This woman, 22, lives on a deserted island with just six people, once lived a colorful city life, and then…

In a bizarre yet interesting story, a young British woman quit her job and ditched her hectic but colorful city life in Wales and moved to a remote, deserted island in New Zealand, which she shared with just six other residents for nine months. According to details, Catrin, a 22-year-old outdoor instructor, relocated to Motutapu Island, 11,000 miles of the coast of Auckland, after quitting her job in Malvern, England in 2023.

Why Catrin moved away from city life?

Detailing her experience of living on a deserted Island among a handful of natives, Catrin wrote in her blog that she was exhausted with the hustle and bustle of city life and decided to leave everything behind to experience the tranquility offered by nature. Catrin said her strange decision was driven by the desire of a peaceful life, away from the colorful yet tiring life of cities, which ultimately led her to Motutapu, a small island in the Hauraki Gulf, northeast of Auckland.

Catrin spent nine months working in an outdoor recreation centre in Motutapu.

How Catrin felt on Motutapu island?

In her August 2023 blog, Catrin revealed the pros and cons of living on a remote island, saying that while island featured everything a nature lover would dreams, like beaches, walking trails, rolling hills, farmland, and scenic views as far as the eye can see, it has been uninhabited for over 700 years and can only be reached by a ferry from Auckland or via a causeway from Rangitoto Island.

Catrin wrote that she did not have to worry about her safety while roaming around the island at night as its nearly uninhabited, and she was also save a lot of money because there are no shops, pubs or malls to spend on.

What challenges Catrin faced on Motutapu?

While Catrin was quite happy with her tranquil life on Motutapu, she also faced quite a few challenges on the deserted Island. Catrin notes that she had to wait for a ferry to travel to the mainland to buy food and other essentials as there are no shops or restaurants on the island.

Sometimes, she was bored to death because there was nothing to do on the remote island, and the lack of a social life got to her at times as there were only six people living on the entire island, which made her feel restless and anxious.

However, she confessed that pros of living a quiet, tranquil life in Motutapu, far out weighed the cons as it gave the most important gift a person could ask for; peace. Her story inspires those who want to move away from the hustle and bustle of city life and choose a simple and peaceful life amidst nature.

“Motutapu taught me that life can be slow and that’s okay. There is peace in nature and simplicity,” she writes.

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