For many, Raymond Island is a weekend escape, but for Mark and Pam Alderman, it has become a permanent sanctuary defined by resilience, family history and a deep connection to the local environment.
The couple’s journey began around 25 years ago when they purchased a modest, stilted farmer’s cottage with the intention of using it as a holiday home.
Nature tested their resolve
almost immediately; just three weeks after settlement, a severe flood hit the region.
Fortunately, the cottage’s design saved it from the rising waters, a feat repeated during the major floods of 2011.
Over the years, the cottage evolved. A second storey was added, and the “holiday house” tag was eventually dropped.
In 2017, while waiting for the ferry, a quintessentially Raymond Island experience, Mark and Pam looked at each other and decided it was time to retire.
Fast forward to today and they are proud, full-time residents.
Mark recalls the unique challenges and charms of island life, including a memorable heatwave where
the temperature remained at
40°C at 3am.
“We were just 70-year-old kids enjoying ourselves,” Mark laughed, describing how they sat in their bathers hosing themselves down to beat the heat while watching satellites drift across the Milky Way.
The Aldermans’ residence has also provided a front-row seat to the environmental engineering of the Gippsland Lakes.
Historically, flooding on the
island was exacerbated by the build-up of silt at the Lakes Entrance, where the Mitchell, Nicholson, and Tambo Rivers meet.
“Early on, a dredge had to be brought from New Zealand twice a year,” Mark explained.
“If a flood coincided with a spring tide, the island suffered.”
The situation changed significantly when local authorities acquired their own dredge,
allowing for regular maintenance of the Entrance.
This consistent clearing has
since mitigated the flooding issues that once plagued the island’s low-lying areas.
The island has now become a playground for the next generation. The couple’s five-year-old grandson, Hudson, is a frequent visitor.
His name carries a heroic legacy; his father, a pilot, named him after the “Miracle on the Hudson,” the 2009 event where Captain Chesley Sullenberger expertly landed a plane on New York’s Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board.
While his namesake is rooted in aviation history, young Hudson is more interested in the koalas in his grandfather’s garden, the
echidnas, and the excitement of the ferry crossing.
The Aldermans are also active contributors to the island’s future. Pam was instrumental in founding the Raymond Island Landcare Group and currently serves as
its president.
Meanwhile, Mark is quick to support other local ventures, recommending that anyone arriving off the ferry on a Thursday or Friday stop by Carly’s coffee caravan
for a cuppa.
Reflecting on their transition to island life, the Aldermans couldn’t be happier.
From surviving floods to watching the stars, their Raymond Island story is a testament to the enduring appeal of one of East Gippsland’s most unique communities.
