Sunday, February 9, 2014 at 7.40pm on Channel Nine
The Coward’s Punch
This summer has been indelibly marked by the One Punch epidemic. Cowardly thugs – drunk and juiced up on who knows what – attacking innocent young men without warning or provocation. On New Year’s Eve, 18 year old Daniel Christie was fatally hit in Sydney’s King’s Cross. He was in a coma for 11 days, before his family had to watch him die. Before Daniel, Michael McEwen was attacked by cowards at Bondi Beach, just before Christmas. He spent more than a week in a coma, as his family held a bedside vigil, knowing his life hung in the balance. It is a miracle that Michael survived but the impact on his family and the medical teams has been traumatic. On 60 Minutes, Michael speaks for the first time and gives a powerful example of why communities across Australia are saying ‘no more’.
Reporter: Michael Usher
Producer: Jo Townsend
Slackline
This Sunday we’ll take you over the edge in what could easily be the most extreme sport on earth. It defies gravity and belief. One man, a bouncy rope and nothing between him and the rocky canyon – hundreds of metres below. The sport is called slacklining and Liz Hayes reckons just watching it is a terrifying experience. The best slackliner in the world is a man called Andy Lewis and every time he steps out on the line he knows it could be his last. On 60 Minutes, watch as Andy walks, surfs, and dangles on the line. It’s breathtaking and sickening at the same time.
Reporter: Liz Hayes
Producer: Phil Goyen
Jungle Fever
It’s a foul-tasting, vomit-inducing concoction but it’s got thousands queuing to try it. Ayahuasca is an hallucinogenic cocktail made from jungle vines and everyone from Sting to Paul Simon is trekking deep into the Amazon to test its supposedly magic properties. It’s now the fastest growing area of drug tourism and Australians of all ages are flocking to Peru to share the experience. Ayahuasca is powerful enough to be declared illegal here but it’s far from a party drug. For many, it is akin to a religious experience; for others, it is a road to hell.
Reporter: Tara Brown
Producer: Stephen Rice
