What life looks like on the most remote inhabited island
72 points by brightbeige 9 hours ago | 19 comments

WarOnPrivacy 9 hours ago
This wiki has a map showing where Tristan da Cunha is, in relation to Saint Helena and Ascension islands.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Helena,_Ascension_and_Tr...

reply
pcrh 5 hours ago
Thanks!

An interesting article. It mentions that "breeding dogs are no longer allowed on the island". I presume this is to avoid a feral population of dogs becoming established. However, I'm unaware that dogs pose particular threats to native wildlife, unlike cats.

reply
ljf 5 hours ago
Dogs are pretty terrible for nesting birds, especially ground nesting ones. Even on a leash they can cause birds to leave their nests.

Similar for other small animals;

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-visitors...

reply
griffzhowl 4 hours ago
Dogs are allowed though, and used to herd sheep and cattle, so ground-nesting birds don't seem to be a big concern
reply
throw0101c 8 hours ago
Point Nemo (and related points) is also interesting:

> […] The oceanic pole of inaccessibility, also known as Point Nemo, is located at roughly 48°52.6′S 123°23.6′W[21] and is the place in the ocean that is farthest from land. It represents the solution to the "longest swim" problem.[22] […]

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_of_inaccessibility

reply
dkural 8 hours ago
"The area is so remote that, since no regular marine or air traffic routes are within 400 kilometres (250 mi), sometimes the closest human beings are astronauts aboard the International Space Station when it passes overhead.[23][24] "
reply
aquir 9 hours ago
You can be the “most remote” worker in there if there’s Starlink on the island…
reply
patch_collector 6 hours ago
It turns out that they do have Starlink, as of 2024. Notable impacts have been improved telemedicine, remote learning opportunities for the school, and reduced attendance at the pub because people are watching Netflix.

https://www.tristandc.com/government/news-2024-09-22-starlin... https://www.youngpioneertours.com/fast-internet-changing-tri...

reply
gib444 6 hours ago
> The Albatross bar, the island’s only pub, once a lively social hub, is noticeably quieter these days. Many locals now spend their evenings at home scrolling, video chatting, or watching Netflix

That's sad

reply
antonvs 2 hours ago
Perhaps, but only because it implies that hanging out at the pub was a less attractive option.
reply
gib444 43 minutes ago
Bit like introducing crack and commenting how great it is nobody is sat at home sober and bored
reply
SquirrelOnFire 8 hours ago
"Hey, the whole team is getting together for an all hands next week and I'd like you to join..."
reply
BrenBarn 7 hours ago
I've been fascinated by this island for years.
reply
brightbeige 4 hours ago
Me too. The wiki article is full of fun facts

On sports competitions:

> However, opponents were in short supply. It was a case of waiting for visiting opponents, and sometimes years might go by without any opportunities to play foreign opposition. Their first match was against a South African fishing vessel and they lost 10–6.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_da_Cunha

reply
Sharlin 6 hours ago
Now that St. Helena has an airport and all, it’s good to know that even more remote alternatives exist.
reply
sgt 7 hours ago
Honestly looks a lot more interesting and alive than St Helena
reply
hoppp 7 hours ago
Very interesting. Life must be amazing. But it was only pictures of men? Not many females there or what? Seems like an off grid paradise
reply
lurking_swe 21 minutes ago
> it was only pictures of men

I’m assuming you are just trolling to stir up internet drama. If you’re being serious, then you should be ashamed, because that’s a very obvious lie. i guess we all see what we want to see.

I counted 9 photographs with woman in them. I counted about 18 with men in them.

I’ll even reference the photos for you:

- woman eating a snack in the 1st photo (left), where timber is being carried.

- 2nd photo (shearing pen)

- school girl wearing crocs, jeans, and a pink backpack (Ella Repetto)

- (backside) photo of a woman named Shannon Swain.

- the laboratory for the village’s Fisheries Department. A lady named Sarah Glass-Green is shown.

- I see ladies working the field in the photo of Tristan’s potato patches.

- Joyce Hagan, standing outside the lobster processing facility.

- Sara Green, a girl playing at the beach.

- A far shot, but there is one of a woman collecting eggs. “Kelly Green, Tristan’s head of tourism, collects eggs at the end of the workday.”

reply
codeddesign 6 hours ago
Outside of mentioning that kids go to school and there was a birthday, personal life isn’t discussed. The article is about manual labor required to live on the island. While 3 woman are introduced, the article mainly revolved around fishing, carrying heavy material long distances, and livestock which is man dominated in every country around the world.

Very likely the woman are caring for the heavy burden and labors required to upkeep their own homestead which deserves an article itself, but obviously outside of the point of this article.

reply