THE ISLOMANIAC ™

Australia & New Zealand aid Remote Tongan island

2009-11-03T08:55:00.001+11:00

Image: The New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS CANTERBURY has anchored west of the Tsunami-affected Tongan island of Niuatoputapu, to move aid and supplies to the shore.

Australia will spend $1 million on aid to help the remote Tongan island of Niuatoputapu, which was devastated by the Pacific tsunami after a massive earthquake struck nearby Samoa.

The deadly waves killed nine Tongans. Waves swept 600 metres inland on Niuatoputapu, destroying two of the island's three villages.

"This assistance is being provided at the request of the government of Tonga," Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said in a statement.

"Australia has extended its condolences to the government and the people of Tonga for their loss."

Australia is providing tents, marquees, generators and lighting.

All of Niuatoputapu's water storage tanks were destroyed when the tsunami struck. There are just 211 households on the island with a total population of just over 1,000.

Colombia's Secret Island

2009-11-02T09:04:00.000+11:00

Is this the most laid-back island in the Caribbean? Swinging in his hammock, Chris Moss, travel writer of The Observer toasts an island that has kept mass tourism at bay.

Providencia Island is strange mix of South America and the Caribbean, the tiny Colombian island located off the coast of Nicaragua enjoys a pace of life that makes Antigua or Barbados look frenetic.

To read the full story of this undiscovered island click the link below.

Chris Moss, The Observer
Sunday 13 September 2009

Toogoom Island Sold

2009-10-31T12:13:00.001+11:00

IT'S indulgent, lavish and only for the über-wealthy, which means few can lay claim to owning their own island.

“Aussie Rob” Wilson has joined the ranks of this exclusive club, whose members include the likes of Mel Gibson, Nicolas Cage and Richard Branson.

Mr Wilson is now the proud, and “very excited”, owner of a private island near Toogoom.

The 57-acre island, believed to be worth about $7 million, generated national interest when it went up for sale late last year.

But, while he won't divulge how much he forked out, Mr Wilson is clearly thrilled with the purchase and the fact he's now part of the “it” club.

“It's pretty cool,” he said of owning his own coastal paradise.

“I'm jumping out of my skin.

“It's pretty exciting to be able to say you live on an island. It's a real conversation opener.”

Mr Wilson, who also owns a 22-acre property at Toogoom, runs a Gold Coast-based business that teaches people how to trade in financial markets.

He plans to set up a resort on the island, where his clients will go for trading conferences and relaxation.

“We're trying to keep it pretty exclusive, so it will only have a maximum of 50 (people) at a time,” Mr Wilson said.

“We want to keep it really eco-friendly.

“One of our thoughts at this stage is that we want to keep it really different ... a different lifestyle experience for people.”

The unnamed island could soon be called Lifestyle Island if Aussie Rob has his way, named after his company Lifestyle Trader.

Right now the island, which sits 200 metres off the mainland, features two homes, a hangar and air strip, sandy beaches, native wildlife and mangroves.

Mr Wilson will “move in” in December.

“A lot of islands are tropical but this is more of an Australian island,” he said.

“We've got a dozen kangaroos there, which will be great for our international clients.”

Mr Wilson's business also has offices in the UK and US and he regularly travels the world to spruik his ideas.

The island is just “another chapter for the book”, he says.

Within 48 hours of finding out the luxury parcel of land was for sale, a deal was secured.

But the new owner has still only visited the property three times.

So before any of the plans go ahead, he wants to spend some time alone enjoying his new toy.

“At this stage I'm allowed to be selfish,” he laughed.

Before heading back to work, Mr Wilson will spend six weeks from December on the island with his wife, Kerry, where they will begin plans for the resort.

The couple's other property at Toogoom is where they currently “store our stuff” but because they travel so often home is “wherever our heads hit the pillow”, he said.

Mr Wilson says he instantly fell in love the Fraser Coast and enjoys the anonymity of small town life.

But for someone who regularly travels the world and has lived on several continents, his love of the region speaks volumes about its appeal.

When the Chronicle caught up with him, he'd just returned to Oz from the jungles of Belize.

“I'm on stage somewhere in the world every week ... (but) it's pretty hard to beat the Fraser Coast,” he said.

“I absolutely love it.

“It's nice to come home to our little oasis.”

