Exploring Norfolk Island

This morning, I got a rental car for AUD20 today from my hotel and drove to various points of interest on the island.

There isn’t a ring road due to the topography so there was a little bit of backtracking. I soon noticed that everyone waves when you’re driving around! The scenery and buildings seemed more New Zealand than Australia (but Australia is so big and varied anyway).

First up was the northwest area with some scenic lookouts. Next I found the Cyclorama which tells the story of the Mutiny on the Bounty (which was all new to me since I didn’t read the book or see the movie). It gave a clear (but perhaps one-sided) account with good illustrations too.

Finally, I got to the south where the historic area of Kingston was located. As I was running low on time I skipped the various small museums.

Near the historic area were two bays. Emily Bay was particularly nice and sheltered despite the windy weather.

In the afternoon, I joined a free half-day tour provided by the tour agency that did my free transfer from the airport to the hotel. They don’t take you into any of the sights but instead drive you around the island telling you interesting snippets like how the island is government, taxation or lack thereof, history etc. Eg.:

There is no income tax but there are various levies (eg. on fuel and imported goods to go towards roads and garbage disposal).
There is considerable assistance from the Australian tax payer.
Fresh milk is flown in each Sunday from Auckland and sells for $8.75 per litre.
Some services, eg. doctors, police and teachers are brought in from Australia for fixed terms.
The British brought in many plant and some animal species. Rabbits completely denuded a nearby island. In heavy rain, a mud slick could be seen in the water. With rabbits having been exterminated, the regrowth is establishing itself.

I ended the day with a cool dip and a long swim at Emily Bay.