A southerner who grew up as part of the most isolated family in New Zealand is now experiencing a new kind of isolation working on Husky sledges in Tromso, Arctic Norway amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Chris Long, now 28, grew up at Gorge River, a remote part of South Westland with his parents and sister. The family home is a two-day hike from the nearest road, or you can fly there via small aircraft from Milford Sound, Te Anau, Haast or Queenstown. For decades, the Long family has lived there, almost totally self sufficient. They grow all their own vegetables in their garden, power their house from solar panels on the roof and source fish from the ocean which is right on their doorstep. 

Mr Long and his sister Robyn were both home schooled and grew up with a deep appreciation for living off the land.  

People used to tell his parents that he and and his sister were "missing out" on a proper social life and keeping up with technology in a fast-changing world. 

But instead, Mr Long said that while other kids were learning how to use cellphones and becoming internet savvy, he was learning about with wilderness and how to live an off-the-grid, independent life. 

 "Growing up in Gorge River has given me the skills to live anywhere in the world... when I went to school at 17, I picked up those [technology] skills anyway," he said. 

Mr Long said it was much easier to grow up in the wilderness and learn about technology later in life than to grow up with technology and learn to live without it. 

"People today don't know what to do if they don't have power or the internet... I know I have the skills to live anywhere in the world now. I'm very adaptable."

And he's right. For the last eight years, Mr Long has travelled all over the world, working and living in some of the most spectacular places that many people only see through a computer screen. 

He said despite growing up in remote isolation, he loves big cities that are full of life and colour. 

"I really like the contrast to life... I either like extreme wilderness or massive busy cities," he said. "I'm not really into small towns."

"Everywhere you go, you meet amazing people," he said, which was why Mr Long has made it his mission and hobby to document all of his travels through his YouTube channel. He wants to show a positive view of the world, as he said sometimes it could cop a bit of flack in the media. He also wants to inspire others to travel and experience the world's beauty for themselves.

As for Mr Long’s family, they are back home in New Zealand and have been early to the nation's four-week self-isolation period – by about 30 years. He said the only changes his parents had made to their lifestyle was taking a bit more caution in their daily lives that they might normally do, in order to avoid the need to call an emergency helicopter during the lockdown. 

During the lockdown, Mr Long’s parents Robert “Beansprout” Long and Catherine Stewart, also won't get any visits from trampers and hunters passing through who Chris said usually "like to pop in for a cup of tea" and say hello to the family. 

Mr Long said every six or so weeks, his parents received a supply drop of food and convenient bits that they couldn't grow on the land like milk, butter, oil and toiletries.

"They stocked up on food in the last week before lockdown started so they will be comfortable for at least six weeks... we always have a lot of food on hand at Gorge River. The longest we've gone without a supply drop is six months so even if the shop was never to open again, they will survive," he said.

• Read more about Chris Long’s isolation in Norway in our Our Stories in our new Southlanders Abroad section, under the “Community” button on your Southland App. We’ve also put a link to his YouTube channel Wild Kiwi Adventurer in this section.
• If you are (or know of) a Southlander living abroad, we’d love you to share your story. Please contact us at [email protected]