For those after the ultimate seachange, there’s an opportunity to live completely alone, rent free, on an island for six months.
But be warned, it’s not for the faint-hearted.
Maatsuyker Island, off the south coast of Tasmania, needs a new set of caretakers every six months – and once again, the positions are open.
So if you’re sick of the commute and the relentless, reloading, anxiety-inducing facebook feed – this is your chance for a break, provided you and your partner can get on.
But remember, once you’ve arrived, it’s not so easy to leave.
Nearly all the trips to and from Maatsuyker are taken by helicopter, and volunteers and workers are expected to be largely self-sufficient, including organising and packing their own supplies. They can take up to 800 kilograms of food, clothing and bedding, and there is just one resupply trip during the six-month stay.
The island is home to Australia’s most southerly lighthouse, an 125-year-old building that had once fallen into disrepair, but has since been updated and automated.
And while the lighthouse functions perfectly well without human help, the popular volunteer program allows caretakers to look after the rest of the island.
It’s a chance to enjoy some of Australia’s most isolated natural beauty, but the conditions can be tough. It’s usually wet and windy, and the non-cleared parts of the island are covered with scrubby bushland. And of course, there’s a bit of work to do.
Jeremy Hood, the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Ranger in charge, says volunteers start their day by getting up at 5am for ocean observations.
There are further weather readings at 9am, then the day continues with jobs like maintaining the historical buildings, lawnmowing, brush-cutting or greeting the (very) occasional visitor.
There’s also project work – for example, cleaning out stormwater drains. “It’s a high rainfall area – we need to maintain the drains or you might lose a road.”
Hood says one of the tasks is keeping up with the short-tailed shearwater colony that lives on the island.
“Once they’ve had their chicks, they go out before sunrise and come back after sunset with food for their young. Because of the sheer number of the birds looking for a flat surface to take off from there’s some damage – so [the volunteers] take care of that.”
Hood says all sorts of people have been caretakers. “Retirees from Tasmania with a bushwalking background, people with sailing experience, artists and authors, and people from interstate.”
“It’s usually older people but we have had young couples. We do need a minimum of two people so it tends towards couples, but not always.”
Due to the island’s remote location and inhospitable conditions, the positions require people who can work together, particularly in a remote or difficult setting.
The accommodation is the former Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage, a four-bedroom property that is fully furnished including a space heater, radio and telephone. But along with the absent internet connection, there’s also no television – there’s no reception.
There is, in theory, boat access, but it requires a 50-metre climb up a sheer cliff, and the landing area can be off limits as it’s where the local fur and elephant seals go to breed.
On arrival, staff spend a week with the volunteers providing training, and then it’s up to them. Hood says “there aren’t many more places in the world more isolated than Maatsuyker Island”.
“It can be three months before they see anybody.”
Despite the isolation, Hood says the feedback from former volunteers has been universally positive, and some join the Friends of Maatsuyker group to continue working to preserve the island.
“They are so glad they took the time in their life to have that experience.”
Applications close on January 30 of next year. For more information, see the Parks and Wildlife Tasmania volunteer information page.
