THE ISLOMANIAC ™

Kings of the Cocos-Keeling Islands

2009-07-19T11:52:00.003+10:00

The Clunies-Ross family ruled the Cocos-Keeling Islands for more than 150 years and were known as the "King of Cocos Island". Queen Victoria granted the islands in perpetuity to the Clunies-Ross family in 1886. Thus, the title to the islands was claimed by his descendants until 1978 when John Cecil Clunies-Ross (King Ross V) was forced to sell the islands to the Commonwealth of Australia for £2.5m ($4.75m). The Commonwealth had already been administering the islands since 1955.

John Cecil Clunies-Ross has collated "The Clunies-Ross Chronicle" which outlines the history of the Clunies-Ross family and their settlement on the Cocos Keeling Islands in 1827.

To purchase online for $39.000 AUS Click Here

The Clunies-Ross dynasty still reside on the islands, to see more about John George Clunies-Ross Click Here

To see the ABC Australia TV documentary on the family Click Here

Battles over Guiana Island, Antigua

2009-07-13T08:35:00.001+10:00

Investors allegedly defrauded by defunct investor Sir R Allen Stanford may now be paid back from the proceeds of the sale of his private island in Antigua, in the Caribbean.

The 184-hectare Guiana Island is the largest undeveloped island in Antigua & Barbuda, and among the options presented by the Antiguan-appointed liquidator of Stanford International Bank (SIB), Nigel Hamilton-Smith, was to either “fire-sell” it as a naked piece of land or, more preferably, advertise it as a developed piece of property in hopes of upping the value.

According to US regulators and prosecutors, Sir Allen greatly inflated the value of Guiana Island 6,000-fold in a series of land-flips conducted in 2008. According to court filings, the value of the property rose from about US$63.5 Million to about US$3.2 Billion between April and October.

For 32 years Cyril Thomas "Taffy" Bufton and his wife, Lona Eleen "Bonny" Bufton were the sole residents of Guiana Island. They first arrived as the caretakers of the island for a British lawyer who owned it, but he died in 1972 and the couple sought ownership of the island from the Antiguan government.

In 1997 Malaysian billionaire Dato Tan Kay Hock gained ownership of the island based on his plans to develop a massive resort on the island. Enraged by this decision Taffy Bufton strode into the the offices of the brother Prime Minister and shot himself in the hand, and Vere Bird Jr. in the mouth.

Dato Hock eventually sold the island to Stanford, in a convoluted business deal with ownership of the island held by a British Virgin Islands company owned by Stanford.

To read more about the battles of Guiana Island click the links below.

Lack of rainwater threatens idyllic life on Caribbean island
ASSOCIATED PRESS
July 31, 1997

Caribbean, Castaways, Contention
By MARK FINEMAN, Los Angeles Times
April 15, 1998

Bargain Private Islands

2009-07-11T17:37:00.003+10:00

Image: Monarch Cay was originally listed at $5 million and sold for the paltry sum of $1 million.

I really feel pity for any island owners that are relying on supposed island experts PrivateIslandsOnline to market their islands.

Below is the latest in a long-running series of PR releases from the company touting the fact that island prices have dropped by over 50%! Ouch, wouldn’t be happy if they were marketing my island folks.

Buy Buy, Baby: Your Own Fantasy Island
By Jason Notte
TheStreet.com 07/10/09

Stories like these make it easier for them to kick the owners in the guts, and make them reduce prices, but they sure don’t help owners try to sell their islands. Makes you wonder why island owners are paying them?

PrivateIslandsOnline and their local sidekick made a big deal promoting this island, and look what happened to the poor owner. I would be careful trusting any real estate to these jokers.

Jobs on Palmyra Atoll

2009-07-10T09:04:00.001+10:00

Palmyra Atoll is one of the most beautiful and mysterious islands in the world. Several years back I had permission to reside on the island prior to it being sold to the Nature Conservancy.

Roger Lextrait was the lone caretaker of the island for many years, you can read his fascinating story Click Here

Now for those really dedicated islomaniacs jobs are available to live on the island.

