Commandos (1968)

 

Sgt. Sullivan puts together a group of Italian-Americans into disguise as Italian soldiers in order to infiltrate a North African camp held by the Italians. After the soldiers have knifed the Italians in their beds, they find a hooker living at the camp. Sullivan's commandos are to hold this camp and its weaponry until an American battalion arrives, all the while these Italian-Americans pretend to be Italian soldiers, often hosting the enemy. Lt. Valli is a young, "green," by-the-book officer who constantly argues with Sgt. Sullivan, who tells his superior that he has no idea what he is doing. One man on the base, probably a touch from Argento, is an entomologist who is needlessly killed. Things go terribly wrong after that.

Playing For Time

 

Playing For Time is a 1980 CBS television film, written by Arthur Miller and Fania Fénelon, based on Fénelon's autobiography, The Musicians of Auschwitz. Vanessa Redgrave stars as acclaimed musician Fania Fénelon.

Playing For Time was based on Fénelon's experience as a female prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp, where she and a group of classical musicians were spared in return for performing music for their captors. The film was also adapted as a play by Arthur Miller.

 

Fénelon, a Jewish singer-pianist, is sent with other prisoners to the Auschwitz concentration camp in a crowded train during World War II. After having their belongings and clothes taken and their hair cut short, the prisoners are processed and enter the camp. Fénelon is recognized as being a famous musician and she finds that she will be able to avoid hard manual labor and survive longer by becoming a member of the prison's female orchestra.

In the process, she strikes up a close relationship with Alma Rosé, the musical group's leader, as well as the other members of the band. Realizing that the musicians get better treatment than other prisoners, Fania convinces the guards and members of the orchestra that another prisoner she had befriended, Marianne, is actually a talented singer. Although Marianne performs poorly at her audition, she is allowed to join the orchestra. Playing for the Nazis, however, robs the women of much of their dignity and most of them often questioned whether remaining alive was worth the abuse they constantly suffer.

Battle of the Eagles (1979)

 

Follows the true adventures of the "Partisan Squadron," the courageous airmen known as the "Knights of the Sky" during WWII in Yugoslavia.

 

Throughout the 1950s and into the 60s, 70s and even into the 80s, a slew of war films were produced in the former Yugoslavia, glorifying the heroism of the “Partisans” – civilians who turned out to fight a guerrilla war against the invading German forces. Hajrudin Krvavac, who’s generally only known in Eastern Europe, directed quite a few of these “partisan” stories; unfortunately, only a handful of them were ever exported to the rest of the Europe and the United States. “Battle of the Eagles” is a rare, low-budget look at the formation and exploits of the Partisan Air Force.

Yugoslavian/Czech production movie about First Yugoslav Partisan Squadron formed in 1942, in free territory of occupied Yugoslavia. Great movie indeed with English audio ! Using captured enemy planes, the pilots of the partisan squadron wreak havoc on the Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht ranks of the mighty German army. Filmed on location in Yugoslavia.

