Bounty Day

Everyone who publishes blogs on Norfolk probably posts one about Bounty Day. Bounty Day is the celebration day which commemorates the historic arrival of the Pitcairners to Norfolk Island on 8th June 1856. The original families that arrived were apportioned land on the island by Queen Victorias government of the day. Many families still own land concentrated in their ancestors original allotment.

My daughter Ada is descended from all of the Bounty mutineers. Her grandmother was a Nobbs. Each year, since Ada has been able to walk, she has joined in the procession on Bounty Day. She marches with my wonderful friend, Suzanne (Evans) or with my sister in law, Rachel and her 2 children Ella and Brandon.

Our day begins with dressing up of the children and Rachel and the kids pick flowers for bouquets in the garden. Then we head to Kingston where the commemoration starts with the re-enactment of the boat landing at Kingston Pier, which is hard to see for the crowds of people around the pier on the day. The descendants then form a procession and walk to the cenotaph where they say prayers and sing for those who have fallen in the wars.

Then proceed to the cemetery where more hymns are sung and the children lay wreaths and flowers on the graves of their family members. It's a really beautiful and moving thing to observe.

Then most people make their way to Government House for cordial and cookies with the Administrator and his wife. Our kids usually just want to walk back to the car along the stone walls built by the convict settlement.

We're usually blessed with really nice weather on Bounty Day and for the sesquicentenary in 2006 there were whales breaching behind the procession at Kingston.

Once we're all walked out, we prepare a picnic. Again, our family breaks with tradition and we picnic at Emily Bay usually.

This year it was windy at the Bay and we had ours on the opposite side of the island, not far from our home on Red Road.

The stormy weather overnight and this morning gives me time to post another blog. My computer doesn't boot in wet weather usually, and seeing as its still running, I'll sneak another blog in.

I found this pic of local yoga instructor, Candida Langman, and thought it might be a good time to introduce some of our calm therapies.

Candida runs Strawberry Fields Yoga on Anson Bay Road. Her compact studio has a beautiful garden setting, and the entrance to the yoga studio is graced by a produce stall with fresh produce from her garden.

She specializes in power yoga. I call her the yoga olympics, although she offers beginner choices as well. Most of our other resident yoga teachers go to Candida's classes for their own training.

Candida has wonderful foresight, and also located on the property is a huge garden maze, seen here in this picture taken from the air. The maze is constructed from plantings of pohutakawa. The maze can be accessed from Mission Road at the Anson Bay Road end.



Candida can be contacted on mobile 50811 for enquiries about yoga. She occasionally runs yoga bootcamps and participants camp in the valley on the property, are fed organic vegetarian foods sourced from her garden or locally. The property also adjoins access roads to the national park and to Anson Bay. Candida has been a yoga inspiration on Norfolk Island.

A stormy sea at Anson Bay

Well the start of winter arrived with some beautiful warm sunny days, with overnight and morning dew, the only indication of the change of seasons. I think the kids will be enjoying a swim on Bounty Day on Tuesday, which is usually the last swimming we do until late August or early September.

When I say, "we", I don't mean all of Norfolk stops swimming. There are some diehards that stay in the water all year round. They are inspirational.

Some real excitement to report though, with my business, Therapeutic & Relaxation Massage, which is situated in my house at Cascade. I put a deposit down on Solar Power package which is such an achievement. I planned this house out of "The Natural House Building Book" over 15 years ago and never thought that I would ever be able to afford to solar power it. Those of you visitors and locals who have been there for massage will know that it is quite a different house. I'm a bit of an outdoorsey girl and like to think I'm outside when I'm inside. It's an eco-friendly house really, lots of natural light, fresh air, recycled building materials and green scapes visible.

The grid connect solar will mean I can add more relaxing features to the massage retreat. In the near future I hope to add a hot tub for outdoors and spa bath for indoors. It's so exciting, part of a dream come true. The images I have included with this post are all taken wintertime on Norfolk Island for an exhibition curated by Gallery Guava titled, "Winter Beach". Hope you like them, cheers