Inaccessible Island
Tristan da Cunha
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation1:56
Welcome to Inaccessible Island, arguably the most aptly named and remote piece of land on our planet. Part of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, this British overseas territory is situated in the middle of the South Atlantic, over…
Listen in the app2The Denstone College Base — Scientific Isolation1:46
On the northwestern part of the island, tucked away on one of the few pieces of level ground, sits a small, weathered building. This structure is a remnant of the longest scientific expedition in the island's history, conducted…
Listen in the app3The Cliffs and the Roaring Forties — Geological Fortification1:45
The defining feature of Inaccessible Island is its near-vertical sea cliffs, which rise to a staggering thousand feet. These are not just aesthetic features; they are the results of six million years of erosion by the relentless…
Listen in the app4The Inaccessible Flightless Rail — Evolutionary Mystery1:48
Once you ascend the cliffs and reach the island’s interior plateau, you enter the realm of the world’s smallest flightless bird: the Inaccessible Island Rail. This tiny creature, measuring only five to six inches long and…
Listen in the app5Karen Peak — The Summit of Solitude1:44
The highest point on Inaccessible Island is Karen Peak, standing at fourteen hundred feet, or four hundred and forty meters, above sea level. Reaching the summit requires a grueling hike through the island's dense, boggy…
Listen in the app6The Stolenhoff Brothers — A Tale of Survival1:43
In the nineteenth century, two German brothers, Gustav and Frederick Stolenhoff, attempted to make a life on this inhospitable rock. Arriving in eighteen seventy-one, they intended to hunt seals and live off the land. …
Listen in the app7Governance and Conservation — Protecting the Pristine1:45
Inaccessible Island is managed under the umbrella of the United Kingdom as a British Overseas Territory, but effective day-to-day control lies with the government of Tristan da Cunha. The island is protected by some of the…
Listen in the app8Closing1:33
As we depart from the rocky shores of Inaccessible Island, we leave behind one of the last truly wild places on Earth. We have seen how six million years of geological history have carved a fortress of stone that both defies and…
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What is Inaccessible Island?
Inaccessible Island is a place in Tristan da Cunha with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Tristan da Cunha |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Total length | 14 min 00 s in all |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | -37.3025, -12.6744 |
| Last updated |