Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild (2013–…): Season 7, Episode 2 - New Zealand - full transcript

I would not want
to live in Disneyland.

This is certainly not Disneyland!

'Imagine starting your life
all over again.'

It's really like being
in the Wild West out here.

'In one of
the wildest places on earth.

Leaving behind everything you know.'

You can't go to the corner store,
you don't get to go to the movie.

'For something completely
different.'

You gotta make do
and work with what's around you.

'I'm Ben Fogle
and over the next few weeks

I'm going to live with the
incredible people who've made
this choice.'



Would you describe yourself
as fearless?

No fear!

'To discover their motivations...'

It just changed for me.
That was a moment of life and death.

Wow, look at that.

'In eight extraordinary locations,
from the jungle to the desert,

islands to the mountains.'

How amazing.

'I'll find out what it takes
to create a new life in the wild.'

'Today I'm heading to the mountains
and coastal islands of the great
Canadian wilderness

to live on a spectacular
floating island.'

Woo hoo! Floating free!

'Hand built by Catherine King
and Wayne Adams.'

I work with anything that's around
me that's available to salvage.



'I'll discover why this artist
and dancer left everything
behind...'

Even though I was pursuing that life
I wasn't going to stay in that life.

'...why their existence depends
on taming this tough environment...'

Is this a good catch?
Yeah, that's pretty nice.

That's dinner.

'...and how they've struggled to
carve a life for themselves
on this wild coast.'

It was my scariest moment out here.

When you have no money, you've
gotta make do. And work with
what's around you.

'My journey begins
7,500 kilometres away

in Torino
in the south west of Canada.

The tiny town is my last port
of call before I head off into the
wilderness beyond.

This magical landscape reminds me
of childhood summers spent with my
Canadian grandparents.'

I have such vivid memories.

We went to one of the local islands,
Meares Island, I have never
forgotten that.

I love this place.

'My hosts are a 50 kilometre
ride north

in a remote bay
known as Freedom Cove.'

This for me is a true wilderness.

A rugged, windswept place.

The weather's pretty good today
but this can be a really, really
harsh environment.

'After an hour winding around
the coastline of deserted islands,

a secluded inlet finally reveals
my wild home for the week.'

It's like something
from Alice in Wonderland.

That is incredible.

How amazing.

Hello!
Hello!

I'm lost for words.
MAN LAUGHS

That's great!

Do you like that? Is that
the reaction I'm supposed to have?

Hard landing.
There we go.

Oh, great, thank you very much.
Hello, you must be Catherine.

I am.
Very nice to meet you.

I'm Ben, how are you?
You must be Wayne. How are you?

Nice to meet you.
And who've we got here?

This is Joy.
This is Huckleberry.

Hello, nice to meet you.

Can I say, the first thing that
really stands out is the colour.

I mean, you haven't tried
to blend in, have you?

No, we haven't and we picked the
colour after the firewood plant.

It comes up after forest fire
so it's a symbol of rebirth and
regeneration to us.

And it strikes me maybe a bit
of contradiction as well cos I don't
think of Chihuahuas

in the Canadian wilderness!

No one does. You're not supposed to
have them but they're alarm bells.

Anything comes by, bears or
wolves, these guys will let us know.

Are they gonna protect you
from the bears?

No, no, they're bait.
They're no good in the bush.

I cannot wait to see this.
Are these whale ribs, by the way?

Yes.
These are actual whale ribs.

Wow!

'City girl Catherine King met
artist Wayne Adams back in 1987.

After Wayne's son Shane left home,

the couple began to dream
of escaping to the wild.

But without money to buy or build
on land,

it was fortune that delivered
their chance at a new life.

In 1991 a storm washed discarded
saw mill lumber

on to a wild coast
while they were visiting.

And Wayne seized the opportunity,
using his artistic vision

to turn this scrap material into
a house they could float on water.

Over the past 25 years,

Wayne scoured the surrounding
coastlines for wreckage of storms,

to grow
their self-sufficient island.

Today 14 structures float
on reclaimed fish farm platforms

knitted together
with floating gardens.

The whole structure is tethered
to the shoreline

and sheltered from storms
in this protected cove.'

