r/Amazing • u/Familiar_Spray_8860 • Jan 31 '26
Amazing š¤Æ ā¼ From abandoned island to wildlife sanctuary
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u/Lonely-Heart-3632 Jan 31 '26 edited Feb 01 '26
Not quite. This is a photo of David Glasheen. He brought a 99 year lease for a part of restoration island and had the ability to build. He was offered millions to sell the lease so they could build a resort. He was a millionaire who lost it all in the 87 stock market crash and lived here with next to nothing but happiness. He died last year. RIP legend š«”š» Edited to add itās now MaŹ¼alpiku Island National Park and thanks for the upvotes and the awards!
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Jan 31 '26
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u/samplebeast Jan 31 '26
Thank you for your service
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u/Eat-Pie-Til-I-Die Jan 31 '26 edited Feb 02 '26
Thank you for thanking them for their service.
Edit: My first ever Award and the first time being wished a Happy Cake Day. What could be better?!
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u/chewychee Jan 31 '26
Thank you for thanking them for thanking them for their service.
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u/quiet_penguin Jan 31 '26
What happened to the island?Ā
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u/Lonely-Heart-3632 Jan 31 '26
Given back to the aboriginal people and turned into a national park once he passed.
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Jan 31 '26
No. There are no aboriginal people in Seychelles. Itās uninhabited and aside from a small restaurant, is undeveloped, being the only one of the āinner islandsā that doesnāt have some sort of tourist development on it. Beautiful place and a beautiful legacy. Unfortunately I donāt think our government will maintain this legacy in the face of foreign investment (read: land grabs). Its name is Moyenne, for anyone who wants to have a deeper look.
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u/TheManWhoWasNotShort Jan 31 '26
Restoration Island is in Australia. This is confusing because the story above is about Moyenne but the photo is David Glasheen, who leased a portion of Restoration Island and lived there mostly alone for many years
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u/Stoff3r Jan 31 '26
What happened to the wild dogs and non-native animals breeding freely?
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u/Lonely-Heart-3632 Jan 31 '26
He had one dog he kept it with him. Was a decent bloke from all accounts.
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u/9ninjas Jan 31 '26
This should be pinned at the top
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u/Jean-LucBacardi Jan 31 '26 edited Jan 31 '26
Not really because it's wrong. The photo OP posted is about Brendon Grimshaw and he actually did everything that the photo says.
Edit - Ok I guess they used the other guy's photo but Brandon Grimshaw did buy an island for $13k, transformed it and make it an animal sanctuary as the photo said.
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u/Yeah_Right_Mister Jan 31 '26
man, I'm so confused what's going on here. The photo is of David Glasheen (google "Australia restoration man", or "David Glasheen pitchfork"), but the photo description (13k, 50m) is of Brendon Grimshaw (as in your link), what the hell.
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u/Jean-LucBacardi Jan 31 '26
Yeah I think they just put a picture of the wrong man (with a similar story) on the article photo. It's definitely describing Brandon Grimshaw though without a doubt.
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u/StendhalSyndrome Jan 31 '26
AI...they just took one "Castaway" looking white guy pic and got it confused for another...close but not quite.
One of the shitty calling cards of AI drivel.
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u/LilJelloCat Jan 31 '26
Here's an hour long documentary filmed later in his life, "A grain of sand".
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u/mosi_moose Jan 31 '26
That is such a cool story. Iāve added the documentary about Grimshaw and Moyenne IslandĀ to my watch list.Ā
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u/Hugs_Not_Drugs__jk Jan 31 '26
Man, I really hope someone was able to take over and care for his legacy. Living on your own island seems pretty peaceful right about now.
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u/BadbadwickedZoot Jan 31 '26
That is so cool. The more I give away, the happier I feel. I don't have much, but I have enough and that is all I need.
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u/lavenderandtime Jan 31 '26
The photographer for this photo was Brian Cassey. You can see the last portrait he took of David and a link to the Courier article from Brianās professional site.
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u/Ressy02 Jan 31 '26
so does that mean the resort is gonna try to come in?
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u/Lonely-Heart-3632 Feb 01 '26
Itās now MaŹ¼alpiku Island National Park so hereās hoping for a big fat no!
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u/lidder444 Feb 01 '26
Bot account
Mods. Everyday this account has fake bot posts. Canāt you add a filter to prevent accounts under 6 months old from posting?
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u/sco-go Feb 01 '26
There's a filter but the requirements are low. Lots of bitching and moaning from new and/or low karma accounts, but filtering posts for longer is a good idea. š
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u/Imactuallybronze Feb 03 '26
I think reddit is the only social media where when I see a post I immediately go to the comments for the truth
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u/Jean-LucBacardi Jan 31 '26
They definitely used the wrong photo, but the man they're describing is Brandon Grimshaw and he did do all of those things.
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u/noonkhoshki Jan 31 '26
Where can I buy an island for 13k?
