Norfolk. Island. There s a tiny gourmet island escape just a short flight away from Australia, Winsor Dobbin reports.

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Logan Dorsey
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1 FOODIE RETREAT Norfolk Island There s a tiny gourmet island escape just a short flight away from Australia, Winsor Dobbin reports. 112 { nourish magazine

2 When you think of Pacific island holidays, you probably think of Fiji, or maybe Vanuatu, Tahiti or New Caledonia. But Australia has its own sub-tropical island escape in Norfolk Island which was recently named among the top 10 islands in the South Pacific by Trip Advisor, and best in Australia ahead of Kangaroo Island and Lord Howe. Discovered by Captain Cook in 1774 after first being settled by Polynesians, Norfolk Island is a small island located in the Pacific Ocean between Australia and New Zealand. It has a sub-tropical climate with temperatures rarely over 28 degrees or under 10 degrees. From the air, it looks much like Fiji, but Norfolk Island is tiny, covering just eight kilometres by five kilometres. It s remote, though. New Caledonia, 770 kilometres away, is the nearest neighbouring island. From the air, it looks much like Fiji, but Norfolk Island is tiny, covering just eight kilometres by five kilometres. It s remote, though. New Caledonia, 770 kilometres away, is the nearest neighbouring island. Download Download your free in-site your free app & in-site scan page app for & scan GALLERY page for Norfolk Island Image Gallery Many of the islanders are direct descendants of mutineers from the Bounty in 1789, when Fletcher Christian led a mutiny against the ship s captain, Lieutenant William Bligh. Many of the mutineers later settled on Pitcairn Island and their descendants moved to Norfolk Island in the 1850s long after it had ceased to be a brutal penal colony. nourish magazine } 113

FOODIE RETREAT Common local names include those of mutineers Christian, Quintal and Buffett.

Many of the locals speak Norf k, a mixture of Tahitian and old English that is one of the rarest languages in the world and the mood is laid back.

It is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance. It has between 1,800 and 2,800 residents, depending on the season.

3 FOODIE RETREAT Common local names include those of mutineers Christian, Quintal and Buffett. And yes, the Buffetts are distant relations of both financier Warren Buffett and singer Jimmy Buffett, who has performed here for his kinfolk. Many of the locals speak Norf k, a mixture of Tahitian and old English that is one of the rarest languages in the world and the mood is laid back. Cows have right of way on the roads and feral chickens roam everywhere. Norfolk Island is just a two-anda-half hour flight from Sydney and Brisbane and just one-and-a-half hours from Auckland. It is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance. It has between 1,800 and 2,800 residents, depending on the season. The markets are held on Saturday mornings next to the Visitor Information Centre just half-a-dozen stalls with fresh fruits, vegetables and dishes made using local Norfolk Island Blue beef. There are no chain hotels, fast-food restaurants, public transport or traffic lights and only one roundabout. When you drop off your hire car, you simply leave the keys in the ignition or under the driver s seat carpet and everything is taken care of for you. Because it is never cold here, tropical fruits like bananas and guavas thrive. There are tiny farmers markets selling fresh local produce, several very good restaurants with a local focus, a winery and even a local liqueur producer. The markets are held on Saturday mornings next to the visitor information centre just halfa-dozen stalls with fresh fruits, vegetables and dishes made using local Norfolk Island Blue beef. On 114 { nourish magazine

Sundays there is an arts and crafts market the ideal place to pick up a local memento or two.

farm, and the excellent Hilli Restaurant and Wine Bar, where you can eat indoors or al fresco.

Good local lunch spots include The Olive Cafe, the bustling Golden Orb (which is also a bookshop and is set in a sub-tropical garden) and Sublime Cafe.

Norfolk Island Food Festival November 22 29 The inaugural Taste Norfolk Island food festival will be held from November 22 to 29 this year with special guest

4 Sundays there is an arts and crafts market the ideal place to pick up a local memento or two. The best restaurants include casual Dino s at Bomboras (where the pizzas are excellent), Norfolk Island Blue, where the focus is on beef grown on the owner s farm, and the excellent Hilli Restaurant and Wine Bar, where you can eat indoors or al fresco. The Rock is a very good steak and seafood restaurant, while La Perouse serves French-accented cuisine and Bailey s features terrific lunch specials. Good local lunch spots include The Olive Cafe, the bustling Golden Orb (which is also a bookshop and is set in a sub-tropical garden) and Sublime Cafe. Make sure to sample locally produced cheese from the Christian Bothers (yes, that really is their name). Norfolk Island Food Festival November The inaugural Taste Norfolk Island food festival will be held from November 22 to 29 this year with special guest chefs Ed Halmagyi and Dominique Rizzo. The festival will feature events and tastings at several of Norfolk Island s 30 odd eateries and will highlight local fish, beef and pork as well as honeys, coffee and cheeses. Halmagyi and Rizzo will both hold cooking demonstrations and host dinners as well as attending open-air festivals and island feasts. nourish magazine } 115

Located in the heart of Burnt Pine township and featuring Norfolk Blue beef on its menu, this licensed eatery specialises in all things fresh and local.

