Remembering Norfolk Island
Living at Number 6 Quality Row
It's a joy to walk across the road just after dawn and play a round of golf, to stroll down the beach for a quick swim, to be surrounded by Norfolk Pines, Hibiscus and Frangipanis. The Quality Row houses have been well restored, the gardens are lovely and the thick stonewalls keep you cool during the day and warm at night. Number 6 was built in the 1840s and used as an official residence. Government House and the Golf Club are across the road, then further down are the Military Barracks and the Commissariat Store, all built in the Georgian style. The view from the front veranda is one of the best on the Island - flowers in the garden, several holes at the golf course, a majestic stand of Norfolk Pines and the rolling South Pacific.
Golf
The only golf here is played at a nine-hole links course on the south-eastern corner of the Island. It's bounded by the cemetery, the ocean, the Pines behind Emily Bay, Government House and Quality Row - a stunning location. There are two sets of tees, so you go around the holes twice to play a full round. And after more than twenty rounds I've gotten to know each hole pretty well! One of highlights is the second, called "The Quarry" since> there's an old quarry in the middle of the fairway measuring around 40 metres across. The fourth is a short hole on top of a ridge right next to the ocean, stray balls on this hole get chewed up by the sharp rocks and coral below and then tumbled through the crashing waves. The seventh is named after a pirate "Jacky Jacky". The eighth is played along the back of the stand of Pines between the golf course and Emily Bay, with a dog leg just before getting to the green. The ninth is a short par three played to a green in front of the clubhouse, where weary punters can enjoy the toils of their fellow golfers and an amber ale. During my mornings at the course I've gotten to know some of the locals, mostly older men but occasionally couples and groups of men. Eighty-seven-year-old Keith hauls his bag around at a rate faster than most people a quarter of his age. He plays nine holes of golf every morning, starting at 6am. His response to my frustrations in the bunkers one morning was "It's a tough game isn't it? That's why we like it."
Swimming and snorkelling at the Bays (Emily, Slaughter and Cemetery)
The most remarkable things about snorkelling on Norfolk are that it's very accessible and hardly anyone does it. Within metres of the beach the water teams with corals and all sorts of fish. Almost every time I swim there are new sights to be seen: fish with brilliant colours, corals growing and changing shade with the sunlight, schools of small young fish swimming in numbers for protection. Emily Bay has a sheltered beach 250 metres long, which is ideal for swimming. It runs into Slaughter Bay, and both are protected by two rows of reefs. Low tide brings still waters as the reefs become exposed and break the waves well before they get to the beach. One morning while snorkelling in a pool at Cemetery Bay I swam into the middle of a school of fry, only a couple of inches long. When I turned around I was completely surrounded by thousands of these striped fish, swimming in unison. It's moving to be enveloped in a natural experience, seeing your surroundings from an entirely different perspective. On another day I walked along the top of the reef and the rocks from Kingston Pier to the Cemetery at very low tide. Still waters on my left hand, and the prevailing waves on my right. On close inspection even the rough old rocks were full of life, with crabs and shellfish, algae and anemones all clinging onto life next to the harsh sea.
Norfolk Island National Park
To my friends (including family) who don't enjoy getting into natural surrounds that are less degraded by human activity, all I can say is "You're missing out!" Even living in the middle of Sydney there are some beautiful spots. But on Norfolk, one's spoilt for choice. The National Park contains the two highest peaks on the Island (Mount Bates and Mount Pitt at around 320 metres above sea level - was that measured at low tide or high tide?!). It also takes in semi-tropical rainforest and part of the north coast of the Island, with stunning views down to the rock formations and arches just off the coast. There's a monument near the spot where Captain James Cook is believed to have landed in 1774 on his second voyage around the world. There's also a derelict building near the top of Mount Bates where the New Zealand Air Force built a radar station during World War II. The park contains Norfolk Tree ferns (the tallest in the world) as well as many Norfolk Island Pines, the Phillip Island Hibiscus (just off the coast of Norfolk), Samson's Sinew (a woody climber with branches that could carry Tarzan and Jane), Palms, Lilies, Beech, Maple, Oak, Oleander, Bloodwood, Ironwood and Whitewood. The walking trails are well marked and steep in some parts. The Bridle Trail is quite flat, and follows the northern coast along the top of the cliffs with spectacular views out to the rock formations and the blues of the Pacific all the way to the horizon.
