I was fascinated, intrigued, and sometimes even jealous, of this life they have carved out in such a remote place. I devoured Robert's book, drawn in by the tales of the isolation, the beauty of the landscape, the challenges of everyday life, and the satisfaction of self-reliance.
And now I have just finished the companion volume, A Wife on Gorge River : raising New Zealand's remotest family by Catherine Stewart. This time round, Catherine gives a different and unique insight into this family's life far beyond the road end. She also shares stories from her life pre-Gorge River, which I found really interesting, to get an idea of what may have led her to fall in love and willingly move permanently to such an isolated part of New Zealand. So here are just a few of the questions she answered for me. What is it like to be pregnant so far from anywhere? What are the challenges of schooling two kids in a such a remote place, in the pre-internet days? What happens when there isn't a doctor's surgery just a short car drive away? What is the rhythm of daily life when you are so far from the end of the road? What do you feel a hungry family of four when supplies are low and your nearest supermarket is several days walk away?
I think I have found the perfect summer read for at least one of my family members' Christmas present. And I think I may have found a unique part of New Zealand that I really want to see for myself. Walking shoes to the ready ...
