Christan Long’s unconventional childhood in remote Gorge River has trained him well for a lifetime of adventure in some of the world’s most demanding environments, and now the Wānaka resident has written an account of his life.

Chris (30), who attended Mount Aspiring College (MAC) for his final year of schooling, is the son of Robert Long and Catherine Stewart, who live in isolation at Gorge River, two days’ walk south of Haast.

The family (including Chris’s sister Robin) has come to be known as “New Zealand’s remotest family”. 

Chris has now visited 60 countries on six continents, spent time in Antarctica and the High Arctic, and “had quite a good look at the world”.

He has taken care of 300 huskies in Norway, led a trip to Cape Adair (Antarctica) with three scientists to collect penguin poo, cooked on a Russian icebreaker, and learned to sail on the Northwest Passage.

“Growing up I learned how to be self-sufficient and reliant. You learn to live in harmony and balance with nature.”

Chris said the skills he learned can be applied anywhere.

“I’m now comfortable living anywhere on earth.”

Chris credits his upbringing; his Outdoor Pursuits instruction at MAC with Dave Cassaidy; and his completion of an outdoor leadership and management course at Otago Polytech, with making him “hireable” for outdoor jobs.

After Polytech he set off to learn and explore as much about the world - and himself - as he could.

“Pretty much my first job was working in the kitchen of a Russian icebreaker ship in Antarctica,” he said.

Luckily, he doesn’t fear learning something new, or being thrown in at the deep end. 

Christan with his parents and their books.

Despite never having sailed before, and knowing he got seasick, he hitched a berth on a yacht sailing the Northwest Passage (the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean).

“We set off in the remains of a tropical hurricane in New York: Thunder and lightning and five to 10 metre waves; 45 knots of wind. We learned in the process. It was like a crash course.

“When you push your comfort zone, that’s when you learn the most about yourself and the place you’re in.”

Chris’s father Robert, who has lived at Gorge River for more than 30 years, wrote A Life On Gorge River in 2010; his mother Catherine followed in 2012 with her own book, A Wife on Gorge River.

Chris told the Wānaka App he always expected to one day be asked “what happened to the kids who grew up in Gorge River?”.

The Boy From Gorge River is his answer.  

In June 2020 he was commissioned by Harper Collins to write the book, and took advantage of the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic to do it.

He was living in Norway looking after the 300 huskies at the time. After returning to New Zealand, he spent his MIQ time writing, and another month at Gorge River to finish. After a few months’ editing, the book went to print in December 2021.

Chris hopes the book (with a 50/50 focus on his childhood and his adult life) will “inspire anyone to get off the couch”, either to go on an adventure or maybe plant a vegetable garden in the backyard.

“Younger people, whoever they are, want to go and explore the world. And it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can achieve that.

“People will teach you anything as long as you’ve got personality and are keen to give things a go.”

Meanwhile Chris is staying in Wānaka for the winter and enjoying being “a bit settled”. After that, there are many places he’d like to explore, and he’s not sure which one will be next. Perhaps the Himalayas, he said.

“If you see me around town, tap me on the shoulder,” he said. “I love talking to people.”

The Boy From Gorge River is available from Wānaka Paper Plus and The Next Chapter. You can learn more about Chris and his adventures by following @wildkiwiadventurer on YouTube and Instagram.

Chris will also be speaking at the New Zealand Mountain Film and Book Festival in Wānaka in late June.

PHOTOS: Supplied