5 FOODIE RETREAT Fishing is a popular pastime and locals joke that it is easier to catch a fish than it is to go home empty handed. The latest dining hot spot is The Blue Bull Cafe Restaurant, baby brother to the award-winning Norfolk Blue Restaurant. Located in the heart of Burnt Pine township and featuring Norfolk Blue beef on its menu, this licensed eatery specialises in all things fresh and local. For night owls the options are limited, but check out MiniBar, Norfolk s funkiest bar, based on an eclectic Berlin-style bar built and furnished from Norfolk-found objects. It s a great spot for a latenight cocktail. The Tin Sheds, three five-star villas that each are so funky they come with their own colour-coded Fiat Uno, offer the most upmarket accommodation and are within walking distance of several eateries and shops. The spacious and contemporary apartments here are surrounded by beautifully landscaped private courtyards and equipped with all mod cons. There is an on-site plunge pool, massage and sauna facility, gym even a Nespresso machine in each villa. Other good options include the recently refurbished penthouses at the South Pacific Resort and the Governor s Lodge Resort. To learn about the history of the island, from convicts to Pitcairn islanders, visit Fletcher s Mutiny Cyclorama, a 360-degree artwork that tells the story of the island from its earliest days, and the World of Norfolk photographic exhibit, which is far more interesting than it sounds. There are several fascinating museums, including Pier Store, which has several artefacts dating back to the mutiny on the Bounty, life on Pitcairn Island and the resettlement of the islanders on Norfolk Island in The HMS Sirius museum looks at Australia s most important shipwreck, which happened off the island in Other spots worthy of a visit include the convict cemetery adjacent to the golf course, where you ll find headstones of executed convicts; beautiful beaches at Emily and Slaughter bays (take a trip in a glass-bottomed boat), the Captain Cook monument and lookout, and the panoramic views from the top of Mount Pitt. Foodies are also well catered for with the Norfolk Island Blue beef, boutique cheeses from the Christian Brothers and a cooking school at Mastering Taste Chef School and Garden Tour, where students can pick many of the ingredients from the potager. 116 { nourish magazine

There s a ninehole golf course that s one of the oldest in Australia and outside Scotland, too while snorkelling in the clear blue water is popular.

Two Chimneys offers tastings and serves excellent local platters.

6 There s a ninehole golf course that s one of the oldest in Australia and outside Scotland, too while snorkelling in the clear blue water is popular. Roderick McAlpine at Two Chimneys Winery has just released his first wines made using local grapes; until his vines became mature he was using fruit from the mainland. Two Chimneys offers tastings and serves excellent local platters. Also check out the tasting rooms at Norfolk Island Liqueurs, where local fruits are used in products made in a German still, including macadamia nut, guava and banana liqueurs, beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. Also make time to visit the Anson Bay coffee plantation of Fred Wong, who also offers tastings and tours. For such a small place there is a surprising amount to do there is even a day spa and several massage options in Burnt Pine township, the main settlement, while Norfolk Island National Park is popular with bushwalkers and bird watchers, and celebrity residents including Colleen McCullough, Helen Reddy and Sorrel Wilby. There s a nine-hole golf course that s one of the oldest in Australia and outside Scotland, too while snorkelling in the clear blue water is popular. Fishing is a popular pastime and locals joke that it is easier to catch a fish than it is to go home empty handed; trumpeter, snapper, yellow fin tuna, kingfish and wahoo abound. Glen Buffett, general manager of Norfolk Island Tourism, says it is the diversity in nature, history and activities on Norfolk Island that make it a unique destination. As a Pacific Island destination, we re constantly surprising visitors with the myriad options available to them from spectacular beaches, world heritage areas to explore, nature walks and a pristine golf course to seasonal, island-grown fresh food from our many restaurants and cafes, he says. Norfolk Island may once have been regarded as a place of ultimate punishment but I can t think of many better destinations at which to hit a few balls, throw in a line, take a country ramble or to simply lay back and relax for a few days. For more details on holidays on Norfolk Island visit www. norfolkisland.com.au. A passport is needed to enter Norfolk Island. Air New Zealand flies direct to Norfolk Island twice a week from both Sydney and Brisbane. To book visit airnewzealand.com.au. nourish magazine } 117

Norfolk Island November 2015

Norfolk Island November 2015 Wattletree Garden Tours Escorted by Brian Sams Norfolk Island 17-24 November 2015 Day 1 Tuesday 17 November 2015 (D) Welcome Function/Dinner at Hotel Please be at Brisbane International Airport at least