A mom has described what life is like on one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world, revealing that there is a tight-knit community living a special way of life.
Mom-of-two Kelly Green, who is originally from the UK, lives on Tristan da Cunha, having moved there 13 years ago. The island is a British Overseas Territory and is located in the South Atlantic Ocean, around 1,700 miles away from Cape Town.
"We are a farming and fishing community," Green told Newsweek. "So we spend a lot of time outdoors. Everyone has sheep, cows, chickens, ducks. Pretty much everyone has a government job.
A view of boats surrounding Tristan da Cunha, the world's most remote inhabited island. A view of boats surrounding Tristan da Cunha, the world's most remote inhabited island. @tristandacunhakg/TikTok"It's quiet but it's super social. Everybody knows everybody. Everyone kind of says it's a lonely island. But it's kind of the complete opposite because you're never alone. People are always there."
Green shared a video on TikTok which got quite the reaction, showing one of the unique aspects of life in Tristan da Cunha. The clip shows a ship leaving the island after carrying in farm animals, shop supplies and people.
In the video, she explains that the ship travels for seven or eight days from Cape Town, stopping close to the island before a raft goes to collect people or goods from the boat.
"My favorite part is the peace and quiet," Green told Newsweek. "I love the landscape. I love looking after the animals. We have farm animals... and we have some spectacular wildlife that is endemic to Tristan da Cunha, like the yellow-nosed albatross.
"The challenges are what you would expect. We're far away from anything and getting on and off island is difficult sometimes.
"We do have a hospital here. It has quite a lot of modern technology in it. But the problem is they can't do massive operations here. They can do minor things. If it's something bigger you usually need to be evacuated to Cape Town, which has its challenges.
"I miss takeaways. We don't have anything like that here. Pretty much everything is made from scratch. My cooking skills have improved a lot since I got to the island, which is great."
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, a town on Tristan da Cunha. Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, a town on Tristan da Cunha. Peter Schaefer/Getty ImagesTristan da Cunha is home to 236 British citizens, according to the island's official website. The island has just 21 miles of coastline with a volcanic cone center.
Portuguese admiral Tristão da Cunha discovered the island 1506. It was formally annexed by the United Kingdom in 1816.
People took to the comments section of Green's video with their reactions.
Joe McNally commented: "Tristan da Cunha just fascinates me."
"Wow! A video from someone on Tristan Da Cunha - I've always been fascinated by this place since I learnt about it as a kid! Very much here to learn more about life on this remote island," said Ellen.
"I wasn't familiar with Tristan da Cunha so I looked it up on Google Maps. WOW remote doesn't even begin to explain," @Wakk_Zylde wrote.
Has a dream vacation turned into a nightmare? Whether it's a missed flight or lost luggage, we want to hear about your travel disasters. Let us know via life@newsweek.com, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