Source: Toogoom Island Sold
By Kristy Martin, October 28, 2009
The Fraser Coast Chronicle

A Girl by the Sea, by Penelope Green

2009-10-31T11:50:00.003+11:00

After living in Rome and Naples, Penny and her Italian partner Alfonso move to the small and very beautiful island of Prodica in the Gulf of Naples, across the bay from Capri.

Imagine catching a ferry home and stepping on to a waterfront lined with multi-coloured buildings, busy with fishing boats leaving and couples strolling to their favourite cafe for an aperitif. For Penny and her new Italian love, Alfonso, the idyllic island of Procida can offer the life they are looking for.

From her rooftop terrace, Penelope Green looks out across the sparkling waters of the Bay of Naples, and down into a garden of lemon trees and magnolias.

Penny and Alfonso want a change of scene and decide to accept the challenge set by Enzo, the owner of the island’s Bar Capriccio, who tells them that young couples come to Procida, ‘But not many last’. Adapting to life in the small community, where many locals are wary of newcomers and the conveniences of the city are more than an hour’s ferry trip away — often on rough seas — is hard for Penny, and could become even more isolated when Alfonso has to leave for three months to tour with his band. But with her trademark optimism and determination, Penny sets her own goal. One thing she has in common with the locals is a love of food, so she sets herself a goal – to master the Procidan cuisine and become more than just a visitor.

She is going to ask her Procidian neighbours to teach her to cook. Over kitchen tables, in cafes and sharing family meals under vine-covered pergolas, Penny learns the art of Italian cooking, and enters into the lives of people on the island as friendships form and stories are traded.

For more about the island of Procida the book is set on Click Here

http://penelopegreen.com.au/books/

50% Finance on Private Island Villas

2009-10-31T11:38:00.003+11:00

The Song Saa Island Resort is located on Koh Ouen and Koh Bong - two small adjacent islands in the Koh Rong Archipelago, a 30-minute boat ride from Sihanoukville. This top-end luxury resort in Cambodia offers exclusive one and two-bedroom villas to investors seeking their own piece of unspoilt paradise. The resort is expected to be completed in 2010. Phase one is now 66% pre-sold with the last over-water villa remaining.

A surprisingly affordable investment opportunity on a true luxury private island with villas from USD 200,000.

10% Guaranteed Yield for 3 Years.

50% FINANCE AVAILABLE

For more details on the island Click Here

For property listings in Private Islands - Eastern Gulf of Thailand or advice, please contact

Prakaipeth Meechoosarn Manager
CBRE Thailand
Phone: +66 81 538 6879
(mobile), +66 77 430 737 (Samui)
+66 76 239 967 (Phuket)
Fax: +66 77 430 740 (Samui)
+66 76 239 970 (Phuket)

The Islomaniac U.S. Congressman

2009-10-18T01:04:00.002+11:00

Tiny Jabonwod Island, The Marshall Islands: Image Courtesy of Representative Jeff Flake

After two years of planning, Arizona Republican Jeff Flake just completed a childhood dream. The congressman spent a week living on a deserted island with just the bare minimum essentials.

The congressman's home away from home was Jabonwod, near Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. Flake his private island as "roughly one-third of a mile long and approximately 100 yards wide."

1 Rep., 1 Week, 1 Deserted Island

The Washington PostMonday, October 12, 2009

US Congressman (R-AZ) Jeff Flake's Website

Fitzroy Island For Sale

2009-10-18T00:43:00.001+11:00

Fitzroy Island Resort in Australia has been put on the market by company receivers - Ferrier Hodgson began a marketing campaign for the resort last week and expects it will attract potential buyers from across the world...

The resort island, which hosted the shooting of the popular The Biggest Loser television series, is located 30km off the coast of Cairns and is owned by Sunshine Coast businessman Joshua Hunt.
Mr Hunt, whose Hunt Group enterprise went into receivership in April with reported debts of $65 million, made headlines when he paid $100 million for the island and began major renovations.

His dream of becoming the next Richard Branson came crashing down when Cairns tourism business Raging Thunder called in Brisbane administrators after being owed about $13 million by Mr Hunt.

Source: The Sunshine Coast Daily.

Australian surfers Castaway on Desert Island

2009-10-08T09:24:00.001+11:00

Four Australian surfers recently became unwitting castaways on a remote island.

Michael Morehead, 26, Matthew Dwyer, 26, Adam Oliver, 28, and Graeme Tuhill, 28, were forced to started rationing their food and water when they realised they were stuck on the island of Awera, about 70km off the coast of Sumatra, after a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake ravaged Indonesia.

