I took wool with me as our crochet said that she would email me the crochet along project that the class was going to start. She did but I really needed a paper copy, too difficult to follow on the phone.
I used the wool, it was a cake, very large ball about 500gms, blending into colours. I started a granny square rug, the cake is in the centre, the blues through to the greens. I continued with it once I was home and added more blues, this is the result. It measures 125 by 125.
Again a calm day, temps were 23 to 25. We went to Ball bay, that is where they bring the fuel in for the island. I had solved a puzzle about Norfolk Island stamps and it was hidden on one of the outer roads.
I was going to organise an event for geocaching on Norfolk while we were there. While looking for a suitable venue, one popped up on my screen for the weekend that we would be there, saved me doing it and we got to meet others for no hassle, a bonus.
I had checked the place prior and we set off in bright clear sunshine to go to the local cafe, there were several but The Olive Cafe was THE place to be seen, food was pretty good too.
It was very popular and we had to wait for a table. Warren and I had bought a caching shirt with us and we had actually worn them on the plane over, not realising until after we had dressed that we were wearing them. They were almost the same except Warren's was Dayboro and had green sides and mine was Townsville and had orange sides. We did get asked about them several times at the airports and gave an explanation about caching. The shirts are handy when going to an event that others are unknown.
Six of us were visitors and the resident cache came as well, he helped out with a couple of puzzles then four went to collect a "mob" one, this is where there needs to be at least three phones together get the coordinates.
Warren and I set off to collect it, with me navigating not sure if we had it correct, then one of the other couples turned the corner. It was a bit muddy due to the rain and of course I fell over, just to my knees after stepping on a green log.
The cache was up a tree but Duncan, local guy, assured us that we wouldn't need to climb a tree.
No, we didn't, there was a cord attached and the guys were able to let it down, sign the log and hoist it up again. We did a few more and a very lengthy earth cache. Then a fish and chip dinner as. I couldn't be bothered cooking.
The winds were quite strong and there were gusts of rain for most of the day.
We stocked up a little at the supermarket on the way back for lunch, with a cyclone on the horizon it made sense to buy some food and water that didn't need to be cooked or heated. I was surprised that the shelves still had plenty of food and it wasn't busy.
After a rest and the rain showers had gone, we went out for a swim at Emily bay which is inside the reef. I have found out that the glass bottomed boats only go in here and the next bay which goes by the unfortunate name of Slaughter bay, didn't find out why it's called that.
Warren went swimming while I did go into the water, very rocky underneath but further around was a sandy bottom. Seemed strange to be swimming at 6pm. It didn't get dark until about 9pm, time distance from home was two hours.
We visited the salt mine as well. Fires were built and kept going with buckets of sea water along a bar boiling away the water, then of course the salt was left and used to salt the meat.
The cyclone was due to hit Saturday night about 11pm. We decided that we should get out and about while we could and so we visited the gardens.
They are situated towards the north of the island and unless following the signs, wouldn't even realise they were there.
There was a small car park just off the side of the road for about six cars, we went in through the familiar, by now, post and rail wooden fence and gate.
The paths are all board walks with the post and rail fences on either side. As well as visiting, we were doing an adventure lab, obtaining information about the flora and fauna.
Very tropical and although we spent about an hour there, I didn't take any photos.
After that we continued on up the rise and into the national park on our to Mt Pitt, the highest point on the island. There was a trail of eight caches on the way. The road was narrow and windy but there was room for parking at each cache to pull up and grab cache.
Mt Pitt has the communication towers on top of it and it was starting to get windy.
We thought we were going to return a different way but the map we were given had roads and trails marked in the same manner, this fact did stop us a couple of times, but it was only a slight annoyance as to have to go an alternative route wasn't that much of a drama, after all the island is only 8k by 5k.
We had another bus tour in the morning, this was more on the convicts. They certainly had it tough, Norfolk Island was for reaffrending prisoners. They were given 1/2 pound of meat, same of grain and an ounce of salt per day, two meals a day. They had to work in the salt house or crank house, some of the trustees were out farming but a very bleak place.
Of course they had to build all the structures first and were in leg irons and chain gangs. Twelve hundred prisoners were housed at one time.
We noticed that the bus drivers didnt have the same stories. One apparently liked to tell people that 3000 men were hung there during the time but only three were recorded and a magistrate had to visit from Australia to do the hearings and often due to weather conditions it would bemonths before they were able to attend.
At 4.30, we had another tour which was a language course. This was held at the Governor's lodge, our apartment block was about two and a half KMs from here and it was governed by Governors lodge. Apparently, a couple built and owned our complex of twelve apartment and they lived on the edge of the car park. They wanted to retire after a few years and the owners of GL bought it. It was in the times that no one could buy into Norfolk unless they had family ties.
The woman who did our course is studying at Gold Coast University and working part time. She listed off her ancestors and said that everyone on the island who came from the original group were able to that. I think she went back about ten generations.
Norfolk Island used to govern themselves but ran out of money a few years ago and Australia bailed them out and basically took over some of things but really made a bit of a dogs breakfast as they have a NSW postcode, mail goes from Australia to New Zealand first before going to NI. Qld oversees the education and the locals have to vote in an ACT election. Like I said, a dogs breakfast.
