David Glasheen once built a life many would envy. As a Sydney-based mining investor and entrepreneur, he amassed what was thought to be tens of millions of dollars during the boom of the 1980s.
But then came the crash. The global stock-market tumble of 1987 took a heavy toll. He lost the majority of his wealth, his marriage broke down and he found himself at a personal crossroads.
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A New Beginning on a Wild Island
Not content to remain in the wreck of his old life, Glasheen did something few dare to do: he left it all behind. In 1997, he permanently moved to Restoration Island (also known as Ma’alpiku) – a remote, rugged island off the northeast coast of Australia’s Cape York Peninsula.
Once there, he embraced a simple, self-reliant lifestyle: living off-grid with solar power and a generator, fishing, growing his own fruit and vegetables, and working to restore the island’s natural environment.
He said of the change:
> “We all need restoration at some point in our lives and that’s what’s happened to me … I’m mentally super-charged.”
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A Sanctuary for Wildlife and for the Soul
On Restoration Island, Glasheen shifted from chasing profits to protecting nature. He planted native trees, tidied beaches, cleaned up debris, lived alongside crocodiles, spiders and snakes, and embraced the risk and reward of wild freedom.
His routine is minimal but meaningful:
Morning coffee by percolator, fruit or muesli from his garden.
Fish, crabs, oysters from the sea. Trade with passing trawler crews: homemade beer in exchange for seafood.
Few external distractions. No crowds, little noise. Just waves, bush-birds, clean air.
He says life here helped him recalibrate what mattered. The “riches” he found were not in bank accounts—but in freedom, nature, quiet, purpose.
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Lessons from His Journey
Loss can lead to clarity. When his wealth vanished, Glasheen didn’t cling to it. He used it as a turning point.
Simplicity brings freedom. He swapped a high-pressure business world for a wooden beach shack, and calls it “heaven on earth”.
Nature heals. The noise of the city, the rat race, the constant striving—all those gave way to waves, trees, aloneness—and found him restored.
Change is possible at any stage. He was a successful businessman, then became a self-sufficient island dweller. The capacity to change exists.
Purpose matters as much as comfort. He still works—restoring land, living intentionally—rather than merely relaxing in retirement.
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Why This Story Resonates
In an era when so many equate success with money, status and speed, Glasheen’s story flips the script. He reminds us that wealth isn’t always what we think, and that sometimes what we lose opens the door to what we truly need.
Peace, meaning and balance do not come from accumulation. They come from knowing what you’re living for, realigning your life, and reconnecting—with nature, with simplicity, with value beyond salary.
Glasheen found a sanctuary—not despite loss—but because of it. His island life is a template for rethinking what success means, and for finding contentment in intentionally chosen simplicity.