The surfers were due to catch a plane out of the West Sumatran capital of Padang on Thursday morning when the earthquake struck last Wednesday around 5.15pm.

The Awera Island Surf Camp is a mid range option for guests wanting to experience the waves of the Mentawai Islands.

Awera Island with its white sand beaches and fringing coral reefs is located within 20 minutes boat ride of 7 quality waves, including the world class Telescopes, which is only 10 minutes away by boat.

Awera Island Surf Camp

Stranded surfers share survival story
Daniel Bateman
The Cairns Post,Thursday, October 8, 2009

Dad fears for surfer son
Daniel Bateman
The Cairns Post, Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Cheap Australian Islands

2009-09-13T08:14:00.003+10:00

Voyages company sold five Queensland resorts, including Dunk Island (above), off Mission Beach, for a huge percentage less than their valuation a year ago.

To read a great article about cheap private islands in Australia click the link below.

£750,000 will buy you a house in London. Or an island paradise
Kathy Marks

THE INDEPENDENT UK

2009 September 11

To find out more about Queensland islands for sale contact the agent ...

Richard Vanhoff

Coldwell Banker Capricorn Coast

http://www.cbcc.com.au/

Phone: 07 4933 2333

Mobile 0415 107 515

vanhoff@ozemail.com.au

Private Island Camping

2009-09-12T23:21:00.002+10:00

It always amazes me to find private islands just outside large cities. Just because you live in a metropolis doesn’t mean you can’t indulge your islomania. The delightfully name Bumpkin Island is just 30 minutes from the City of Boston, and camping is available on the island overnight.

The island was used by Native Americans. During the colonial period the island was leased to tenant farmers. The island hosted a fish-drying operation in the early nineteenth century and a fish smelting operation in the early twentieth century. In 1900, Albert Burrage, a Boston philanthropist, founded a hospital for children with physical disabilities. During WWI, the island was taken over for use as a US Naval Training camp, which was dismantled after the war. The hospital reopened briefly in about 1940 for polio patients but closed during WWII, and burned in 1945.

To camp on Bumpkin Island go to www.reserveamerica.com

For more details Click Here

To read about the history of the island Click Here

Horse Island, Connecticut For Sale

2009-09-12T22:42:00.002+10:00

Allyn and Marti Powell who bought Horse Island in Connecticut in 1973 are now trying to sell it for $2.1 million. They have spent every one of the last 36 summers on the island.

They are selling their ¾ acre island with four bedroom home due to “age purposes”. The house has electricity from a generator, town water supply, a septic system, telephone line, and its own pier and dock.

Despite their thimble-like size, the Thimble Islands, which are part of the Town of Branford, Connecticut were actually named for a variety of berry. There are 100 to 365 islands in the Thimbles, depending on one’s definition of “island”. Twenty three are inhabited and have eighty one dwellings, most of them summer homes.

To see more about the island Click Here

To buy the island contact the Realtor directly

Vinni Davis
Page Taft Realty
Office 453-6511 x120
Cell 671-1335
vdavis@pagetaft.com

Cappuccini Island For Sale

2009-09-10T08:17:00.000+10:00

A stunning seven acre island off the Costa Smeralda with its own villa, clubhouse and private restaurant has come onto the market

Cappuccini is an island off the Costa Smeralda over a thousand feet long and four hundred feet wide. The topography is a gentle slope up from the sea, and the accommodation consists of a large villa with several domes, and with three bedrooms as well as extremely spacious living space. The island also has very pretty gardens and its own private restaurant. Water and electricity are readily available.

Cappuccini lies just a short distance from the harbour of Porto Cervo off the Costa Smeralda in north east Sardinia . Access to mainland Italy is by yacht and the entire Mediterranean is accessible from this pretty and secluded starting point.

Siuated in the crystal turquoise sea, close to Sardinia’s most sought after area of the Costa Smeralda - the Emerald Coast, one of the most beautiful areas in the Mediterranean - the island of Cappuccini is offered for sale. It is located near the world renowned marina harbour of Porto Cervo and its fabulous yacht club, as well as the finest shops and nightlife, hotels and golf courses. The nearest shore is a mere 400 yards away. A very large single villa composed of several domes, located near a quay with access and berths for several boats. There is also additional staff accommodation, and a short distance away is a clubhouse that provides further accommodation and a pool.