I don't know where to place my eyes,
there's so much to look at.

I feel like I've stepped into
a painting or something.

Yes, you're living in our painting.

Our place changes every year, it
transforms, it's a big installation
art piece.

Tell me about this incredible
centrepiece.

It's my totem. I have a passion for
things you're not supposed to do.

And did you make that yourself?
Yeah, I did. Everything here you
see I made myself.

Oh my gosh. If you're gonna get a
pretty girl and take her
in the wilderness

you better do more
than throw on a blue tarp.

BEN LAUGHS
Go fishing.

I haven't even begun to look around
and I can tell you've done that
already.

The garden is amazing, by the way.
Do you share?

I do the garden, yes.

These are my four greenhouses.
Oh yes.

Huge amounts of growing. Presumably
lots of this is fruit and veg.

It is all vegetables
in the greenhouses right now.

I started them from seed
a few weeks ago and everything
is starting to come up.

And I grow my garden all year round
so eat fresh vegetables all year
round.

And seasonally I have fruits
and berries and herbs and edible
flowers.

'Catherine's
incredible floating gardens

allow the couple to be almost
entirely self-sufficient.'

What's this over here?
This is our lighthouse building.

We have an actual light up top

and in the bottom
I have a washing machine

and I actually did laundry
by hand for nine years.

Nine years! So it was a wonderful
gift when Wayne bought be a washing
machine.

What did she do
to deserve a washing machine?

After nine years I just wanted
to make sure she was gonna stay.

This was an extra feathering of the
nest. You gotta treat them right.

Even with the practical side
of life here,

you're still always doing it
with an artistic flair.

Yes, we are, we like a bit
of whimsy, you might say.

It's amazing.

Is this the main house now?
This is our home.

Look at this. My gosh.

That's our ocean channel.
No way!

That's just open ocean below there?
Yeah, that is.

Isn't that beautiful?
It's lovely to have that.

And if we'd had the materials
we would have done the whole floor.

You get to see the seals
or the salmon or the perch.

The birds all swim through.
No way.

Yes, yeah.
That is incredible.

You've built this
from your imagination. Everything.

I know every board and nail by
name. It's absolutely incredible.

Is that your little... I want to
call it a galley? Can I have a look?

Yes, let's go.
Low ceiling.

Yes.
Not... Ooh. Already doing that.

The brilliant thing about this
is tall people can't do the dishes.

That's right!
It's not going to work, is it?

No!

'Wayne and Catherine chose to build
their home here

because of a freshwater spring which
they gravity feed to their house.

And to keep this haven
for wildlife pristine,

toilet waste is collected
to be emptied in deep waters.'

And I love the way the bathroom
is also a food store.

I was gonna ask
how you keep stuff here.

I suppose in the winter it's cold
enough that you don't need
refrigerators. Right.

We eat fresh and use things up
every day.

And that's always worked for us.

I can't stop smiling, it makes you
want to smile, this place.

That's great.
Is that the idea?

Am I doing the right thing?
You absolutely are.

That makes us feel good.

'Artists Wayne and Catherine's
love for eccentric design

has shaped everything
they've built together

as their home has evolved
over the last 25 years.

And their art studio
is my bedroom for the week.'

Do you know,
I've got to stop being surprised.

I think the key to being in Freedom
Cove is to expect the unexpected.

Look at these!
I kind of want to try one on.

You're allowed!
THEY LAUGH

This is unbelievably beautiful.

The wilderness paradise
we all aspire to.

What I'm fascinated to find out
over the next seven days

is how easy or hard it is to keep
this beautiful artistic structure

in what is arguably one of the
toughest wilderness on earth.

'I'm in the rugged foothills
of Canada's west coast,

living on a man-made
floating island,

which has been built by dancer
Catherine and artist Wayne.

The cash-strapped couple have taken
25 years to build their structure

entirely out of
reclaimed materials.'

OK, Ben. We're gonna move this float
around to my workspace.

'This morning we're shifting
an old fish farm platform

as Wayne has plans
to expand their home.'

This is pretty weathered, isn't it,
but this is what your whole kingdom
is built on.