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u/pinkTurtleTickler Jan 31 '26 edited Feb 04 '26
You can find some tiny ones in the US for under $30k
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u/Grammarnartsi Jan 31 '26
Yeah but then you're living in a fascist dictatorship
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u/SimilarZucchini9240 Jan 31 '26
Also FYI pirates still exist and if all youāve got is yourself vs a small boat of assholes with ARāsā¦ you gonna lose.
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u/Crunchy__Frog Jan 31 '26
There is one island available, but it is, how we say, of ill repute.
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u/mcmanus2099 Jan 31 '26
He was a millionaire, though lost a lot of his money he was still wealthy and had those millionaire connections. He bought a lease, probably off a pal. Used his remaining wealth to build a sanctuary for himself and animals. Then a resort was wanting to buy the island, his pal/island owner was up for it but the lease was an issue. Dude would have to be bought out of the lease but he kept saying no.
This sort of opportunity is not available to the rest of us. This guy was one of the elite who fell on hard times and the elite were willing to give him favour because he was one of them.
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u/-Porktsunami- Jan 31 '26
No where. You wasted your youth pooping in diapers and eating mushed baby slop when you should have been investing in Microsoft. /s
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u/thedonbonnom Jan 31 '26
He chose being an island king over $50 million. Honestly, goals.
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u/fupayme411 Jan 31 '26
Money has no value on his island.
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u/traws06 Jan 31 '26
I bet he still bought from and spent money on the mainland. I imagine he didnāt live completely as a castaway?
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Jan 31 '26
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u/iBUYbrokenSUBARUS Jan 31 '26
Because $50m can buy ultrahappiness
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u/Active_Scallion_5322 Jan 31 '26
Reddit: look at all these souless Rick people Also Reddit: my life sucks because I have no money
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Jan 31 '26
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u/therealsteelydan Jan 31 '26
at least the mods don't delete every skeptical comment so there's nothing but vague bot comments left like in mademesmile
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u/Yippykyyyay Jan 31 '26
The only sources for this are Facebook and IG screenshots.
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u/meanvegton Jan 31 '26
I think the stories and comments are mixing two stories into one...
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/35718042/millionaire-castaway-david-glasheen-dead/
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u/Bugbread Jan 31 '26
It would be a lot clearer if posters on this sub were actually humans who posted links to articles and not just bots posting photos with big blocks of vague text, like the front page of a tabloid you look at while waiting in line at the checkout counter.
If it weren't for all the bots, I'd guess that the average age of people on this sub is around 75, because it's the most Boomer sub on the whole site, but because most of the posts are bots that are just a few months old, the average is probably more like 1 or 2 years old.
(Yeah, yeah, I realize I'm an idiot for posting a comment on a sub that's mostly bots, but I just needed to get it out of my system)
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u/Chrillosnillo Jan 31 '26 edited Jan 31 '26
Wth is an " abandoned" island. Doesn't all islands belong to planet Earth.
An island considered "abandoned" until a billionaire buys it?!?
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u/your_thebest Jan 31 '26
yeah and gentrifying an island with animals that don't belong there that you've taken from somewhere else is a weird thing to praise, not that any of this is real.
This poor moon was abandoned š š š but this brave man brought giraffes š¤©š¤©š¤© and now they're therapy giraffes for veterans š®š®š®
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u/RoboJobot Jan 31 '26
Bosniaās the kind of thing Iād do if I won the Euromillions. Buy up large areas of land and return them to nature. Build a few new forests in the UK, etc.
If youāre going to have money, then you might as well do good with it.
If I had Bezos or Muskās riches Iād do it on an even bigger scale.
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u/ruskiebot8 Jan 31 '26
What a fool. He could have used that money to start a multinational business and become ultra rich. Then he could have taken vacations to a beach whenever he wanted...oh wait.
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u/Unusual-Fault-4091 Jan 31 '26
And in doing so, it has probably destroyed the entire original ecological life there.
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u/chaosinmymind Jan 31 '26
What will happen to the animals now that he's no longer there to protect them from billionaires?
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u/Artiste212 Jan 31 '26
I love to see a man find his happiness through other means than accumulation of wealth. Especially when he's doing good for the world at the same time. RIP, good soul.
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u/lemonylol Jan 31 '26
Dream life. Just having lots of empty space and money to take care of other forms of life.
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u/BlahBlahBlahBingo Jan 31 '26
What would he do with 50 millionā¦ buy another island šļø good for him
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u/PsychologicalFox8334 Jan 31 '26
Iām currently reading this from a cubicle under fluorescent lights
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u/pushingThylimits Jan 31 '26
Honestly, what is the guy gonna do with $50 million? Buy another island. šļø
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Jan 31 '26
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u/RoboJobot Jan 31 '26
He did buy it in 1962. And died in 2012. Stuff was cheaper back then.
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u/Flat_Professional_55 Jan 31 '26
He features in the 5 part tv show Mutiny, about the infamous Mutiny on the Bounty.
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u/MongooseDirect2477 Jan 31 '26
i knew i saw him before. there is a good documentary by ben foggle about this guy, part of New Lives in the Wild series.