The guide price is £23,500,000. For further information please contact Savills on + 44 207 016 3811 or For the full brochure Click Here

Toberua Island For Sale

2009-08-23T21:34:00.001+10:00

Toberua Island Resort is a 10 min taxi ride from Suva airport (Fiji) and 20 min boat ride to the island. Inside the main reef with fantastic diving. Freehold title.

Two 65kva generators provide power. Drinkable water is barged with own barge daily.

2 bedroom managers house and staff quarters for up to 30 staff. The resort can be operated either by the owner or by a manager who is available.

The resort has been recently renovated and has very good occupancy rates.

There is a 9 hole reef golf course at low tide.

Price: USD 4,350,000

Contact: Vern Heydon
Tel: (64)9 530 9384
Cell: (64)21 927 913
Website: www.toberua.com

Island Caretaker Helpers

2009-08-23T09:04:00.002+10:00

We all remember the recent "Island Caretaker" competition from Tourism Queensland. Well if you missed out there is a second chance to become an island caretaker helper.

Watch the video and for more information Click Here

Trouble in Paradise

2009-08-17T07:46:00.003+10:00

Image: Prison Island, Cocos Keeling Islands, Australia

The Cocos-Keeling Islands are two idyllic tropical atolls located in the middle of the Indian Ocean. From 1827 to 1978 the islands were ruled as a private possession by the Clunies-Ross family, who were often dubed the "Kings of the Cocos-Keeling Islands".

By the late 1970s he last "King" of the Cocos-Keeling Islands had come under pressure from the Australian Government and its trades unions, as well as the United Nations, because they viewed the families rule as a feudal regime.

In 1978, Australia forced the family to sell the islands for the sum of AU$6,250,000, using the threat of compulsory acquisition. The family retained ownership of Oceania House, their home on the island.

However, in 1983 the Australian government moved to dishonour this agreement, and told the former last ruler, John C. Clunies-Ross, that he should leave the Cocos. The following year the High Court of Australia ruled that resumption of Oceania House was unlawful, but the Australian government ordered that no government business was to be granted to his shipping company, an action which contributed to his bankruptcy. John Clunies-Ross lives in exile in Perth, Australia, but his successors still live on the Cocos. The last “King” of the Cocos-Keeling Islands John C. Clunie-Ross has written a history of the islands which can be purchased online. To read more and buy a copy Click Here

Now the tables have turned, and the local Cocos Malays have been despicably treated by the Australian government, and a front page article in todays "The Australian" newspaper has exposed these deplorable practices.

To read more about these beautiful and fascinating islands click these links.

Crime in paradise lost in translation
By Paige Taylor, The Australian, August 17, 2009

Australia's Forgotten Paradise
By Cheyenne Morrison

Kings of the Cocos-Keeling Islands
By Cheyenne Morrison

Cocos-Keeling Islands Tourism Site

Thoughts on Islomania

2009-08-10T22:02:00.001+10:00

Image: Isla Palenqui, Chiriqui, Panama

By Benjamin A. Loomis
President, Amble Resorts
July 24th, 2009

To read the original Click Here

Islands hold a special place in our collective unconscious. They are places of mystery, discovery, isolation, adventure, and occasionally horror. The mainland is where ordinary life occurs, but islands are special. Gods live on islands; so do monsters.

Throughout literary history, islands have played roles in many of our most revered texts. They have been portrayed as places to confront the unknown (The Odyssey), to remake oneself (Robinson Crusoe), to start a new life (Swiss Family Robinson), to found an ideal society (Utopia), or to face our cruelest selves (Lord of the Flies).

And it’s not just literature: throughout the history of mankind itself, islands have been places where exceptional individuals go beyond themselves to change the world: inventing new styles of art (Gauguin in Tahiti), creating revolutionary theories about the world (Darwin in Galapagos), or developing new ways to destroy the world (atom bomb testing at Bikini Atoll).

The undeniable romance to the idea of living on an island, spanning so much history and so many cultures, leads me to think that it must have several deeply ingrained, and probably evolutionary, bases. I am currently thinking there are two primary ones: going to an island involves a treacherous JOURNEY, and an island is a complete WORLD unto itself. There’s probably much more to it than this, but these facts help lend a mythological quality to island living that goes far deeper than whatever slick marketing techniques can be mustered to entice people to a destination.