When I'm done you'll be amazed.
Seriously?

Look, this I don't even want
to step on it.

I'll be whipping out things no good
then I'll put a floor on it.

And then I'll build on top of that.

Usually Catherine winds up
putting a garden on it.

You start cutting, bud.

Hey, Ben, I'm gonna need you
to help to muscle it out.

Hustle your butt, bud.
OK.

Lovely, that's great,
that's what we want. OK.

How we doing?

Woo hoo! Floating free!

Give it a good tug, Ben.
Yeah. Holding on.

Right on.

Help me guide a little bit
with your pole.

It's a bit too deep for the pole
to reach the bottom but...

If I use by body weight I think
I can tip it towards... Looking
good, man.

...the direction we want to go.

That rope is gonna come to you.
All right.

Great. Got it. Are we good?
Nicely done!

You've obviously done this
a few times before.

SHE LAUGHS

It's kind of hard to believe
that this is effectively what
you live on.

One of these.
(LAUGHS) I know!

Wayne, did you have a sort of
lightbulb moment one day

when you suddenly realised
fish farm floating pontoons

could be turned into a home?

I started really young, I've been
making models since I was young.

I have an eye for what I need.

Kit bashing I call it. When you take
a model, pour it the middle,

mix it up and make your own.

I've been doing it for so long now.
It's just natural for me.

Have you surprised yourself though
with what you've been able to do
with these?

It started as something simple
and it evolved, for sure.

And as technology started to change
and became fatigued and uninsurable,
perfect for an artist.

Restore garbage and that's my forte.

Would either of you
have done this on your own?

No. I would have tried
to do it on my own.

But I would have
needed the skills that Wayne had

so I would have had
to have acquired those skills

before coming out here, it would
have been a much longer process.

You were shaking your head
emphatically. You don't think you
would have come on your own?

The reason is
it's a two person project.

This isn't me and me, it's us.

And I think that's pretty important
for two people, it takes two to do
this.

And once in a while three.

'Before moving to the wild, Wayne
worked as a forestry ranger, where
he taught himself to carve.

When they first arrived
in Freedom Cove with no money,

the couple faced the tough realities
of living remotely.

To survive, Wayne was forced
to fall back on his skills as an
artist.

Creating pieces to sell
at his nearest port.

But relying on this meagre income
was extremely hard

and his artwork reflected
these tough times

as they struggled
to build a life here.'

For five years I went to town
every Friday no matter what.

No money, take my carvings to town,
try to hustle for a buck

and I started sitting between
a bakery and a restaurant.

And they used to come out and give
me food and stuff and I started
the Starving Artist series.

I've seen a few of these skeletal
things around. They're quite
creepy.

That's not meant to be rude
but that's quite dark.

Well, don't be scared. Nature is.

If it's called the Starving Artist
series, is this how you felt?
Skeletal?

Yeah, you know, when you're hungry,
you don't have much, you're getting
thin.

I put how I feel into this design.

And it's not always good.
Life is not always good.

It's just quite dark really.

But I suppose that was the period
he was in.

He was starving, he was skeletal.

Just seems at odds maybe with this,
which is all about colour
and vibrancy.

'To help them
out of their desperate situation,

Wayne turned to the wilderness
around him.

Littered with wreckage
from winter storms,

the coastline offers rich
pickings for a scavenger who knows
where to look.

And today Wayne's sniffed out
a potential bounty.'

We're gonna get some weights
from an old scallop farm so we can
weight down my lines.

These are the lines that anchor you
to where you are.

Yeah and we need to get enough of
them so we can make a little tension
on the system.

So this is your equivalent to going
to the hardware store
or supermarket. Yeah.

We're just gonna go out
and find what we can.

I work with anything that's around
me that's available to salvage.
Love that.

I'm imagining your boat is pretty
crucial to your lifestyle out here.

It's the most expensive thing I
have. It is the dream boat for me.

You can bang it against the rocks,
load it up five tons.

Firewood, you know, hauling lumber.

Dirt for Catherine for her birthday.

You're so romantic!
You treat her well.

You get her dirt for her birthday?