Career Opportunities Palmyra Atoll (Hawaii)
Employer: The Nature Conservancy
Country: Hawaii
Job Type: Full-time
Closing Date: 04.09.2009
Website www.nature.org

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working globally to protect ecologically important lands and waters for people and nature. Located 1,000 miles south of Hawai'i and an untold distance from civilization, Palmyra Atoll is one of the most spectacular marine wilderness areas on Earth. Palmyra is a 680-acre atoll with 480,000 acres of lagoons, coral reefs, and submerged lands. Palmyra is a US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Refuge out to 12 miles and a Marine National Monument out to 50 miles. The Nature Conservancy owns Cooper Island, and manages the atoll in partnership with the USFWS and the Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium (PARC).

Palmyra's research station supports scientific research by world renowned research institutions (see www.palmyra-research.org). Staff are hired on a rotational basis for approximately 4 months at a time to run the research station and camp facilities. Board and lodging are provided while on-island. Career Opportunities are available for Field Station Manager, Chief of Marine Operations, Galley/Housekeeping Manager, Maintenance Technician, Mechanic/Boat Captain and Assistant Cook.

The Field Station Manager (FSM) is responsible for the overall management, supervision, and safety of Palmyra Atoll operations and staff. The FSM is responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the field station facilities and equipment including generators, boats, and aircraft runway, and the oversight of galley and housekeeping services. The FSM must lead and manage staff, and act as the primary liaison with visiting researchers, guests, and visiting vessels' crew and passengers.

The Chief of Marine Operations is responsible for all marine operations at Palmyra Atoll. Primary responsibilities include: safe navigation and operation of a 25' Dive Boat and a 24' rescue boat; coordination and oversight of marine activity for and with science and donor population, including but not limited to offshore and lagoon boating, SCUBA diving and fishing trips; continuous monitoring, upkeep and improvement of Marine Department safety programs and equipment; management and supervision of other Marine Department staff; oversight of and direct participation in maintenance and upkeep programs for all Marine Department equipment and facilities.

The Galley/Housekeeping Manager is responsible for the management and daily operation of the Palmyra Atoll research station galley and housekeeping departments. Accountable for developing and implementing a plan that ensures: the timely preparation and delivery of high quality meals to a variety of audiences; the on-going maintenance and cleanliness of station accommodations and all facilities; the maintenance and cost effective control of food, beverage and other operational supply inventories and other duties as assigned by the Field Station Manager and Palmyra Program Deputy Director. Overall responsibility of the department includes: food & beverage, housekeeping and non-technical maintenance, departmental accounting and budgeting, administration, supervision, and safety. Must also support and engage in community chores and activities and strive to build and maintain a positive community environment.

The Maintenance Technician is responsible for field station maintenance and supports field station operations. This full-time position is responsible for upkeep and repairs of all field station facilities including buildings, roads, and runway; maintenance of water, waste, plumbing and electrical systems; assists with vehicle maintenance including boats, trucks, & tractors; trouble-shooting including rust abatement and painting; assists with maintenance and repairs for diesel, gasoline and outboard engines, as well as all motorized and non-motorized equipment. Responsible for tracking and maintaining inventory of necessary parts and materials for maintenance operations. Responsible for daily cleaning and maintenance of selected field station facilities.

The Mechanic/Boat Captain is responsible for the maintenance of a 25' Dive Boat and skiffs with outboard motors. This position will lead on the routine maintenance of all marine equipment (boats, outboards, scuba compressor and gear), and will assist with other gasoline and diesel powered equipment and vehicles at the field station. This includes diesel generators, tractors, and a variety of heavy equipment. This position spends no more than 50% time acting as boat captain, which includes the safe navigation and operation of a 25' Dive Boat, while deploying and retrieving divers. The mechanic/Boat Captain also operates skiffs with 15 hp outboard motors, and trains and observes station users for independent operation of skiffs. This position spends 50 - 75% time on maintenance/mechanical duties.

The Assistant Cook/Housekeeper is responsible for meal planning and preparation of breakfast, lunch and dinner for field station guests, staff, volunteers and visiting vessels. Responsible for stocking and rotation of all kitchen inventory, as well as general galley and kitchen clean-up including dishes, floors, storage areas, refrigerators and freezers. Responsible for assisting with set-up and cleaning of all field station cabins, associated living areas, and recreation areas. Responsible for laundry service.

