Baby it’s cold outside… As the thermostats start to be edged upwards, the fire gets lit and the slippers go on, the mind starts to long again for those hot summer days of going to the beach and finishing up with a barbeque. The train of thought usually winds up with a persistent nagging of “I need to get away for a while…” And so you start searching through travel sites and looking at package deals, trying desperately to find somewhere within the budget to take the family, your partner, or perhaps just yourself, away from monotony of home-bound, office-bound winter blues. Might I suggest – Norfolk Island? Cast your mind and those nagging thoughts in this direction. Norfolk Island. Situated in the South Pacific, just a 2-hour flight from Sydney and Brisbane, or 1.5 hours from Auckland. It is not your ‘usual’ tropical paradise, but who wants ‘usual’ these days? While the rest of southern civilisation is flying north for the winter to be laying by crowded pools, being hassled by street sellers or dealing with jet lag, you could be wandering through tranquil sub-tropical rain forests and dining in cosy cafes within hours of leaving your home. Norfolk […]
Photo credit: Norfolk Island Tourism This is a recent email sent by a couple who stayed with us recently. It gives a very good overview of their “walking holiday” on Norfolk Island. Again, many thanks for making our stay most enjoyable and all the extras you did for us. The unit was great, the bed comfortable and the cooking facilities appreciated by we who tended to eat there and not out at Burnt Pine every night. While we enjoyed all the places we visited on Norfolk Island, the places we enjoyed the most were definitely those we walked to. And now for the pleasures of walking Norfolk Island. As mentioned during our time there, while we were prepared for the distances involved, we were not for the steep inclines and the humidity. We also did not realise that Mokutu was located towards the south east corner of the island. However we did find many advantages: Personal: The opportunity to maintain or improve our level of fitness; Also the possibility of getting a bit of a suntan; To feel the sea breeze as we travelled down roads to many of the features and to gulp in huge lungfulls of that fresh, […]
Norfolk Island is a very interesting mix of cultures. There are people living here from all over the world and it is always incredibly fascinating to hear how they came to be here. Norfolk Island is a tiny island (8km x 5km) in the South Pacific, approximately 1600KM east of Australia and 1120 km North of Auckland New Zealand. When you have a look on a map you will see the Island really does sit in the middle of nowhere, it seems. With a transient population that ranges from about 1400 to 2000 at any given time, there is a mix of locals (Pitcairn descendants), New Zealanders, Australians and Pacific Islanders. But there is also a collection of Europeans, Americas, South Africans and the list goes on. And so, one has to wonder when you travel here, how in the world do all these people end up in such an out-of-the way, often overlooked little Island? Every one has their own story. Mine is probably just as fascinating as the rest, and I often look back and shake my head. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I would be travelling here, let alone living here. People […]
Guest Blog Post by Sharni-Marie Barney One of the challenges facing a lot of us today is the lack of “space” that is available in the day-to-day craziness that we now call life. With constant notifications vying for our attention, media oozing out of every device and expectations from colleagues, bosses, friends and families that we are always “on” it is near impossible to find the time or the location that is needed to think. And not just think, but process, create, discover and mull over new ideas. “Creativity flourishes in solitude. With quiet, you can hear your thoughts, you can reach deep within yourself, you can focus.” Creativity is an essential element in all forms of work and life. Without it everything becomes monotonous and tired: Businesses start to fail due to lack of innovation and fresh inspiration. Writers lose momentum and regular writing habits become bygone concepts. The artists’ “muse” vanishes. Relationships become uninteresting. Passion becomes a long lost fantasy replaced by “the grind”. I think you get my point. Here’s a few thoughts to consider: Recognise the need for creative space – This might be the first time you have thought about the need for constructive “time […]
Do you need to get away from the hectic pace, constant demands, congestion, noise, pressure? Then choose Mokutu as your Norfolk Island accommodation for a Long Weekend holiday on Norfolk Island – where the air is pure, the water is clear, the pace is laid back and every corner you turn reveals an unbelievably gorgeous vista. Norfolk Island Escape: Fly in Friday/Saturday and back Monday/Tuesday – 3 glorious stress-free nights starting from $130 per night. BOOK HERE. Stay in a roomy self-contained Cottage or Suite at A-Frame Chalets @ Mokutu, enjoying panoramic views of Norfolk’s green hills and the Pacific ocean. Explore the island with your own hire car included in the room rate ($40 per day insurance included). You are personally greeted at the airport on arrival and can choose from a range of Stress Release menus to pre-book your long weekend activities or come and play it by ear. The onsite office staff can make restaurant bookings, organise tours, classes, gear hire – whatever you need for the weekend and they can share their best loved places to go and things to do. LONG WEEKEND STRESS RELEASE ‘MENUS’ So that you don’t waste a minute of your precious long […]