HE LAUGHS

You guard Freedom Cove for us,
Huckleberry and Joy.

Protect it from all those bears.

'Wayne's back yard is brimming
with life.

And over the years commercial
fishermen have tried to take
advantage of the area.

But the ferocious winter storms
have forced many to abandon
their attempts

to harvest this natural abundance.'

Lots of things have been tried here
and failed and this is one of them.

It's an old scallop farm. These
particular weights didn't work.

Instead of holding the farm,
they'd surge from the sea,

walk across the bottom
so they were too light.

Are they those little things
that look like tins?

They're concrete weights
made from paper cups.

And they were tied together and used
to weight down the scallop farm.

It's just perfect for us
to weight our lines.

Sync our lines at home.

How's that?
Perfect.

So this is the shopping basket?
Yeah, you can grab whatever's nice.

How many of those do you want?
Just fill the basket.

Look at this! This is amazing.

They're a lot of work for them to do
all that.

The strings I can tighten together
and make heavier weights.

I love the fact
that you know this is here.

I'm assuming then you've explored
every little island and cove.

You've kind of reccied to know where
everything is in case...

I've been everywhere in this entire
bay. Have you really?

Are there treasures like this
to be found all over?

Sometimes, yeah.

When you live below poverty,
you've got to make do.

And work with what's around you.

When you have no money, you've got
to work with what's around you.

What do you think?
Perfect. Good?

Just what we need, yeah,
that'll work.

It was quite moving when he said
he lived below the poverty line.

I suppose that's a stark reminder

that that's what Wayne and Catherine
have both embraced out here.

Although on the face of it
he and Catherine have everything,

cos they've got this beautiful home,
they're living on the edge.

Morning.

Bit weird waking up to all of this.

That's what was looking down on me.
I felt I was being stared at
in the night.

'Although the couple have left the
desperation of the early years
behind,

they continue
to live a fragile existence.

To survive, they depend on whatever
food Catherine can grow,

but being reliant on her garden has
left them vulnerable in the past.'

Have you suffered loss
over the years?

Yes, actually, three summers ago.

We had a fire here. Wayne was
melting a pot of beeswax
and he forgot.

So around nine o'clock at night,
the dogs actually alerted us.

They went to the door barking.

There's a propane tank and we had
to wait for that to blow.

Fortunately it was a still night
so everything when it did blow went
straight up.

The heat of that still destroyed
the garden but at least it didn't
spread out this way.

It could taken out more buildings
and everything really.

Must have been terrifying, seeing
a fire. You're floating here in
the middle of nowhere.

It could have spread across
the whole island.

It was my scariest moment out here.

And it took us three solid hours of
hosing and bucketing to put it out.

Presume you had a lot of veg and
fruit tied up in that? That was
gonna tide you through.

Yes, it was in the middle of summer
so everything was ready to be
harvested.

So it was very devastating
and a great loss.

And did you lose your confidence
or is that back again?

Never lose my confidence!
Good on you.

OK.

'Catherine was born
and raised in the city.

She sought glamour from a young age
and won Miss Teen Toronto at 16.

She went on to train
as a professional dancer

and chased fame on the stages
of Canada's biggest city.

So why did this ambitious rising
star leave the bright lights behind

to follow a starving artist
into the wilderness?'

The intensity of Toronto and the
lifestyle was really getting to me.

And I literally felt like Toronto
was vibrating me out of it.

So even though I was pursuing
that life

there was a huge part of me that
knew I wasn't going to stay
in that life.

And when you finally
did make that move from city

to wilderness,
was it an easy transition?

I call it the deceleration process.

The first things you go through
are the instant gratification things
that you don't get any more.

So you can't go to the corner store,
you don't get to go to the movie.

You can't go down and socialise
with people at the bar.

So I went through
a bit of withdrawal

and then after I got through that,
then it became the opposite,
I didn't want to leave.

When we talked about the fact that
we were actually going to do it,

it was actually me who was the
initiator and said yes, let's do it
now.

Wayne was the one
that was more hesitant

and I think he was a little nervous
about how it would be for me.