TO APPLY: Please complete an online application at www.nature.org/careers and upload a resume and cover letter. Cover letter must outline how you meet the basic qualifications listed. Review of applications will be on-going as rotations are year round.

Islands Caretaker is a Twit!

2009-07-07T07:54:00.003+10:00

The new Islands Caretaker, Ben Southall from the UK, has arrived on Hamilton Island and started blogging. However, the 34 year-old Pom with no island experience, has made a right twit of himself on Twitter by misspelling the island where he lives.

On his second day at work on Hayman Island Englishman Ben Southall renamed the tropical island 'Hayward' in his Twitter post, reports Queensland's the Courier Mail

Gee, way to go Tourism Queensland picking someone who can't even get his first blog post right! By the way there were actually qualified applicants for the job (such as myself) and a few others, who didn't even get into the top 50. Why? because the whole selection process was created as a marketing gimmick, and they didn't really care who won as long as they would appeal to the main tourism demographic they were aiming for.

Unlike Ben, I have been to every single island in the Whitsundays over a period of many years, and you can read about the islands I have actually visited Click Here

Sign up for Ben's blog at www.islandreefjob.com

Video will be distributed of Ben's first day stills will be available from the Tourism Queensland image gallery - www.tq.lookat.me.com.au

Michael Jackson's Island Hideaway

2009-07-05T10:41:00.002+10:00

Image: Te'tiaroa Atoll, courtesy Tim McKenna Photography

It was reported in June 2004, one month before his death, that the actor Marlon Brando was preparing to transfer half-an-acre of land on Onetahi Island on Tetiaroa atoll, near Tahiti, to Michael Jackson for use for as long as he wanted to have it.

Brando's motive was “gratitude and affection” for Jackson for hosting a birthday party for Brando's daughter, Nina.

However, Marlon Brando's attorney David Seeley personally told me...

"Regarding Jackson he has no legal right to any property owned by the Estate of Marlon Brando. Several years ago Marlon offered Mr. Jackson access to Onehati....however, Mr. Jackson never accepted the offer and has now has no legal right to any property in French Polynesia."

Brando and Jackson had several unsuccessful projects planned, including a dual interview at the actor's private island near Tahiti, and a DVD on acting.

Brando's son Miko Brando, a long time bodyguard and assistant to Jackson stated "The last time my father left his house to go anywhere, to spend any kind of time... was with Michael Jackson."

"He loved it... [He] had a 24-hour chef, 24-hour security, 24-hour help, 24-hour kitchen, 24-hour maid service."

The atoll is currently being developed as a private resort called "The Brando" by Richard Bailey.

The Brando

Islands Business Magazine

Australia's Robinson Crusoe

2009-07-04T17:38:00.002+10:00

With his beard and his black hat, David is quite consistent with what we see is a Robinson Crusoe. This is already fifteen years he lived on a desert island, the only inhabitant of Restoration Island in the far north of Australia.

In another life, David was a respectable businessman in Sydney, married and father of two girls. But then there was the stock market crash of 1987. He lost everything: his wealth, his family ... Yet, perhaps, he says "the best thing that ever happened to him either.

Today he controls a small kingdom of half a hectare near the Great Barrier Reef with only his dog Quasi company. He is not a mystic nor a superman, nor a mechanical genius. He's just a simple man who decided one day to take a step back and try to be happy, otherwise ...

To watch the video Vidéo

A report by Sandrine Leonardelli and Patrick Méheut
France Télévisions production/Faut pas rêver

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

2009-06-30T07:54:00.003+10:00

The island of Rarotonga is one of my favourite islands in the South Pacific. I have many friends there, and I always dream of returning when I have the chance.

Pictured above is Muri Lagoon on the eastern side of the island, which is a great spot to stay. There are numerous cottages and resorts you can rent on the lagoon.

Here is a great travel story about the island by veteran travel journalist Susan Kurosawa.

