Tourist Time

travel

Tourist Time On Norfolk

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TTS tourist time on Norfolk Island—that small speck in the South Seas, 900 miles from Sydney and 600 miles from Auckland. This is the time of the year when the visitors pour in by the greatest numbers— virtually all of them by air, for the sparse shipping services are mostly for the cargo. Although not all. Sometimes unexpected items may be flown in, such as this car being unloaded from a Qantas DC4 on the island’s

sealed airstrip. Oantas operates from Sydney but Air New Zealand comes in from Auckland. The airlines would like to use bigger and faster aircraft but the airport is not long enough to take them.

Perhaps one day when those bigger air craft can land, the island may lose some of its charm under the impact of com mercialism. But that time is not yet.

Norfolk still has the village atmosphere.

People are still warm personalities, and not a cold grey mass, whether they are bringing out the small weekly newspaper (like printer-publisher Tom Lloyd) or putting the weather and local gossip over part-time radio station VL2NI (like Mrs.

Doll Sanders, known affectionately to all

on Norfolk as “Aunty Doll”).

But most of all, Norfolk is scenery. Norfolk’s scenery is not the South Seas’ kind, even though the South Seas are at the bottom of the garden. The Norfolk Island pines on every rolling hill give the island its own unique character. Added, is a sense of mellow history bestowed by the convict ruins and the convict built bridges, such as famous Bloody Bridge seen here.

Norfolk is worth the visit.

But one word of warning: local charm and colour do not necessarily go with luxury and comfort. Pick your accommo dation with care. Make inquiries first. Some of the guesthouse accommodation can be very poor indeed and the fact that others are better, and one or two even excellent, doesn’t make an un

happy lodger any happier.

The photographs were taken last month by John Squire, of Qantas.