Marshal Tito decrees that a Partisan Air Force must be formed to combat the German Luftwaffe in the skies over Yugoslavia. A group of former pilots join forces with two small biplanes and begin raiding enemy bases and convoys; over the course of several months, more pilots and planes join the ranks, eventually forming a formidable air force. Maybe it’s history, or maybe it’s fable – whatever it is, it sure isn’t convincing, but a cast of great actors sure try to make it work.
The film opens strongly with a well-shot German air raid on defenseless partisans. The nuts and bolts of the plot come together almost immediately, and for a short while the audience is treated to a rather patriotic series of scenes. Then the action starts, and this title quickly becomes yet another low-budget, by-the-numbers adventure. All of the characters are familiar clichés: Major Dragan (played by a well-meaning Bekim Fehmiu) is our typical patriotic, heroic leading man. He blasts away at strafing planes with a machine-gun and even has an aerial duel with the villainous Klauberg (Radko Polic), a completely predictable and corny climax with an equally predictable outcome. The rest of the partisans are familiar: Ljubisa Samardzic (“The Battle of Neretva”) is a Zare, a hotshot playboy; Bata Zivojinovic (“Hell River”) is Voss, a veteran flyer who comes out of the woodwork now that his country needs him; and Rados Bajic (“The Day that Shook the World”) is Dalibor, a young messenger boy who moves up through the ranks, eventually becoming a seasoned combat pilot. The characters and their stories are familiar to any war fan, and Krvavac doesn’t try to build upon these stereotypes. The cast does a fair job, and despite the two-dimensional script, every player is engaging and fun to watch. Bajic, in particular, has some great moments – when he’s going to take his first flight as a gunner, and later, when he is forced to land a plane after the pilot is killed. The plot merely consists of a string of air raids against the Germans, and subsequent retaliatory acts.
Krvavac handles the action sequences competently with a mix of actual footage and miniature effects. Unfortunately, the miniatures are so cheap and false-looking that the transitions between actual aerial photography and toy planes are jarring and laughable. Some of the strafing and bombing scenes look shockingly real, while dogfights involving scale models, complete with action figure pilots, are just plain pathetic. Sometimes smoke puffs from the “machine-guns” are so big that the smoke engulfs the entire model plane. Worse, the editors often superimpose shots of fighters over real footage. Although the aircraft are usually in proper perspective, they’re surrounded by a distracting glow which hinders any attempt at realism. All of this action is set to an incredibly familiar and annoying score by Bojan Adamic.
“Battle of the Eagles” also suffers from a very poorly edited English-language release. To begin with, 28 minutes of footage is missing – cutting the film from 130 minutes to a mere 102. The missing segments were carelessly excised, and the cutting looks very sloppy. Music cues are abruptly cut off and scenes are abandoned before they are resolved. In the last third of the film, the story falls apart, and only some badly-needed action scenes can try to save it from total incomprehensibility. Then, there’s the dubbing… all of the scenes revolving around the Partisans are dubbed in English (rather poorly, however), yet several lengthy scenes remain in German, without the benefit of subtitles. The film might have made much more sense had the German-language sequences been excised instead of crucial scenes revolving around the Partisans.
On the plus side, Krvavac handles the outdoor footage quite well. There is never a moment where the audience feels like they’re on a soundstage. In particular, the German Luftwaffe bases are expansive, complete with dozens of Messerschmitt fighter planes and extras costumed in leather flying jackets. The scenery is fresh and green, and Krvavac isn’t afraid to shoot scenes with extremely wide angles or from far away simply to convey the scope of a battle or long trek. A German ambush of a partisan unit early on in the picture stands out, as does a sequence where Zare and Dalibor escape from an enemy base.

To the Shores of Tripoli

 

Smartass child of privilege John Payne is sent to Marine boot camp to learn about responsibility and being a team player. Although shot on location at San Diego, the sunny Technicolor training exercises look more like a musical-comedy summer stock company working out. Drillmaster Randolph Scott and fiery-haired nurse Maureen O'Hara love Payne in spite of his myriad obnoxious qualities, and he does have the right stuff, as he demonstrates at the drop of a hat--and the rest of his civilian clothes--the minute he hears about Pearl Harbor over the radio. The finale, a troopship embarkation turned full-scale production number, has to be seen to be disbelieved.

 

Titled after a lyric in the Marines' Hymn, which contains the phrase "... to the shores of Tripoli" (which is, itself, a reference to the Battle of Derne) the film is one of the last of the pre-Pearl Harbor service films. When the film was in post-production the Pearl Harbor attack occurred having the studio shoot a new ending where Payne re-enlists.

 

Wealthy Culver University drop-out and playboy Chris Winters (John Payne) enlists in the U.S. Marine Corps as a private where he meets his drill instructor Gunnery Sergeant Dixie Smith (Randolph Scott) and falls in love with a Navy Nurse, Lieutenant Mary Carter (Maureen O'Hara). Smith is given a letter from Winters' father. Captain Christopher Winters (Minor Watson) writes Smith of his playboy son. Sgt. Smith served in World War I under the elder Winters; Smith affectionately calls Winters "The Skipper". Chris Winters can not understand that Officers and Enlisted Men do not associate under the non-fraternization policy, even if the officer is a woman and the enlisted man is a male.

