Life on Tristan da Cunha – the World's Most Remote Inhabited Island

scattered across all seven seas are the islands and archipelagos that make up the 14 UK overseas territories one of the most remote of all lies 2500 kilometers west of Cape Town in the centre of the South Atlantic the only way to get there is by boat across some of the roughest waters on the planet we're now about five miles from Tristan da Cunha any minute now hopefully it's going to appear through that list so 18 days of sailing out of Cape Town is about to come to an end well after three weeks at sea we finally made it I had my doubts a few points but here we are welcome to the most remote inhabited island in the world it definitely feels like I'm a long way from anywhere Tristan is the tip of a volcano first up from the ocean floor over a hot spot in the Earth's mantle it rises to over 2,000 meters above sea level it might look inhospitable but far from it there is a village here Edinburgh of the seven seas with all the comforts of life just 270 people live here but what is life mainly like here in the world's most remote village the best way to find out mr. Arsalan who has lived his whole life Harold Greene and what's it like living in such a small community well it's a nice light where you everyone on the Harlem we call them brothers and sisters we have a big family we share and share alike if they kill Hopson they always fill Isaac and give everybody some piece of beef or mutton or fish anything and if anyone get in trouble saying a rough go for house or face there to help you the minister would help in a safe and you can let the children come anyways rounders anyways I mean anyways yeah well we don't bolt the door or lock it or we can go to s for applicator purchases we leave our windows open on fine days we leave our doors open there's no locks at all Harold mentioned potato patches that's about a mile down the road the only route and of course there's a bus the potato patches are the islands farm every family owns several fields to grow potatoes and other vegetables but as Howell pointed out this is really one big family and everyone helps out when there's work to be done the island has also keep cows sheep ducks and chickens but numbers of livestock are strictly controlled to prevent over grazing of the islands limited pasture it really feels like a beautiful old fishing and farming village obviously a working village and really it seems to me that it could just be a piece of England cut out and thrown down in the middle of the South Atlantic except of course for the volcano and that volcano is still active it erupted in 1961 and came close to destroying the village lava flowed out onto the coastal plain and climbing above it shows how close it came to ended before it stopped just a few tens of meters it was a terrifying experience for the Islanders do you also remember the volcano erupting yes it Rupp's in October and what was it like during the eruption when the volcano was erupting just down the road and you said like I wanted a big shape like that of any rate and we shake so much at the volcano start there hoping there was nowhere to retreat to on the island the only solution was to evacuate the Islanders to safety we went to Cape Town for a dinner and starring kasib when I tune back to England and they took us to mid coaches first time we ride in a coach or a car in my life you only run in donkeys or Tristan Tempe so what was your time like while you're in England on a volcano erupted the British people I will say once and I'll say again you wouldn't wish for better people deliberate not ice they've sent myself any honour can't say the same thing I'm saying and we stay making months always want to come back to Tristan and so what also made you want to come back to Tristan well Kristen so special to me it's it's so calm it's peaceful it's so quiet but I don't like for the noise a lot of noise you know but I just like to call it this yeah and it's so calling with Tristan sometimes you need the grass the britain's treasure islands book explores the unique wildlife cultures and history of all of the UK overseas territories visit britain's treasure islands calm for details insincere thanks to Lord Ashcroft for funding the donation of one copy of the Britain's treasure Islands book to every secondary school across the UK and her overseas territories thanks also to all Kickstarter backers and all sponsors and partners for making the 40 mini documentaries possible you

Channel: Redfern Natural History Productions

Views: 7,926,067

Keywords: Stewart McPherson, UK Overseas Territories, Britain's Treasure Islands, Great Britain, United Kingdom, Tristan da Cunha, Edinburgh, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, most isolated island, most remote island, remotest island, remote, isolated, island life, volcano, volcanic eruption, South Atlantic, Harold Green

Id: n4ElF8awm90

Length: 8min 53sec (533 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 08 2016

Reddit Comments

[u/yaannooz]

How the heck do they get gasoline for the vehicles? How do their utilities work? What if they need to see a specialist doctor? So much I still want to know about life in such a remote place.

[u/Mokitdown]

"There's no locks at all"

Supermarket locked....

[u/Tragicanomaly]

Wouldn't inbreeding become a problem?

[u/afc1886]

The Google reviews for the Albatross bar on the island are decently funny.

[u/mysteryman74]

It seems to have a very appropriately named island next to it as well.

[u/o2000]

I've actually been to Tristan Da Cuhna.

I spent two days there in 2004 en route from the Antarctic to Cape Town. If you have any questions about the place I can try and answer them to the best of my memory.

[u/wilhelmbetsold]

Did anyone else catch what looked like a small confederate flag?

[u/lijkel]

Wow that accent was interesting. Sounded similar to a load of different accents, probably if there was a good mix of people in the beginning.

[u/[deleted]]

2:49

Is that a Confederate flag on that guy's table?