The weather has been erratic for the past day or two but it hasn't stopped me from taking Norfolk Island by storm (no pun intended). One minute it's sunny and a few minutes later it's bucketing down as the winds thrash. After broken sleep last night I jumped up and made a cuppa so I could get to the Sunday market. The sausage sizzle was going but I had run out of cash, and when I walked to the ATM it wasn't working. Foodlands wasn't open until 9 AM so I burned a bit of time and they said I couldn't get cash out but they relented when I said "not even $20?" There is a smaller market on Saturday but it's geared toward locals. Hadyn (Teddy) Evans raises his own pigs for pork roasts, bacon, and ham. It's always good to buy local to reduce your carbon footprint. Hurriedly, I made my way back to the Sunday market for a sausage. I always enjoy listening to Trent Christian play. My favourite song is "Coconut" which talks about how Norfolk is similar to Pitcairn and Tahiti except that there are no coconuts on Norfolk. Jipa is a lovely Fijian lady whom I met here last year. She and I would meet up for breakfast at High Tide Cafe. I opted for the High Tide breakfast with a coffee.
Dave and I were supposed to meet up for a BBQ lunch today but unfortunately his son, Mitch broke his arm this morning. In serious medical emergencies, you'll have to be medivac'd off the island but when I texted Dave he said his son was at home playing. The weather was on again, off again all day today. Yesterday's flight was postponed to today, and it seemed the weather was worse today than yesterday. In another of those "only on Norfolk" moments I needed a set of allen keys (allen wrenches) to fix the seat on Val's pushbike. Nearly everything is closed on Sunday but when I called into Pawpaw's Pumpshed, they didn't have a set of allen keys. Luckily a local named "Truck" whom I spoken to quite a few times had a set on hand. After a minute or two, with some sunshine, I was on my way to Kingston. It's an easy, breezy ride to Kingston but walking the pushbike up the hill takes a bit of time. Regardless, I enjoyed a walk and cycle ride through there as I always do and. A bit of time at Emily Bay was in order and then I climbed on top of my favourite spot: the old hospital. Her colours never disappoint...
The wind battered me but then I was in awe of a rainbow hovering over Kingston.
What a sight! My Akubra hat is as tough as nails and doesn't even blow off during thrashing winds. After plenty of time up there following my rainbow, it was time to walk the pushbike up the hill. This afternoon I'd visit the Sunset Bar for the first time, run by Les and Pip Quintal. Puppy's Point is the most popular place on the island to view the sunset, so I parked the pushbike at the bottom of the hill and thumbed a lift out there. A couple of glasses of wine were in order before I had a tasty BBQ brisket with macaroni and cheese. By then it was cold! Even by Norfolk standards it felt very cold tonight.
What has impressed me most during this trip is how so many people remember me from speaking at the school during my first trip to Norfolk. In 2014 I undertook my first journey to the Rock, and when I spoke at the school, most of the students were around 11 or 12. They would all be around 18 or 19 now, and many of them remember me. Tonight I was planning on having an easy night at home, as I've been running myself ragged cycling, catching up with friends, cooking, and all that. However, I couldn't resist going out. As I sat at the RSL tonight I was sitting with a huge smile and a tear in my eye. It really means so much to me that I'm remembered after all that time. A couple of guys remembered me from the school and told me the impact I had on both them and many of their classmates. I'd end up hanging out at the RSL for more than three hours and then I cycled home. Val and I would converse some more, and even she isn't immune to rumours that get spread on the Bounteous Isle. In a couple of days is Bounty Day, and I've already received two invites. This year I'm sure to bring something to share!
Norfolk Island, even with rumours, there is never a dull moment with you. Even on my darkest days, you're that magical beam of light that breaks through the crack in the world of darkness this pandemic has caused...
