Our Norfolk Island trip postponed from March 2020 because of the border closures, now came to fruition - and a welcome getaway it was.
A little island, approximately 35 sq kms, north east of Brisbane and only a two hour flight. It turned out to be a little piece of paradise. Mountains, rugged clifftops and the seashore, massive Norfolk Island pines, and breathtaking scenery.
Our accommodation, The Islander, boasted the best view on the island and it really was! We could see Nepean Island and Phillip Island from our lounge room, the reef and all the activity on the water…. boats snorkelers, swimmers, exercisers, cows, the lot!
See for yourself, a magnificent panoramic view ...
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| The buildings in the foreground were of Kingston where the penal settlement is situated. |
The stands of Norfolk pines were many, very majestical and symmetrical in shape, on the island.
We had 6 days on the island and while a lot of the touristy activities weren't available, we mainly did our own thing and explored by ourselves.
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| The reef at low tide was popular with snorkelers and the water was crystal clear, |
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| Some white boobies nesting on the grass-topped cliffs |
Some of the wildlife...
Didn't sight the Green Parrot anywhere but it's supposed to be very shy, I did see a couple of Red Robins
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| A grove of Ficus trees with huge exposed roots, located opposite A Hundred Acre Reserve |
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My presence gives a good perspective of the root sizes.
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Some wonderful greenery of ferns, orchids, tree ferns, natives and Norfolk Pines, all part of the National Park
Open-grazing is practised on Norfolk Island, fences are to keep out livestock rather than in.
Chooks were feral on the island and roamed freely … roosters contributed to the problem and chicks were everywhere as well.
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| Some very healthy cows in the long paddock. Cows have right of way when it comes to traffic and wear reflective ear tags so they can be seen easily at night on the roads. |
Unsurpassed views
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Many breath-taking coastal scenes - blue water and green grass!
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In my opinion, probably one of the prettiest spots in the world, note the Little Rock pool. To the right were also Little Rock pools on smaller islands - quite exquisite.
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The St Barnabas chapel, an Anglican Church built by the Melanesians and the missionaries around 1880.
The beautiful Rose Window was dedicated to the memory of those workers who had given their lives in the islands.
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| The Golf Course with it's lush green grass fairways and long grass hazards. The pro shop and restaurant are in the Georgian style buildings |
A sample of the countryside ...
| A Rat Trap Station - rats are one of the very few pests on the island
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A part of the old and modern cemetery - note the windswept shrubs on the hillside |
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| Dave accompanied me and he was delighted to spend most afternoons in the only craft brewery on the island |
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Another spectacular view of Kingston, looking down to the golf course and Quality Row Rd - these houses were for the 'toffs' back in the convict settlement times.
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I treated myself to a Gardens Tour and had a lovely experience, learning about some of the endangered natives and some of unique challenges such as wind and salt. It seemed many of the gardens were buffered by the wind by growing hedges - the pohutukawa was very popular for this purpose. However the volcanic soil and sub-tropical climate made it easy for gardening providing there was a bit of protection from the wind.
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A Myrita - there's a narrow and broad leafed variety and looks a bit like one of the figs that are currently trendy
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A young Gingko Biloba??
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Emily Bay - a safe swimming spot on the island and yes I swam, weather was perfect.
 | "Darby and Joan"
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We both thoroughly enjoyed the visit, very laid-back lifestyle and very friendly locals. A lovely change from all the techno-whizz stuff on the mainland, only 2G technology and DVD's used.
We pretty well covered the island on roads (shocking condition) and tracks and it's pretty peaceful except for the odd moo and rooster crowing.
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