ISLAND CASTAWAYS: TREASURE ISLAND

 

 

ISLAND CASTAWAYS

King's Island sits 350 yards from Scottish mainland Island also comes with its own boathouse, observatory and helipad These are the pictures that estate agents hope will entice a - suitably wealthy - buyer who perhaps wants to get away from it all. For those tempted by the the isolated home, which stands on its own island off the Scottish coast, will need deep pockets, as 'King's Island' has gone on sale for a cool £3million. The 260-acre island sits just 350 yards from the coast of west Scotland, and has its own helicopter pad next to the remote four-bedrooms house which has pride of place on the isolated isle. This boat jetty looking out on to Loch Craignish is one of very few man-made parts of the isle Ample space: The four bedroom property on the island has extensive garden and driveway space due to its unique location Although requiring access by boat or helicopter, the 260-acre island is a haven for many forms of wildlife As well as the four-bedroom house, the island off Loch Craignish comes with a boat house, observatory for gazing at the Northern Lights, and its own helicopter facility. While King's Island may be the ideal hideaway for a James Bond villain, its abundance of wildlife makes it a perfect purchase for a nature lover. It is frequently visited by a population of deer that swim over from the mainland and the sheltered waters also attract dolphins, otters, sea eagles and ospreys. There is an endless supply of salmon and lobsters that the new owner can exclusively fish for. The island is currently owned by top City trader Christian Siva-Jothy, a former partner in Goldman Sachs, who has modernised the main house. Room with a view: The owner of the island can look forward to seeing salmon, lobster and other forms of wildife in and around its shores Spacious: The island also comes with its own boathouse and observatory He closed down the $200million business he began after leaving Goldman Sachs and made a stunning confession about his ability to play the market. Mr Siva-Jothy wrote to investors in his firm SemperMacro: 'In this business, you are only as good as your last few trades. 'Mine have not been very good.  Whether I have lost my edge or simply need a break after 23 years, I am not sure. I certainly hope it’s the latter.' It is thought his financial misfortune has forced him to sell up. Previous owners have included Sir Reginald Johnston, a retired tutor to Puyi, the last Chinese emperor, in the 1930s and then a retired Indian army officer. Ran Morgan, from the estate agents, said: 'The island is stunningly beautiful and surrounded by the most extraordinary land and seascapes. Isolated: King's Island sits 350 yards from the mainland of west Scotland Remote: The four bedroom house on the island provides spectacular views, but little neighbourly contact 'It is so peaceful and tranquil yet it only takes 10 minutes to travel by boat to reach the mainland or 25 minutes to fly by helicopter to Glasgow. 'The coastal village of Ardfern is the nearest settlement and has a large marina, supermarket and a thriving school. 'The wildlife is also quite incredible and while the salmon farm just a few yards off the island is privately owned there is nothing to stop you from dropping a rod and line into the water. 'The loch is sheltered and is also a wonderful place for water sports like kayaking and diving. 'This is a fantastic opportunity for someone to live a bit of a Robinson Crusoe-type existence and be at one with nature.' David Glasheen has been living on Restoration Island off the Australian coast for almost 20 years after he lost £6.5 million on the stock market The Supreme Court in Queensland, Australia has ruled that he must vacate the island after failing lease conditions He was required to develop tourist accommodation and fishing facilities as part of his £13,000 per year lease The man in his sixties has lived self-sufficiently with his sole companion, dog Quasi A man living alone on an island like Robinson Crusoe for almost 20 years faces eviction from his castaway oasis. The Australian man has been living on tiny Restoration Island off the north-eastern coast of Australia since 1993 after the former high-flying Sydney businessman lost £6.5 million in the 1987 stock market crash. Living off crabs and coconuts, and connected to solar-powered internet, David Glasheen has enjoyed a life of private tranquillity his dog Quasi, calling himself ‘the luckiest bloke in the world’.

