals when you see them it's their backside as they're running away.
20:10Alligators are pretty much the same where generally they see us and they leave or they hide.
20:15Worst case scenario we might get one that's just a little more tolerant and lets us get close to them.
20:19Okay.
20:19But that's about it.
20:20No, we don't have really much to worry about as far as animals.
20:23Now what you should be worried about are those hats.
20:26No!
20:27We've got to take them off.
20:27It is called an air boat.
20:29There's a lot of air involved and so there's a good chance those hats will go flying so definitely we
20:34could stow those away while we're out.
20:35Okay, cool.
20:36And then of course obviously unless you're hungry, just while we're moving try not to open your mouth too much.
20:42Why's that?
20:42You might get some free snacks.
20:44Oh my God.
20:45Mosquitoes, dragonflies.
20:47Oh my God.
20:47Right, I'm keeping my mouth firmly shut.
20:50It's going to be the quietest you've ever heard.
20:51Yep.
20:52Okay, let's see how quiet I can be shall we?
20:57Yeah!
20:58Yeah!
20:59Yeah!
21:00Yeah!
21:02That's quite nice.
21:03I like it!
21:05I like it!
21:06I love it!
21:07Yeah.
21:09There you go.
21:11Insects for dinner it is then.
21:12And look at us still wearing our hats.
21:19This is quite a ride.
21:22It's unbelievably loud.
21:24And it feels really fast.
21:27But look at that for a view.
21:29This has got to be one of the big reasons people come to this part of Florida time and time
21:35again.
21:37Every year Tim welcomes 180,000 visitors here from more than 100 countries.
21:43How many insects they end up eating and how many hats get lost every year.
21:48Well that's anyone's guess.
21:58Oh my God!
21:59That was awesome!
22:00That was amazing!
22:00I enjoyed that!
22:01So good!
22:02Me too!
22:02You guys are enjoying yourselves so far?
22:04Yeah!
22:04He nearly lost his hat!
22:05Yeah, I saw it!
22:06I got it!
22:06I can't believe you got it!
22:07That was so good!
22:09Yeah, it gets a little breezy out there.
22:11Yeah.
22:11It's sunset now.
22:12It's absolutely beautiful.
22:13Yes!
22:13You can't beat that.
22:14No you can't.
22:15And is this the time there where the alligators come out?
22:18This is when everything kind of starts waking up.
22:20If you hear the crickets are kind of starting to chirp and a little while when it gets dark
22:23the frogs start waking up.
22:25Gators are nocturnal so they generally are more active at night.
22:30Active is kind of a funny word because gators aren't really all that active at all.
22:33Really?
22:34They just kind of sit around.
22:35Do that!
22:35Even when they're hunting like they sit and they wait for stuff to get too close and they
22:38just snatch it up real quick.
22:40How many are there roughly?
22:41So overall in Florida right now we estimate somewhere between about 1.7 and 2 million alligators.
22:47Wow.
22:47The Everglades therefore being a pretty good sized area is probably going to have a few
22:50hundred thousand easily.
22:52Oh my gosh!
22:52So you've seen them quite often?
22:54Oh yeah.
22:54I see alligators constantly.
22:56I wouldn't say every day but 99% of the time we see gators somewhere in Florida.
23:00How big do they get?
23:01Do they get pretty big around here?
23:02Your average gators that you're mostly going to find in day to day life whether it's
23:06out here on an airboat tour or like in the pond behind my house, they're like six to
23:09eight foot.
23:11Wow.
23:11Which you know is 150, 200 pound animal at that size.
23:14But you do get some of the bigger, older males as they do continue growing throughout
23:18their lifetime.
23:19The better they eat, the better their conditions.
23:21Could reach upwards of like three, four meters, like 10, 12 feet.
23:25The record is currently 15 feet two inches.
23:28Wow.
23:28And you're talking probably like between 500 and 1200 pounds.
23:31Wow.
23:33It's amazing to think of such big creatures and such a wide open wilderness being so close
23:40to civilization.
23:44So if you look really carefully, way off in the distance here you'll see some of those
23:49buildings.
23:49That's not quite Fort Lauderdale downtown but that is where the people are.
23:55Really?
