There are a few things you may want to know before travelling to Norfolk Island.

Location: Norfolk Island is a small (35 sq.km) island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of New South Wales and comes under their governance.

Population: Norfolk Island has approximately 1600 residents with the total population reaching up to 3600 in the peak tourist season.

Language: The predominant language on Norfolk is English, however you will hear many speak the local language, Norf’k, that mixes old Creole English and Tahitian. This language was spoken by the Pitcairner’s and is still in use today.

Some useful phrases include:

Wataweih? – Hello, How are you?
Ai gwen naawi – I’m going swimming
Thaenks f’ ucklun – Thanks for us
Dem es sweet wettles – That is sweet (delicious) food.

There are a number of Norf’k Language books and dictionaries available for purchase on Island should you wish to learn more. You will also find yourself picking up words and phrases as you hear the local tour guides speak it.

Weather: Weather on Norfolk is a sub-tropical climate and is tempered by the surrounding sea. The average rainfall is 1328mm. The temperatures are mild ranging from 24-28 degrees in summer and 17-21 degrees in winter. More details here.

Immigration: Norfolk Island is part of Australia and whilst Australian citizens do not need an Australian Passport to travel, we recommend taking one as all flights from Australia depart from the International airports. Non-Australian passport holders must hold valid re-entry Visa into Australia.

Flights depart regularly from all International airports in Australia these being from Brisbane & Sydney.Please check with your local Travel agent on flight schedules.

Quarantine Regulations: Norfolk Island has strict Quarantine Regulations as anywhere else in the world which prohibit the importation of fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, seeds and plants. Poultry and Pork are also prohibited from New Zealand.

Currency: The unit of exchange is the Australian Dollar. We have two banks which are the Commonwealth Bank and Westpac Bank, both situated in the Burnt Pine shopping district. Please note Commonwealth Bank is the only one with an ATM.

Transport: We easily recognize first time visitors to Norfolk Island when they say that they don’t need a car because they can just walk everywhere. The size of the island is very deceiving as there are almost 200km of roads, hardly any walking paths outside the town area and the landscape is far from flat. There is no public transport and only one taxi. If you don’t drive, we can help you to organize your holiday so you still get around and see lots of places.

Traffic Regulations: All animals including cows and geese have the right of way on the roads. Please note that cows do roam free on the roads so you have to be extra careful when driving especially at night as they are very hard to see. There are no traffic lights and only one roundabout. Speed limit is 40km/h in the town area, 30km/h near school and 50km/h everywhere else.

Time: Norfolk Island has its own Time Zone that is GMT +11:00 and does not have daylight savings.

Hospital: Norfolk Island has a 28 bed hospital which has extensive facilities including a dental clinic and two pharmacies for prescriptions. Emergency services are available on a 24 hour basis and if serious injury occurs evacuations are provided. IMPORTANT!!! Medical expenses are now covered under Australian Medicare however we do recommend that all visitors purchase travel insurance.

Mobile phones: Norfolk Island has its own GSM network that will work with your mobile if it is “unlocked” to any network. You can purchase a Norfolk Island SIM card from a variety of shops for around $20 depending which include $10 recharge.

Television Station: Our television station is broadcast from the Northern Territory,times are different and the TV shows are on a little bit later than usual. We receive Imparja (which is NBN in NSW), ABC, SBS, and Central 7 (Channel 7 in NSW). Norfolk Island also has its own TV channel.

Duty Free: Duty Free Allowance- you can bring 25 grams of tobacco in any form (cigarette, loose leaf, etc.), equivalent to approximately 25 cigarettes, plus an open packet, for each traveller 18 years or older. Alcohol limit is 2.25L. Spirits are 20-50% cheaper with cigarettes 50-60% cheaper than mainland prices. Visitors are allowed a once-only 30% discount off alcohol at the local liquor bond with their airline ticket with a maximum of three litres of spirits or liquors.