An Isolated Paradise

I know of many people who enjoy living in rural isolation, in and around Moray, strangely enough many of them live alone. However, I also know of a similar number of people who despise it.

Though however remote in the local area, more often than not, there's nearly always a neighbouring house, a shop, a pub or if you're lucky a tea room within a 20 mile radius.

On my recent trip to California I was fortunate enough to meet with Roger Lextrait who lived practically alone, and was fortunate enough to call a small island in the South Pacific atoll of Palmyra his home for eight years.

Each day he woke promptly at 5AM, to the calling of a hundred thousand birds. Nowhere else on the planet do these creatures gather in such numbers. After fixing himself a Palmyra Cocktail (1 part Rum, 1 part Red Wine, 1 part Tang), he called up his radio contacts in Tahiti and Honolulu.

A shower on the beach in his makeshift bathing system and he was ready for the day. The bath and latrine systems Roger built are still used today by the current research teams that visit the atoll for brief expeditions.

Roger had a variety of things to keep him busy. Not least of which were his 3 dogs TouTou, Blackie, and Padou. He trained them to hunt sharks, helping to keep the predators population under control (How you do this wasn't explained - I just gave him a knowing nod and smile, as if this was an everyday occurence - I couldn't imagine Copernicus doing this...). Always near were his 2 cats Tiger and DouDouche, and the 2 birds he raised from hatchlings, lovingly named Felix and Oscar.

Experience made him an excellent fisherman, using only a diving knife, fishing net, and spear gun. This was dangerous work as the reef contained a number of less than friendly creatures. Roger had his share of run-ins with everything from sharks to stingrays, but never suffered any serious injuries.

Singing, playing his guitar, and drumming on an old wheel barrel helped him pass the time and keep the loneliness at bay. Despite his best efforts, Roger still described experiencing intense feelings of depression and despair. “It (Palmyra) is so secluded, so isolate,” he says.

A bit like Tomintoul, but without the sunshine and sharks perhaps......?

I hope to invite Roger to stop with me in Moray next year, I will of course let you have his well travelled comments and observations about the area.

Aloha,

Mr Jackson.