23:55We're about 22 miles from the beach, we're about 25 miles inland.
23:59So it's all right there.
24:00And a lot of people don't realize they live with this right behind where their homes are.
24:04I was just going to say how beautiful that sunset is.
24:06That is one lovely sunset.
24:08Especially this time of year, our rainy season in the summertime, because of all the
24:11thunderstorms and clouds we get some really crazy colors out here.
24:14Oranges, blues, purples, greens, a little bit of everything.
24:19It's funny isn't it, how we often don't appreciate what's right in front of us.
24:24When we have a little moment in our lives, the temptation these days is to just grab your
24:29phone and take a picture.
24:30Oh my God, look at that!
24:33But I wonder if we're actually missing the moment when we do things like that.
24:38Sometimes you've just got to put your phone down.
24:41Do you know what I mean?
24:44This is actually a really lovely thing to do isn't it?
24:47It's lovely.
24:47It's so weird when we're at home you're either DJing or you're gaming or you're doing
24:51something with technology.
24:53It's nice to be without technology and just taking in the surroundings isn't it?
24:58Yeah, in the middle of nowhere I like it.
24:59I like it too.
25:00It's actually nice to spend some time with you at where you're not even looking at your
25:04phone, you're just enjoying the surroundings.
25:08Are you enjoying it?
25:08Yeah I am, it's lovely.
25:10We haven't seen an alligator though.
25:12They're all sleeping.
25:13Yeah, they're waking up now though.
25:15I reckon if we stay out here we'll see one.
25:16Do you reckon?
25:18Maybe.
25:20We might not have seen an alligator yet and I've got a funny feeling we might still
25:24bump into one.
25:26But we have seen another side of Fort Lauderdale and I think we've discovered several things
25:31that pull at the heartstrings of why people come back.
25:36What's crazy is Fort Lauderdale is so, so close to this and now that I've been here I want
25:42to come back again.
25:43And because I was so young when I first came here I don't really, I didn't really remember
25:46it.
25:46So this is like my first ever time coming and that's a good memory to start off with isn't
25:49it?
25:50Yeah, yeah.
25:50Would you come back?
25:51Yeah I would.
25:52Just for this, just for this.
25:53I'd come back time and time again.
25:55I totally get it why people come back.
25:58In fact let's not come back, let's just stay here.
26:02Let's stay here forever.
26:03We're staying, we're not going.
26:06It doesn't sound like Tim's too keen on the idea.
26:09But as the light begins to fade there is one piece of unfinished business we have left.
26:15One final Fort Lauderdale experience to round it all off.
26:19You know what I'd really love?
26:20What?
26:21I'd really love to see an alligator.
26:22Really?
26:23Yeah.
26:23Do you reckon we will?
26:24I mean there's always the possibility right?
26:27Come on let's go look for some.
26:28Let's give it a shot.
26:28Yeah!
26:32Come on alligators, come on for the Hammonds!
26:42The whole way back to base we're keeping our eyes peeled, looking for any movement in the
26:47water.
26:52And then, just as we're giving up all hope, all of a sudden Tim's torch picks out something.
27:02That is so cool, he's chilling, swimming around.
27:05And there he is, hiding in plain sight.
27:10Look at it, look there it is.
27:12Oh my gosh.
27:15He's having a little swim, can you see it mate?
27:17Yeah.
27:19So what is he doing, just looking for food?
27:21He can be out looking for fish, frogs, turtles, little bird, whatever they can get a hold
27:25of.
27:26This one here looks to be about a seven, eight foot.
27:29That is so cool.
27:32That is so cool.
27:34You can really see how that light reflects off their eyeballs.
27:37Yeah totally.
27:39Now realistically, that's what they look like at night.
27:43You can never see them.
27:44No.
27:45So you can imagine you're a little bird or a little fish.
27:47You're not going to see him come and sneaking up on you.
27:51Thankfully he's sneaking away from us, leaving us with happy memories and all our limbs.
27:57That was awesome.
27:59This is just top to the day off.
28:01It's just the best thing that could have happened.
28:03Yeah that was good.
28:03We saw an alligator.
28:05Yeah.
28:06Thank you so much Tim.