One Hundred Acres Reserve
The Norfolk Island Government manages this reserve, as opposed to the National Park, which is managed by the Commonwealth. The most striking features of the reserve are the majestic old Moreton Bay Figs and the abundance of bird life. There are thousands of Terns, Mutton Birds, Petrels, Boobies, Cormorants, rare Green Parrots, Owls, Nuffkas, Warblers, Ducks and Emerald Doves (with iridescent green feathers on their backs). The White Terns look like a small dove with pure white feathers, black eyes and a black beak. They fly together as a couple, and are very protective of their nesting sites on the branches of the Pine trees, often swooping down like a magpie to let you know that you're in their territory. Mutton birds dig burrows into the ground and have made some parts of the Island look like a battlefield. The Petrels have historic significance dating back to the first European settlement on Norfolk in 1788 (there were Polynesian settlements on the Island prior to this). In the early years at Port Jackson the young colony often struggled to provide enough food for the settlers, and crops such as maize grown on Norfolk supplemented those grown on the mainland for several years. In 1790 the HMS Sirius was sent to Norfolk, but was unfortunately wrecked on the reef at Slaughter Bay. This ship was the flagship of the First Fleet, and with it supplies were also lost. Many extra mouths were now on the Island at a time when food was in short supply. People were put on harsh rations to meet the shortage, and over the following months almost 200,000 Petrels were killed for food. These birds saved many lives at a bleak moment following the first European settlement in Australia.
Walking and running around the Island
I've always loved to exercise. And after a quick trip here for Christmas in 2004, I was very keen to head out on foot and see more of the Island. Now after eight weeks to explore I've walked along almost all of the roads and trails (many of them several times over). I've walked the 25-30kms around the Island once, and run around in the opposite direction. Half way through running around the Island I was joined by a beautiful Golden Retriever, who ended up joining me through the National Park and part way down the western coast. He was having a ball and kept my spirits high through the middle of the long run. At the start he was full of energy, bounding ahead and leading the way. I tried to send him home with the long throw of a stick and a sprint in the opposite direction, but to no avail. Later he started to fade and kept running ahead of me only to flop down on the ground in a very clear sign that he was ready for a break. Eventually I gave in to his efforts and flopped down into the grass to give him a pat and some water from my drink bottle. Soon after he turned back to head for home.
Time to read, write and reflect
Time has a different meaning on a Pacific island, and indeed when on an extended holiday without the considerations of work, relationships and family commitments. Seconds and minutes become less relevant than the gentle rhythms of the sun rising and setting, and the tide flowing and ebbing. Reading for pleasure in Sydney often meant a few pages here and there before falling asleep for me. But in Norfolk it's meant many hours engrossed in reading that I've wanted to do for months. The most moving book I've read here is "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela. I read this 750-page book over three days, and enjoyed every moment of it. The story is remarkable and inspiring. I've also enjoyed very much reading about micro finance in developing countries and some contemporary African fiction, as well as writing letters and poetry during quiet hours of contemplation.
Enjoying time with my Mum and Dad again
Boni and Peter have created another haven here full of their favourite books, art, music, fluffy toys and a garden that's beautiful as well as productive. My family's been geographically split up for the last twelve years, but many of our happiest times have been when reunited for Christmas, weddings and other celebrations. Cathie and I love bringing our partners home to enjoy the relaxed company and the gastronomic surprises that we share together. Thanks Mum and Dad.
* David Maywald is a professional economist and financial analyst. His Dad, Peter, has been Secretary to the Norfolk Island Government since September 2003. Peter and Boni live at No 6 Quality Row, one of several convict-built houses in the old penal settlement of Kingston.
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