THE JOURNEY: Only a select few are born on an island; everyone else has to travel to it from the mainland. Getting to it involves getting on a boat and crossing a body of water, an environment greatly inhospitable to human life, and a place that we humans simply shouldn’t be. Even in a modern boat, with lifejackets, radios and multiple other safeguards, the journey is inherently dangerous, and one can feel it. (And while an airplane involves a similar defiance of physics, being in an open-air boat has an immediacy that just can’t be matched by a commercial airliner.) In a bobbing boat, with waves lapping against the hull, waters churning around, and an unfathomable deep below, one becomes highly cognizant of the primordial ritual of baptism, and takes part in the Campbellian “hero’s journey” into the unknown, and unknowable.

Even without going to an island, the voyage out to sea puts one in a position to gain a new, deeper, and more nuanced perspective on mainland reality and one’s life there. However, arriving at an island creates a whole new dimension to this journey, and one can enter an entirely new reality.

A COMPLETE WORLD: While it may be true that “no man is an island”, an island is indeed an island, and upon stepping onto one, this fact is deeply, if inexplicably, sensed. Islands are a “whole”, they are complete unto themselves. Birds and winds may carry new forms of life to an island every so often, of course; but by and large, (natural) islands are complete ecosystems resting in equilibrium. The coastline creates a definitive, undeniable edge, and everything inside must work as a singular system. This leads, in a short time, to a realization among an island inhabitant: even though the interior may be a frighteningly dense forest and not obviously comprehensible, the boundaries of the island are clear and unarguable. One knows that the land is finite, and that with enough time, it can all be understood. An island is not just a world unto itself, but a world that a mere mortal can come to make sense of. It is a place where one can gain an existential foothold in the cosmos, and know everything there is to know — at least about this one world. This godlike understanding creates a sense of tranquility that simply can’t be matched on the mainland, where one can never really, truly, know where one is.

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Not all islands are “Islands,” in the sense I am describing. A true “Island”, in the sense I mean (and in the way I think we all intuitively feel it), has no or very few people, and is not too big: otherwise it takes on too many characteristics of the mainland, and loses its “island-ness”. If there are too many people on the island and a society too connected to the rest of the world, then it starts to feel like the mainland: an Island is an isolated escape, a place to find one’s true self, not a place where one remains tied to customary life. Likewise, if an island is so big that it can’t be readily and easily comprehended by a single person, then it again starts to feel like the mainland: a big mass of land which one can only know in bits and pieces.

Cuba, for example, thus fails as an Island, on both counts. The highly developed islands of Bermuda and the Bahamas (and many other Caribbean islands), while small, are too highly developed and too tied to mainland culture to be a true escape. And places like New Zealand and Madagascar, while largely raw and uninhabited, are too large to be experientially understood as an island. And don’t even consider the Florida Keys or Long Island: as soon as one can walk or drive there, the land is no longer an island. These places may happen to be islands by geographical definition, but they aren’t “Islands.”

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Amble Resorts’ mission, paraphrased, is to develop places that express their true spirit, or genius loci. Thus the above understanding of the Platonic Island is one of the main driving forces behind the vision for Isla Palenque, and our development will embody the kind of tranquility that can be gained by island living.

Let’s begin by considering the island itself: both its size (400 acres) and its natural features (highly varied topography, lots of distinct, untouched ecosystems) make it eminently, but not easily, knowable. Isla Palenque is small enough to be understood, at a very superficial level, in one to two days of very hard hiking (it would taker closer to a week at the leisurely pace of a vacationing tourist). But it’s also large enough and has enough diverse topography and distinct ecosystems that it takes at least a month to fully explore, and a few solid years to understand the natural rhythms that affect and give life to the island year to year. So Isla Palenque is not easily knowable — that would be boring — but comprehensible in a few days, and largely understandable with a few months of concerted effort; at the same time, its jungles and lagoons also contain a level of subtle mystery that reward years of living there, if one so desires.

Next, look at how our development respects these facts and creates an environment where Palenque’s Island-ness can shine through. The island is being very lightly developed. Less than 5% of the area is being built upon, leaving over 95% as either undisturbed preserve (most of it), or as delicately enhanced landscape: gardens dedicated to local flora and fauna, manicured jungle, an organic farm, and the like. This means that most buildings will be obscured by jungle or gardens, and unseen by guests.

