NORFOLK ISLAND
"JEWEL OF THE PACIFIC"
AUGUST 1997 VISIT
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In 1997 Pam shouted us a trip to NI for my 60th birthday. We stayed in one of the Kentia cottages owned by a young couple Glenn and Joanne Elliott, they also own and manage Crest Apartments. Both Glenn and Joanne are direct Bounty descendants and very ham friendly. Kentia cottages consist of two buildings fairly close to each other on several acres of land. One is a 3-bedroom cottage which we used and the other is a 2 semi- detached 2 bedroom cottages. Our cottage even had an unused garage which I used for a shack. A bald tree in the back yard provided an anchor spot for my 40 meters of wire. I also put the rig in the rental car, and went to a high hill on the island. There are pretty severe weight limitations on the aircraft from Sydney to Norfolk. The best time to go is during the winter months May-September as the island is green and not overrun with tourists. During the warmer months the vegetation dries out and it is quite hot and very busy. There is a limit on the number of tourists at any one time because of limited accommodation and food resources. There is no crime, no unemployment, no pollution, no taxes, and no serious health problems. It is a paradise and a great place for a relaxing holiday and it is also full of history about the Bounty mutiny and subsequent events. To book a holiday on Norfolk it is preferable to go through a travel agent and specify where you want to stay. You cannot get a plane ticket unless you can prove that you have your accommodation booked as they only allow 2,000 tourists on the Island at any one time. Fare reductions are also available through travel agents. You can also book everything through the Norfolk Island Tourist Center on the Island. Phone numbers are on the NI web site and they are also on email over there now. Australians also have to have a passport to land there despite the fact that
it is administered by this country and the residents are Australian citizens.
Something to do with customs control for people entering Australia from New
Zealand and New Caledonia via Norfolk. |