Owning paradise

So what about owning paradise, your own paradise…

Sounds like a good idea…to me at least… while we are around ….for the moment. One man has done this and lived on it for virtually  the last forty years. Meet the owner of Moyenne (the middle one), Brendon Grimshaw. He bought the island with his father  in the late sixties and has lived here since then, outlasting his friends. Now in his mid-eighties he remains in good health and is the main source of information to daily tourist visiting his island.  

It is an ideal stop over for day tourists. All you do is hire a boat or even take your own boat or kayak and saunter across from any of the neighboring islands and voila you are in Brendon’s own private reserve. The smallest marine park in the world-the Moyenne Marine  park!  There  you can snorkel, lie on the beach or take a walk around the island, all at leisurely pace. One may even do some treasure hunting as a pirate’s treasure is supposed to be hidden on the island( nothing found yet), or one can have some refreshments and a light meal at the Jolly Roger after/during your island visit!

The island takes about an hour to circumvent at your leisure. There is much to see and do. The island has been reclaimed painstakingly by Brandon and his local friend Rene Lafortune. The latter has since sadly departed. You find most [all] of the indigenous plants and trees of Seychelles. There is also a small museum with some interesting facts on the island, some known and unknown graves and even a small chapel.

Moyenne was first inhabited about 160 years ago when it was given as wedding gift to its first two citizens. People stayed on the island until after World War One after which it became desolate until Brendon ( a journalist) came here in the late sixties and bought it in and started living there with his father and friends. Together they restored the ideal to its past glory and present state.

Brendon lives on the island together with about 160 giant tortoises. Seychelles and the Galapagos islands are the only place on earth where these giant slow coaches are found.  He has an annual out of country health check, otherwise his routine is to get weekly provisions in Mahe together with the local Rotary Club lunch!

Brendon is a key person to understand the solitude, bliss and lack of stress of his chosen life style. Is it a style for everyone, not sure about that but he certainly looks young for his age so then we should think again. The question remains how do you kill time, ask Brendon on your next visit. Ideal to cure writer’s block and nowadays with the cloud one can be anywhere even on Moyenne, assuming you have 3G.

All very civilized and distressed! Enjoy Moyenne!; Only a short twenty minute boat ride from either Victoria harbor or Eden island marina; Right next door to St Anne and Cerf island. If you cannot get there soon  have a look below.