Just the Tonic

Susan Kurosawa finds life is slow and breezy on the island of Rarotonga

The Australian, June 27, 2009

Cambodian Eco-Islands

2009-06-24T07:54:00.000+10:00

Cambodian Eco-Islands

Successful Australian property developer Brocon Group; the company behind the hugely popular French Colonial apartments in Phnom Penh, were recently given the green light for a massive $35million luxury resort development on two Cambodian islands just off the coast at Sihanoukville. The islands of Koh Oeun and Koh Bong (two small adjacent islands that are a 30-minute boat ride from Sihanoukville) will be developed into a luxury private island resortcomplete with personal butlers, spas and private seaplane tours to Siem Reap, home of the Ankor Wat temples.

Brocon sales and marketing director Nick Chandler said the planned Song Saa Resort, which will include 25 self-contained suites, three privately owned villas, a spa, wine cellar, air conditioned library, gym and yoga retreat, and 15 over the water cottages designed to reflect the local architecture will meet rigorous environmental standards.

To see the project Click Here

Private Island Cambodia Set to Soar for Investors
Source: OPENPRESS June 23, 2009

In Cambodia’s untouched Koh Rong Archipelago, an Australian company is setting a new standard for environmentally sensitive luxury resorts in what’s been described as one of the world’s last true tropical paradises.

The resort, when complete in 2010, will be located on Koh Ouen and Koh Bong - two pristine islands off the coast of Sihanoukville. The islands lie side by side and are known affectionately as Song Saa, which is Khmer for ‘The Sweethearts’.

Song Saa Island Resort was launched today and has five luxury two-bedroom villas on offer to likeminded investors seeking their own rare piece of paradise.

“Song Saa will really be at the top end of the market for luxury resorts in Cambodia and will offer the unique experience of an exclusive private island hideaway,” said Martin Foster Investment Risk Analyst for DSR Asset Management Ltd

DSR Asset Management , the company behind the resort, is showing how private operators can play a critical role in the protection of important marine environments.

DSR has established Cambodia’s first fully policed and privately funded marine protected area around the islands’ reefs . The area, protected since 2007, covers 1,000,000 square metres and takes in important coral species and habitat for a number of critically endangered sea horses, turtles, stingrays, anemones, giant clams, countless reef fish and many other marine species.

The resort has also employed a full-time marine biologist to monitor the health of the reefs and to help teach local communities more sustainable fishing methods.

“This has been great for both the environment and the community but also provides the added attraction of having an expert on hand to take guests and villa owners out diving or snorkelling on the resort’s own reef,” Mr Foster said.

“The knowledge that the waters around the island are protected from fishing adds to the magic of this unique location. Guests and villa owners have their own thriving reef to explore literally right on their doorstep,” he said.

Unlike the islands of Thailand, which have seen rapid development over the past decade, Cambodia’s islands remain largely undeveloped. Many are deserted, offering stunning scenery, abundant marine life and secluded white sandy beaches.

With the recent opening of the international airport at Sihanoukville, well-managed tourism in this tropical paradise offers tremendous potential for investors. “Imagine Thailand 40 years ago and you get an idea of the potential of Cambodia’s islands,” Mr Foster said.

“But we can learn from the Thai experience, and ensure this region never loses its incredible appeal through irresponsible development.

“Song Saa is a tremendous opportunity to secure a piece of this unspoiled paradise on a 99-year lease while contributing meaningfully to its protection.”

The villas are being built with a strong focus on sustainable construction materials, low emissions and waste management systems, including a water recycling system to ensure nothing harmful ever reaches the ocean.

The Brocon Group

World's Newest Island Nation

2009-06-23T08:27:00.001+10:00

Greenland, The world's largest island, took another step towards finally becoming an independant country on Sunday, June 21, 2009 when Denmark's Queen Margrethe II handed over the "Act on Greenland Self Government" to the head of Greenland's Parliament.

Once it becomes independant Greenland will become the second largest island nation on earth. The largest? Australia, which is both an island, and a continent.

Danish island fueled for independence
Control of oil reserves could build up economy
By Joshua Kucera
THE WASHINGTON TIMES, June 22, 2009

Hart Island, New York

2009-06-22T09:07:00.001+10:00

Throughout its history, Hart Island the Bronx, in the Long Island Sound has been home to a workhouse, hospital, prisons, a Civil War internment camp, a reformatory and a Nike missile base.

