Category: Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island is located in Pacific Ocean and the island is the part of Commonwealth of Australia. The first settlers of the island are seafarers of East Polynesian. Captain James cook is the European who discovered the island in 1774 and he named the island after Duchess of Norfolk. British government established a colony in 19th century in Norfolk. In 1901, after the creation of Commonwealth of Australia, the control of the island is transferred to Australia. In the year 1979, Australia gave limited self-governance to Norfolk. So the island can elect the government for governing majority of its affairs.

The governance of the island is based on Norfolk Island Act 1979 passed by Australian parliament. The administrator appointed by the Australian government and Governor General appoints the administrator. The capital of the island is Kingston which is the centre of government. Island has separate immigration rules as the citizens and residents of Australia will not get the right of residence on the island automatically. The citizens of Australia should carry their passport or any kind of identity document with them in order to go to Norfolk Island. To become the resident of Norfolk Island, a sponsorship of the existing Norfolk resident is required.

The economy of the island mainly depends on tourism which is flourishing. The currency used by islanders is Australian dollar. The population is 2,151 with a 0.006% growth rate. Majority of the islanders are of European or mixed European-Tahitian descendants. The European descendants are mainly British. Majority of the people in Norfolk Island are Protestant Christians. About 34.9% of the residents are Anglican, 11.7% of the people are Roman Catholic, 2.8% is Seventh-day Adventist and 2.4% of the people are Pentecostal. The spoken languages of the islanders are both English as well as the Creole language, Norfuk.

There are several places worth visiting in Norfolk Island. The cultural heritage of the island can be understood by visiting the museums of the island. Some of the museums that are worth visiting are Pier Store, Commissariat store and House Museum. The National Park of the island has some best rainforests of the world. About one-third of Norfolk Island is preserved as national parks which consist of 178 plant species. Bushwalking and mountain biking are the popular activities best for understanding the natural beauty of the Norfolk Island. Several recreational facilities like skating, volleyball, mini-golf, basketball, tennis, archery and gymnasium are available in the island.

Fishing is a famous sport of the island where you can catch kingfish, tuna and trumpeter. Enjoy the diversity of food with more than 35 restaurants in the island. Norfolk is popular for tax free shopping and there are several shops that offer huge bargains without any kind of tax. Some of the natural attractions of the island are rivers, lakes and Chesapeake Bay. The island is also famous for vibrant nightlife with many entertainment centers. Other tourist attractions of Norfolk Island are Norfolk Botanical Garden, National Maritime Center – Nauticus, Chrysler Museum of Art, Virginia Zoo and Naval Station tour.