Norfolk Island - Part 1

 Last October I  called into Norfolk Island on a cruise ship. As it turned out we had a scant six hours on the island and a good chunk of that was spent queuing to get back on the ship so I saw very little apart from the main town of Burnt Pine.  Nevertheless what I did see was tantalising so I jumped at the opportunity when friends asked me to join them and some others for a week's stay on the island recently.

Burnt Pine

Norfolk is a small sub tropical island just 8km long and 5km wide with a population of roughly 2200.  It lies in the Pacific Ocean, 1600 kms east of Australia and 1084 kms west of New Zealand.   Captain Cook discovered and named the island after a friend in 1774 and although it was uninhabited then, evidence has been found of early Polynesian settlement.  The Polynesians had abandoned the island by the time of Cook's arrival, possibly due to the lack of water resources. The British included Norfolk Island in their colonisation of Australia and between 1788 and 1814 used it as a penal colony. Then again from 1825 to 1855 when the conditions for prisoners were extremely harsh. After the closing of the penal colony in 1855 residents of Pitcairn Island, the infamous Mutiny on the Bounty mutineers and their families, were transported to Norfolk Island due to over crowding on Pitcairn.  Most settled happily on Norfolk but a number returned to Pitcairn. A quick look through the island phone book shows that the most common surname on the island is Christian, descendants of Fletcher Christian. An amusing aside is that the phone book is the only one in the world where residents are entered under their nick names.

I browsed the telephone book and this is true

I was surprised and pleased to find there is much to explore on the island.  The UNESCO world heritage site of Kingston and Arthur's Vale is a must, rich in history and a fascinating place to spend a whole morning exploring.  It is sad and chilling to walk the ruins of the prison and know that the high walls right on the edge of the sea blocked the prisoners view but not the sound of crashing waves which would have, no doubt,  exacerbated their longing for freedom.  

Looking down over the prison ruins and some of the Georgian buildings

 Overlooking the ruins is a row of magnificent, beautifully preserved, Georgian houses,  which served as the homes and offices of the governers of the prison and island and are still used as the island's governmental offices. And there is a light and airy chapel.  Very hard to reconcile  how the prison governers could attend church while treating the prisoners with extreme cruelty, but there you are. We thoroughly enjoyed browsing the extensive photographic exhibition in the Lions Club house slightly up the hill near the pier.  The display records the history of the island and truly brings it to life.

I always enjoy wandering cemeteries and I found reading the tombstones of the Norfolk Island cemetery at Kingston fascinating.  There you will find the graves of convicts, descendants of the Bounty mutineers, seamen and soldiers and the grave of writer Colleen McCulloch of Thorn Birds fame who made Norfolk Island her home. There can't be too many cemeteries in the world located in a world heritage site.  Further along the road is the very pretty Norfolk Island golf club, a nine hole course right beside the sea and adjoining the glorious golden sand Emily Bay where we swam in the pure, if a little icy, waters.

Emily Bay

Up the hill on the way back to the township of Burnt Pine is The Bounty Museum.  It's name is slightly misleading, it is not all about the Bounty.  What looks like a small museum from the outside unfolds into room after room crammed with historical artefacts from the island.  There is everything from the balls and chains the convicts had to wear to more mundane things like telephones, cameras and 1950's kitchen equipment. So much to see that you could spend hours there and unusually for a museum you are free to pick up and or touch the exhibits.

Don't be fooled by its simple exterior.  This quirky museum is a veritable Alladin's cave of artefacts

It used to be said that the only people to visit Norfolk Island were the "newly wed and nearly dead", the inference being that it was too quiet and boring.  That was harsh and unfair.  I am not in the first category and sincerely hope I am not in the second! and I loved it.  How refreshing to visit an island where people are just naturally friendly, where cattle roam free and keep the grass verges in pristine condition, where everywhere you look there is a stunning view, where crime is minimal, so much so that houses are rarely locked and nobody locks their car.  I mean what would be the point of stealing a car?  Everyone on the island would spot it. 

Working hard at keeping the grass verge tidy

Norfolk has a rich, colourful and, at times, brutal history but today it is a charming, peaceful and friendly place to visit.

My next post will explore places to go and things to do around the island.

The Ginger Factory, Yandina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

 The Ginger Factory is a celebration of all things ginger offering factory and tasting tours, tropical bush walks, theme park style activities and, of course, a shop crammed full of products made with ginger.

I had been there once before but it had been right at the end of the day when things were closing down and we didn't have enough time to explore the park properly.  So when I was staying on the Sunshine Coast recently I thought it was time to have another look and I was very pleased I did. It has been substantially improved and extended since my first visit.

Firstly I joined the Factory and Processing tour.  A knowledgeable guide talked about the growing of ginger, its uses and how it is suited to the Queensland climate,  the importance of bees for pollination and she then took  us to view the large  processing plant.  To end the tour we were taken to a tasting room where we got to taste several ginger products.   I enjoyed the tour,  it is well worth while.

Huge vats of ginger being processed

Next I wandered the pretty rainforest tropical gardens with its water features and quiet, serene places to sit, delightful on a hot day. The Rainbrella Project is a colourful installation by Sophy Blake and a great photo spot on the garden walk.

I'm always a sucker for trains, even little tiny ones, so just had to have a ride on Moreton, the open carriage ginger train, which takes guests on a 15 minute ride through lush gardens and the factory site.  The informative commentary tells of the history of Yandina and the development of ginger growing in the area.

Moreton the Ginger Train 

Local visitors can buy some stunning tropical plants at the Potting Shed on site but as an international tourist I couldn't buy, nevertheless it was good to look at the gloriously vibrant tropical flowers and plants on offer.

There are plenty of activities for children including Craft Days, a Creative Hub, a Knight School (extra charge for this) and  Overboard which is a boat ride accompanied by music and animated puppetry (for all ages). The place was positively humming with happy children the day I was there.

The Egyptian part of the boat tour (photo from trip advisor)

If you are in a shopping mood or want souvenirs to take home there are plenty of shops to choose from including a toy shop, a herbs and fragrance shop and the main shop at the entry/exit.  You'll find a wonderland of ginger products in the main shop, it was hard to choose just a few things to take home but I managed.

The shop sells everything ginger, drinks, sweets, sauces, soaps, etc, etc
(photo from trip advisor)

Because it was the school holidays the place was pretty crowded with families, however, the only place that felt overly crowded was the cafe so I took myself across the road to the Pioneer Coffee Roastery where I had a very pleasant, leisurely coffee in peace. The Roastery and the adjoining Nut Shop are also both worth a visit.

The Coffee Roastery has a wonderful selection of coffees to buy.

I think the Ginger Factory is a terrific place for anyone to visit and especially families.  It is well maintained, educational, and there are activities for children and adults alike. I'd say it is a half day activity.

Disclaimer: Views are my own. I have no connection to the Ginger Factory