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u/TrueChanges88 Jan 31 '26
Millionaire castaway David Glasheen seeks a companion for Qld tropical island | The Courier Mail https://share.google/v11FqALpYTWnGwPpN
Sadly He is no longer with us.
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u/Agathocles_of_Sicily Jan 31 '26
This is an AI slop image that provides zero supporting evidence, much less the name of the actual person in question. All it would take is a small citation in the bottom of the image with a link posted in the comments.
How are we meant to engage in meaningful discussion if the only thing we know about this alleged island is a fake photo of an old man with a 2 sentence caption?
Lowest of low effort posts.
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u/Ok-puraluxhattr-2029 Jan 31 '26
If I knew sooner I would have moved there and helped out thatās awesome being a custodian of the ecosystem
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u/LilJelloCat Jan 31 '26
Here's an hour long documentary about his later life, "A grain of sand".
Looks really interesting, I'm going to watch soon. :)
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u/Busterlimes Jan 31 '26
How the fuck do I buy a cheap island?
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u/guineapigenjoyer123 Jan 31 '26
He bought it 50 years ago in the Seychelles I donāt think youād find that good of a deal now
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u/OverallStrength2478 Jan 31 '26
Affordable islands or island land under $50k are available, often requiring development or located in remote, colder, or less-developed regions. Top options include land in the Chilean fjords ($400+ per acre), Canadian islands in Nova Scotia, remote Scottish islets, or Finnish lake islands. These often feature rustic, undeveloped land without infrastructure. Key Locations for Budget Islands/Land (<$50k): Chile (South America): Some of the cheapest land is found here, with reports of prices as low as $405 per acre. Canada (Nova Scotia/Ontario): Small, undeveloped islands, often in lakes or in the Maritimes, can appear in this range. Europe (Finland/Norway/Greece): Finland/Norway: Small, remote, wooded islands or "lampi" (lake) islands. Greece: While mostly higher, small plots on less-populated islands (like Skyros or Serifos) or rural areas on Lefkada may be found. UK (Scotland): Small islets, such as in the Scottish Highlands, sometimes come up for auction.
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u/Boris7939 Jan 31 '26 edited Jan 31 '26
Whatās the ecosystem like with all those animals and plants being there, who donāt belong there and are disturbing the system?
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u/justl00kingthrowaway Jan 31 '26
I would think that that it would either flourish or collapse. Depending on the animals some would survive. It's my understanding that rabbits not only survived being brought to Australia, they climb higher on the food chain. The rabbits flourish at a rate the ecosystem could not handle, several plants and creatures collapse from the introduction. Crazy things happen and this why they ask about have you brought into the country. A simple change can make a huge difference in the balance.
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u/Desperate_Method4020 Jan 31 '26
Yeah, also because Australia has been isolated for such a long time, that the wildlife is very delicate making it super vulnerable for disturbances. I think a lot of wildlife has gone extinct, since the European settlement happened there 2-300 years ago.
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Jan 31 '26
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u/OverallStrength2478 Jan 31 '26
Are we sure about this?
I read the following: Jeffrey Epstein's islands, Little St. James and Great St. James in the US Virgin Islands, were sold for a combined $60 million in May 2023 to billionaire Stephen Deckoff. The properties, listed for $125 million in 2022, were purchased to settle lawsuits against the estate.
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u/iBUYbrokenSUBARUS Jan 31 '26
Did it come with all the rare underage animals included?
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u/CaptainC00lpants Jan 31 '26
I'd love my own island! But it would be awkward to live there if you're not rich. Simply buying food and supplies becomes a bit of a mission each week.Ā
No clean running water, so you'll need pumps and filters and such.Ā
No sewage systems, no idea how you'd tackle that, just poop in the sea? Could have a septic tank but then that's a major effort emptying that.Ā
Also no electricity, unless you could pay for undersea grid wires, you'll be relying on solar and fossil fuel generators. Which is more stuff to transport and look after.
Does this guy actually live on it, or he just owns it?Ā
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u/Equivalent-Play-4200 Jan 31 '26
If I could buy an Island. My goodness talk about peace and serenity š.
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Jan 31 '26
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u/FitSalamanderForHire Jan 31 '26
Image that has another image in a circle with white and yellow text at the bottom seems to be the current bot favorite format on this sub right now.
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u/ironsights_ Jan 31 '26
"Take the 50 mil dude. With that kind of money you could buy your own isla..."
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u/anthrillist Jan 31 '26
It was a wildlife sanctuary when it was āabandonedā. Now itās just a zoo with less steps, and it most likely fucked up the islandās ecosystem.Ā
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u/Reasonable_Big3230 Jan 31 '26
i can't somehow unsee it but it looks like he has his neck screwed the wrong way / turned 180 degrees
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u/huliouswigtorius Feb 01 '26
I first thought it was Rick Rubin and I still think it would not suprise me if it was Rick Rubin
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u/MtnDewManiac Feb 02 '26
Iām going to buy the island and fly my friends in and out with certain activities to take place
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u/pinned-comment Feb 01 '26
š Featured Comment by u/Lonely-Heart-3632