A couple of weeks ago, feeling like LeBron or Steph Curry I, from Adelaide, fired a long-distance 3 pointer in the direction of Norfolk Island, hoping for nothing but net. In the week of launching that shot, I had some frustrating waits with my thumb out in some dusty Outback towns, chatting to locals at the pub. Stuck in Broken Hill, with that proverbial basketball on its upward trajectory, I was invited in for kangaroo steak whilst waiting an entire day for a lift. A bloke who calls himself "The Australian Bushman" would pick me up and take me from Broken Hill to the Sunshine Coast: 1,900 kilometers in total for my second longest lift ever, to go with brekkie, dinner, and listening to the Dixie Chicks in the Aussie bush. With that basketball at its pinnacle, I sat pretty at Aunty Jo's for some good feeds and chilling out. Norfolk Island, the duchess of my travels, awaited. After hitchhiking more than 3000 km to go with some long waits, Norfolk is where that long-range shot today went "SWISH!"
For the sixth time I'm here on the Bounteous Isle. During my last three visits I stayed with Dave, but this time I'm staying with a lovely lady named Katherine in a self-contained cottage. I made sure to stock up at Coles in Brisbane before flying over. My plan for today was to settle in, put my cold food away, and then make a B-line for Mt. Pitt to fly Juliett. Things didn't work out quite that way today due to a long story regarding the DJI app (I'll get to that part later). Charles Christian-Bailey and I would meet up, have a beer, and then go to one of my favourite lookouts: Lone Pine. Australia has taken over but on one hand not a whole lot has changed: cattle still have the right of way and the locals are still friendly as ever. On the other hand, a lot has changed. Flights from the mainland to Norfolk are considered "domestic" even though they depart from the international terminal. You have to fill out an Australian immigration card and you're greeted by the Australian Border Force. It's now possible to fly to Norfolk on a one-way ticket, which I may do someday.
Unable to fly Juliett until tomorrow, Katherine invited me in for dinner for my first evening back on Norfolk. I can finally start on my other hand as I've done six visits now. Why do I love Norfolk so much? I can't really explain why...there's just a very special feel to this magical island. For tea I had freshly caught fish, braised potatoes, and peas. Brilliant! Too dark for drone flying, but what else do I love? Geocaching! Last year I solved the most difficult mystery cache on Norfolk, and I was itching to sign off on it. Solving the puzzle involved steganography, which is hiding an image within an image. The stars on Norfolk Island are magical, and I set out in complete darkness in search of the cache. I had to walk through a lovely area and then down a hill through some wet grass. I should add that my phone was my only light source and if I had lost it I would'nt have been able to find my way back to Katherine's home. After a minute of searching I found Unreal Estate, which is the name of the cache (and a very fitting one). Afterward I turned off my torch and just sat there in awe of the stars. Norfolk Island, I deeply love you. Your starry nights are amazing and every time I'm here it's like Christmas morning. After finding my way back to the road I made my way to another cache but I had to climb along a slope in the dark with thongs as my only footwear. Without taking a tumble, I found another Norfolk cache.
Of the 45 countries I've visited, Norfolk Island, the Bounteous Isle, is my favourite. It's that destination that I have that never-ending love affair with. If travelling were yoga, Norfolk would be where I find my centre. Metaphorically, that long-range shot is nothing but net as I'm making memories on Norfolk Island once again...