In 1998, it was decided to teach the local language in the school, one school from prep to year 12. I asked if it was still taught and was it used. Yes and yes, the locals use it between themselves, it is a mixture of Tahitian and English. We got to practise some basic words and sentences and seeing it written were able to make out most of the words.
Many signs around were written in both.
Part of our package included four tours plus size drive yourself tours and the first one was an introductory tour, it was a bus trip leaving from down town at 8.30am.
We picked up two hitch hikers on the way, not something we would normally do but it's like "when in Roman, do as the Romans do". This couple were heading to work at the local butchers, they were backpackers from Spain. They had been on the island for two months and heading back to Brisbane in March.
Our tour was a bit of a taster and we went to the shoreline that was a township, Kingston when the convicts were there. The new and old goals, the crank house which was necessary to grind the grain but it was a form of punishment as well.
Queen Elizabeth's lookout overlooked the town and the sea. It was enclosed with a very sturdy wooden framed fence and gate. The reason being to keep the cows out! They have the run of the island and cars need to give way to them.
We picked up the car on day one, I left Warren to organise while I got lunch. We could have both driven if I had given in my driver's licence. I said to Warren that he could do all the driving as usually it costs more if there is a second driver but apparently not there.
Car hire included 35kms per day, any more then it was 35 cents a km. Warren was offered a deal of $7 a day for unlimited, thank goodness he decided not to take it. We travelled around a lot except for the day the cyclone hit and recorded 180kms for the whole time. Petrol wasn't cheap as expected, $2.88 per litre.
Three speeds across the whole of the island, 30km past the school from 8am to 3.30pm, 40km in the town centre and 50kms on the open roads although many roads being so twisty and windy, it would have been ludicrous to drive up to that speed.
Cows have right of way and amble along wherever they chose, township has cattle grids on the roads leading into the centre and every property has a cattle grid as well to keep the cows out. Chooks are also out and about and at our apartment complex, there were at least four chooks with chicken of varying ages and four or five roosters as well. We were never woken up by roosters crowing though.
Many motor bikes were outside the school, kids can get a license at 15 for a bike and car at 16. Only one school and no school bus.
It was an early start, our plane flew out at 9am. We discovered a few days before that it flew from the international airport not the domestic even though Norfolk is part of Australia which meant we had to be there at least two hours before.
Our intention was to bus to the train station then halfway to Brisbane then catch the airtrain to airport. No buses at that time of the morning so would have had to get an uber.
Too hard, too difficult too expensive so we booked valet parking at the airport which was about $6 more and we didn't have to go quite so early.
Alarm went at 4.30am, we needed to leave about 5.15, neither of us slept real well, at 11pm, I realised I hadn't packed my swimmers, I had put them in the spare room with our luggage a couple of weeks before. Flippers and snorkels were in so that was a mad dash to grab them and push them in.
Valet parking is the best, we drove to the airport and parked right outside, attendants even helped get our luggage out of the boot. We do pack light so wasn't necessary but it was a nice touch. Across the crossing and up two escalators. Check in had just opened so we were able to do that, then we had breakfast and waited.
Trip took two and a half hours and we were handed arrival cards, could either use passport or driver's licence for ID. Out of the airport on NI and we were shown to a bus for the journey to Governor's lodge to collect our apartment key and car. Although we were staying at Crest Apartments, they were owned by the same company, Crest was another three kms away.
Our first port of call was a Sim card and some food. Food was expensive as it all has to be shipped in, 6 sausages was $12 and a cooked chicken was $17.50.
Top photo is across our lawn, we set out to get a cache 340ms from apartment, then we saw the road and got in the car. Second photo is the beach, taken about 7.30pm, NI is two hours ahead of home.
We had booked Lucy into the dog-sitter and she had visited to make sure Lucy would fit in with her other charges, she said she didn't take agressive dogs.
Lucy passed the test. Larelle, dog sitter, said she would come and collect Lucy at around 8am, the day before as we had a very early start the following day.
Larelle turned up and we were chatting to her, she had a black and while collie in the front seat. Warren said to me that the collie looked very much like Ruby.
Ruby lived down the road with Pam and the dogs often played together at the dog park plus Pam would call in to pat Lucy when they were going walking. Pam and Ruby moved house about three years but we would still see them out walking sometimes. We had heard that Pam had died but she had given Ruby away before going into a nursing home.
Larelle said that the collie was in fact Ruby. A friend of hers knew that a lady was looking to rehouse her dog due to ill health and as Larelle's collie had passed away a few months before, thought she may like to have her. Hence Ruby went to Larelle. It was nice hear that Ruby was in a new home. Of course when Lucy saw Ruby, they were very happy.
There was a chocolate Lab in the back as well. Lucy went in the back and all three dogs looked very happy when they were driven away.
Having a day without Lucy was quite weird.
We were in the big smoke for lunch on a weekend, luckily our dil knew of a place within easy walking distance.
Bit of an up market pub.
Meals were between $27 and $33 plus there was a shared platter between two people for $59, Warren and I liked the sound of that.
Oh my goodness, I would certainly go back again for that.
Roast beef slices, thick and pork spares rib, both melt in your mouth, coleslaw and buns with chips and sauces.
We didn't leave much but very satisfied without the feeling of over doing it.
Not a very good photo as it was taken at the chip end, there wasn't the over abundance of chips, don't know if that was usual or due to the chip shortage. Def the best meal we have had out in quite awhile.
The escapees in the hidden/extra room