The large historic house opposite the MiniBar on Taylors Road, commonly known as ‘Mawson House’, is currently under renovation. It is owned by Troy Irvine who is also owner of A-Frame Chalets @ Mokutu. He thought the story of the house and the interesting artefacts found so far was a story worth sharing. Here it is. The house was in recent history owned by Wilfred Arthur (Art) Mawson – the very same man who restored Branka House and built the Mawson Units in the hospital grounds for ageing (but mobile) patients. Mawson House is built on land originally owned by Matthew Quintal’s son Arthur Quintal, born on Pitcairn Island in 1795, and who died on Norfolk Island in 1873. The land was then transferred to Arthur’s son Cornelius Quintal. Known as Pa Cornish, Cornelius Quintal was born on Pitcairn in 1841. After arriving on Norfolk he worked for the Melanesian Mission, but later went to sea as a whaler, and was considered one of the finest whalers to come out of Norfolk Island. Pa Cornish lived in the house and was the leader of the Methodist church on the island. Dwight Allen, an American Whaler who arrived on Norfolk in […]
A-Frame Chalets @ Mokutu is a great place to explore from during your holiday on Norfolk Island, at your own pace, on a bicycle. Located just 4 km from Burnt Pine township and 2.5 km from Kingston’s historic district, Mokutu makes a convenient base to explore, and offers commanding views of the sea and sunset! The island is very hilly in some parts so I suggest a reasonable level of fitness for cycling round the island. As a recent guest I cycled to Kingston and toward the Anson Bay area as well as other parts of the island. A bicycle is perfect for a day trip as nothing on the island is more than a few kilometres from each other. Some of the roads are heavily potholed, particularly those on the southwestern section of the island. The roads in and around Burnt Pine and Kingston are in much better shape. The only real danger on the road aside from potholes is cattle, which have the right of way. In all I cycled nearly 100 km in a week on the island. Bicycles are for hire from Hayden Bell at the Automotive Service Centre. He’s a cycling enthusiast who will make sure he […]
This week, Mokutu played host to a very interesting young American who is travelling the world. Currently based in Queenstown, New Zealand, Chris Farrell emailed couch-surfers and woofing organisations on Norfolk Island when he decided to visit. His request was passed on to us and we offered him Mokutu as his Norfolk Island accommodation. In return, Chris helped to repopulate our images gallery with some fabulous shots of Norfolk and Mokutu. Chris has travelled all over the world on a shoestring. So what? He’s young, healthy and has time on his hands. True, but he also has Asperger’s syndrome so has more challenges than the average traveller. In fact, when he was just a very small child, his mother was told he would probably never talk or walk. He resoundingly proved the doctors wrong. While on Norfolk, he did a radio interview, addressed upper primary students at the school, showed the bartender at local nightspot, the Minibar how to mix Mojitos and met a wide cross-section of the population. Hayden and Denise at Automotive Service Centre set Chris up with a magnificent bike which he pedalled literally all over the island. The hilly terrain was no deterrent at all and […]
A tree planting ceremony in the Norfolk Island National Park was a first in the history of the island. The tree 1/20 was planted at Palm Glen and is called ‘Sustainability’. It was planted in honour of the visit to the island of the Leadership Fellows from Comoros, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Tonga and Palau. They were funded by the Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to attend the Sustainable Islands Workshops conducted by EcoNorfolk Foundation Inc Limited, in partnership with the University of Sydney. While on Norfolk Island the group stayed at A-Frame Chalets @ Mokutu. The photograph shows the group sitting with their tree. It will be protected in a unique and picturesque sub-tropical rainforest found nowhere else in the world. The majestic and iconic Norfolk Island pine is a keystone species of this distinctive forest ecosystem. Each participant received a numbered certificate with their name and island identified. For details on how you can plant a tree in the National Park for your group please contact ecoNorfolk at celebrant@norfolk.nf or by phone at Int+ 6723 22385.
A-Frames @ Mokutu is a great destination for clubs or small groups on Norfolk Island. For those who are interested in a getaway to Norfolk Island, we can offer some great value rates in well-appointed 3 ½ star accommodation at Mokutu. With airfares as low as $502 return from Brisbane and $542 return from Sydney between May and August, this is a great opportunity to explore this beautiful island in the South Pacific. We are perfectly set up for groups of 12 to 20 with our A-frame chalets, suites and standalone cottage. Each type of unit has two bedrooms, separate lounge / kitchen areas and decks with outdoor settings. All are self-contained and decorated with local original artworks. To add to the convenience of your group, we have a pool, an onsite café and wifi throughout. Mokutu is just a short drive from both the town heart of Norfolk and the magnificent world heritage area of Kingston, but enjoys the serenity and peace of a picturesque setting. Every room enjoys superb views of the lush valleys and hills rolling across to the ocean. We can also offer the use of our two 22 seat Toyota Coaster buses for airport transfers […]