This family lives completely off-grid on a remote tropical island called Uepi in the Solomon Islands. They collect rainwater for all of their freshwater needs, they catch fish and grow as much fresh food as they can (including a homemade hydroponic system) on Uepi and on surrounding islands, and at the moment their electricity comes from diesel generators – although they are making the switch to solar power in the next 12 months!
source.image: Exploring Alternatives
For work, the family runs a small island resort where folks can go scuba diving and snorkelling in a beautiful marine environment. Jase grew up on the island after his parents fell in love with the Solomons in the ’80s and moved there from Australia. Katie visited the island as a volunteer and fell in love with Jase on her trip, and after a long distance relationship, she moved to the island and they’ve since had 3 children together.
Living on a remote island looks like an absolutely beautiful lifestyle, but it definitely isn’t easy. Being isolated means limited options for socializing, it means that everything has to come from very far away, it means a lot of travel to access health care, and it means you’re often on your own to figure out problems like why the generator isn’t running.
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It’s a lot of work and responsibility to keep things running smoothly all year round. Luckily, the family has help from a lot of skilled locals from neighbouring islands who work at the resport as chefs, carpenters, housekeepers and in the dive shop.