There’s no way to reach Isla Palenque but by boat. It’s difficult to come here, and one must make the legendary journey I’ve described. As you approach the island, you will see little more than the occasional roof peeking through the jungle until reaching the arrival dock, when some of the larger elements of the hotel will become visible, built in our signature raw, exotic style that indicates the “otherworldliness” of our island development. And while it won’t feel completely uninhabited, homes and rooms will feel so secluded that you could be forgiven for forgetting that there were others on the island.

From this secluded vantage, you can see your mainland life anew — you can have a new, unencumbered life on the island; and when it’s time to return to mainland, it can be done with new vigor, new insights, and a sense of (dare I say it?) spiritual renewal.

Isla Palenque Resort

Spanning over 400 acres of lush, unspoiled tropics, the ultra-private Isla Palenque sits tucked in the Gulf of Chiriqui on the south side of Panama. Over the next several years, Amble Resorts will be building both a top-tier resort hotel and a string of vacation homes along the shores of this pristine island.

To see more ...

Isla Palenque Resort

Aristotle Onassis’ Island For Sale

2009-08-10T21:52:00.001+10:00

Athina Onassis Roussel, the granddaughter of the famed Aristotle Onassis has decided to put her grandfather's private island up for sale.

Skorpios in the Ionian Sea has reputedly been put on the market at a reported price of more than £100 million.

Aristotle Onassis bought Skorpios for President Kennedy’s widow Jackie Kennedy, and his son Alex and daughter Christina are buried in the private chapel on the island.

Heiress puts Onassis Isle up for sale
By Stuart Clarke and Hilary Douglas
The Express, UK, August 9, 2009

Torres Strait Islands Seek Independance

2009-08-09T19:34:00.001+10:00

Recently Torres Strait islanders staged a protest outside the Pacific International Forum in Cairns, demanding the right for the collection of islands to be granted sovereignty.

In the second half of the 19th Century, Torres Strait Islanders lost their independence when the Queensland Government annexed the Torres Strait Islands.

People's movement for autonomy for the Torres Strait spokesman Father Getano Lui Jnr said residents deserved the right to manage their own affairs.

MP supports Torres Strait independence

Courier Mail, AustraliaAugust 5th, 2009

The Torres Straits Independance Movement

(in) The Pacific Islands By Brij V. Lal, Kate Fortune

Best Islands To Live On Guide

2009-08-05T22:50:00.003+10:00

Image: North Cay, Gutob Bay, Busuanga, Palawan, The Philippines

Islands Magazine now has a cool new toy to fiddle with for dedicated islomaniacs.

Islands Magazine Interactive Island Finder

You can calculate your best island to live on by region, price and lifestyle.

My top three picks?

The island of Palawan in the Philippines

The Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific

Belize, in the Caribbean

Ratua Island, Vanuatu

2009-08-01T08:34:00.003+10:00

Having traveled the world for the last 25 years, and having stayed at, or visited hundreds of private island resorts I can truthfully say that 95% of them are generic, and run of the mill in terms of design. However, a new resort that has just opened in Vanuatu has been beautifully designed and executed by a French islomaniac.

During an around-the-world sailing adventure in the mid 90s a French Entrepreneur happened upon the stunning Ratua Island off the south coast of Espiritu Santo Island, in Vanuatu, the South Pacific. In 2005 he leased the island, and went on to establish a beautifully detailed Eco-Resort. The resort lies on the western side of the island and is made up of 12 private bungalows, each with its own private beachfront. A yacht club serves as the main hub with 200-year-old Javanese huts making up the dining and bar area.

Below in his own words are how he discovered the island, and his philosophy for its development in harmony with nature.

Discovering the island

In 2004, we decided to sail around the world. After one year spent in the Atlantic ocean we crossedthe Panama canal to face the immense Pacific and visit some of its archipelagos -- the Galapagos,Marquesas, Tuamotu, Cook, Samoa and Fiji.

In June 2005 we arrived in New Caledonia , where our friend Patrick Durand Gaillard had beenliving for 20 years. Patrick immediately told us about the Vanuatu archipelago, and one place inparticular, a jewel-like island whose location was kept secret. Our voyage across started on July 6,2005.

From its southernmost volcanic island Tanna we sailed north to Efate Island , the capital and itsport, then to Epi, Ambrym, Malakula and finally Espiritu Santo . One after the other each island putus under a spell; here time stood still, intact tribal communities had kept their ancestral ways, naturewas unspoiled, consumerism had yet to reach this part of the world.