But it best known as the New York City Cemetery, commonly referred to as New York's Potter's Field, a public burial place for poor and unknown persons.

Fascinating photos of Hart Island

More information about Hart Island

Wikipedia page on Hart Island

Miley Cyrus' Island Hideaway

2009-06-09T22:09:00.000+10:00

Tybee Island in Georgia has landed the starring role in the new Miley Cyrus movie.

Filming on the island starts on Monday, and is expected to stretch into mid-August.

Tybee Island, 12 miles east of Savannah, with 3,400 residents has long been a weekend getaway for the residents of Savannah, but will surely recieve a massive boost in publicity due to its featured role in the movie.

If you want to see Miley Cyrus on set, or just see the island before it becomes internationally famous visit the island now.

Miley Cyrus movie starts filming in Ga. next week

By RUSS BYNUM – The Associated Press

City of Tybee Island, Georgia

Johnny Depp's Private Island

2009-06-08T08:58:00.003+10:00

As I previously reported, Johnny Depp bought his own 35-acre private island in the Bahamas back in 2005 and affectionately named it “F**k Off! Island”.

The notoriously media-shy Depp recently allowed Vanity Fair contributing editor Douglas Brinkley to visit the island, and gave him free reign to ask any questions he wanted.

In the article, Depp says "I don't think I'd ever seen any place so pure and beautiful," Depp tells Brinkley of the island. "You can feel your pulse rate drop about 20 beats. It's instant freedom. And that rare beast--simplicity--can be had. And a little morsel of anonymity.... Whenever I was getting frustrated about being 'novelty boy' and making movies, I told myself, Calm down. I can come down here and disappear. I spent the Christmas season here with Vanessa and the kids. You can feed hot dogs to the nurse sharks in the Exumas--but it's best to not swim when doing it."

Depp currently uses the island as a family retreat, "I can come down here and disappear. I spent the Christmas season here with Vanessa and the kids." Little Hall's Pond Cay has six different beaches each named after Depp's partner, Vanessa Paradis, and their children, Lily Rose and Jack, as well as his mentors Hunter S. Thompson and Marlon Brando, each with a personality and cove of its own, and one patch of water deemed "Heath's Place" after the late actor Heath Ledger. There are several small residences, all solar-powered, and transportation consists of a fleet of green golf carts.

In the article Depp reminisced about Marlon Brando, he recalled a conversation he had with Brando in 1994, when he was poised to purchase Little Hall's Pond, but instead of expressing outright enthusiasm, Brando (who once lived on the French Polynesian atoll of Tetiaroa) asked a series of pragmatic questions: "What's the elevation? How protected are you?" Brando, according to Depp, was being sensible, focused, and paternal. "With hurricanes and all, he just didn't want me to make a mistake."

The whole interview isn’t available on the Vanity Fair website, but it is available in the hard copy of the magazine, which will hit newsstands in NY and LA on June 3rd.

For a preview Click Here

Bannerman Island, New York

2009-05-29T17:32:00.000+10:00

We've all heard of "building castles in the air,"… but building castles on an island?

Well, to see it for yourself, take a guided walking tour of the majestic Hudson River landmark known as Bannerman Island-Hudson Highlands State Park.

At the beginning of the 20th century David Bannerman noticed that Pollepel Island's isolation made it a likely candidate for the relocation of the family's burgeoning military surplus business. His father purchased the island in 1900 and began construction the following year.

Without any building permits or even plans constructed a Scottish castle/warehouse for his business and stone home for his family. Due to an explosion, a fire and neglect, it’s now in ruins, but the state is trying to restore it.

To read the full history of the island see the Bannerman Castle Trust website

Tour available through Go Go Go!

Swine Flu Island

2009-05-28T07:58:00.003+10:00

Image: Willis Islands, in Australia's Coral Sea Island Territory

Passengers on the Australian cruise ship the Pacific Dawn have been diverted to a remote island 440km north-east of Cairns, on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

The cruise ship was diverted after crew tested positive to Swine Flu. Eighteen people who were on the same ship when it docked in Sydney on Monday have now tested positive for human swine flu.

