Norfolk Island ... travel ... holidays ... accommodation ... tours |
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  What
Will I Find When I Get There?
It is claimed that of all the places visited by Captain James Cook on his voyages, Norfolk Island is the only place that he described as "paradise". Measuring just 5 km by 8 km, the island is a speck in the south Pacific. It lies 1600km north-east of Sydney and 1000km north of Auckland. It is a popular tourist destination for those who appreciate its quiet tranquility and mild sub-tropical climate. Much of the coastline is made up of steep cliffs dropping down to the ocean. The northern end of the island is taken up by the Norfolk Island National Park which offers several walking tracks and views from Mt. Pitt and Mt. Bates. The township of Burnt Pine lies in the centre and provides the island with postal, banking and general facilities. The main attraction on the island is the site of the penaly colony at Kingston, built by the convicts during the second penal settlement period which lasted until 1855.
Discovered by Captain James Cook in 1774 on his great voyage of discovery and claimed in the name of Great Britain. The island's name was chosen to honour the Duchess of Norfolk, the wife of one of Cook's benefactors. The island remained uninhabited until 1788 when it became a penal settlement. It earned a reputation as being one of the most brutal of all the penal settlements. In 1856 the island became home to the 194 remaining descendants of the Bounty mutineers who relocated from their original home on Pitcairn Island. To this day those descendants remain the most significant population group on the island which now has a total population of around 2200. They have retained their unique language which is mix of 18th century English and Polynesian.
Norfolk is a year round destination. It is reknowned for its stable sub-tropical climate where summer maximums are around 24 to 28 deg C and winter minimums seldom drop below 12deg C overnight.
Several rental car agencies operate on the island. Cattle and horses have right of way! There are tour companies servicing the popular destinations. As is to be expected on an island only 8 km by 5 km, bicycles are a popular means of transport. |
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world class dive sites
The island boasts the excellent St Barnabas
Chapel, built by the Melanesian mission. Glass bottom boats tours are available to view
the corals in Emily Bay. The island is well known for its duty-free shops, which sell a
wide range of imported goods from Europe, Asia and the Pacific.