Chris' society girlfriend Helene Hunt (Nancy Kelly) wants Chris to get a cushy civilian job in Washington, D.C. and uses her uncle's power and her influence on the base commander, General Gordon. In sequences filmed at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Smith gives the younger Winters an opportunity to demonstrate his leadership potential by drilling his platoon. To Smith's amusement the Marines mock Chris and perform slapstick antics during the drill as Winters marches them away. As Smith is enjoying himself the platoon marches back and performs close order drill of a high order of perfection. Smith is greatly surprised until he looks over the platoon and notices several Marines have black eyes, chipped teeth and bruises. Chris Winters says, "I was captain of the boxing team at Culver."

Winters is selected for Sea School and on gunnery practice during naval maneuvers he bravely saves Dixie Smith's life when repairing gunnery targets. Chris picks a fight with Smith. However, Smith claimed he struck the first blow, by being busted in rank Smith will save Chris from the Naval Prison. Despite winning the respect of Dixie Smith and his fellow Marines, Chris decides to leave the Marines. But then he hears the news of the Pearl Harbor attack when driving in a car with Helene. His way is blocked by his old platoon marching to a Navy transport ship. Chris Winters runs to Sgt. Dixie Smith to reenlist; Chris enters the ranks that close up as he dresses in his old uniform from his satchel, he tosses away his civilian clothes and is in uniform except for his two-toned shoes. Chris's proud father, (Watson) wounded in World War I, asks his son to "Get a Jap for me".

PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN

 

PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN

 

Pirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a series of films, a theme park ride, and spinoff novels as well as numerous video games and other publications. The franchise originates with the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, which opened at Disneyland in 1967, the last Disney theme park attraction overseen by Walt Disney. Disney based the ride on ancient Spanish and Portugese sailing legends and folklore. In turn, the first three movies serve as a reiteration of the legends while the fourth is a new rendition with some artistic license. As of August 2006, Pirates of the Caribbean attractions can be found at four Disney theme parks. Their related films have grossed almost US$4 billion as of 2011

 

Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy-adventure films directed by Gore Verbinski (1–3) and Rob Marshall (4), written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. All four films are based on a Walt Disney theme park ride of the same name, and follow the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin McNally), Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), Angelica (Penélope Cruz), Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Philip Swift (Sam Claflin) and the mermaid Syrena (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey).

The films started with their first release on the big screen in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. After the success of the first film, Walt Disney Pictures revealed that a trilogy was in the works. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was released three years later in 2006. The sequel proved successful, breaking records worldwide the day of its premiere. In the end, it earned $1,066,179,725 at the worldwide box office, becoming the fourth and fastest film (at the time) to reach this amount. The third film in the series, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, was released in 2007. In September 2008, Depp signed on for a fourth film in the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, released on May 20, 2011 in conventional 2D, Digital 3-D and IMAX 3D. It succeeded in grossing more than $1 billion, becoming the eighth and fourth-fastest film to achieve this. So far, the film franchise has grossed $3.72 billion worldwide and it is the only franchise with two films that reached $1 billion worldwide. It has been confirmed that two more installments to the franchise are included in Disney's future plans. In July 2011, Johnny Depp confirmed he was closing in on a deal for a fifth installment and that the franchise wouldn't be going ahead without Depp's participation.

Although it has never been officially confirmed, there is strong evidence to suggest that the series was influenced by, and perhaps loosely based upon, the Monkey Island series of video games. Ted Elliott, one of the two screenwriters of the first four Pirates of the Caribbean films, was allegedly the writer of a Steven Spielberg-produced animated film adaptation of Monkey Island entitled The Curse of Monkey Island (presumably based on the game of the same name), which was cancelled before its official announcement, three years prior to the release of The Curse of the Black Pearl. This film was allegedly in production at Industrial Light & Magic before being cancelled

The Passion Of The Christ

 

