Sydney Ghost Tours

[Christine]

I love Norfolk.

[MadMatty]

Rather grisly, but fitting tale of our convict heritage.

[Salt Breeze]

Try to go there in June CE.  They have a special day called Bounty Day, where they do a total reinactment of the landing on Norfolk.  From memory its in the first couple of weeks of June.  All the locals dress up in period costume;  they land a boat at the dock - like the Bounty Mutineers etc., and then traditional songs are sung (by everyone together!) at the gates to the cemetery - where their ancestors are buried along with everyone else who dies there.  It's a lovely experience.  The Norfolk children look so gorgeous in their little frilly dresses and big hats with the boys dressed in hats and little outfits from old times too. 

After the celebrations there, the whole community gathers up on Puppy's Point overlooking the cliffs and the sea, for food and a get together, (well, that's where they held it when we were there).  Visitors are welcome to join in with the locals. 

Colleen McCulloch and Helen Reddy lived there at the time we were there -probably still do.  Colleen is married to one of the Robinson clan, from memory.

Anyway.... Go!  You'll love it.  The ruins and old buildings are wonderful to explore and there's a fair amount of 'activity'.   And don't forget the very old cemetery out on the point where the Bounty Mutineers and others from that time are buried. 

[catseyes]

I definately will go!

ust what I need...people in period costume.  As if I'm not confused enough already!

[Salt Breeze]

ROFL.   It's really a nice spectacle there.  I forgot one part of the celebrations actually.   After they leave the wharf area, they meet at a traditional spot and go through the motions of the event where Queen Victoria gave them Norfolk Island - which is why it's a tax/duty free haven. 

Something I like about Norfolk is that there are no snakes there.  It feels really odd to be able to sit in the long grass up on the headland and watch the reinactment below - and not have to worry that there could be reptiles creeping up behind from somewhere.   

It's a bit funny at night though.  So small, there are no traffic lights and few lights in the streets.  We walked down to the town for dinner one night and then walked back to the motel, via the one and only road.  One catch, on Norfolk, the cattle 'graze the common', which means there are cows wandering around all over the common area at the sides of the road, and it's quite likely you'll come face to nose with one.  But, they cows don't mind - I guess they're used to silly tourists. 

It's a lovely place. 

There's a really fun ghost tour at night too - which is when we found ourselves on BloOdy Bridge in the middle of the night.  The locals dress up in period military and prison guard outfits.  Some of them jumped on the back bumper bar of the van - we weren't supposed to know they were there.  This is how they transfer from say, the prison to the cemetery, and then rush off and get into different costumes. It's a total hoot. 

You can tell, I love the place.   Oh, another thing, we were allowed to walk freely around in the archeology building, looking at literally millions of old things they've dug up on the island.  Even old shoes from way back are still being found in the dirt at various digs.  You're even allowed to pick up things and look at them, so you get a stunning 'feel' for the place.

Norfolk also has the best restored Georgian buildings in the southern hemisphere.   

[catseyes]

We must do an investigation there one day C.

[Salt Breeze]

They do have a few good spots of activity.  I can't remember the names of the places off hand, but there's an old building down by the wharf - Kingston I think is the area where the wharf is. 

There's also a bunch of really old ruins a little further across from there - smaller building.  The prison itself is nothing like Port Arthur's ruins, though.  When the Poms left Norfolk, they burned the place so that no one else could use it.  This was a common strategy, apparently.  I believe each group who inhabited it, with their group of convicts, would re-build certain parts.  And then those folk would destroy it.  Crazy stuff.  Not sure how many times this was done.  So, in short, only low patches of prison cell walls can be seen, along with part of the outer perimeter. 

The old cemetery out on the point is my favourite place.  It holds the mutineers from the Bounty and early soldiers graves who were there way, way back. 

And not forgetting BloOdy Bridge.   

[catseyes]

Sound fantastic!

[bixter76]

Which point SB?