Norfolk Island 2

Saturday 6 March 2021

I woke at about 7am after a very disturbed night juggling doona, lack of sheet, mosquito, fan bedside radio alarm at midnight and adjusting of pillows. Tonight will be a better night I hope now that I've worked it all out.

Our first stop after breakfast was to Kingston for a Foundation Day re-enactment of the first settlers arrival. This was quite simple but interesting.

Kerrie and I then walked to the headland of Emily Bay beach watching the row boats being loaded back onto their trailers. We walked out to the lone pine on the headland and enjoyed the green grass, sounds of the sea and the fresh breeze.

We walked back to the marquee for lunch - another delicious mix of buffet dishes, some of which were Norfolk fare. 

We then asked if there was a bus that could take us to Ball Bay where Kerrie had been asked to visit by one of her friends. One of our drivers said he could take us to the top of the hill but not down the windy road to the bay so we took his offer and headed off.

He dropped us at the intersection of the road down and Kerrie, Judy, Anita and I walked down the bandy steep road to the bay. This is the bay where the fuel is brought in for the island so there were a few storage tanks and pipes where the fuel is obviously pumped from boats that anchor offshore.

An aerial vie of Ball Bay taken by Judy.

There was one other car at the little lookout and the couple offered us a lift back to the top which we gladly accepted. The man ferried us up two at a time.

We then walked slowly back to the resort and collapsed into the pool for a cooling dip. 

Anita and I having a well earned rest on our walk. Photo by Judy.

This was followed by drinks, a chat and a devotion from Judy before dinner watching a stunning sunset again.

Sunday 7 March 2021

I was up earlier today after a better night's sleep and off to breakfast at 7:30. We had an 8:30 pick up to go to a morning church service at All Saints down at Kingston. The building had been the old military store and was quite amazing.

The service included some new and some very old songs with a 5 person musical team - organ, keyboard, flute and two singers. A congregation of about 120 people that included our 20 people, and we were allowed to sing!!!

After church we were taken to the Sunday markets which had about a dozen stalls with various crafts (wood, jam, patchwork, wool) and other tourist stuff. I bought some woodwork items and two tourist fridge magnets.

Home again for lunch - quite a debarkle as the sandwiches ran out before some of us were fed and it took almost half an hour to get any made. There had been some sort of "issue" in the kitchen. We had a long wait for more to come and a quick eat so we were ready for our next pick-up for our bus tour of the island.

The tour gave us a relaxed overview of the island, first stopping at the Queen's Lookout and then covering the Kingston area and the beautiful old homes along Quality Row. 

Most of these are still used as residences and maintained well by the island council as heritage buildings and gardens. Then along to the pier and dock at the other end of the bay where goods for the island are unloaded using two small boats. When something large is to be unloaded they fix the two boats together and straddle the goods (eg our bus) across the two. It must look amazing when it is happening.

Unfortunately we could not witness this because the ship that was to bring the next load broke down and is now stuck in Auckland due to the new Covid outbreak there. Supplies on the island are getting very low.

We then headed north across the island (which is 5 x 8 kms) to Cascade Pier, the other possible loading and landing dock for goods coming via ship.

We followed the high road to have afternoon tea on the western cliffs and amazing views across to Australia.

South past St Barnabas Chapel then around the airport back into town and on to our resort again.

After charging my phone I left on the bus for the evening service at St Barnabas. This service was the traditional 1600's Evensong with lots of traditional island hymns we did not know and others we did but all played VERY slowly. The church was a lovely old church with amazing stained glass and structural timbers. The pews were arranged facing one another. The service was followed by a sing-a-long of hymns we knew and snippets of history in between.



Back on the bus to be returned to the resort for a delicious dinner then to settle in and juggle blog and photo uploads. It seems the internet I have bought will only work on one device at a time so while the photos upload to the cloud I sit and hand-write my diary.

Monday 8 March 2021

Today's morning adventure was a trip on a glass-bottomed boat over the coral reef down at Kingston. When we arrived the tractor moving the boat was bogged in the sand so a bulldozer had to be found to pull the tractor from its hole.

The water was warm and relatively clear. The waves hitting the outer side of the reef were large and got bigger as the morning progressed so I was pleased to come ashore when we did.

After our tour Kerrie and I walked back along the beach to our picnic lunch set up overlooking the bay. At last a lovely light lunch rather than a huge gourmet meal.

We were then dropped into town to see what the shopping was like. Nothing I really wanted except a nice pair of shoes but the wrong colour. I visited Rabbits, Bikes and Brew to say hello to the owner who is a friend of James.

After wandering about a bit I decided to catch the shuttle back to the resort as the sun had appeared and was really quite hot despite the light cool breeze. 

Something we did learn today was that with NZ in lockdown due to a new Covid outbreak no more supplies are arriving on the island (food, stock for shops, fuel, or anything else). The island has run out of fresh milk at least. Even though Qantas arrives a few times a week they do not carry cargo, just people, which might soon be a real problem. The pictures that show how cargo is unloaded down at the dock are amazing and this is how it still happens!

After a coffee back at the resort we regrouped and reorganised a few of the coming activities which had been changed for a variety of reasons. A short devotion before the bus came to take us to dinner at the restaurant next door. It was a really short distance and we all could have walked it but because of OH&S and the cattle grids between us and them it was done by bus. Kerrie had forgotten her cardigan so was able to walk back to get it before anyone noticed she was gone.

The bus then came to drive us to Wonderland by Night which I had thought would be a bit twee but in fact was quite good - a walk in the dark along a path stopping every now and then at a light/visual show as backdrop to the readings of poetry by Archie Bigg. I loved the poetry so much I bought a book to bring home and read the rest. After a cuppa in their 'tin shed' we were driven back hope and collapsed into bed at about 10pm.