One of the best tours I’ve ever engaged in is the Progressive Dinner. Why I believe its so successful is that it combines two very successful interests for tourists. One, captures the curiosity that travellers experience with regard to how locals live in the community you are visiting. And the second is that by the very act of visiting islander’s homes, welcomed into their lounge rooms makes a successful attempt at capturing the hospitality that is extended to visitors. I don’t doubt that it must present some impost to the business of living, but then the Island’s major industry is tourism. Pacific Islanders are known to be welcoming and friendly and combined with the custom that food is offered to the visitor and every attention paid to their comfort, despite the prosperity of the occupants, they have captured the very essence of how the traveller will hold the location in their hearts. Asking questions about daily living for the residents seems to fill a curiosity that is always in the background in the tourist’s mind.
We are collected in the Pinetrees bus and driven around the township collecting further guests before the driver turns his wheel towards the first home we are visiting. We are advised that this evening’s tour is fully booked out and buses will be crossing over as they visit the various locations. Our first location is Sam and Tracey Christian’s home where we are offered starters and aperitifs. Sam is descendent from Fletcher Christian and the Pitcairn islander crew. It’s now known that Fletcher Christian didn’t survive long on Pitcairn Island, but his three children with his wife Maimiti were: Thursday October Christian, Charles Christian and Mary Ann Christian. All of his descendants are said to come from these three children. Tracey is also a local. Sam’s daughter is building her home beside their own and his mother lives adjacent to his home and her sister a little further down in the valley. When the mutineers’ descendants were first settled on Norfolk after their harrowing journey from Pitcairn island, each family was offered 50 acres of their own. I think that this way of living gives the feeling of tribe-type of co-existence and seems to inveigle a friendly bonhomie of family strength and presence and perhaps forms the basis and strength in this Island home.
We are collected in the Pinetrees bus and driven around the township collecting further guests before the driver turns his wheel towards the first home we are visiting. We are advised that this evening’s tour is fully booked out and buses will be crossing over as they visit the various locations. Our first location is Sam and Tracey Christian’s home where we are offered starters and aperitifs. Sam is descendent from Fletcher Christian and the Pitcairn islander crew. It’s now known that Fletcher Christian didn’t survive long on Pitcairn Island, but his three children with his wife Maimiti were: Thursday October Christian, Charles Christian and Mary Ann Christian. All of his descendants are said to come from these three children. Tracey is also a local. Sam’s daughter is building her home beside their own and his mother lives adjacent to his home and her sister a little further down in the valley. When the mutineers’ descendants were first settled on Norfolk after their harrowing journey from Pitcairn island, each family was offered 50 acres of their own. I think that this way of living gives the feeling of tribe-type of co-existence and seems to inveigle a friendly bonhomie of family strength and presence and perhaps forms the basis and strength in this Island home.
Sam and Tracey’s home has been built of Norfolk Island Pine and we sit in a large L-shaped barbecue/ pizza oven area with a pergoda for those who want to sit apart from the rest of us! We are welcomed by an elderly mixed-breed dog who saunters down the front path towards us. I always love to be greeted by a dog and believe it to be the ultimate PR of any venture. There is sherry and orange juice available and we are swamped with all kinds of hand made delicacies using island food like the local King fish. I heard someone says that Sam is a chef and judging by the deliciousness of these little tastes, I’d believe it. Eventually, we are rounded up to board the bus for our main meal location which is held at Dan and Trish Nobb’s home. The Nobbs can trace their heritage from the early establishment on Pitcairn island. Here we are located at long tables located on an L-shaped verandah which displays the stunning sea view and setting sun, below us.
We are entertained by Dan’s grand-daughter who does a little bit of Tahitian dancing and then we are served rice and curried chicken and vegetables. Wine is provided on the table. Dan speaks to us about his ancestors and reminds us of the 50 acres offered to each for the original eight mutineers’s families. The families we are visiting represent six and seventh generations from that first man and so many homes are built on 2 or 3 acres allotment as part of that original 50 acres. Dan has inherited his grandparents’ home and significantly renovated it. He speaks about how his favourite time of the day was after school when they came from school to visit his grandparents. He used to help his grandpa around the yard with feeding the chickens and picking up eggs and also milking the cow. Then grandma would feed them with a stew which was always cooking away on the stove. They would top it off with rice pudding and go home for dinner afterwards!
We are entertained by Dan’s grand-daughter who does a little bit of Tahitian dancing and then we are served rice and curried chicken and vegetables. Wine is provided on the table. Dan speaks to us about his ancestors and reminds us of the 50 acres offered to each for the original eight mutineers’s families. The families we are visiting represent six and seventh generations from that first man and so many homes are built on 2 or 3 acres allotment as part of that original 50 acres. Dan has inherited his grandparents’ home and significantly renovated it. He speaks about how his favourite time of the day was after school when they came from school to visit his grandparents. He used to help his grandpa around the yard with feeding the chickens and picking up eggs and also milking the cow. Then grandma would feed them with a stew which was always cooking away on the stove. They would top it off with rice pudding and go home for dinner afterwards!
Our third location is provided for us by Alison and Adam who are related to Fletcher Christian’s descendents through Fletcher’s Tahitian wife Maimiti. Like the other families, Alison lets us know that diagonally across from her home is her sister’s home. It’s her birthday today and as she is speaking with us, she is surprised by cousins from the Nobbses home who all hug her and wish her well. He dog Beau is excitedly greeting people. The islanders speak with each other in Norfok’n and so aspects of their words come out in the Old English segments of their language. We enjoy chocolate pie and cream and cups of tea and coffee are available too.
Our sleepy return to our central location comes around at about 9.00 p.m. and we sleepily trail our way back to our beds feeling full up with gratitude and happiness for the islander’s welcome to us.
Tonight we will participate in a similar extension of the island residents’ hospitality - the Fish Fry. Held on the cliffs overlooking the western side of the island, the magnificent sunset is caught through the pine trees. The fish fry is made up of the island’s fish in plentiful supply - the King Fish and is accompanied by a range of island dishes. We will be entertained by Tahitian dancers and then we will be served fish prepared in the traditional manner together with a range of seasonal island dishes including those passed down from our Polynesian fore-mothers.
Our sleepy return to our central location comes around at about 9.00 p.m. and we sleepily trail our way back to our beds feeling full up with gratitude and happiness for the islander’s welcome to us.
Tonight we will participate in a similar extension of the island residents’ hospitality - the Fish Fry. Held on the cliffs overlooking the western side of the island, the magnificent sunset is caught through the pine trees. The fish fry is made up of the island’s fish in plentiful supply - the King Fish and is accompanied by a range of island dishes. We will be entertained by Tahitian dancers and then we will be served fish prepared in the traditional manner together with a range of seasonal island dishes including those passed down from our Polynesian fore-mothers.