Latitude 40 Podcast - Spud & Kim Murphy

A remote island can sound like a postcard until you’re the one carrying months of supplies, keeping tracks clear, and watching the weather decide whether you arrive by boat or plane. 

In this episode of Latitude 40, Jacqui sits down with Spud and Kim Murphy, a Flinders Island couple whose lives are shaped by hard work, community, and a deep affection for wild places and they don’t just talk about Deal Island in Bass Strait, they’ve lived it, five separate times, as volunteer caretakers in the Kent Group.  

We follow their path from making a living in the Furneaux Group to stepping into a caretaker program that sits at the crossroads of conservation, heritage, and pure practicality. We chat about the 1848 lighthouse, the shift to national park and marine park, what happens when a jetty deteriorates, and how you plan food and essentials when resupply is limited. Yes, we also get the kind of bush ingenuity you only learn by doing, including the trick of keeping eggs for months by greasing them with Vaseline. 

The heart of the story is bigger than logistics. Deal Island holds shipwreck records, a WWII plane crash site, and quiet graves that still pull people up short, alongside migrating birds, sea eagles, dolphins, and the feeling of being utterly present. Spud and Kim share why they never felt lonely out there, how the island “engulfs you”, and why caring for a place can change how you see home.  

If you’re into Tasmania travel stories, Australian island history, remote living, lighthouses, or volunteer caretaker life, this one will stay with you. Subscribe to Latitude 40, share it with a mate who loves Bass Strait yarns, and leave a review so more people can find these island stories.