Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild

An adventurer journeys to the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island to meet the Long family. The Longs live as hunter‑gatherers in a remote area that can only be reached after a two‑day trek from the nearest road, highlighting its isolation.

The show is a New Zealand programme presented as a single episode. It follows an adventurer who sets out on a remote journey, providing viewers with a glimpse into a part of the country that’s rarely seen on screen. The focus is on the traveller’s experience as he moves through the rugged landscape of the South Island’s west coast, offering a straightforward account of his expedition. The central narrative sees the adventurer travelling to the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island in order to meet the Long family. This family lives as hunter‑gatherers, maintaining a lifestyle that is largely untouched by modern infrastructure. Their home is situated in a remote stretch of coastline, and reaching it requires a trek of two days from the nearest road. The episode follows the traveller’s progress as he makes his way through this isolated terrain to the Longs’ settlement. The episode highlights the logistical challenges involved in reaching a community that is effectively two days’ walk away from any road access. By documenting the journey, the programme illustrates how the Long family’s hunter‑gatherer existence is sustained in a landscape that remains largely untrammeled. Viewers are given a clear picture of the distance, the effort required, and the isolation that defines the family’s way of life on the remote west coast.