On the 12 August 1770, far north on the Great Barrier Reef, Captain James Cook landed on a small palm-fringed island that seemed overrun with fast-moving, long-tailed reptiles. He promptly named his new find Lizard Island. My reef experience begins in a distinctly lizard-less manner, but that is because it starts in the air, flying to Lizard Island over an endless iridescent blue sea dotted with coral cays. My arrival on Captain Cook's island is somewhat different too. Instead of a greeting by leathery locals, I am handed a cool glass of champagne by tranquil staff. After all, Cook's hangout is now an exclusive private island and preferred bolthole of Aussie actors Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman. Captain Cook's retreat: Lizard Island was named after its leathery-skinned inhabitants Apart from garnering A-list approval, the island retains much of the charm from Cook's time. The sand is powder-white, the turquoise sea quietly lapping and the temperatures - when I visit in October - a comfortable 27C. But of course there is one major change, a rather luxurious - and recently revamped - hotel bathes among the sun-loving lizards. Suites are dotted just metres from the water's edge, all bright airy spaces and iPod docking stations. But there are no televisions, just in case any guests needing coaxing away from Neighbours and out onto the Great Barrier Reef. Sharing this luxury cay is the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation, which is owned by the Australian Museum. Hotel guests can visit the research station, which supplies on-reef facilities for coral reef research and education. I spend my days basking in the sun, occasionally diving or heading to the Cod Hole dive site on Ribbon Reef 10 (an hour’s boat ride away) so I can snorkel with giant sized potato cod, which weigh in at 150kg or more each and can make somewhat scary swimming companions. Deep blue: The Great Barrier Reef has plenty to explore under the water's surface The first thing I see when I hit the water are these huge fish, twice my size, swimming slowly towards me. Their colossal bulk, big bulging lips and rough bodies fascinate me, they are bland in colour when compared to some of the reef’s beautifully bright neon fish, yet they are gentle when hand-fed by our guide. Alternatively, spoil yourself to a relaxing treatment at the hotels new Azure Spa. Lizard Island is not high brow, it’s low key and intimate, and the staff has a way of making your day special. Reluctantly I leave the luxuries and personal attention of Lizard Island, and head south to another animal favourite - Heron Island. David Attenborough stayed here during the filming of the BBC series 'First Life' and described the Island as his top place to stay to see marine wildlife up close. It is an unpretentious, interactive and educational resort, popular with families looking to explore the reef. The resort shares the tiny island with The Heron Island Research Station and Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service. This year, the resort and the Research Station hatched a partnership to provide resort guests with a greater opportunity to learn about and get up close to turtles. Life of luxury: David Attenborough loved his stay on Heron Island The Turtle Foundation staff and trained resort workers have teamed up to take guests on guided tours of the foundation’s facilities and accompany guests on night beach walks to observe turtles nesting and hatching. I head to the beach with Turtle Foundation director Tim Harvey. We spot a female Green turtle scraping her way over old coral; she’s ill equipped for such obstacles, yet she drags herself up the beach until she finds a suitable nesting place. Slowly, she digs a foot-deep pit and releases her eggs. Tim explains that at this stage turtles go into a sort of trance and are unaware we are there. A popular treat fro visitors on Heron Island is to indulge in a two-night break on nearby Wilson Island. This Robinson Crusoe-style retreat is all barefoot luxury and barefoot luxury and attentive staff. Accommodation is in six luxury tents, the food is gourmet and there is a 24-hour open bar. The tiny island (it took me 10 minutes to walk around it at low tide) sits in a World Heritage area, there is minimal electricity and a generator and solar power provide power for cooking and to charge battery operated room lamps. Thankfully, there are no phones, no TVs and no mod cons. The island is big on conservation, eco-tourism and protection of the island and reef. Whatever comes to the island leaves the island. Meet the locals: Turtles drag themselves up onto the beach to lay their eggs under cover of darkness Guests can eat together around a large table in the Long House. In the evenings we dine on delicious three-course meals and share stories of our reef adventures. Guests can also fish and cook their own catch for lunch or dinner. I spend my days in the water, snorkeling on the reef, all it takes is a few steps into the sea and suddenly I am swimming with turtles, small reef sharks and a multitude of bright neon fish. Late at night, under cover of darkness, I wield my turtle-spotting skills learnt on Heron Island and head to the beach down a narrow sandy path. En-route I encounter howling Mutton Birds, underground dwelling creatures that seasonally visit the island to nest. At night, the birds leave their burrows and stay up all night creating a loud haunting howl that sends shivers down your spine. The sandy beach path turns a corner and I almost fall over an enormous Green turtle that is digging her nest in the middle of the path. Soon, I spot another turtle making her way up the beach in search of a soft damp sand to nest in. Within half an hour, over 20 turtles have dragged themselves up the beach to lay their clutch of eggs. It was an amazing experience and one that will stay with me forever. I spend all night on the beach watching the turtles. It is this kind of experience that makes the Great Barrier Reef such a pull for nature-lovers. And it seems there is an island for everyone, no matter how deep your pockets.

