The idea of living alone for years on a deserted island might be a nightmare for some, but for Tom Neale it was his dream come true. He spent 16 years of his life on remote Suwarrow in the Cook Islands and became world famous when he told his story in the book, “An Island to Oneself”.

Now, nearly 60 years after its publication his daughter, Stella Neale has provided a new perspective on the remarkable story with her own epilogue in a new edition of the book. In this podcast, Stella reflects affectionately and at times emotionally on her father’s extraordinary life. She talks about how he was misunderstood and why he chose to live hundreds of miles away from the nearest civilisation. She also reads extracts from that new epilogue. This is a unique and fascinating insight into an icon of Cook Islands history.

The updated (2024) edition of "An Island to Oneself" is published by HarperCollins (New Zealand) and is available as a hardback (ISBN 978 1 7755 4266 7) and ebook (ISBN 978 1 7754 9297 9)

EXPLORE ALL 15 OF THE COOK ISLANDS
My website is the most detailed guide on the net at Cook Islands complete guide. It's also THE ONLY TOTALLY INDEPENDENT GUIDE ON THE INTERNET with information about each and every one of the 15 islands. My own travels and those of other visitors and islanders themselves combine to provide what I hope you'll enjoy as a unique insight. There's an introduction to the Islands here. Find out...how to get to the Islands and get advice on getting around them. There's at least one page about every island to help you discover what to see and do and what makes it special. There are also a few ideas about what to take home to remind you of paradise. And there are answers to frequently asked questions, a list of the top 10 things to do and some "did you know?" facts.

MY BOOK ABOUT T...

The Cook Islands are a world away from Edinburgh in Scotland where best selling author, Ian Rankin lives and his novels about Detective Inspector John Rebus are set. But in this episode, Ian recalls his holiday in the Polynesian paradise. The unspoiled beauty, the friendly locals…and the fish sandwiches and local beer all made a big impression. He also talks about Rebus, why the curmudgeonly cop is unlikely ever to end up there and what might be next for his much loved maverick. It’s a unique and fascinating insight into the an aspect of Ian’s life never before heard.

EXPLORE ALL 15 OF THE COOK ISLANDS
My website is the most detailed guide on the net at Cook Islands complete guide. It's also THE ONLY TOTALLY INDEPENDENT GUIDE ON THE INTERNET with information about each and every one of the 15 islands. My own travels and those of other visitors and islanders themselves combine to provide what I hope you'll enjoy as a unique insight. There's an introduction to the Islands here. Find out...how to get to the Islands and get advice on getting around them. There's at least one page about every island to help you discover what to see and do and what makes it special. There are also a few ideas about what to take home to remind you of paradise. And there are answers to frequently asked questions, a list of the top 10 things to do and some "did you know?" facts.

MY BOOK ABOUT T...

Find out what KUKICAST is all about in this five minute introduction with clips from some of the first episodes. And presenter, John Roberts tells of his passion for this Polynesian paradise in the South Pacific and how this podcast is his way of helping to share it.

EXPLORE ALL 15 OF THE COOK ISLANDS
My website is the most detailed guide on the net at Cook Islands complete guide. It's also THE ONLY TOTALLY INDEPENDENT GUIDE ON THE INTERNET with information about each and every one of the 15 islands. My own travels and those of other visitors and islanders themselves combine to provide what I hope you'll enjoy as a unique insight. There's an introduction to the Islands here. Find out...how to get to the Islands and get advice on getting around them. There's at least one page about every island to help you discover what to see and do and what makes it special. There are also a few ideas about what to take home to remind you of paradise. And there are answers to frequently asked questions, a list of the top 10 things to do and some "did you know?" facts.

MY BOOK ABOUT T...