I live on a private island – and it’s not as glamorous as people think
A MAN has revealed what it’s really like living on your own private island – and says it’s not as glamorous as people think.
Craig Beckley, 56, bought Worthington Island off the Queensland coast of Australia during the pandemic.
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He spent $385,000 (£206,000) on the island, which is a 30-minute boat ride from the mainland.
While he says there are some great perks, he admitted things don’t always go smoothly.
Not only is he constantly battling bugs like gnats and gnats, he said life on the island is more like glamping.
He told the Guardian: “I call it a shack, a thirty-foot by four-foot wooden floor, a wooden frame, an off-grid shed with an awning.”
He says he has to use solar and wind power, as well as generators, to run the fridge and stove.
There is also no jetty to moor his boat, so he has to park it in the mangroves.
Craig added, “It’s not just palm trees and white sand.”
Private islands online Australia Director Richard Vanhoff, who sold the island, said people often underestimate the amount of work it takes to renovate.
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Some may require a helicopter or plane to gain access, meaning they need a new airstrip, while many don’t have internet, electricity, or running water.
Worthington Island was the cheapest he sold but some are selling for as much as £20.3million – and still need work.
Despite the simpler way of life, Craig has no regrets about buying the island.
Not only is it relaxed, but he even spots animals like dolphins and dugongs, similar to manatees.
He said: “It’s just so beautiful – you can crank your beatbox as loud as you want [as] You have no neighbors.
“Sometimes you just want to crank up the tunes, other times you just chill in the hammock and watch the world go by.
“Just sit back, read a book, go fishing – it’s island time, everything slows down. There’s a kind of magic to that.”
We recently went to Corona’s own private island, which will open to the public this year.
Closer to home there is a private island near Estonia that you can rent for as little as £75 per person, or a few private islands in France, Spain and Greece that you can rent for as little as £12 per person per night
And in the UK, there’s a private island off the Essex coast that celebs love.
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