MELBOURNE TO BRISBANE

Welcome to our 9 day holiday to beautiful Norfolk Island. With chauffeured pickup from home we travel to Melbourne Airport. Here we’ll be greeted by an O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours Tour Director who will assist us with check-in before we join our direct flight to Brisbane. On arrival, we enjoy a city sights tour before arriving at our overnight accommodation. Dinner is at our hotel then we prepare for our journey to magnificent Norfolk Island tomorrow.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement. Light refreshments on the flight.

OVERNIGHT:  Stamford Plaza, BRISBANE

BRISBANE TO NORFOLK ISLAND

This morning we are transferred to Brisbane International Airport to join our Qantas flight to Norfolk Island. Once on this beautiful island we are transferred to our home for the next seven nights. We have time to settle in and explore the resort before our Homestead Dinner at Castaway.

Light lunch served inflight

OVERNIGHT:  The Castaway, Burnt Pine, NORFOLK ISLAND

ISLAND TOUR

After breakfast we join our Half-Day Sightseeing Tour around the Island. This tour takes us back in history, visiting the convict ruins of Norfolk Island’s famous penal settlement. We hear the stories of the settlers who followed from Pitcairn Island and learn interesting facts about Norfolk Island today - the government, immigration laws and lifestyle. We enjoy a light lunch at Castaway then have the afternoon free to explore the town or perhaps, relax with a book.  Tonight’s dinner will be at the lovely Bounty Bar & Grill.

OVERNIGHT: The Castaway, Burnt Pine, NORFOLK ISLAND

CYCLORAMA AND ISLAND CULTURE TOUR

This morning, we make our way to Cyclorama where we can experience the totally unique 360o panoramic painting that will take us on an amazing journey. We will feel like we are there witnessing the Bounty adventures and discovering how the world’s most famous mutiny created the Pitcairn and Norfolk communities. This afternoon, we take the Island Culture Tour as we experience the culture of what came before - from the mutineer ancestors and their Tahitian wives come the arts of wood craft, weaving, cooking and the Norfolk language. On this tour you see a woodturning demonstration using Norfolk timber and visit an Island home where you will learn about our cooking. An Island weaving demonstration and a presentation on the Norfolk language will follow the afternoon tea break. What a great day but it’s not over yet! We enjoy a Barney Duffy barbecue dinner - just about everyone who comes to Norfolk Island hears the story of Barney Duffy. Barney was a convict escapee who spent seven years hiding in a hollow pine tree until captured and hung, although not before he cursed his captors. The curse apparently worked as the young soldiers who captured Barney later drowned while fishing.  And to top off the evening, we enjoy Wonderland by Night as we follow a gently meandering path through 10 acres of Norfolk Pines with dioramas, poetry and stories of times gone by that have shaped life on the Island today. Thousands of lights turn this into an evening in an enchanted forest.

Lunch at own expense and arrangement

OVERNIGHT:  The Castaway, Burnt Pine, NORFOLK ISLAND

CONVICT SETTLEMENT TOUR

We have a totally free morning to do our own exploring - you may wish to take a stroll down to the local markets, or do some personal sightseeing. After lunch at The Castaway, we enjoy a most interesting tour of the Convict Settlement at Kingston where our informative guide will take us through the eras of convict settlement on the Island. We will walk through the cemetery and hear the history of various convict and colonial head stones, pass the houses along Quality Row and visit the restored Military Barracks. We walk through the ruins of the gaol and visit All Saints Church admiring its beautiful stained glass windows, which was in convict times the Commissariat Store. Think of the generations of families that call this island home and all that has made Norfolk Island the destination that it is today. Tonight, we dine at the delightful Hilli Restaurant.

