Walking Across New Zealand In a COMPLETELY Straight Line!

Firstly, We highly recommend watching with subtitles! They make the video a lot better as some parts are a little hard to catch things we say due to the nature of the adventure!
Kia Ora!
Welcome to the straight line mission across New Zealand, a project Finn and I spent months working on after being inspired by Tom Davies (‪@GeoWizard‬ on KZbin), one of the most entertaining video makers on the internet! full credit to him for inspiration for the whole project, editing and music style. We both had a lot of fun and are really proud of our adventure - we hope you enjoy watching the series as much as just a fraction of how much we enjoyed doing it!
We'd love for you to give us a thumbs up, leave us a comment or message us on
Instagram (@straightlinenz), and share with friends or family who you might think will enjoy!
Many thanks to our support crew, as without them this would not have been possible, Our supporters on Givealittle ( who helped us raise 2.4K for Forest and Bird!), all the land owners who knowingly allowed us to cross their property, all the landowners who unknowingly allowed us to cross their property, ‪@MikaHarris_‬ (check him out on YT) for giving some feedback on the episode, Isabelle Faulkner for lending me a microphone, Finn for doing all the subtitles like a trooper, and to every single one of you for following along and enjoying our adventure!
music by www.fiverr.com...
highly recommend,. checkout his fiverr

[@ollie_taylor]

Watch in 1080p with subtitles for best experience! Pls subscribe and share if you enjoy ❤️

[@leeartlee915]

May I ask, what kind of shoes/boots were you both wearing?

[@ollie_taylor]

@@leeartlee915 I believe we were both just in trainers/trail running shoes for the first bit, I chucked on some tramping boots later on for the mountains.

[@leeartlee915]

@@ollie_taylor So are you guys just wearing really long socks or something? They look like some kind of wading boots or something…

[@otay456]

@@leeartlee915 We had Gaiters on which are tubular things you can wear to protect your socks/shins and prevent getting sticks and debris in your shoes

[@leeartlee915]

@@otay456 Oh right. Those sound familiar. Haha, i thought they were some kind of nifty shoe from south of the equator. …. I need to get out more.

[@GeoWizard]

Great start lads. Cheers for the nod. Envious of that chill farmer. Looking forward to those mountains!

[@ollie_taylor]

Super glad you enjoyed! Means a lot you watched it :)

[@zi8gzag]

goat

[@blint173]

@@zi8gzag yo zig wassup

[@leeartlee915]

Tom’s started a movement. A very strange, odd little movement.

[@expectationlost]

nice clip

[@juliecederman1158]

"The one bad thing is that on Google Earth, cows are not marked as features" 🤣Brilliant.

[@williamsatterthwaite6063]

14:51 You need to use a blade of green grass, the green grass contains water which will conduct some electricity, but also provide some resistance so the electric shock is reduced. The dry grass you used will not conduct enough electricity. Also the fact the fence post holds the wires with plastic insulators is a clear indication that the fence is electric. All electric fences will use some sort of insulator on the fence posts to stop short circuits.

[@shadowkyber2510]

Good tip about using green grass. Although I've found that most electric fences (wires with the plastic clip) are turned off. I think the farmers mostly turn it on to train the cows and after a while there's no need to leave it on

[@ZenPossum]

Was amazed at the camera quality, planning and editing on this one, bravo. Also the Geowizard motifs in the music was pretty cool

[@DW-rb1if]

what I like very much about these missions is that you get to experience the nature of countries comprehensively even though you have never been there yourself

[@nancyh4]

You guys get a like because of the reference to the great book "We are going on a bear hunt". I loved the book as a child and think it partly is a great description of straight line missions :D

[@cammo253]

Mate I've just gotta say it's great that you've put the time in to do subtitles for the whole video! Some KZbinrs with millions of subscribers don't even put the effort in for that, so thanks! :D

[@totalanimalactionofive9980]

Love the effort put into this and how chill both of you are. The cows (especially the lone one) were so funny... the way they just stare at you and do their thing, LOL.

[@ollie_taylor]

Glad you enjoyed 😎

[@HMDHEGD]

NZ nature is so alien (to a Northern European such as me), varied, and beatiful. It blows my mind, honestly.

