The Boy from Gorge River

 From New Zealand's Remotest Family to the World Beyond

Author: Chris Long

Hi Everyone

So I took a while to read this but enjoyed the diversity of it. Let's discuss the things I found interesting:

I picked it up to see what Chris Long thought of his life growing up so far away from any towns. I could say, 'far from civilization", but as you read you will quickly find that they were not isolated from people.  I think it is easy to look at these ideas and think of their lives as being isolated just because their housing was. Not the case! There were trampers, hunters, and planes going in and out quite regularly.  Yes, Chris lived a different lifestyle than most other children but I don't think it was as isolated from people as one would think. Chris and his family made many lifelong friendships. In fact, I would go as far to say that maybe they made more lifelong friends than many of us in our frantic quick paced, media-orientated lives.

I was intrigued by the things Chris made. Whitebait stands, fishing rods, things that even some of us adults would struggle to make, out of resources from the land. As for 'Health and Safety', it came down to common sense and learning the hard way. By reading this you soon find that Chris had more mishaps after leaving Gorge River than during his time experimenting as a child.

Another thing that interested me was how Chris interacted once leaving Gorge River and entering school, followed by the big wide world.  This is all covered in Part 2, extremely well.  Chris has gone on to do far more than most of us.  He has been from one corner of the world to the other. He has attempted things that many of us wouldn't think of possible. It is quite an impressive life he has traveled to date.

Want to know more? Then take the time to read Chris Long's side of the story and his adventures at Gorge River - living remotely, homeschooling, and being connected with nature; and the life that he grabbed hold of once he ventured into the quick-paced world beyond.

Description:

The story of how an extraordinary childhood shaped an extraordinary life.

On the West Coast of the South Island, past deep fiords and snow-capped mountains, Chris Long grew up two days' kike from the nearest road. He was born into the country's most isolated family, his parents committed to freedom from capitalist society and connection to the natural world.

In this inspiring memoir, Chris describes a childhood with nature on his doorstep - helping his father catch crayfish and his mother grow vegetables, playing with toys crafted from driftwood and jade, and learning to live in the wild - until, in his teenage years, he began to wonder: could he survive in the wider world?

By the son of the authors of  'A Life on Gorge River' and 'A Wife on Gorge River', 'The Boy from Gorge River' is an enthralling account of chasing adventure while forever staying true to where you come from. 

Happy Reading