A journey back in time to Norfolk Island
As we boarded the Air New Zealand flight to Norfolk Island on a Friday morning, my partner and I chatted about Marcus Clarke’s fictional convict classic, For the Term of His Natural Life. In it, Clarke describes Norfolk Island as a ‘dreadful place… set apart for all that is hideous and vile in our common nature… it realises to my mind the popular notion of Hell.’
Disembarking at Norfolk Island’s tiny airport, we discovered the island was nothing like the one encountered by Clarke – Norfolk Island is wild and remote, with a mild climate, a startlingly turquoise ocean, red-rock cliffs and impossibly huge pine trees, and green landscapes to rival the Irish countryside. Yet, against this idyllic backdrop, a dark and fascinating chapter of history played out. We were ready to dive in!
Waiting for us the airport was our host, Tania Anderson from Norfolk Island Tourism, accompanied by historian Leah Honeywood from the Norfolk Island Museum Research Centre. Tania and Leah were eager to show us the sights of the island and the history awaiting discovery. We hopped into our rental car (provided by our accommodation, Broad Leaf Villas) and Tania chauffeured us around her island home, pointing