[@KarelSeeuwen]

Dear Ollie and Finn, great to see a couple of stupid young New Zealanders taking up the call for this pointless challenge. My Mum passed away last year at the age of 97; it's a pity that I had not discovered this Gem when you first released it, she would possibly have laughed herself to death. My Mum grew up close to Edmund Hillary, and she had no shortage of crazy stories about some of his mad adventures, and although a bit more tame, your activities are no less story worthy. Cheers.

[@zi8gzag]

Keep it up fellas

[@jeramiahhaar]

if bro actually did this, I'm shocked NZ is one of the hardest places to cross

[@alexthompson9990]

Can't imagine how much time and effort you have put into this, but this final result is really very impressive and reminds me of a proper documentary. Can't wait for the next episode! PS 8:55, really nice transition.

[@EtherSword]

This is well edited, there should be way more views due to the quality of the filming and not having very many boring parts.

[@thegreenlandshark6086]

There lots of places in Northland where there are some really short line possible. If anyone wants to do an urban challenge, the thinnest section of the Auckland isthmus is only 2 km wide haha.

[@Nooticus]

Just got recommended your channel as I've been watching some other straight-liners. Cannot wait to watch through this series! I cannot believe enough people are insane enough to do this /light-hearted haha

[@sclurbs4298]

You boys are putting out A+ straight line content. Great job!

[@ollie_taylor]

Thanks!

[@gracebrown3074]

I love that I could tell you were from New Zealand just by seeing your faces and outfits in the thumbnail 😂😂

[@DionTilley-sm2gl]

Handy tip regarding electric fences, only electric wires have the plastic attached at post, any wires without the plastic are obviously not hot (electric). Also, you can put your boot on an electric fence and hand on post if wire is electric at the top wire, most fences will have one or two electric wires.

[@noddy1919]

Impressive mission and video of the journey! As a former Onslow College student, I can relate to the desire to challenge yourselves. In the early 1980’s we used-to do the Khandallah Venture Unit “Night Drop” Teams of two Get dropped in series anywhere in a north island forest, with a list of destinations and back to Wellington. It was a race, of hiking and hitch hiking, we would cover substantial distances in 2-3 days,,

[@ollie_taylor]

That sounds incredible!

[@matthewthiellier7231]

i love this idea. ive hitchhiked the lenght of new zealand a couple months ago. i wana do another challenge like this. any other new zealanders out here wana partner up? i live around Canterbury

[@Archer-bi8on]

as a farmer they wont do anything to you those cattle just be careful of the bulls

[@black_eagle]

Bushwhacking in shorts? Whose brilliant idea was that?

[@albertrousku12]

Should have way more views, it'll come boys

[@markp1549]

Great stuff. You are very well spoken for Kiwis - we all speak like bogans up where I am. Look forward to future episodes.

[@jonb4020]

Really well done lads! I think God has a special regard and care for adventurous young people! Clearly kept you safe from nasty parasites, leeches, snakes and stampeding cattle! Cattle can be dangerous, for sure, but are usually more curious than aggressive - except for cows with calves. Still best to avoid herds if possible, as you know. Look forward to more adventures - take care! PS. The farmer said he can't stop you: is there a universal right to roam in NZ then?

[@ThisTablet-bf8ob]

No snakes

[@strangemachines_]

Actually it was Richard Ashcroft who pioneered the concept.

[@Southsidehydroclean]

You’re a ave to the money then you die

[@TehAwesomer]

28:26 - "[The Cows] seem quite beefy." ... ISWYDT 🐄

[@mikulitsi1819]

Got ep 2 recommended by KZbin last night and now started watching this from the start. Great start

[@UAP]

Well played boys! Can't waIt for other episodes. The farmer was quite nice!

[@SteenSpinal4LIFE]

The quality of the video is insane! The start of the video was a little bit abrupt, but overall Im very very impressed with this video. Keep up the good work!

[@gasdive]

Amazing. I would have called this a transect.

[@AJWRAJWR]

Come and walk a straight line across Australia next, guys..😉

[@herbertgronemeyer1380]

easy way to check if a fence might be electric: see if there are an plastic insulator piecec where the wire is attached to. if its nailed straight to the wooden posts its not electric.

[@KarelSeeuwen]

The real "easy way to check if a fence might be electric" is to have your mate touch it.

[@park9912]

Had to get my fix while waiting for gwowizards next mission, great work guys! Looked like a lot of fun and look forward to seeing more.

