{
  "id": 6991033,
  "title": "Tropical island needs caretakers to live in barely inhabited 'paradise'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/tropical-island-needs-caretakers-to-live-in-barely-inhabited-paradise",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T21:02:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-13/middle-percy-island-invites-caretakers-rent-free/107144424"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Percy Island Conservation Group Inc. in Queensland, Australia, is actively seeking live-in volunteer caretakers to manage their remote and almost uninhabited island paradise. The 15-year-old Middle Percy Island, located 125 kilometers southeast of Mackay, covers 20 square kilometers with a current population of just two. The group aims to increase this population five-fold by recruiting more caretakers to maintain the island's infrastructure and promote conservation efforts.\n\nVolunteers live rent-free on the island in exchange for their work, which includes tasks such as maintaining rainwater systems, gardening, tending to chickens and bees, and processing animals for food. Despite the physical demands of the job, caretakers find the experience rewarding, with Martin Papay describing it as \"love\" and \"passion.\" The island's tranquility is a significant draw, with one caretaker expressing a preference for the solitude, even if it means occasional periods of isolation.\n\nThe island's management is conducted by the Percy Island Conservation Group Inc., a non-profit organization that also sells bee products and tan skins, with the proceeds reinvested into island maintenance. Volunteers are expected to be self-sufficient, possessing skills in areas like cooking, carpentry, animal husbandry, and horticulture. While the island's remoteness offers a unique lifestyle, it also presents emotional challenges, as some caretakers have shared their struggles with loneliness and the passing of loved ones.",
  "summary": "Managers of a near-deserted tropical island are looking for live-in volunteer caretakers to live rent free in exchange for help maintaining the pristine environment.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}