Emily Bay Lagoon is a tropical beach as most of us imagine it, with spotless sand and water so clear you can see fish darting below.

This is one of Norfolk Island’s best swimming beaches. The reef-sheltered waters here are perfect for a paddle and there’s an offshore pontoon, known locally as ‘the raft’, from where you can jump into the water.

What’s more, the snorkelling here is pretty special. From the sand, at low tide you can swim out to the reef where neon-bright fish weave around corals. If you’d rather stay dry, hop aboard the glass-bottomed boat, which makes daily trips out to the teeming reef. Whatever way you look at it, the underwater world here really has to be seen. It’s home to more than 60 individual marine species and that’s not including the coral and anemones!

And to make it even more special, Emily Bay is part of the Kingston UNESCO World Heritage Site, where a sense of history is keenly felt. Wander through the pines along the shore to locate the ruins of the convict-era Salt House.