The Island Podcast

160 years ago. In May 1866, the cargo ship General Grant set sail from Melbourne bound for London, carrying 83 people and a fortune in gold from the Australian rush. Sailing blind through fog, she drifted helplessly into the towering cliffs of the remote subantarctic Auckland Islands and was swallowed into a sea cave, sinking with most of her souls still aboard. Only fifteen survived the wreck its...

In this gripping episode of "The Island Podcast," we explore the enigmatic and tragic history of Ross Island, a remote and formidable land at the edge of Antarctica. From the heroics and rivalries of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton to the tragic story of Air New Zealand Flight 901, a sightseeing flight that ended in disaster in 1979, claiming 257 lives.  This episode re...

In this episode, we venture into the Pacific Ocean, specifically to Elugelab, a part of the Enewetak Atoll. Elugelab, a seemingly unremarkable 45-acre landmass, carries a history linked with one of the defining events of the mid-20th century. The episode takes us back to November 1, 1952, the last day of the island's existence, when it became the test site for the first hydrogen bomb ever, co...

In the first episode of the podcast, the host introduces Palmyra Atoll, a remote cluster of islands in the Pacific Ocean. The episode begins with the host reminiscing about childhood fantasies of teleporting to a deserted island. The narrative then transitions to the 18th-century tale of Captain Edmund Fanning, who, while sailing the Pacific Ocean on a trading mission, experienced a mysterious pre...