Explorer reports on his first two weeks on Tofua Island
The Private Islands blog has an update on Xavier Rosset's trip to Tofua Island in the Kingdom of Tonga. (See "Adventurer will live 300 days as Robinson Crusoe")
As I reported previously Swiss adventurer, explorer and islomaniac Xavier Rosset has set out on an expedition to spend 300 days living alone on Tofua Island, in the Kingdom of Tonga.Explorer reports on his first two weeks on Tofua IslandXavier’s arrival on Tofua Island was delayed because of bad weather conditions.
Once Xavier was alone on Tofua, he started to get organized and tried to put together his camp and food. Xavier has to be ready as quickly as possible; the hurricane season is starting in more or less 6 weeks.
The first concern of Xavier was of course to find food. So he went fishing. But despite his best goodwill, he didn’t catch that many fish, only one every second day. On the top of that, the rain didn’t spare him so he couldn’t make a fire and had to eat his fish raw.
These factors affected his nerves by his second week on the island. He was disappointed and wanted to give up, feeling lonely. But Xavier is stronger than that and brought himself together quickly.
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I would just love to do something like this. I think in the heart of every man and woman, is the dream/desire to live for a time off nothing but skills, wits, and the land. Dog speed, X, and may Jebus be with you.
Tofu Island... Okay, someone had to, it might as well have been me.
I'm assuming this will be a weekly show on the Discovery channel soon. Not that I think that's a bad thing mind you. I would love to do this sort of thing if I didn't have a family (which I haven't been away from for more than a few days in the last 20 years).
I have read a ton of books about surviving in the wilderness and I'm pretty sure I would do pretty well isolated on an island for a year. I'm glad Xavier has the ability to communicate with the his team, in case something happens. Wouldn't want him to have to remove an abscessed tooth via hockey blade if needs be. Will we have a weekly update on how he's doing?
There are a few survivalist shows out there now on TV, Survivor man and Man Against Wild. Both have a team nearby to quickly take care of a problem that is beyond the start's ability. What's going on with this endeavor as far as Xavier's ability to call for help if he gets bitten my a scorpion or eats the wrong plant?
Anyway, sounds like a great adventure, one that I'm sure many men would like to attempt. Though I believe it will take a very special person you finish the target time of 300 days alone on this desolate island.
Good luck Xavier, and my best wishes on your completion of such a difficult task.
above - start's should read star's - correct please - thanks.
needs a theme song, how about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ9_6W6bVoQ&feature=related
Ah, there ARE people on Tofua -- at least intermittently. No one is allowed to live and farm there (too dangerous; volcano is active) but there are a number of kava (piper methysticum) plantations, which are actively tended and harvested. Our "intrepid explorer" could get everything he needed from the kava-harvesters.
It's been years since I lived in Tonga, but I remember vividly standing by the harbor in Pangai and watching guys unload the kava they had just harvested on Tofua, only a few hours sail away.
Romantic isolated island my foot!
There's nothing new under the [South Pacific] sun: for a great adventure, check out the true story of a man who did this in the 1950s on a 300-by-900 yard coral atoll, 200 miles from anyone.
The book is An Island to Oneself by Tom Neale, available online (with photos) in three parts:
http://www.janesoceania.com/suvarov_tom_neale/
http://www.janesoceania.com/suvarov_tom_neale/index1.htm
http://www.janesoceania.com/suvarov_tom_neale/index2.htm
This has 'Not Exactly As It's Presented' written all over it. A satellite phone? What happened to 'nothing but a swiss army knife and a video camera'? So much for the loneliness problem, not to mention the ability to ask probing questions ("What's the weather forecast", etc.)
I'm seeing this adventure ending long before the prescribed 300 days.