Restoration Island: Meet the ex-millionaire living on remote island after losing fortune

Escaping to a desert island is something which many people may dream of, but few will actually end up doing. That doesn’t include David Glasheen, who made the move to the remote Restoration Island in Far North Queensland 22 years ago. A former millionaire, the businessman previously lived in Sydney, having built a successful mining company. But, most of his wealth, around $37 million today (£29.7 million), was lost in the 1987 stock market crash.

His marriage later broke down, and after hearing about Restoration Island from a friend, he decided to make the unusual move.

It’s 22 years on, and Mr Glasheen is now approaching is 76th birthday – and is showing no signs of upping sticks anytime soon.

Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), he explained that his time on the island has repaired him.

He told the broadcaster: “We all need restoration at some point in our lives and that’s what’s happened to me … I’m mentally supercharged.”

Mr Glasheen has written a book about his life, titled The Millionaire Castaway.

While some people may assume remote island life comes with some challenges, he sees them as “character-building opportunities”.

He told ABC news: “You’ve got to think on the positive side all the time or you go crazy because things get really, really character building. They push you. Things go wrong.”

It seems that that includes falling and breaking a hip – something which Mr Glasheen did earlier this year.

And, falling out of reach of the satellite phone which sometimes works, could have been fatal.

“It’s lucky the damn phone was going or I’d be dead,” he told ABC.

During the painful experience, he managed to drag his body 60 metres to the phone, taking him an excruciating hour.

Staying on the island for the rest of his life is a prospect he hopes is in his future.

“I live in heaven — why would you leave heaven?” he said of remaining on the remote island into his 90s.

“I’m literally born again by being up here.”

The former millionaire now survives on 35 varieties of food naturally found on the island.

He has mueseli with fruit at breakfast time – with Mr Glasheen growing pawpaw and mango, as well as four native fruit trees which includes the wongai.

His only other meal of the day is lunch. Here, he’ll eat fish and rice, vegetables from the garden, or seafood from his trawler friends who sail in the area between March and December.

While he doesn’t trade with them, he gifts the fishers with some of his home-brew beer while they gift him some seafood.

Mr Glasheen also fishes with handlines.

And, once a year, he travels for top-up supplies in Cairns, Australia.

He told ABC: “It’s pretty good to go shopping. It’s pretty exciting.

“The first thing I do is get some steaks and get some ice-creams and yoghurts, all those beaut things.”

Elsewhere on his shopping list is 50kg of rice to last the year, and 20kg of pasta – as well as olive oil, crushed garlic, ginger, chilli, and sweet chilli sauces.

Upon his return, he’ll store the frozen items in a small freezer powered with solar rechargeable batteries, or leave some of the buys in the large freezers on his trawler friends’ boats.

Living on the island has had an impact on family life – but he is hoping to try and repair his family relationships.

Speaking to ABC, he spoke about how he misses his 21-year-old son, older daughter who hasn’t visited the island, and his third child, who died by suicide several years ago.

For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123 or visit a local Samaritans branch.