Tasmanians with a taste for adventure can now apply to spend six months living on one of the state’s wildest and most isolated outposts.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is calling for expressions of interest for volunteer caretakers at Maatsuyker Island, about 10 kilometres off the state’s rugged south-west coast.
Successful applicants will live and work on the 180-hectare island during six-month placements running between September 2026 and September 2028.
According to the department, the role is suited to two adults who can demonstrate their ability to “live and work together in a remote location”.
Volunteers will be based at the island’s historic lighthouse precinct, built in 1891 and home to Australia’s most southerly lighthouse.
The site was the country’s last manned lighthouse, operating with lightkeepers until 1997, when an automatic beacon replaced them.
Since then, volunteer caretakers have maintained a human presence on the island.
Caretakers are responsible for a range of duties, including brush cutting, track maintenance, vegetation trimming and helping conserve heritage buildings.
They can also assist the Bureau of Meteorology by taking daily weather observations.
The department will provide accommodation in a heritage-listed building, helicopter transport, internet access and a resupply visit halfway through the placement.
Volunteers must supply their own food for the full six months, along with bedding, linen and “a sense of adventure or a personal project”.
Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents, have a high level of fitness and be willing to obtain remote first aid certification.
Medical and dental clearances are required before placement.
The island lies within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and is known for its abundant marine wildlife, as well as its “wet, windy and wild” weather conditions.
Children are not permitted due to the island’s remoteness and safety considerations.
Applications close on February 27, 2026, with further details available on the Department of Natural Resources and Environment website.
