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The best uninhabited island in the world? |
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Score
68%
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512 votes,
Feasibility
55%
Originality
62%
Humour
61% |
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If you want to settle on an uninhabited island with the approval of a government, you may be able to do that in the Kermadec Islands, a group of small, sub-tropical islands to the North of New Zealand. The Kermadec group of islands, a possession of New Zealand, are mountainous, fertile, forested, with a mild climate (temperature range 50 degrees to 80 degfrees F) and with ample but moderate rainfall.
Of the uninhabited Kermadecs, Macauley island (to the South of Raoul island, which has ten persons at a New Zealand weather station), sounds the most hopeful - it is 1.2 square miles (764 acres) in area, and settlers have lived there (or on its smaller neighbour Curtis) from time to time in the past since the 19th century. It is possible that the New Zealand governent could be persuaded to allow Western immigrants to settle legally in the Kermadecs - their main drawback being the lack of sheltered anchorages which makes landing on these islands impossible in bad weather - but the same is true of Pitcairn Island which has been inhabited for almost 200 years. Incidentally, the population at Pitcairn is falling. They can now barely muster enough able-bodied men to man the boats. So it seems that Pitcairn itself may one day be entirely abandoned, and thus become available - although nominally owned by Britain; and administered by New Zealand at a 3,000 mile distance.
Edited comment from Graeme Butler, 24/7/98 (email: TAURANGADOLPHINS@clear.net.nz).
'It would be better to build a home out of used car tires in the middle of central park'
This is a pipe dream. Macauley island is barren, lacks water, is a no-go marine and nature reserve administered by the New Zealand government. It needs people like a fish needs a bicycle.
Raoul is forested, full of rats and earthquakes. It is a marine and wildlife refuge and special permission is required to study there. The need for non-human interference in this last piece of pristine wilderness is far greater than the need to know anything about it. I have sailed there, but the weather is so unpredictable I have never been ashore. I was afraid my ship would join the bones of dozens of others there.
Adapted extract from 'The Best Uninhabited Islands in the World' by Jon Fisher, published 1986 by Loompanics Unlimited, PO Box 1197, Port Townsend, WA 98368, USA, monitored for the Institute by Roger Knights.
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