[@ollie_taylor]

Hope you enjoy the series :)

[@tbchristie6962]

I've seen you a couple of times,tooted out to you,also seen a guy trekking with a big wooden cross,good on yah

[@cjhoyle]

Excellent videos fellows, really enjoyable to watch (especially after your enabled video stabilization mode :P). Walking between all the cows was a highlight for me.

[@Superkuh2]

Tom doesn't wear gloves. These guys don't wear pants.

[@ollie_taylor]

Hahaha just wait untill ep 2!

[@dancer1]

Amazing

[@anonnz-gr4qd]

2 years too late to the party, but I watched every single episode and well done lads. I was planning something similar when I was a teenager, walking in a straight line, rafting or kayaking down rivers (no computers, KZbin or cellphones in the late 70s early 80s). Cool seeing young one's getting off their backsides and enjoying the great outdoors. Likes

[@annandphilkendon578]

Excellent effort guys....both the mission and the film production. Watch how ducks do the straight line crossing of a river to perfect your ferry gliding techniques!

[@kiwiantnz]

As an adventurer myself this is what it’s all about. Come up for a plan and execute even if people think you’re mad. Well done guys on the adventure so far. Enjoyed the peaks into the planning, rules, and the banter.

[@straightouttacornwall]

Great adventure boys. Good to see the NZ terrain as well. I would not have liked them cows one bit myself

[@maxpower9371]

Brings back so many fond memories! I had the pleasure of going all the way from Otago to northland back in 2018 and actually stayed a couple of days at the campsite in himatangi beach :) wish I could be down there again! Also, great editing and overall quality!

[@bushyman477]

Bruvs repping the $14 warehouse shorts XD my default work uniform for the past decade haha

[@TetraDax]

Weirdly, even though this is mostly just farmland, my main takeaway from even the first episode of this is how much I miss New Zealand.

[@Awniber]

This is awesome! Great and novel landscapes haha^^ Waiting for your update

[@justjane805]

I just came across your video this morning. I have even heard of straight line walking before. Watching your adventure is very entertaining. Already I'm hoping that you made it all the way across so I can watch it all.

[@michaelmoore3804]

You mentioned early on, about avoiding a naturist club....they would have not brothered you and it certainly wouldn't have been any cause for concern or embarrassment

[@spunkykiwi]

Really impressive vid. What an adventure! Looking forward to the next installment.

[@NZREngine]

Great start to the mission. Looking foward to the next episodes!

[@xSixSx]

First time coming across this channel, quality content, definitely subbed

[@MrPieguyDaBoss]

Hopfully this is actually real unlike Airacks fake videos oh damn I didnt even realise this is 2 years old thats way before the scammer that is Airack

[@skyrothman8651]

This is absolutely phenomenal. I hope Tom gets to see this!

[@Solent19]

he did. :)

[@HuxterNZ]

Really, REALLY enjoyed watching this first episode. Looking forward to the rest of your adventure! Well done :)

[@DecoAoreste]

3 minutes in and wondering why the flying f*ck you're wearing shorts for a challenge like this. :D

[@EnterExile]

Good stuff, guys. makes we want to visit again. Greetings from Germany

[@eshaybahr]

Are you Ollie Wright? If you are I'm Tuppy, Waitapu.

[@NigelAnderson-iu2bs]

Good on you both! Good to see kwis getting out there doing it, you chose some tough country to walk across and good on yas for not taking an easier route, Watching from down in Invercargill

[@desert-walker]

I see a lot of people doing this gonna walk across Arizona probably this week

[@Straightlineusa]

Cool video lads! Just started my straight line journey!

[@Allan003]

Sorry I am so late to the party, but great stuff! I don't mean this in a derogative or negative way, but you two are so adorable!

[@TheAudaciousPath]

Have you guys thought about submitting this to the Mountain Film Festival?

[@bushyman477]

I was so inspired to do this but live in Christchurch, and really not up for driving for yonks or crossing the alps lol

[@aarondavidson6409]

I'm from Australia. Few fellas tried the same thing here but died before making to their neighbours house...

