This is the record of a fascinating expedition - a family walk along the 800 kilometres of so of coastline from East Cape to Wellington.

The McLean family, after living abroad, felt the need to rediscover New Zealand. For them 'the long pathway' was not only for trapmping, it became 'a trail out of the past'. The account of their journey is peopled with explorers, missionaries, Maori chiefs, landowners, politicians and many others who were part of the discovery and development of Poverty Bay, Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa and Wellington.