Finally, nestled between Aore and Malo, south of Espiritu Santo was our destination, Ratua. Thisstunningly beautiful isle, in its green setting, welcomed us, a preserved sanctuary, wild yet accessible.Right away we decided to adopt the island, and after a few meetings the local elders entrusted theirtreasure to our care.

Safeguarding a Sanctuary

We pondered during the long hours sailing back to civilization on the necessity of preserving Ratuawithout concession, on how to live there harmoniously whilst avoiding its destruction.
We recreated a living environment without compromising the integrity of the place by renovatingforty houses in total respect of their ancestral architecture. Two years later each house had beencarefully blended in its vegetal surroundings so as to preserve the ‘emotions’ of the first encounterand the uniqueness of the place. All aspects of life on Ratua derived from this concept, transport onhorseback, return of indigenous fauna, sea links using traditional crafts and organic cooking.

More Information

Ratua Private Island is available for you and up to 24 guests starting at $US12,000 per night or $US72,000 per week (seven days/six nights).

Prices are inclusive of the island rental, boat transfers, food, beverage (including wine and spirits), and activities.

Ratua Island Website

To see beautiful images of the island Click Here

To see the island’s location Click Here

Pagasa Island, South China Sea

2009-07-28T07:39:00.001+10:00

Pagasa Island, situated in the Kalayaan Island of the Philippines in the disputed Spratley and Paracel islands of the South China Sea would seem to be paradise.

A stunning tropical island, whose pure white sandy beaches are surrounded by aquamarine waters. However for the Filipino inhabitants of the island it is sheer hell.

The Los Angeles Times has just published a great report about the island, and the travails of its inhabitants.

Squatters in paradise say it's job from hell
By John M. Glionna
Los Angelese Times, July 26, 2009

To read more about the fascinating history of this remote island Click Here

Xavier Rosset, 300 days alone on an island

2009-07-25T20:07:00.003+10:00

Image: Xavier Rosset (before image) upon his arrival at Tofua Island, Ha'apai Group, The Kingdom of Tonga.

Over a year ago I was contacted by a Swiss Adventurer who planned to live for a year alone on an island. I recommended that he inspect the islands of The Kingdom of Tonga, and so eventually he decided to spend a year on the remote volcanic island of Tofua, in the Ha’apai Islands. Looking at Xavier’s photos I am reminded of the before and after shots of Tom Hanks when he filmed “Cast Away”, except this time the castaway was genuine.

Xavier writes … “On the 30th of June 2009 I arrived at the Geneva Airport. This is the day that marked the end of my incredible adventure of 300 days on the island of Tofua.”

There are more than 100 new photos, on the internet site http://www.xavierrosset.com/.

To see dozens of photos of Xavier’s 300 days on the island Click Here

During this time on my own, I had to adapt to nature. Nature became my best friend. It was her that protected, fed and helped me. She helped me grow and mature as a person… It is difficult to use words to describe what I experienced.

There were many difficult moments during my time at the other end of the world. The lack of food and water during the first couple of months changed my physical appearance considerably, but this was not the hardest obstacle to deal with.

Being alone was probably the biggest challenge. To be alone, in the middle of nowhere and not being able to escape this solitude was the hardest obstacle to accept. The different infections were difficult to overcome. As well, as the constant mosquitoes that turned around my body, they eventually became one with me.

I discovered the sentence “take your time” means a lot.

So many questions filled my mind, and I was not able to answer the questions in the beginning. After time, I was able to see clearer and the answers started to come to me. I always had the answers in me but I did not know it.

Image: Xavier Rosset (after shot) in Tom Hanks mode after spending 300 days alone on Tofua Island

This adventure helped me grow, it showed me that man has extraordinary capacities and we are able to push past our limits. The instinct of survival makes us stronger.

There were several times that I wanted to abandon, which would have made everything easier. But I kept my head high and stayed positive; knowing that for every problem there is a solution. We need to find it within ourselves.

A message that comes out of this adventure is that we each have our dreams, and we need to follow our dreams. Go forward and believe in them. I think that these actions determine who we are.

The only thing that makes a dream impossible is the fear of failure.

You believed in a dreamer who did not know that his dream was almost impossible to do, but he succeeded!

And why not?

When you make a decision, it is the beginning of a change, an evolution.

Thank you for all your support. “Vive la vie”….

