> > by Craig Tansley
Should you wish to start an argument on idyllic Norfolk Island just ask the locals who they think the key player in the mutiny on the Bounty saga was. For this perfect little oasis in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with its craggy coastline, stunning beaches, famous pines and wandering cows that actually have right of way on the road (hit one and you’ll have to pay a bounty to the owner) has the most peculiar history of any island in the Pacific – it’s home to the descendants of the mutineers who sailed here from Pitcairn Island. “The McCoys still argue with the Quintals, and the Adams’ argue with the Quintals, but everyone argues with the Christians because Fletcher Christian has been played by Mel Gibson, Marlon Brando and Errol Flynn and I think all the families are a little bit jealous,” says a local.
The descendants must have thought they’d found heaven when they sailed here in 1856 (Queen Victoria granted them the island after the Commonwealth’s vicious penal settlement was abandoned the year before). One of the Pacific’s most under-rated islands, Norfolk Island is a beachgoer’s paradise – perfect surf hits the reef, there’s lagoons, sandy, white beaches, world-renowned diving, the best fishing on Earth (as there’s no commercial fishing allowed) and a sophisticated tourism industry that’s so low-key it almost feels non-existent (it’s hard to believe there’s over 35 restaurants and cafes when you’re here). It’s unlikely you’ll see another visitor unless you look hard, but there’s plenty to do here – from adventure sports like kayaking and mountain biking to visiting wineries and coffee plantations. But it’s the island’s gentle nature that’s Norfolk Island’s greatest charm; you’re required to wave to passing motorists while hire car companies and holiday home letters advise you not waste your time locking your door. WHERE?
Norfolk Island is located 1500 kilometres east of Australia and is a two and a half hour flight from Sydney.
TOP THREE THINGS TO DO:
Visit one of the only wineries in the South Pacific! Enjoy a lunch in the sunshine overlooking the Two Chimney Vineyard’s eight varieties of grape ripening on the vine.
Visit the British Empire’s most brutal penal settlement at Kingston. Remarkably preserved on the island’s south-east coast it’s hard to believe this stunning spot, next to perfect white, sandy beaches and a huge green park was once the site for the worst atrocities in convict-keeping history.
Kayak Norfolk Island’s own 12 Apostles - huge rock stacks that jut from the sea along Norfolk’s rugged northern coastline. If you’re game you can even surf your kayak through arches in some of the rocks.