We have just returned from Norfolk Island.

We spent ten days there.  It is an unusual place, being part of Australia and NSW, but being an “overseas territory” and so not governed by many of the laws of NSW: it is duty free, there is no income tax, and other anomalies.  On the other hand, the currency is Australian Dollars, and the population are Australian citizens.

There is a historical interest on the island, in that it was a penal colony, and after that use ceased, it was the final destination for the descendants of the sailors involved in the mutiny on HMS Bounty.

We spent some time looking around the old buildings, and even the graveyard has some interest, with the headstones showing signs of beingmade by people who had difficulty spelling and certainly amateurs at spacing out he letters on the stones!

The best parts of the holiday, though, were such things as going on a day’s course on how to prepare restaurant-standard meals.

Andrew and Nick had a couple of golf lessons and played their first couple of rounds of golf.

We also spent some hours swimming in Emily Bay, a beautiful place to swim: and omega-shaped bay, with coral reefs across the entrance.  So no surf, gentle waves, and excellent snorkling to be done.  My (David’s) swimming improved greatly.  I swum further than I have ever done before: more tha 250m!  It may not be very far, but to me this is a triumph.