The ad caught the attention of a young woman named Lucy Irvine. Irvine knew that living a self-sufficient life on a deserted island would be a challenge but challenge was exactly what she was looking for at the time.
In 1982 Kingsland and Irvine set out for the beautiful but hostile environment of Tuin Island. The pair worked hard to adapt to their new surroundings but struggled to get along. They developed an intense love-hate relationship based on their conflicting work ethics. Irvine was disciplined while Kingsland was laid-back.
After a year on the island, Tuin is stuck with a bad drought. Having no means of communicating with the outside the pair nearly perished. Fortunately they were rescued and brought back to health by the natives of the neighboring Badu Island. They lived on Tuin for 1 year.
Upon returning to the real world they both published book about the experience. Irvine’s book “Castaway” was published in 1983 and was the inspiration for the Tom Hanks film Castaway. Kingsland published The Islander in 1984.