Get to this idyllic but overlooked South Pacific island before the crowds do

Daftar Isi

Fair dinkum, some people might think of the struggle by the locals to break away from Australia (they even took their plea to the United Nations). Or they think of its prisons from the 18th and 19th centuries, which were considered the toughest in the whole British Empire. For years, Norfolk Island was seen as a place suitable only for those getting married for the first time or those who are near the end of their days.

Meanwhile, its neighbour, Lord Howe Island, has been a long-time favourite for its lagoon and the mountains that poke out of the sea. But here's the thing, learnt from 20 years of wandering all over the island: Norfolk Island is just as pretty.

Fair dinkum, you'll need to do a bit of investigating and rub shoulders with the locals to find them. There are some ripper trails through the bush for hiking and mountain biking, but they're not always clearly marked. On me second trip, 16 years ago, I abseiled down a sheer drop to a rock pool where dolphins swam alongside me. I've been trying to find the spot ever since.

On me first trip, in 2005, I went on a sea kayak tour through some of the clearest water I'd ever seen to Norfolk Island's own 12 Apostles, the rock stacks along its northern coastline's rugged edge, paddlin' me kayak through holes in the rocks to get there. But it wasn't till recently that someone came up with the idea of runnin' a kayak tour here again.

G'day mate, it's the same with surfing: you can catch some top-notch waves here when the swell's just right, and you'll be chomping at the bit 'cos you've got the break all to yourself. It's fair dinkum, gotta be the only place on earth where surfers chuck their boards on the beach between rides. And fishing? No worries, there's no commercial fishing for hundreds of kays. "The problem is, you snag so many fish you've got to head back to the wharf within an hour," a local mate once said to me.

On me second arvo, 16 years ago, I abseiled down a steep cliff face on an old rope to a rock pool where dolphins swam alongside me. I've been trying to find it since.

CRAIG TANSLEY

It's a bit isolating here, but you won't find a more secure spot. The car rental company says don't lock your car (where would a thief take it?). Some places you stay don't even have keys. And while I've put in heaps of time wandering around the old lock-up, I've picked up more history just yarnin' to the locals.

Fair dinkum, the folk on Norfolk Island speak one of the rarest languages on the face of the Earth - Norf’k, a combo, like a mix of 18th-century English and Tahitian. Nearly every local's either a descendant of the mutineers who nicked the HMS Bounty off Tahiti with Captain Bligh in 1789, or they're married to one. They first set up shop on Pitcairn Island, but when it got too full in the middle of the 19th century, Queen Vic gave the island to them.

Sydney is quirky as heck, but that's not a fair dinkum drawback – it's the drawcard. The locals are a bit offbeat and kangaroos wander the roads with no worries. Bash one on your ute and the law says you've got to cough up what it's worth in snags. When you drive, it's compulsory to give a one finger wave as you pass another motorist.

This place has ocean views and private plunge pools, it's a big improvement from the earlier motel I stayed at when I first came here.

Fair dinkum, mass tourism is keen on Fiji, but island thrill-seekers prefer Lord Howe and heaps of us grey nomads reckon it's best to bide our time for Norfolk Island until we hit 70. Yet in this day and age when even the remotest spot can be overrun, it's lovely to know there's one that's still a bit of a hidden gem, just a short hop away.

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