And once I reassured him and said
I don't mind going through the
hardships,

I find it an adventure,

then he relaxed and said,
all right, let's do it.

Fascinating that it was you that
made the decision. I had assumed,
wrongly, it would have been Wayne.

Well, I was a child who was raised
mostly in the city

but every chance that I could get
I found the green parts,

and every time I had to come back
to the city I'd feel quite cramped
and trapped.

There was always that urge in me
to be out in nature.

So it really was the call of the
wild, really? It really was. Yes.

'Through thick and thin, Wayne and
Catherine have weathered the passing
years together.

And they've just celebrated
their 30th anniversary as a couple.'

How did you guys actually meet?

Was it love at first sight?

It was for me! (LAUGHS)

I didn't have a bean of an idea.

THEY LAUGH
Wayne!

There was a beautiful woman
in front of you.

Yeah. I had no idea.

I went to visit my friend and I went
to the mutual house with friends

and walked across and looked through
the window and there was this head
sticking above a coach

with her legs sticking up,
that's what I first saw of her.

Being a dancer and all that.

Always got her legs sticking up.

That's all I saw of her at first.

What was it about Wayne then that
you saw this love at first sight?

He's quite a unique individual
with this incredible vision

to create something like this but
you hadn't seen that side of him
by then, had you?

Well, I had met his carving and he
actually... I see! Fell in love with
his art!

SHE LAUGHS
Yes.

He gave me a piece to hold. It was a
blackberry, which is his signature.

The truth was I'd never met anybody
before in all the years I'd carved

that picked up a piece and
understood it immediately. Blew me
way.

You both had serious relationships
before that. Marriage?

A few marriages for me.
A few!

How many is a few?
Two.

Same for me.
Same for you as well?

And I went through my mum and dad.

I said, "Mum, Dad, I got news, I got
a new woman coming to live with me."

My mum didn't say anything.

My dad said, "Well, I'll give you
credit for one thing, son.

You keep trying."

THEY LAUGH

As they got to know her, and meet
her, my mother said to me, "I like
this one."

Really? And she said, "If you mess
up with this one, I'm gonna do you."

THEY LAUGH

Threats from mothers
are not worth defying.

THEY LAUGH

Such an extraordinary life that
they've created for themselves.

I think they were both a little
damaged from previous life.

And I think this is where they have
found their freedom.

Here on the edge of the world.

'I'm living on a manmade floating
island in Canada's south west.'

We'll go to the far side.
Yeah.

I'll let you go a little further
down than me. OK. All right.

'My host Wayne's fragile home
needs constant maintenance

to withstand the onslaught
of raging winter storms.

We're making use of the weights
that we've scavenged

by attaching them to the lines
that anchor him to shore.'

As the wind picks up the system,
it starts to move.

These weights start to come up
and it slows it all down, like a
shock absorber.

Nothing breaks then.

Has there been one where you've
really worried that the whole
thing's gonna blow away?

We've had several.

We had four storms this past winter
that were past 100 plus kilometres.

Seriously, 100 kilometre an hour
winds with these structures? Yes.

I know when it's over 100 cos
my roof starts to make a noise.

BEN LAUGHS

Yeah, it's intense.
Is it scary though?

I don't have a fear issue.

I just gotta get up and get at it.

Ah ha. Are you ready? One.

Two. She's away!

Oh, look at that!

That's really satisfying.

She's sunk.
That's what we want.

Mission accomplished.
Yeah.

'Maintaining such an extravagant
floating structure takes a lot
of work.'

Up here.
Yeah.

'There's always something
that needs to be fixed.

So a hole in Wayne's canvas
smokehouse is quickly stitched
together.'

It's amazing that that is the
protection between you and what,
minus eight?

Yeah.
In the winter? Yeah.

Isn't fabric amazing stuff?

'Ten years ago Wayne's son Shane
left city life behind

to give his dad a helping hand.

And now he has his own floating home
in the bay.'

Shane, how are you doing?
Good, how are you?

Yeah, good. I'm admiring your home.

It looks more... practical.
Yeah.

Not that your dad's isn't practical
but it's looking very functional.

Yeah, I'm still in the functional
stages of construction.

Are you?
So yeah.

