Hidden at the very top of New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula and accessible only by offroad track is the Mahana commune. Founded in 1978, for nearly 40 years its inhabitants have been elusive.

Their story has gone largely unreported. But now, parts of the utopian dream are turning sour. We visit Arthur, one of the remaining members of Mahana, to learn about his reclusive life, his battles with other residents, and his hopes of seeing the valley returned to its past glory.

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