[@cabingamefever2779]

Gotta love that Main Highway of the entire country... 2 cars go by 😁😂

[@TheCrazycrab2]

Try that in qld and you’ll have a snake bite in 15 mins spiders in your shirt, wasps stinging your eyeballs and ticks stuck in your shins

[@busshock]

Most ambitious straight line mission I've seen yet! And those first few minutes really make you appreciate camera stabilization. :p

[@bobbroadhurst1648]

Outside the square mission, very interesting boys, go hard

[@oliverdiamond6594]

waiting fro them to get to a highway that aligns perfectly with thier sraight line so they just have to walk in the middle of the road.

[@joedunning6973]

im glad you avoided the naturist resort...that would have taken a bit of editing

[@expectationlost]

shorts?

[@thematthewmckenzie]

Obviously doing it here makes for a good video. But you could do it in Northland in a couple of hours.

[@nealchambers2306]

That was fantastic lads. Can’t wait for part 2 👍👍

[@gailstewart356]

Well done chaps! Looking forward to following your journey 😀

[@illegalisasickbird]

amazing effort lads. Fantastic planning, great production and editing as well.

[@robinr.7678]

Looks like an adventure. Did you just walk on after the water “obstacles”, I mean, that must have felt gross, squelching in wet shoes…..?

[@MAGICWOOD-ot8ps]

if bro trys to cross the south island 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@peripheralephemeral2272]

enjoyed, dudes. having been chased by cows myself it always fills me with glee seeing it happen to somebody else!

[@leomorley5904]

Awesome stuff guys! Can't wait for episode 2

[@gregcoleman7328]

I just happened across this video tonight. Although I am a lover of hiking, scrambling and outdoor adventuring in general I had literally only discovered straight lining yesterday when a UK video came up of two lads doing the same in Wales ( the YT channel is Archie Fieldhouse). Such a great challenge and I can genuinely say that from this first video I am really impressed by your tenacity and calm “can do” attitude. I am based in the UK and had had some close unwelcome encounters with cows in the Peak District National Park. I have to say your calmness with a seriously large number of cows stampeding around was impressive! The Peak District over here is full of dry stone walls which helped me bail out of the way of running cows a few times 🤣 That is a great first video of your adventure, well filmed and narrated. New Zealand looks stunning and I would love to explore it at some point! Been in awe of it since the Lord of the Rings films. You have a new subscriber from the UK 👌 Looking forward to watching the rest of this adventure 👍

[@Soken50]

Came for the straight line, stayed for the budding cow relationship. They're generally pretty tame if you're chill and steady; though that's easier said than done when a few dozen half ton animals are staring you down ^^'

[@Beanoboy-ev9wj]

wow such an amazing idea can't wait for episode two

[@deborahknight1350]

What an amazing adventure so far!! Well done to you both

[@benjamincrouch2852]

Cows are the new farmers

[@ollie_taylor]

They really are

[@Chalkyy09]

Hey there, what gps did you use? thanks

[@ollie_taylor]

Hey Jake, We used the Garmin GPS map 64sx. It's a couple generations old but served its purpose excellently. The key feature it had as opposed to some other cheaper options that we found vital, was the compass pointing you the way you're facing when stationary. If you want to chat about any other specifics more than happy to :)

[@cernunos8153]

Epic journey so far. Love that Tom has inspired so many

[@albertrousku12]

Nice video guys!

[@emilyisoffline]

Only 1 minute into the video and it already looks awesome :) I'm from Australia, and as such could never do this to my home country. Go you boys!

[@worldwatch1]

How are you going to cross the cook strait in a straight line

[@contextspecific]

Awesome work, subscribed.

[@tangiers365]

the beauty of Aotearoa lies outside the cities!

[@turkeyphant]

Why does everyone do this with such heavy loadouts?!

[@louiserichards5715]

Love this! Well done lads - what an adventure!

[@Upsidedownorangejuice]

Absolutely awesome

[@jessemckenzie9921]

could walk the length of highway 1

[@zacharydavis6498]

Great video, really quality stuff! Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[@Nooticus]

Finally got round to watching the first episode of this and WOW… this is far and away the most impressive, well-planned and downright ambitious straight-line missions I’ve watched so far!! You both seem to have quite a lot of experience outdoors considering you covered almost 10km in just a few hours. Unbelievably impressive! As someone from a big city (London) those electric fences and cows absolutely terrify me every time you cross them… I honestly thought cows behaved like sheep… i was very wrong!! So impressed I’m gonna watch the second episode straight away! Truly inspiring especially considering how young you two are!

[@mariannemarlow]

Those cows were terrifying. well done!