I'm still in the practical stages,
I'd say.

So you're coming out for some
driftwood? To get some wood.

Nice, hop aboard.
Are you ready to go?

Push us off. OK.

Very good.

'It may be early summer but
preparations for the gruelling
months ahead

can't start early enough.

So we're off to forage fuel
for their wood stoves.'

Do you seize the moment when
there's a good weather window,
when it's not raining?

Yeah, for the most part, yeah,
unless I'm going to work or coming
home from work.

And what's your work?
I work on the fish farms.

Oh wow. So the fish farms that have
provided your dad and presumably
you

with the ability
to live on the water. Yeah.

Now I see where some of the stuff
has been... Are you the person
that's able to get the stuff?

Some of it, yeah. Some of it.

You're a useful son.
He's a useful son to have.

Handy.
Handy. Very handy.

Shall I throw this ashore?
You bet.

Far as you can. Perfect.

Right on.

We got it.
Nice.

Shall I come ashore?
Yeah. Yeah.

Ben, I need my saw.
Yeah. Got it.

You and Shane have gotta make sure
the boat doesn't get stuck.

'With a falling tide,
time is of the essence.

So we need to load the lumber
before the boat gets grounded.'

These are huge pieces of wood.

What we're gonna do is I'm gonna cut
the tip off that one.

I'll drop that, you're gonna come in
and shove it under there.

Keep it up
and it's gonna stay up in the air.

We're gonna work our way along
and cut a couple of pieces. Yeah.

Drop some pieces underneath
as we go along. OK.

You've obviously done this before.

Couple of times.
BEN LAUGHS

SWITCHES SAW ON

Where do you want this one?
Under here?

Now it's up to you.

Shall I throw these pieces out?

'25 years of carving out here has
given Wayne the skills to make quick
work of these old trees

and our stack soon piles up.'

Nice, that's a bit of wood to keep
you going. How long would that last
for?

A day.
A day!

Do you get though a lot of wood?
Yeah, we do.

Between the two houses.

That'll be a winter's day.

Maybe two summer days.

But you never grew up on the island
that these guys live on?

I came out ten years ago to help Dad
do some of the repairs.

And by the end of the summer
I fell in love with it.

Hooked. Hooked, and I was like
I'm not moving back to town.

I'm now thinking this is where this
partnership works quite well.

In the last ten years, Shane and I
have been cutting together.

For 15 years
I was on my own to cut the wood.

We get ahead,
we work hard and get ahead.

And you'll see later on we're
starting to stack up for next March.

Every boat ride you're watching
for logs on the shoreline.

You're like, oh, and you remember
where that log was when you need to
come and get wood.

It's a big part of living here.

If you can't cut your wood,
you've gotta go, can't stay.

'Before we can load our precious
cargo, it's all hands on deck to
free our only ride home.'

This is the falling tide.

Lift and push the nose.
Yeah, I'll push the nose.

Doesn't take long to drop.

This should be good.

You've got to have eyes at the back
of your head out here.

It sure pays to pay attention.

Worst case scenario there,

the tide would go completely out and
you would be grounded until the next
high tide.

It's called a west coast picnic.

A west coast picnic, which lasts...

Many have done it and there they are
sitting in the mud until the tide
comes back,

which can be a long time.

'After a morning of hard graft,

I'm curious to hear what Shane
thinks the future may hold for him
and his 69-year-old father.'

It's amazing, isn't it,
how much work you have to put in?

It's a lot, yeah.

Listen, you've got an amazing set-up
that you live close enough, you can
help your dad,

with the wood supplies now but, you
know, age catches up on all of us.

What happens in ten years' time?
15 years' time?

We... just... make do.

Right?

That's part of the life out here is
you have to... If he's too old to do
certain things,

then you figure out
a different way of doing it.

You just sort of keep going, right?
You keep going until you can't.

Keep toughing it out.

It seems
from having spent time with your dad

that is
a metaphor for life out here.

You just make it work.

You can't necessarily have a plan
in place.

You just... Things happen.
Keep chugging away, right?

Like the little train that could.
You just keep going.

I love the fact that Shane is
starting to live this kind of life
for himself.