Sometime around the year A.D. 30, in the Roman province of Palestine, an obscure Jewish carpenter named Jesus of Nazareth began to teach publicly and to proclaim the coming of a 'Kingdom of God.' For centuries, the Jewish people had expected the appearance of a promised deliverer known as the Messiah --a figure who would restore their ancient dignity, and free their sacred homeland from all evil and despair. In the minds of many, Jesus appeared to be this Messiah. Surrounded by a core group of twelve disciples, Jesus began to attract a massive following from among the common people of Galilee and Judea, who eventually praised him as their Messiah and King. However, Jesus also had many enemies in Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin, a governing senate composed of the leading Jewish priests and Pharisees, conspired to put Jesus to death.
With the aid of Judas Iscariot, a member of Jesus' own inner circle, the Sanhedrin succeeded in arresting Jesus, handing him over to the Roman secular authorities on unsubstantiated charges of treason against Rome. Although Jesus consistently maintained that his Kingdom was a heavenly and spiritual one, the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate, faced with the possibility of a riot, ordered that Jesus be taken outside the city and crucified as a common criminal.

The film has been highly controversial and received mixed reviews, with the complaint that the extreme violence in the movie obscures its message."Catholic sources have questioned the authenticity of the non-Biblical material the film drew on.

The film's dialogue is entirely in reconstructed Aramaic and Latin with vernacular subtitles. The film was a major commercial hit, grossing in excess of $600 million during its theatrical release, becoming the highest grossing non-English language film of all time.

The Passion of the Christ (sometimes referred to as The Passion is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It also draws on other devotional writings, such as those disputedly attributed to Anne Catherine Emmerich. The Passion of the Christ covers the final 12 hours of Jesus' life beginning with the Agony in the Garden and ending with a brief depiction of his resurrection. Flashbacks of Jesus as a child, the Sermon on the Mount, the Last Supper, etc. are also included.

The film opens in Gethsemane as Jesus prays and is tempted by Satan, while his apostles, Peter, James and John sleep. After receiving thirty pieces of silver, one of Jesus' other apostles, Judas, approaches with the temple guards and betrays Jesus with a kiss. As the guards move in to arrest Jesus, Peter cuts off the ear of Malchus, but Jesus heals the ear. The temple guards arrest Jesus and the apostles flee. John tells Mary and Mary Magdalene of the arrest. Peter follows Jesus at a distance. Caiaphas holds trial over the objection of some of the other priests, who are expelled from the court. When questioned by Caiaphas whether he is the son of God, Jesus replies "I AM." Caiaphas is horrified and tears his robes and Jesus is condemned to death for blasphemy. Three times Peter denies knowing Jesus but then runs away sobbing. Meanwhile, the remorseful Judas attempts to return the money to have Jesus freed but is refused by the priests. Tormented by demons, he flees the city and hangs himself with a rope he finds on a dead donkey.

Caiaphas brings Jesus before Pontius Pilate to be condemned to death, but after questioning Jesus, Pilate sends him instead to the court of Herod, as Jesus is from Herod's ruling town of Nazareth. After Jesus is returned, Pilate offers the crowd that he will chastise Jesus and then will set him free. Pilate attempts to have Jesus freed by giving the people an option of freeing Jesus or the violent criminal Barabbas. To Pilate's dismay, the crowd demands to have Barabbas freed and Jesus killed. In an attempt to appease the crowd, Pilate has Jesus brutally scourged and mocked with a crown of thorns, yet the crowd continues to demand that Jesus be crucified. Pilate reluctantly orders Jesus' crucifixion.

As Jesus carries the cross along the Via Dolorosa to Calvary, Seraphia wipes Jesus's face with her veil. Simon of Cyrene is unwillingly pressed into carrying the cross with Jesus. Jesus is then crucified. As he hangs from the cross, Jesus prays forgiveness for those who did this to him and redeems a criminal crucified next to him. After Jesus gives up his spirit and dies, a single drop of rain falls from the sky, triggering an earthquake which destroys the Temple and rips the cloth covering the Holy of Holies in two, to the horror of Caiaphas and the other priests. Satan is then shown screaming in defeat. The story ends with Jesus rising from the dead and exiting his tomb.

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