Last Day
Tuesday 5th May, 2009
ur last day! It has been a great break. The weather has been exceptional, only one wet morning, which cleared in time for our afternoon excursion. A couple of showers in the night which had gone by morning. Great. The last two or three days have been cooler, especially at night, but in the daytime the sun has been warm, but not oppressive.
orfolk is an unusual place. The whole place flutters with feral chooks, they're everywhere, and the road verges are the homes of herds of cattle grazing the "common ground". No need for council lawnmowers - or fertilizers for that matter!
What happens is that people who don't have the land to run cattle normally can put a calf on the road by paying about $100 a year. They have numbered ear tags and tend to stay in the area they are put. At the end of the year they are worth $900 - 1000 as meat and the owner contracts with the butcher to slaughter for a share of the meat. Seems to work well. Of course it means that there are "crap circles" everywhere but they have introduced dung beetles to deal with that aspect.
One of the Norfolk road rules is that cattle have the right of way. It can be quite expensive in fines, vet fees, compensation etc if you hit one. John Christian says that if you abide by the 50 kph speed limit you will not hit one. They move quite deliberately, don't leap out in front of you.
he island is very clean, no graffiti, no litter. People will stop their cars and get out to pick up litter on the roadside.
And they wave to oncoming traffic, whether they know you or not.
Bounty Folk Museum
e went out this morning to visit the Bounty Folk Museum, five minutes from us, but left until last. There were five rooms of memorabilia and artefacts, figures being flogged and put into solitary confinement etc. There were old prints and photos, domestic and commercial objects, many of which I recognised and some of which Mac and I still own. Mincing machines and scales, planes and tools etc, all cheek by jowl with very little organisation.
Ready to Leave
hen we went into town and had a sandwich and lemon squash at the Golden Orb book and coffee shop. The floor was painted with the words of Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky, perhaps to counteract the Norfolk Language!
Then home to pack etc. It has been generally very enjoyable.
e had intended to eat at Stefano's Italian restaurant tonight but it was closed inexplicably. So we had a Chinese meal at the local Colony restaurant - not bad.
Wednesday 6th May, 2009
much more comfortable flight home than getting here. It left right on time and was only half full so we had three seats between us and the tray table actually fitted!
e were a bit late actually getting in to Sydney and once there had to fill in customs and quarantine cards as they had run out on the plane. By the time we got our bags and through customs and quarantine despite no crowds or queues, our Anchor driver was wondering where we were and grumbled that we had hit peak time as well as making him pay $8 extra for parking. He roared (at other traffic) and whinged all the way home - two hours through dreadful traffic - next time we might find another airport shuttle.
Got home not long after Geoff.
eeee're Baaaack!
