The red flag marks Maatsuyker Island.
When I first saw this item on Popular Mechanics, I spent a bit of time fantasizing about an interference-free half year DXpedition:
This Tasmanian Island Will Give Any Couple Willing to Move There a House and Job
Depending on how strong your relationship is, this will either sound like a romantic six-month getaway or the plot of The Shining. According to The Telegraph, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service is looking for couples to apply to be caretakers of Maatsuyker Island, a 460-acre island located six miles off the southern coast of Tasmania, for periods from March to September or September to March for the next two years.
For “safety reasons,” they are actually encouraging couples to apply together if they “can demonstrate they have spent time together in a remote setting,” according to the application.
So whats’ the catch? If selected, the only time you could leave the island during your six month stay would be a helicopter evacuation in case of an emergency. Otherwise you’ll be completely cut off from the mainland. Did I mention there’s no internet or TV?
But if you’re okay living on a “sometimes wet and often windswept island” with minimal contact from anyone else, this might be the job for you.[…]
Click here to continue reading the full article at Popular Mechanics.
Aerial view of the southern coast of Tasmania. In the background South East Cape, in the foreground the Maatsuyker Islands (Needle Rocks are on the right; just to the left of them is Maatsuyker Island; De Witt is the larger island on the left). Artificial view generated from satellite data. (Source: Wikipedia)
Remember Tristan Da Cunha?
This article reminds me of our first Reader Challenge: One year, one radio, one (very) remote island where we imagined spending a year on the most remote populated island on earth: Tristan Da Cunha.
The responses for this challenge were amazing and diverse. But Tristan’s population is about 300 people–we’re talking about a Tasmanian island with no population other than you and your spouse!
Since the Tristan Da Cunha radio challenge, technology has changed quite a bit. I wonder what gear we’d choose in 2017?
Post readers: Would anyone else jump at the opportunity to live cut off from humanity for six months? What radio gear would you take?
The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service posted that the Maatsuyker Island volunteer applications were closed on 12/11/2016. Solar power may be a challenge here. It can be a dark island with a normal 48″ of rainfall a year. Here is an interesting video about caretaker life on the island. Painting and mowing skills required.
Fascinating!
You’d certainly be a popular DX station out there. Sounds doable. Especially if you apply solar, wind, bicycle peddled generator, and build geo-batteries. HF and tropo VHF / UHF would be your links to the outside world. Damn, this would be a dream!
Applicants should also hold an amateur radio licence
Just checked to see if Maatsuyker Island counts for IOTA
Yes it does, OC-233. https://www.rsgbiota.org/info/search.php?q=oc233
I imagine each time you’d get on the air, you be greeted with a pretty massive pile-up! If I lived there, I’d play lots of radio. I bet that Lighthouse even has an activator code!