Day 5 : Postscript

My last day on Norfolk Island dawned cloudy and cool (not that I was up yet to see the dawn!).  I pottered around for a while, then tidied the apartment and packed my suitcase ( which still only weighed in at 13 kg).  I think I got the recycling right -- there were 6 different bins to sort rubbish into.  Took myself in to Burnt Pine and shouted myself a cooked breakfast - first one here.

Next I spent an very interesting hour at the Bounty Folk Museum.  This is a privately owned research centre run by a widow whose husband over many years collected all sorts of memorabilia related to Pitcairn and Norfolk Islands.  Of most interest to me were the many hand-written journals in which he had recorded all sorts of detailed information relating to the history of both islands.  It seems a pity to me that they can't afford to digitise it, as wear and tear is staring to take its toll.  This lady was a fund of information about everyday Norfolk life, even though originally from South Australia.

Back in Burnt Pine, I took a look at the "Hand Up for Democracy" display in the main street.  Locals have always considered that they were a self-governing community, with their own elected Legislative Assembly headed by a Chief Minister.  I recent times Australia has had to subsidise the local economy significantly, which led to a move in 2015 to abolish the Legislative Assembly and revoke the constitution. In its place a Norfolk Island Regional Council was formed, governed by NSW law and advisory to an appointed Administrator   Some of the old Norfolk laws still hold, having been adopted by the new body.  But mostly it is now Australian law that holds, including paying Australian taxes.  Locals claim they were never consulted about any of these changes, and they don't want them.  Australia seems to believe "who pays the piper calls the tune"!  There is very visible dissent here over the current political and economic arrangements.

I took a last drive to see some of the coastal points I had missed thus far.  The island is certainly almost inaccessible by sea, and 200-300 ft cliffs encircle the island, offering some spectacular views of the ocean crashing unexpectedly on this lump of rock in the middle of nowhere.  Headstone Point has rocks that have been popular with fishermen, even though several have lost their lives there over the years. At Ball Bay I saw the facility used to pump petrol and diesel ashore from tankers that anchor close to the shore.  They float a pipeline to connect to the pumping station on shore.  Nothing seems easy about life here!

Next surprise.  At the airport I searched for rental car return area .. none to be found. So I parked in a vacant spot (no fees to pay here), and headed in to the terminal.  No rental car desk in there either.  On enquiry I was informed that I just had to leave the car unlocked anywhere in the car park, and put the key under the front mat.  Someone would collect it later!

Flight home was uneventful, though nearly 30 minutes longer than scheduled due to strong headwinds.  On arrival at Brisbane International, it took 55 minutes to clear immigration and customs, a ridiculous setup for a domestic flight.  The self-serve machines would only process international flights, so we had to join the queue for slow manual processing.  Then I just missed the bus to the car park and had to wait another 20 minutes for that.  So glad to finally shuffle up the steps and into my familiar surroundings.

A thoroughly enjoyable little trip!  I really enjoyed the contact with the very friendly Norf'k folk, who are doing it tough these days.  Tourism is well down, mainly due to flight cut-backs from Australia and New Zealand.  Burnt Pine reminded me of many of the country towns in Queensland I have visited, with so many businesses closed or for sale -- a rather depressing sight.  No employment for young people, so they are moving mostly to Brisbane after High School and not returning.  I couldn't help but wonder if some day this place so rich in history might not be abandoned again?

Last of the photos can be seen here.