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Norfolk Island: Top 15 things to see and do & Why this paradise NEEDS to be your next Aussie holiday

Updated: Apr 28, 2021

If you're looking for an untouched off the beaten track 'overseas' adventure without leaving the Australian Borders, then Norfolk Island is the place for you. Experience dramatic cliff sides walking trails more beautiful than the Great Ocean Road, crystal clear and calm bays for swimming, rare biodiversity found nowhere else in the world, and history that is hard to believe didn't come straight from a movie. And the best part - you can experience all of this, almost all to yourself. Follow our guide to find out all the top things to see and do for planning your visit.

The ultimate guide to Norfolk Island: Top things to see and do in a week
The ultimate guide to Norfolk Island: Top things to see and do in a week

Things to know before you visit Norfolk Island:


First - The Epic Tale of Norfolk Island's History: (We PROMISE this is the best history lesson you'll ever learn):


If you want to appreciate Norfolk Island, you should know a little about its history first. Here's a quick summary of what you should know:

A dark convict history:

  • Norfolk Island is Australia's second oldest settlement after Botany Bay in Sydney, discovered by Captain Cook. It has a dark convict past, which you will learn about on your visit to one of Australia's best-preserved UNESCO world heritage convict sites.


Mutineers and Tahiatan wives:

  • Today many Norfolk Islanders descend from an epic tale of the mutiny on the Bounty in 1789, where lieutenant Fletcher Christian seized control of the HMS Bounty ship along with several other mutineers. The men offloaded the Captain and his men onto a small lifeboat and set sail to pick up their Tahitian wives before landing on Pitcairn Island. After years of evading capture, and expanding their settlement, they eventually outgrow the island and were granted by Queen Victoria the land of Norfolk Island to settle on. We loved seeing how proud the Norfolk Islanders were of their history and their traditions from both British and Polynesian influence. The island very much had a close community feel.


Getting to Norfolk Island within 2.5 hours from the Australian Mainland:

That's right, it's only 2.5 hours away from Brisbane or Sydney directly with Air New Zealand! What are you waiting for?



One of the beauties of Norfolk Island is how untouched it is, which is one of the most charming parts about it. The hotels on the island are small locally-run independent venues.

We stayed at the Seaview Hotel, which for 6 nights cost less than $1K. Here we enjoyed amazing ocean views from our room overlooking Phillip Island, breakfast included and a phone to use on the Island (as Australia sim cards don't work there, you'll need a local number).


While everywhere on the Island is no more than 15 minutes drive, we recommend staying around Burnt Pine area to be close to the restaurants and cafes.


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How long do you need on Norfolk Island:


We'd recommend between 4-7 days to see all of the highlights.

When to visit Norfolk Island:


We'd recommend coming in the summertime, as this is when the Seabirds return to the island for breeding which gives an incredible chance to see some birdlife which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Temperatures during summer tend not to reach above 27 degrees.

Norfolk Island Seabirds: Be sure to visit in the summer time for their breeding season
Norfolk Island Seabirds: Be sure to visit in the summer time for their breeding season

Planning your week on Norfolk Island - Top things to see and do:

1. Snorkel or swim in Emily Bay and Slaughter Bay: