Hi and welcome to No Going Back! This blog will follow the escapades of myself, Harry Styles, and my intrepid companion on this crazy adventure, Louis Tomlinson. Two Brit’s who decided on a whim (and after far too many drinks) that our lives sucked quite a lot and were desperately in need of a change. Bored of our careers as sales reps, and having the advantage of mechanical and carpentry trades in our backgrounds, we applied to be remote lighthouse keepers for a six month stint on Maatsuyker Island off the bottom of Tasmania, Australia (aka the end of the Earth) and by some miraculous turn of events, we were accepted!

So, here we are. I thought it might be fun to record our experiences on this blog, and even if nobody reads it, it’ll be a good way to capture the journey for ourselves. I’m a big fan of photography and I’m hoping this trip will allow me to develop that passion a bit more. Also, apologies in advance, because I’m not much of a writer, but I’ll do my best!

Hello and welcome to all the new friends out there who have decided to follow along on this adventure! I don’t really understand how all of this is working but I’m blown away by the response and interest. Just checked and there are 321 subscribers. Woo hoo!

Today has been a great day. We managed to get outside for more than just the weather station readings for the first time in what feels like ages. I think we were bordering on cabin fever if the state of the living room is anything to go by. I decided two days ago to rip up a corner of the room to replace the dodgy floorboards and let’s just say… that was not my finest hour as the photograph demonstrates… but it’s almost back together now!

The sun was shining after lunch today so we hiked down to the small inlet known as Seal Cove and perched ourselves on the clifftop high above the beach. Yes! We have seals! I took so many pictures of them, and, uhm… Louis. Listen. It’s not my fault. The camera loves him and it’s hard, even in this amazing environment, to drag the lens away from him so I make no apologies.

Anywaaay… where was I? Oh! Seals. They’re such majestic creatures and we got to watch them from afar lazing around on the rocks for a couple of hours. It’s fascinating how hard they work to move around on land compared to how graceful they are in the water and surfing the waves. We stayed until the sun started to fade and the air got cold and then wandered back to the cottage.

There’s a pot of stew simmering away on the stove which is going to need my attention soon so I’ll sign off for now.

Lots of love from the arse end of the Earth!

Well hello new friends (67 subscribers! WTF?). I honestly didn’t think anyone would care enough to find this corner of the internet or be interested in what I had to say, but I guess I was wrong?

It’s been a challenging few days with constant rain and strong winds but we’re trying to stay upbeat. We’re making the best of the situation with lots of time by the fire catching up on our reading and although we haven’t brought out the scrabble board just yet, it’s probably not too far away. Can’t believe Louis still thinks he’s going to beat me. Poor, delusional, Lou 😉

Our progress on The List has been fairly slow due to Mother Nature whacking at us at every opportunity but we’re doing what we can. Getting the weather station readings have been mini-adventures in themselves. We come back completely drenched even though we wear our weatherproof jackets because the pesky wind manages to let the rain sneak underneath no matter how hard we try to avoid it. As a result, the living room currently resembles a makeshift laundry with lines strung across the room in a criss-cross pattern to dry all our damp clothing. I’ve nearly been garrotted a couple of times but it serves me right for not paying more attention. I ended up on my arse after one almost beheading which Louis found highly amusing. He was laughing so much he fell off the couch and smacked his funny bone on the coffee table. Karma really is a bitch 🙂

I’ve received some lovely messages about my cooking and asking what other treats I’ve got in store for us. Well… I baked today! I haven’t baked for years, what with all the time I’ve spent in hotels, so having an actual kitchen at my disposal was amazing. For those interested, I made a batch of parmesan and herb muffins and some good old Australian damper. Felt like a proper Aussie. There’s not much in the way of sweet things I can make with our current stores but I’d added a few ingredients to the supply order so I’ll be whipping up some more interesting things in the coming weeks. Hopefully that will satisfy Louis’ sweet tooth!

Anyway, it’s time to brave the elements and do the daily weather station readings again so hopefully we don’t get blown off the cliff!

Lots of love from the arse end of the Earth!

Hello new subscribers… All seven of you! I’m writing this at lunchtime on our second day. The weather is being kind to us again so Louis has headed off to do some routine maintenance on the diesel generator and I’m going to pop out soon to check on the veggie patch and then make a start on repairing some stairs. Fun! No seriously. It’s wonderful. The air is crisp and fresh, the sun is shining, and even though the wind buffets us night and day, there’s really nowhere else I’d rather be. 

We spent the morning unpacking and sorting the mountain of crates and bags that had come over with us on the helicopter ride. The food situation is pretty good, albeit basic, but it’s decent enough and with a bit of creativity I’m sure I can whip us up some delicious meals. Louis maintains he burns water and therefore I should look after feeding us, but I suspect it’s a none-too-subtle ploy to avoid having to cook. I’m just gonna go with it for now but let the record show I’m totally onto the sneaky bastard. Anyway, my specialty minestrone soup is on the menu for tonight!

Just before lunch we took our first readings at the weather station and logged them online. It’s fine when Mother Nature is being kind but it’ll be another story when she’s grumpy. Oh well. Things to look forward too I guess.

I’m thinking I’ll probably try and do a post every few days, assuming there are things to report and Louis hasn’t murdered me when I thrash him at Scrabble. We’re both rather competitive, you see, and we’re having our first match tonight so wish me luck and I hope to be alive and blogging again soon.

Lots of love from the arse end of the Earth!

After more than thirty hours of travelling from the UK to Tasmania, we found ourselves on Maatsuyker Island, exhausted, but excited, and in desperate need of a cuppa and a nap. But that would have to wait. The team from the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Remote Management Team apparently had other ideas.

There was so much to take in on our tour – daily tasks, repairs and maintenance works that were found on our very long to-do list, and a multitude of safety procedures – and the sleep deprivation certainly wasn’t helping with our retention levels. Thankfully the team is super professional and there are backup procedures written down for everything as well as The List. I have a sneaking suspicion this list is going to become our nemesis. 

The cottage is lovely, homely and cozy with a log burning fire that we crashed out in front of after the team. We woke up hours later – gotta love that jet lag – and had a quick dinner before heading off to bed. Unfortunately, the aforementioned jet lag came into play again in the early hours of the morning so here I sit in the darkness, wrapped in a blanket and about three other layers of clothing, blogging away to you lovely people, whoever you might be. 

Today is going to be a busy one. Lots of unpacking and sorting through the mysterious crates and bags that came along on our helicopter ride and are now piled ominously in the living room, waiting for us to do something with them. The smart money is on the contents somehow matching up with the items on The List.

Anyway, I think I can hear Louis banging about in need of tea so I’ll sign off for now.

Lots of love from the arse end of the Earth!