Puangiangi Island

 island  Add category

 Upload a photo

This small island was home to Ross Webber, who farmed sheep and fished commercially, alone on this island (except for occasional visitors, passing Yaughtsmen and Kayakers) for nearly 48 years from 1957 until 2004 (when he sold his island by private tender to a Nelson businessman).

For the first year he lived on the island he had no postal service at all and then persuaded the Mail boat to deliver once a week from French Pass on payment of a fee.

Many years later the postal service became free as an incentive for him not to make his fortune by issuing his own stamps...

Since 1999 Puangiangi Island has been free of introduced pests apart from man.

Ross is now happily married, enjoying life and travelling the world...