I’m a mum & I left the UK to live on world’s most remote island with my kids – how we get comforts we can’t live without
MEET the woman who lives on the world’s most remote island – 1,500 miles off the coast of South Africa – where there’s just one shop, pub and school and 138 inhabitants.
Kelly Green, 32, swapped the comforts of Eastbourne, East Sussex, for life in Tristan da Cunha, one of a remote group of volcanic islands in the South Atlantic in July 2013.
It is only accessible by boat from Cape Town, South Africa, and the journey can take anywhere from a week to 15 days – depending on the weather.
Whilst there, she met and fell in love with her future husband, Shane Green, 33, a carpenter, who helped her carry her luggage off the raft.
Kelly, told The Sun: “It’s like Emmerdale – but on an island and in a less dramatic way. We all know each other and what’s going on in each other’s lives.
“My mum said it reminded them of a village up north in the UK because of the Tristanian accent.
“There are only 138 people here, so we all know each other.”
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“To get onto the island, you have to fly to Cape Town and then get a boat 1,500 miles away, which takes seven to 15 days – dependent on the weather.
“The houses made of wood are susceptible to fires as they use gas cylinders to heat their homes.
“Sadly a few weeks ago my best friend’s house caught on fire, and everything burnt down.
“It was horrific – but luckily they got out with their dogs, and we will all muddle together to help rebuild the home.”
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In emergencies there is a metal gong which is hit continually to alert the island.
When it comes to day-to-day life, Kelly runs the tourism office and when she returns home will cook dinner for her family – staples in their diet are mutton, lobster, fish, potatoes and fresh vegetables and fruit.
“I really miss going out to eat, there are no restaurants or takeaways and only one very minimal shop,” Kelly said.
“Freight is extremely expensive but there are some home comforts, such as Hellman’s mayonnaise, I can’t live without and have ordered in from Asda.”
Deliveries only come nine times a year on large ships- the cost varies as freight from the UK is a lot more than shipping from Cape Town.
A small crate from the UK can cost around £600 which is constantly increasing as global costs soar.
The mum-of-two has to get creative to provide the family with ‘fakeaways’ and has learnt to make her own sushi with fish fresh out of the sea, rice paper, rice and condiments such as soy sauce and sriracha.
At the island pub – The Albatross – a handful of revellers drinking is considered a roaring night.
“On a night when it’s busy there’s only five people in there,” Kelly said.
Kelly explains their lifestyle is “traditional – in that the men go out hunting, in the mountains and the women do most of the domestic tasks”.
Birthdays play a big part of the social calendar – and whoever has the birthday will host a shindig at their home – everyone else will bring a bottle and some food for the table.
On fishing days – the men will go out to fish at 5am, and if it’s Kelly’s turn for the ‘bundle’ – she will make food for them all for the whole day.
“Shane will go off in the morning and I will feed the chickens and children,” she said.
“After I finish work at 3pm, I will go down to the fish factory and help prepare the fish.
“Sometimes we will stay until midnight wrapping products to be sent all around the world.”
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Preparation is key for remote-living and Kelly has already ordered all of her Christmas presents to arrive in time.
Kelly added: “It’s a great place to raise a family. I love England but I can’t ever imagine living there again.”