Swine flu ship diverted to Willis Island
The Cairns Post, Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Nikhoi Island Resort

2009-05-25T08:10:00.001+10:00

Australian IT professional Brad Grey and his business partners have transformed an uninhabited tropical island into a beautiful resort using sound ecological development principles.

A unique blend of Japanese, Indonesian and Filipino architectural influences were used to design the island’s accommodation, and no trees were felled on the island during construction.

To read more about how they developed the island click this link.

Behind the scenes
The Star Online, Malaysia
Saturday May 23, 2009

Nikhoi Island Resort
Bintan Islands, Indonesia

Lamu Island – East Africa’s best kept secret

2009-05-25T07:45:00.004+10:00

Nestling against the beautiful, unspoilt Indian Ocean coast of northern Kenya, the tiny island of Lamu is one of the most beguiling places on earth. Little changed in centuries, Lamu has long been renowned for the warmth of its welcome to visitors, its remoteness and tranquility, its beautiful deserted beaches, its rich and colourful maritime trading history and its distinctive Swahili culture.

Enchanting Lamu Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the oldest living town south of the Sahara and the best-preserved coastal settlement in East Africa. One of Lamu’s many glories is its traditional Swahili architecture - Lamu’s unique stone townhouses, many dating back to the 18th Century, are celebrated for their intricately carved wooden front doors, imposing entrance porches and shady courtyards, the grandeur and elegance of their interiors and their beautiful decorative stucco plasterwork.

Lamu is not a place that much believes much in progress - or indeed in haste of any kind – life is lived at a leisurely pace, and its physical appearance and character have changed very little in centuries. The historic layout of the Old Town remains intact – the same maze of narrow, shady streets - most only wide enough to accommodate a fully-laden donkey, the same coral stone houses and mosques, the same ancient sailing dhows and fishing boats at anchor in the port.

Remote and self-contained Lamu may be, but it has always been a sophisticated, tolerant and hospitable place. The island’s Swahili culture is the result of an intermingling of many different influences – African, Arabian, Indian, Persian and European to name but a few – brought to Lamu by merchants, travelers and colonizers. From Vasco da Gama to Barack Obama, Mahatma Gandhi to Mick Jagger, through the centuries Lamu has always attracted the curious, the celebrated and the cosmopolitan, and recently the island has become known as something of a low-key hideaway for European royalty and international celebrities. Certainly Lamu has always attracted and inspired the eccentric, the spiritual, the creative and the artistic – and the island hosts regular gatherings of writers, artists, musicians and film makers.

In the last decade numerous overseas visitors have fallen in love with Lamu and its architecture, and many have bought and sympathetically rebuilt and restored properties on the island. Only in the last year or two have some of these houses started coming onto the market. Lamu Island Property presents a wide variety of properties for sale – from luxury beach houses to historic Swahili mansions to ruins for renovation - together with comprehensive information on the island’s traditional architecture and the building and restoration process.

Andrew McGhie worked in book publishing for a dozen years in London before escaping to East Africa – where he had fallen in love with the Swahili coast of Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar. Having spent several years researching the history and architecture of the island, and after restoring two 18th Century Swahili town houses in Lamu Town, he set up Lamu Island Property in 2008.

When he is not designing, building, restoring and selling houses, he is writing two books on the history of the island. One is the true story of the Freelanders - a group of radical Europeans who came to found a Utopian colony on the African mainland in the 1890s but ended up succumbing to the many pleasures of island life on Lamu.

www.lamuislandproperty.com

lamuislandproperty@gmail.com

Tel +254 (0)720 859599

PO Box 222, Lamu 80500, Kenya

Maryland Island For Sale

2009-05-18T08:25:00.000+10:00

Taylor's Island is a four and a half acre private, gated island near Solomons Island in Maryland, the United States.

The island is accessible via a gated wooden bridge, by water and by helicopter. It has a main house, three outbuildings, a pool, hot tub, a pier and a sandy beach and comes with a golf cart for getting about.

Outbuildings include a two-story observatory or lighthouse which also has a spa, kitchenette, bath and shower. There is also a two-bedroom guesthouse facing the pool. The main house is older and relatively small (2,488 square feet) and includes a deck on the river side.

This island is for sale at $3.5 million dollars.

