Two Years in Review

It’s just over two years ago that our madcap idea of living on a remote island in Raja Ampat started to take shape. During that time we’ve literally shed blood, sweat, and tears to get where we are now, but I think we’re finally at the stage where we’re really starting to enjoy this magical and spectacular location.

It’s been a crazy and unbelievably busy two years, not just getting Toucan’s Retreat up and running but also dealing with the sale of our beloved Toucan (yes, we still miss her) and several medical issues, including a melanoma for Bruce, a knee replacement for me, and more recently, a cracked rib for Bruce. And then, of course, almost one year ago there was the devastating fire that destroyed our kitchen, workshop, all our equipment, and almost destroyed our dream – were it not for the generosity of so many wonderful people who got us back on our feet again.

So, has it been worth it? Absolutely.  We’re so privileged to be able to live in what many people describe as “The Last Paradise”. The abundance of life here is extraordinary, both above and below the water.  To be able to walk out of our front door and find turtles, sharks, cuttlefish, manta rays and a myriad of beautiful fish and corals is simply stunning. We’re diving and snorkelling most days, and starting to get to grips with our new underwater camera equipment. There’s lots to learn, but that’s half the fun!

Unfortunately our diving has come to a bit of a halt since Bruce slipped getting in the boat and cracked a rib (or two?) just before Christmas – being immobile is not his forte, but he’s had to learn to rest and move slowly so that’s not such a bad thing.  Luckily we have a reasonably well-stocked first aid kit so the strong painkillers have come in handy. And it’s not a bad location for some R & R…..

So what we have learnt from living on an island for much of the past two years?

If I do say so myself, I’ve learnt to make pretty decent sourdough bread from scratch.

We now recognise the calls of many of the local birds, including the sea eagles, hornbills, pigeons, willie wagtails, and our favourite, Elvis the palm cockatoo.  He’s gradually getting bolder and more used to us, and we often have conversations while he’s down on the beach searching for beach almonds.

We’ve learnt the basics of Bahasa Indonesia, but we’ve still got a long way to go before we’re fluent.  It’s a work in progress…

Obviously, our time on the boat has taught us to be resilient and mostly self-sufficient, and we’ve become pretty good at transferring those skills to the island in terms of solving problems and McGuyvering things that break. It’s a long way to the nearest shops…

We’ve learnt that tourists – and especially German tourists (apologies to anyone I offend) – are pains in the arse who mostly have no respect for private property.  We didn’t expect to be chasing people off our property as much as we have, despite having signs up.  Coming this week – bigger and better signage!

I’ve learnt that trying to grow herbs and vegetables on a tropical sandy island is incredibly challenging, and my efforts are pretty pathetic to date.  Usually when you think of pests in the garden, you think of slugs and snails and caterpillars. Here, it’s grasshoppers and crabs, and they’re hungry little buggers that’ll strip a plant in a matter of hours or chew it off at the stem.  I’m using garlic and soapy spray and building mesh enclosures, but I’m not sure I’m winning this particular battle.

We’ve learnt (painfully) which soft corals sting the most when you accidentally brush up against them.

We’ve learnt that even though we have a Telecommunications tower only 14 NM away and all the fancy equipment to draw the signal in, it’s not worth much if the guy operating the generator at the other end sells the benzene (petrol) to make a quick buck. Bring on Starlink to Indonesia!

We’ve also learnt that the cheap Chinese hose clamps that are the only option to buy here teach you the importance of double clamping everything after a clamp corrodes and you lose 1000 litres of water from your preciously made desalinator water supply…

We’ve also discovered that the Saleo family have the power to decide who comes into the bay to dive with the mantas.  A few months ago it was getting out of hand – up to five or six phinisi liveaboards would be in the bay at any given time, sometimes up to 50 divers in the water, many of whom were behaving very badly by chasing and touching the mantas.  So Niko finally put his foot down, and declared that the manta site was closed until further notice.  We were very doubtful that the big boats would comply but amazingly they have, and we now have a beautifully peaceful bay once again. Let’s hope it lasts, for our sakes and the mantas.

We’re learning (slowly) to chill out and take time to relax after a very busy and at times stressful two years. It’s another work in progress…

Above all, we’ve learnt to enjoy the beauty of simple things – the sunsets and sunrises, a baby shark swimming in the shallows, the glitter of a school of tiny fish leaping across the water, the majestic glide of the mantas, or a sea eagle fishing in the morning. To witness creation in all its glorious multicoloured variety is incredibly special and makes us feel humble and oh so grateful to be able to experience this wonderland.

Before I wax too lyrical, here’s a link to a video that our son, Rob, took when he and Teneile visited in November, showing Toucan’s Retreat two years on, in its finished and upgraded state.  

• https://youtu.be/6SAd0kLihGw?feature=shared

Finally, we’ve been reminded what wonderful friends and family we’re blessed to have, and our only regret is not being able to see you all more often.  Happy 2024 everyone – may it be a year filled with peace, joy, and all the good things in life.