And I think the fact
that they don't have a plan

is in keeping
with this kind of life.

If a storm comes in
they'll make do and mend.

'This unique family share a
determination to stay in this
wilderness.

And their resolve to stick it out
come what may has been well tested.'

Have you over the years
feared failure yourself?

Yes.

Got up in the morning,
come out and my boat's gone.

I looked out
and there it is on the bottom.

That's always fun.

Wow.
Yeah, I've had my boat go twice.

Human error or just... bad weather?

Heavy rain and not thinking
that it was going to even happen.

I've had a fire.

Been struck by lightning on the
way home two days before Christmas.

Killed the boat.

We were in six foot waves.
It was pretty amazing.

I think most people would have given
up with just one of those scenarios.

You know, a big fire,
being struck by lightning,

boat sinking, and yet you obviously
have the perseverance to carry on?

You gotta get out there
and make these mistakes.

You gotta go out there
and learn from them.

Whether it's a predator,
cougars, wolves, bears.

Weather is the biggest, hardest
thing and chases a lot of people
out of here.

A lot of people come and go
cos it's too much.

I'm still not sure
where you get your resilience from.

My mother, she's English.

Oh, there you go, say no more!

She was a gunner during the Blitz.

She said, "Sunshine, life is hard
and then it gets harder."

So if you've had it hard
and a hard life, it's not so bad.

Devastating fires,
lightning strikes,

boat sinking, those are
life-changing incidents,

and yet they were just kind of,
I don't know,

they kind of disappeared on the wind
as they came out of his mouth.

And I suppose you need to be

a slightly harder person
to embrace a life like this.

'It's been nearly three decades
since Catherine swapped the city
for this tough environment.

And at 61, she's still tackling
this life with ease.'

We're just following
an old bear trail.

It's 1,000 years old actually.

Isn't that amazing?

And pretty steep.

It's a very steep trail.

'She wants to show me a place
she escapes to when things get too
much.'

Hi ho, hi ho, bears! We're here.

Bears are really quite shy so they
really don't want to run into you.

So if you make a lot of noise
they will scatter.

We're getting close.

Oh, wow, look at this!

This was definitively worth
the journey. Look at that!

It just looks incredible from here.

Really, truly, truly amazing.

When you climb up here,
do you still get a sort of buzz

from looking at what Wayne
and yourself have created together?

It is always exciting to see it,
each time I come up here.

You're able to relax and see there's
nothing that you can't get through.

Difficulties come up,
that's part of life.

That's the journey of life.

And we're meant to learn and grow
from those difficulties.

A pause up here
gives you that perspective.

What's really different about this
lifestyle is that most wilderness
homes

blend into the landscape
and they're purely functional.

Whereas this is just
a kind of theatrical whimsy.

I'm thinking that that's symbolic
of Wayne and Catherine.

They've shown that if you move
to the wilderness,

life doesn't become easier,

but you can still do it
with a smile on your face.

Got one.

'I'm coming to the end of my stay.

Wayne's indoor fishing hole
has been tempting me all week.'

I think this is too small
for dinner.

HE LAUGHS

'It's a disappointing catch
but fortunately Wayne knows where we
might have more luck.'

We're all set.
We're good.

Let's go catch us some fish.

'After a week of hard work, Wayne's
keen to show me how he spends
his time

when he's let off the hook.'

Is this the fishing spot? Yeah, it's
a small pinnacle on the bottom
that they swim around.

If we don't get out pretty quick,
I'm gonna go to another spot.

That insinuates you don't have
a huge amount of patience.

Well, you know, they move around.

And when they're there they're there
and when they're not they're
elsewhere.

I don't have time to fish all day.

I gotta catch dinner,
go home, get out.

Take your weapon of choice.
Yeah.

Is there any one
that's luckier than the other one?

We're gonna find out. Hopefully
it's all to do with your vibe. OK.

We'll see your energy. What kind of
energy do you think I've got?

I think you're calm, you're cool
and you're gonna catch a fish.

This is really evocative for me.

This really reminds me of all those
summers I used to spend with
my grandfather.

There's something very calming.

