Kelly Green, 32, moved from Eastbourne, East Sussex, to Tristan da Cunha, the world’s most remote volcanic island, which has just one shop, one pub and one school.
A woman has left city life behind to move to the world’s most isolated island, with just 100 residents, one shop, one pub and one school.
Kelly Green, 32, left the hustle and bustle of Eastbourne, East Sussex, for the tranquility of Tristan da Cunha, the world’s most remote inhabited island, home to just 138 people. Located more than 1,500 miles off the coast of South Africa, Tristan da Cunha can only be reached by boat from Cape Town, which can take up to 15 days depending on the weather.
Kelly’s island adventure began in 2010 when she visited her diplomat father, who was stationed there, after a painful break-up. Little did she know she’d meet her future husband, carpenter Shane Green, 33, who helped her carry her luggage and won her heart. The couple now have two children, Savannah, eight, and Seren, 16 months.
She moved to the island permanently in July 2013 and has embraced a lifestyle that is a stark contrast to her previous life in the UK. “It’s like Emmerdale, only on an island and less dramatic,” she says. “We all know each other and what’s going on in each other’s lives.”
But life on Tristan da Cunha is tight-knit, community-based, with just one shop, one pub and one school, she says. “There’s only one police officer on the island, and I’ve never called him,” Kelly says. With just seven households, the remote island relies on communal living, where residents help each other out. The homes are made of wood and use gas bottles for heating, making them prone to fires.
Recently, Kelly’s best friend’s house caught fire, causing devastation to the area. “It was a horrible situation, but luckily my friend was able to escape with their dogs and we’re all going to come together and help rebuild the house,” Kelly says. In case of an emergency, there is a metal gong that is constantly rung to sound an alarm on the island.
His mother, Kelly, runs the tourist board and provides for the family’s daily needs with limited resources. Fresh produce such as lamb, lobster, fish, potatoes and vegetables are staples of their diet. “I really miss eating out,” Kelly admits, highlighting the lack of restaurants and takeaways. With deliveries coming only nine times a year, imported goods are expensive and a rare treat.
“Shipping costs are crazy high, but we do have some household essentials we can’t live without, like Hellmann’s mayonnaise. We order it from Asda,” she adds. A small box from the UK costs around £600, and it’s rising fast due to rising global prices. She has to get creative to provide her family with “fakeaways,” but she’s learned to make her own sushi using fresh fish, rice paper, rice and condiments like soy sauce and sriracha. The island’s pub, the Albatross, is a quiet place. “On a busy night there’s only five people there,” Kelly says. Despite the quiet lifestyle, traditional roles are observed, with men hunting and fishing and women in charge of household chores.
Social events such as birthdays and fishing days are community occasions, where everyone brings a bottle and food for the table. But on fishing days, the men go out fishing at 5am, and when it’s Kelly’s turn to make the “bundle”, she cooks everyone’s meals throughout the day. “Shane goes out in the morning and I feed the chickens and the kids,” she says. “When I finish work at 3pm I go down to the fish factory and help prepare the fish. Sometimes I stay until midnight packaging goods to send around the world.” The island’s main sources of income are lobsters, stamps and coins. The school is intimate and small, with just five students in Kelly’s daughter Savannah’s class and just 19 in the whole school. There is only one in her year group.
“Classes are only up to GCSE and if the children want to continue their formal education they often go to Cape Town or the UK. We are an ageing population so we want them to stay but it can be very boring for them,” said Kelly. The island has been spared the effects of COVID-19 and hopes that the return of cruise ships will boost tourism. Unique annual events include “rat hunting day”, where dogs are released on the island to kill rats believed to have arrived on the boats. On New Year’s Eve, “Old Year’s Night”, men wear scary masks and ride tractors around the village. “It’s horrifying. It’s like they’re from America. They knock on the windows and try to spray water on us with a garden hose,” Kelly said.
She has already ordered Christmas gifts, preparing well in advance given the logistical challenges. Reflecting on her experience, Kelly says, “This is a great place to raise a family. I love England, but I can’t imagine living there again.” Additionally, one Canadian who made the trip in March 2018 raved on TripAdvisor shortly afterwards: “This must be the most remote bar in the world, since it’s the most remote inhabited island in the world. The beer was cold, the wine was warm, but the weather was beautiful, and we toasted to the good fortune of being one of the few people in the world who has had the opportunity to visit this interesting island. We are lucky.”
Another visitor commented that the decor was a bit dated and “could do with a bit of a revamp.” Nevertheless, she thoroughly enjoyed her visit, noting that “the beer and liquor were cheap (surprising considering how far it travels).” She added that the part-time bartender, who also doubled as the financial manager, was a great host with some interesting anecdotes.