Xavier Rosset
Adventurer

Island With Causeway For Sale

2009-07-25T08:03:00.004+10:00

W I N D W A R D I S L A N D S

Great Lakes, Canada Freshwater with Year Round Auto Access Causeway $895,000 CDN

2 ACRE PRIVATE ISLAND with full hydro, water etc.
Lake Huron 2 ½ hours from Toronto AreaIdeal B & B, Spa or Waterfront Country Inn

Retire/Work/Play with Nature at Every Window
Breathtaking Ocean-Like Vistas in Summer and Winter
Year Round Road Access / Parking for 6+ Vehicles
Smooth Flat Rock and Sand for Swimming/Fishing/Kayaking/Canoeing
Exhilarating Lakeshore Cross Country Skiing/Snowshoeing or Walks
Private Old World Waterfront Country Grandeur
Gated Access Through Custom Stone Pillars With Iron Gates
Meticulously maintained by existing year round couple for over 23 years

A rare privilege to own this traditional estate dedicated to marrying man-made & natural splendors
Antique beauty of wood & stone nestled in perfect harmony, graced by cool sweet lakeside breezes

Crystal clear starlit skies, shimmering moonlit waters/nightscapes

Discreet, Exclusive, Uniquely Beautiful Elite Island Home

A high profile or celebrity hideaway or getaway for romance

Nearest city is Owen Sound

You own the entire 2 acre property near Sauble Beach with approx 1000 ft shoreline

Year round, gated private auto causeway over lakebed ensures privacy

Pristine Lake Huron with immeasurable fresh clean waters
16 miles to Federal Airport, hospital, shopping, 3 golf courses

Chain of barrier islands and shoals 2 miles out ideal for sport fishing
Sheltered boat channel with 50ft natural quarry-stone pier
Adjacent secluded conservation lands ensure continued privacy

A Partnership With Nature!

Interior of Dwelling

Sensational unobstructed southwest/westerly ocean-like views
4 Covered observation decks, porches (1000 s.f. total) with relaxed ambience

Turn the gaze inward…architecturally magnificent custom built & insulated for 4-season living

Approx 3,850 sq. ft. of glorious sun drenched elegance with flow through spaces
Overabundance of windows without coverings capture nature from morning till night

Soaring, dramatic post & beam ceilings reach 21 feet skyward from lower level great room
Open, railed wrap-around upper mezzanine overlooking lower livingroom

Dramatic 16-ft high stone fireplace, impressive 13 ft wide at base stretches 2 floors high
Ancient 4” oak mantel (from 1886 sunken schooner) accents native limestone fireplace
Fully winterized including convenient electric heating plus 2 romantic wood burning fireplaces
Clean, safe endless drinking water from deep drilled well, plus full septic system
4 baths and 6 bedrooms or 2 bdrm guest wing with private entrance
Spectacular central open wooden staircase ascends for nighttime retiring
Rich, romantic British Columbia redwood interior wall coverings…ageless beauty
Captivating soft evening lighting with stone, glass and wood-swept backgrounds
Leaded and stained glass areas and classic old world nautical artifacts

Property & Grounds

Exceptional clean swimming & fishing from shore in sparkling emerald waters
Shorebirds wild calls fill the air with life, especially when their young are in tow
Mature coniferous & deciduous trees, flowering shrubbery and vines Wandering stone walkways/ exquisite perennial gardens and lush manicured grasses
Secluded from mainland, only timeless serene music water sounds to soothe you

Summer cool tranquil inner sanctum with gentle bayside breezesCozy treed protected getaway in cooler months, easily accessible in winter too!Water's edge stone terrace for entertaining & awe-inspiring stargazing/nighttime magicSweeping leisurely, calming sunrises enhance morning coffee or tea

Ever changing drama of stunning scarlet sunsets ends each dayAbsolutely no "uninvited" guests. Whole Island is yours alone…a storybook fantasy!

A Quintessential Hideaway for Personal Peace of Mind

Exceptional “genuine” vintage antique furnishings can also be purchased

To email the owners Click Here

Tuvalu Islands Move to Green Power

2009-07-24T08:27:00.001+10:00

The government of the island nation of Tuvalu in the South Pacific is working to reach its goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2020.

After 14 months in operation the country’s solar energy project has reduced consumption of generator fuel shipped from New Zealand by 17,000 tons and saved 50 tons of CO2 from being released in the atmosphere. A further benefit is the reduced risk of diesel spills around the atoll's reefs.

To read more click the article below ...

Drowning island pins hopes on clean energy
CNN, July 21, 2009

To see a great story about an islomaniac who became an climate refugee from Tuvalu Click Here

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