To see more Click Here

Hook Island For Sale

2009-05-18T08:22:00.000+10:00

Hook Island, situated in the River Ouse the island, close to the inland port of Goole is for sale in the United Kingdom for £100,000. It is a rare chance to buy a private island in Yorkshire.

The island just 3 miles from the M62 is approximately 19 acres in size and is located within the River Ouse Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area as well as being classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Accessed only by boat the island is a private getaway covered by mixed vegetation surrounded by Crown owned river course. The island is in an accessible location within 3 miles of Junction 37 of the M62.

For more information, visit www.Savills.com

The Sinking Carteret Islands

2009-05-15T08:28:00.003+10:00

The Carteret Islands, an outlying atoll off the coast of Papua New Guinea, is about as remote as you can get islands wise, and virtually off the media's radar.

The world's media weren't paying any attention, but in late April a lone blogger, Dan Box, was on hand to witness the beginning of the islands' evacuation.

the Carteret Islanders probably aren't the world's first climate-change refugees, but they certainly wont be the last.

Dan Box's Blog, Journey to the Sinking Islands

The Evacuation Begins
Dan Box, Ecologist, 22/04/2009

Paradise lost
Dan Box, Ecologist, May 2009

The Best Job In The World Winner

2009-05-07T08:08:00.003+10:00

A bungee jumping, ostrich-riding British charity worker was named the winner Wednesday of what's been dubbed the "Best Job in the World" — a six-month contract to serve as caretaker of a tropical Australian island.

Ben Southall bested nearly 35,000 applicants from around the world for the dream assignment to swim, explore and relax on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef while writing a blog to promote the area. The 34-year-old from Petersfield in Hampshire, England, has worked for the past few years as a project manager and charity fundraiser, as well as a tour guide in Africa and a charity events project manager in the UK. In his spare time, Ben manages a music festival and keeps fit running marathons and climbing.

Ben's Original Video Application

The 34-year-old was selected for the $150,000 Australian dollar gig by officials from Tourism Queensland.

Ben will move into a luxury 5 bedroom mansion overlooking Hamilton Island and begin a six-month $150,000 "island caretaker" job. He plans to share the house with his Canadian Girlfriend.

Good on you Ben!

Best Job in the World

Dream Job Battle Begins

2009-05-04T08:14:00.002+10:00

Contestants for the Island Dream job arrive on Australia's Hamilton Island.

www.islanddreamjob.com

Finalists for the Island Dream Job

2009-05-04T07:48:00.004+10:00

The final contestants have been selected for Tourism Queensland's "Island Dream Job" contest.

Crazy web videos, publicity stunts, and even a sex scandal were involved during the selection process, in which thousands of islomaniacs from around the world entered video applications for the contest.

The finalist range in age from 20-38, 10 men, 6 women, and 2 are Australians.

The candidates spent yesterday travelling around Brisbane, and today they will will travel to Hamilton Island, on Australia's Great Barrier Reef to spend a few days under inspection by selectors. The winner will be announced tommorow, wednesday 5 May, 2009.

http://www.islanddreamjob.com/

Discount Islands For Sale

2009-05-01T08:07:00.002+10:00

Image: Daydream Island Resort, which is for sale

Everyone knows that the world economy is in dire straits, and a private island is a luxury at the best of times, which is why the prices of private islands around the world have plumetted in the last year.

Over 30 private islands are on the market in Australia, at prices 50% less than the asking price a year ago. But with falling tourism, and banks loath to provide finance, you can expect these prices to fall even further.

Glad I'm not selling islands anymore is all I can say. But if you do have cash now is the time to pick up some great bargains as this article in The Australian points out.

Islands in the discount stream
Bridget Carter, The Australian, April 25, 2009

Christmas Island Lifestyle

2009-05-01T07:45:00.001+10:00

Christmas Island has always fascinated me since a a child because of its name.

One of my uncles was an engineer who worked on mines around the world like Nauru, and I once visited him for Christmas as a child. Spending Christmas holidays on Christmas Island was enthralling for me.

But sadly life on the island is pretty tough for the inhabitants, as a recent story in The Australian shows.

Beyond detention, Christmas Island left to drift

By Paige Taylor, The Australian, April 25, 2009