OVERNIGHT: The Castaway, Burnt Pine, NORFOLK ISLAND

BOUNTY DAY PICNIC CELEBRATIONS

Bounty Day celebrates the anniversary of the arrival of the Pitcairn Islanders to Norfolk Island. Today, roughly a third of Norfolk’s residents are descended from the settlers who arrived on 8th June, 1856. Dressed in traditional period costume, the arrival of the Pitcairners is re-enacted and wreaths are laid to remember the original settlers. Celebrations include family reunions, a grand picnic and traditional sports. This is a very important and historical day for Norfolk Islanders. We relax and enjoy the festivities of the day partaking in the grand picnic highlighting traditional food. What a great day! This evening we dine at the Governor’s Lodge Resort.

OVERNIGHT:  The Castaway, Burnt Pine, NORFOLK ISLAND

GLASS BOTTOM BOAT CRUISE AND ISLAND FISH FRY

This morning we transfer to beautiful Emily Bay. Waelkam Abord! (welcome aboard) our glass bottom boat cruise. We board our boat from a beach jetty so no wet feet. We cruise the beautiful crystal clear, calm waters of Emily and Slaughter Bays inside the reef.  Coral gardens and over 100 species of tropical fish, the vast marine life and their habitats make for wonderful viewing. Back on dry land, we enjoy a light lunch. (Timing this morning is dependant upon the tide.) This afternoon, we visit Fitzy's Farm, Norfolk Island's first-ever Lavender Farm! On this informative tour we learn of the challenges in setting up this beautiful farm. The island's unique climate and soil conditions meant that carefully selected lavender varieties were chosen that would thrive here and adapt. A highlight of the farm is the copper distilling equipment used for steam distillation of lavender to extract essential oils. You'll get to see this equipment in action and learn about the fascinating process of steam distillation. It's through this process that we obtain the precious lavender essential oils, which have various applications in aromatherapy, skincare, and more. During the tour, we'll take an easy walk around the farm, accompanied by the owner, who will provide us with detailed insights into the 15 different lavender varieties that have been planted. To make our experience even more delightful, we'll be treated to a Lavender & Blueberry Gelato in a Waffle Cone. If you prefer a different flavour, just let us know, and we'll accommodate your request. Tonight, we’re in for some fun as we perch on the clifftop watching the sun sink into the west at the Island Fish Fry. Get ready for a night of delicious food, live music and stunning views! The Island Fish Fry is the must-do event for anyone visiting the island, and it's not hard to see why. Local dishes are served and the evening’s entertainment includes the Baunti Byuutis dancing group.  

OVERNIGHT:  The Castaway, Burnt Pine, NORFOLK ISLAND

PADDOCK TO PLATE, BOUNTY FOLK MUSEUM AND PROGRESSIVE DINNER

We have another interesting day today.  This morning we take the Paddock to Plate tour. We will visit a market garden that supplies the Island with fruit and vegetables, a free range egg farm where we get our eggs, and a cattle farm that produces beef cattle. At each stop our farmers will tell you how we farm on Norfolk Island, and the challenges that this entails. Afterwards enjoy a sumptuous two-course lunch in an Island home, showcasing our local produce. This afternoon, we visit the Bounty Folk Museum. While small in size, the museum is wide in scope, and tells the strange and startling history of Norfolk Island, from the harrowing tales of ill-fated convicts brought here, to the against-the-odds survival of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives. Tonight, we experience insight into Norfolk living as we progress with each course from Norfolk Island home to home.  Meet the locals and listen to their family histories and stories during our three-course Progressive Dinner. This will be one of the highlights of our tour!

OVERNIGHT:  The Castaway, Burnt Pine, NORFOLK ISLAND

FAREWELL NORFOLK ISLAND

We have the morning free for any last minute shopping. After an early lunch at Castaway, we are transferred to the Norfolk Island Airport for our flight to Brisbane. After clearing Customs, we will transfer to the domestic airport to connect with our flight home. Upon arrival in Melbourne our chauffeurs will be waiting to take us safely home with many interesting stories to tell about our Norfolk Island adventure — all a part of O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours superior service.

Light refreshments on the flights