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Slide West Point Island, Falkland Islands, Jul 1984

Slide: West Point Island, Falkland Islands, Jul 1984. From the New Zealand Maritime Museum collection

By Jake Downing, Director Museum & Commercial Services, Te Papa

This slide brings me great memories of my family’s time living in Stanley on the Falkland Islands. My daughter of 18 months, Molly, and I moved to the islands in 2007 where I was lucky enough to be managing the Tourist Board on the islands.

It was a fantastic experience over the two and a half years we spent there, and my youngest, Alfie, was actually born in Stanley hospital. We meet some amazing people who have become lifelong friends and we had the opportunity to explore the islands (there are more than 700!).

We visited West Point on a day trip from Carcass Island. The airstrip on West Point had recently been closed down, so we took a boat, watching penguins swim beside us as we journeyed across. The islands landscape and wildlife were phenomenal and will always hold a special place in my heart.