Does it get any better?
A beautiful day.

I don't have to think about
all the things I've gotta do.

Being practical, it feels good
to fish for dinner and take dinner
home.

It's really a wonderful thing
for me.

Oh, I think...
You've got something? I do.

Oh yeah, I've got one as well.
Bring it in, brother.

Oh yeah, how did that...
that's amazing.

When they're there they're there.

I'm a little bit excited.

I've definitely got one.
Keep your tip up.

Yeah. Tip up. Like that.

What you got?
A little rock cod.

A little rock cod?
Yeah.

Sorry, buddy.
Just unhook him and let him go.

Good for you, man.

It's what my grandfather taught me.
Hold the spines down.

This one's damaged so I'm gonna feed
him to the eagle. The eagle?

I have a pair of eagles
have a nest here and they know me.

And I'm gonna call 'em.
You can actually speak to eagles?

They've been nesting here
nine years now.

So I've got to know the pair
from day one.

And they know that when I'm
fishing, I usually give them a fish.

WAYNE WHISTLES

What's that over there?

Oh yes, there they are.

WAYNE WHISTLES

Yeah, he's coming, here they come.
Here they come.

DRAMATIC MUSIC

Oh, look at that!

Wow.

WAYNE LAUGHS

Here's one right here.
Gotta chase it. They're in a fight!

So majestic and incredible
that you... You know what it is.

It's like you really are
part of the wilderness.

A lot of people go to the wilderness
but it feels like you put your roots
into it.

Which is ironic cos you're not even
on land. Isn't that funny?

Really what keeps me going is my
love of nature and it's inspiring,
uplifting.

Every time you get up in the morning
that bird didn't complain.

He's on it every day, surviving.

Every day's the same to me that way.

Live in that moment.
Yeah.

Live in the moment, day by day.

Give me a hug, that was amazing.
That was amazing.

That was the highlight, really,
that was so special, thank you.

That's so good. Isn't that fun?
Magical. Wow.

I promised I would stop saying that
word but... That's good to hear.

I've got one as well.
Good.

That was unbelievable.

To see an eagle that close
and to have called the eagle to us,

that's amazing.

Same thing. We'll let that go.

Everything about this reminds me
of my childhood

and if I'm to be honest,
Wayne reminds me of my grandfather.

There's lots of memories that come
flooding back. Fishing with Grandpa,

canoeing, all of those things
really remind me of my childhood,

and I feel very comfortable here.

And there is a part of me that
really aspires to live this life

and I really admire Wayne.

Shall I just grab the float with my
hand? Yeah, that'd be OK. OK.

Let me know when you've got it.

I got her.
Great. Yeah.

Can you see her yet?
I can see something.

Oh, we got crabs!

Grab the edge.
Got it.

Slide her up.

Oh, look at that!
Awesome!

Is this a good catch?

That's pretty nice, right?
Yeah. That's dinner.

Of all the people I've visited
all around the world,

this is probably the one
I'd like to do most myself.

I could see myself living here
with my family.

But what I've learned from Wayne
and Catherine is you really do have
to put effort in.

Having the skills to create
a home like this is one thing.

But having the dedication to stay

and to survive, that takes a pretty
extraordinary individual,

or in this case couple.

I thought I'd leave you the most
useful thing for a floating
island couple.

Rope.
Hey!

Thank you so much. I can't tell you
what an amazing, magical experience
this has been.

Give me a hug if Joy will let me.

It's been...
Honestly, I'll never forget it.

It's been really, truly inspiring.

You too, man.
We won't forget you being here.

It's been wonderful for us.
Thank you, guys.

Take care.
Maybe I'll come back with my family.

That would be lovely.
Love to have you.

I'll take them fishing.
Bye, guys.

Safe travels.
Take good care.

Awesome, man.
Bye for now.

Wow, look at this out here!

I'm in the Middle East.

I am inherently fierce.

'On the edge of the Sahara desert,
living with a hardy single woman.'

Looks like something died.

I would not want to live in
Disneyland.

'Who's surviving
in a volatile country.'

Someone gets pissed off,
you can end up in jail.

Subtitles by Ericsson