Moyenne Island

Moyenne is about nine hectares of rock and trees in the Sainte Anne park, and its interest is one man: Brendon Grimshaw bought it in 1962 when it was abandoned scrub, spent decades planting some sixteen thousand trees, brought in giant tortoises and refused every offer to develop it, arranging instead for the island to become a national park after his death in 2012. Paths cross it in half an hour, past two graves and a small chapel.

Background

The island measures 9.9 hectares, with a coastline of 1.7 km and a high point of 61 m, and lies off the northeast coast of Mahé. Nobody lived on it from 1915 until the 1960s. Brendon Grimshaw, who edited a newspaper and came from Dewsbury in Yorkshire, bought it from Philippe Georges for £8,000, and he and René Antoine Lafortune, a local Seychellois, were its only residents until his death in July 2012. Together they laid nature paths and brought in Aldabra giant tortoises, of which nearly 50 now roam free. It took them 20 years to win national park status for it. His friend Suketu Patel now oversees the Moyenne Island Foundation, which manages the island.

Source: Wikipedia, "Moyenne Island"

What to look for

• The planted forest - some sixteen thousand trees put in by one man over decades.
• The tortoises - the giant tortoises he brought and that still roam the island.
• The graves - the burials on the island, including Grimshaw's own.
• The path circuit - the walk round the whole island in about half an hour.

When to go

April to May and October to November are calmest for the crossing. Trips run year round with the park excursions. Mornings avoid the largest groups.

Before you go

The island is tiny and half an hour walks all of it. Visits come as part of a fixed park excursion rather than independently. It gets crowded when several boats arrive together.

Nearby

Cerf Island is beside it, and Victoria is across the water.

Key facts