Rainy day adventures.....

For most of our trip the weather was mild with just the odd shower, however on the weekend a slow moving front came across from NSW and the rain set in for most of Saturday and Sunday.  It was during this time that we had a little unwanted adventure with hire car no 1.  We decided that we could still drive around and look and hoped the rain might stop soon and it was in this weather that we came to a previously unexplored road to Crystal Pool, another spot on the coast said to be worth a look.   

Coming to a junction and being such a 'good' navigator I sent Bill to the left instead of the right and we ended up in Bumboras, the next bay round.  This is apparently the steepest hill on the island and totally impassable when wet.  Yes, there was a sign, so now it was Bill's fault and not all mine.   You guessed it, we got down but could not get back up.  We tried three times to my absolute terror, though Bill assures me I was never in any danger, and finally had to admit defeat and walk back up to the top where Duncan and Gaewyn met us and took us home.  We had rung them to ask what we should do and they very kindly came to get us.  We thought we may have a problem just abandoning the hire car but even that seemed not to phase anyone.  They delivered us a new one later that afternoon and collected our first one on Monday once the road had dried out.  Imagine that happening anywhere else!  And no, we did not go back down that road ever again, wet or dry!  Nor do we have any pictures of the event.

While the rain continued to fall we decided that indoor pursuits might be the go and our first stop was to the wonderful 'World of Norfolk' exhibit.  This is a photographic exhibition celebrating the essence of Norfolk by photographer Robin Nisbett.  You can lose yourself for hours in the interpretive gallery as you learn all about this truly magical place with not just pictures but sounds as well.  

Another truly wonderful place to visit is the Cyclorama at the Guava Gallery.  This stunning and realistic 360 deg artwork tells the story of Fletcher's Mutiny and the beginning of the Pitcairn and Norfolk communities.  This amazing work painted by two local artists, one a descendant of mutineer, Matthew Quintal, enthralls everyone who sees it.  It certainly is a fabulous way to learn all about the Norfolk Islanders rich history.  

While here the Guava Gallery is worth visiting and enjoying the beautiful art work from local artists and yes, some of it made its way home with me.  The unusual pot stand made from Hii Hii shells is quite unique and the beautiful glass dish depicting the lovely little Tern will hold pride of place on my shelf for many years to come.

While here we visited the beautiful Queen Victoria's gardens where we found the 8 sided rotunda with a bust of Queen Victoria in the centre.  This memorial tells the story of how in 1855, the elders on Pitcairn Island wrote to Queen Victoria, humbly begging for help.  In one of the most generous gestures in the Empire's history, she offered them Norfolk Island.  They accepted and the rest as they say is history.  Inside the rotunda each of the eight sides has the names of the families relocated here. Thomas, Quintal, Young, Christian, Adams, Buffett, McCoy and Evans.

The entrance to the rotunda is flanked by two kentia palms, said to be Queen Victoria's favourite plant.   These palms are found all over the island and have also been a huge cash crop over the years.  Not so much in demand today there is still evidence of the plantations that have helped shape Norfolk Island.

Other places we found while driving around were the Longridge Arches, once part of the old  Penal Colony from the second settlement.  Unfortunately we couldn't find much more information on this so it will remain one of life's mysteries.

The remains of the Salt House overlooking Emily Bay, Slaughter Bay and the Lone Pine is another historic location and on this day we just escaped before the rain hit.

Before leaving on Friday we had one last Devonshire Tea at Hilli's and I have to say that I think theirs is the best one on the island.  The guava jelly is yummy and I have bought a jar to bring home so let's hope I can get it through customs.  They assure me I can.

And so I think it is here that I shall finish my stories of Norfolk Island.  Both Bill and I have had a wonderful time in this delightful little part of the world.  We absolutely loved every moment of our stay here (well, maybe not the steep hill in the rain) and are so glad that we made the journey to this little dot in the South Pacific.  Hopefully I have inspired someone else to visit somewhere different next time they want a new adventure.

The flight back to Sydney was great, the flight from Sydney to Melbourne full and slow as we had to lose some time as Melbourne Airport was having some weather issues.  Still we made it home safe and sound and five minutes after we arrived back to our apartment we had the heaviest rain and biggest thunderstorm I have seen since last winter.  The lightning was amazing and I'm so glad we were not landing in this.

We had the weekend to gather our thoughts and then it was back to work on Monday. Retirement sure looks good on these days but then I remember there is somewhere else we want to go and the pay packet will surely help.

Oh well, until next time..........