A story for anyone who has ever dreamt of following their heart to do what seemed like a good idea at the time - especially if that dream involves escaping to an uninhabited tropical island. Building Paradise is an inspiring story of conviction, commitment, and serendipity, describing David Macfarlane's fourteen year quest to establish an eco-lodge in the unspoiled but threatened natural paradise of the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef. An escapist fantasy come true, Building Paradise ponders the environmental issues facing humanity, the matters that motivate and inspire us, and the reasons we make the choices that determine the direction and success of our lives. 'An extraordinary tale, so very beautifully told. A worthy modern successor to Bamfield's Confessions of a Beachcomber.' Tim Flannery.