Australian Robinson Crusoe: Voluntary castaway David Glasheen has been living as a recluse on a small island off the Australian coast for almost 20 years with his dog Quasi but the island's directors are trying to evict him

But the Queensland government is trying to evict the voluntary castaway, in his sixties, after he failed to build a resort on the 1.53ha island, a condition of the lease which allowed him access to the land.

The Queensland Supreme Court recently ruled that the land should be repossessed and that he and his business partners are ‘trespassers’.

Living a reclusive life, Glasheen learnt to be self-sufficient, growing vegetables and brewing his own beer. He also still trades stocks using an online trading account.

He said: ‘You soon learn in the bush to survive. If you don’t you die pretty quickly.

‘It is a fabulous place, I am a lucky bloke to be there.

Lonely in love: Using his solar-powered internet connection Glasheen tried internet dating to find his 'Girl Friday' to live with him, using a mannequin to publicise his plight but had no luck

'Luckiest bloke in the world': Glasheen loves living on the island, catching fish and crabs, growing vegetables and brewing his own beer to survive

Broke island lease: The government has ruled that Glasheen must vacate Restoration Island, a 1.52ha oasis, having failed to build tourist accommodation and fishing facilities, a condition of his lease

'I have learnt a huge amount. I started to value what is really important. Trust, honesty, respect - simple things.

'I have learnt that you can do things with very little.'

While he loves his life in paradise, Glasheen does get lonely and several years ago tried internet dating to find ‘Girl Friday’ to live with him. He got hundreds of responses but had no luck in love.

Glasheen said: ‘It gets lonely out here.

‘My only hope is for a mermaid to turn up on the beach.’

A girlfriend had initially moved to the island, 1,500 miles from Queensland capital Brisbane, with Glasheen but found life there too difficult.

He is visited occasionally by passing yachtsmen, kayakers and groups of organic farmers.

Few visitors: Glasheen says sometimes he gets lonely with his dog his only companion but he is occasionally visited by passing yachtsmen, kayakers and organic farmers

Must vacate: The island's directors have been trying to evict Glasheen since 2000 and he says that he has 'no idea' what he will do if he has to move from the island he has been living on for almost 20 years

Australian oasis: Restoration Island is 1,500 miles from Queensland capital Brisbane and was named because Captain William Bligh found essential supplies were there that had been set adrift by mutineers on HMS Bounty

Glasheen leased one third of the island from the Australian Government for £13,000 a year on behalf of Restoration Island Priory Ltd.

The 43-year lease which allowed Glasheen required him and a business partner to develop fishing facilities and tourist accommodation valued at a minimum of £131,000 on the island, a condition which they failed to do.

A Supreme Court judgement said the island’s directors had been trying to get Glasheen to vacate the island since 2000.

The court said: ‘The defendants have wrongly deprived the plaintiff of its asset for over a decade during which time they have enjoyed its benefits.

Glasheen is considering appealing the decision.

Asked what he will do if he is forced to leave his island home he said: ‘I have no idea. I live on now. Tomorrow I might be dead.’

Restoration Island was named after Captain William Bligh found essential supplies that had been set adrift by mutineers of the HMS Bounty.

Survival skills: The picturesque island has taught Glasheen bush survival skills because 'if you don't (learn them) you die pretty quickly' he said