Saturday is Farmers' Market on Norfolk Island. We didn't need to stock up on produce, but thought we should check it out. It was tiny, just 4 stalls selling eggs, a small selection of fruit and vegetables and a lady selling relish, etc. We were tempted to buy some avocados, but as we haven't been able to find any gluten-free bread, we decided against it. We did buy some relish and a custard apple.
Breakfast at Olive cafe. It was ok but Jill's fried eggs were a bit underdone. We will try somewhere else tomorrow.
Today's plan is to visit the National Park and complete the Summit Track from the car park at Mount Pitt to Mount Bates, the highest point on the island, at 319 metres. The view from Mount Pitt is just amazing, looking south over the island and out to Phillip Island.
The walk was less than a kilometre and is quite well established with a walkway for some of the distance. A bit of World War II memorabilia at Mount Pitt, where there was a radar station during the war and more amazing views both to the North and to the South. Not a lot of birdlife, but we did have several friendly Grey Fantails keeping us company along the track. And we also spotted what I originally thought was a Silvereye but according to the comprehensive National Parks brochures that you can buy for $5, it turned out to be a Slender-billed White-eye, a native bird that is on the Rare and Endangered list, so that was a bonus.
We had intended to also walk the Palm Glen Circuit, but discovered to do that, we would need to drive back to town and up a different road to get to the starting point. We decided to leave that to another day and instead visit the Botanical Gardens, which were on our route back to town.
The Botanical Garden is a bit different to most and rather than a manicured garden, is a walk through the native bush where the island’s unique biodiversity is showcased, with many of the plants found nowhere else on Earth. We were also hoping that we might see the Norfolk Island Green Parrot, but no such luck today. There's a short boardwalk trail which winds through subtropical rainforest, past towering Norfolk pines and giant tree ferns (reputed to be the tallest in the world). Interpretive signs help you learn about local species along the way.
The Botanical Garden began in the 1950s as a 0.6-hectare private garden created by Mrs. Annie Moore, After her departure in 1975, the Norfolk Island Administration maintained the site until 1986, when it became part of the Norfolk Island National Park and Botanic Garden.
Back to Burnt Pine, where we picked up some corn cakes to have with cheese and relish for lunch (and a coffee) and then a bit of a rest.
Dinner tonight at Hilli Restaurant, a bit upmarket on the usual pub/club food. Curry for Jill and Pork Belly for me. All very nice and we even had sweets, GF Brownie with Sorbet and a Crème Brûlée.
