Legendary Pitcairn Island
Quarterly Tourism
Newsletter
Home to the Descendants of the HMAV Bounty Mutineers
M ARCH - J UN E
INSIDE
THIS
ISSUE:
SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM &
PITCAIRN ISLAND
GREAT WALKS ON
PITCAIRN ISLAND
THE WORLD’S
LARGEST MARINE
RESERVE AROUND
PITCAIRN
2 0 1 5
The British Government will Establish the Largest
Marine Reserve in the World around the Pitcairn Islands.
The largest marine reserve
in the world is to be created
in the Pacific Ocean around
the Pitcairn Islands, the
Government has announced.
Conservationists and celebrities around the world welcomed the response to their
campaign for a marine protected area around Pitcairn,
as one of three ocean reserves in UK Overseas Territories to protect some of
the most biologically diverse waters on Earth.
MONITORING
MARINE
RESERVES
At 324,000 square miles
(834,000 square kilometres), the Pitcairn marine reserve, which is backed by the local community and Pitcairn Island Council, would offer protection to some of the most pristine waters and coral reefs on earth, campaigners said.
PITCAIRN HONEY
AVAILABLE ON-LINE
The protection of the area three and a half times the size of the UK will mean Britain has the two
largest marine reserves in the world, the second largest being the Chagos marine reserve created
around the British Indian Ocean Territory in 2010.
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A coalition of groups led by the RSPB, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Zoological Society of London, the Blue Marine Foundation, the Marine Conservation Society, Greenpeace UK and the National Geographic Society said the announcement was a "monumental step" for ocean protection.
The Government said it intended to proceed with the designation of a protected area around Pitcairn if agreement can be reached with charities over satellite monitoring of the reserve and with
authorities in relevant ports to prevent illegally-caught fish being landed.
A statement from the Pitcairn Island Council said: “The people of Pitcairn are extremely excited
about designation of the world's largest marine reserve in our vast and unspoiled waters of the Pitcairn Islands, including Ducie, Oeno and Henderson Islands.
"We are proud to have developed and led this effort in partnership with Pew and National Geographic to protect these spectacular waters we call home for generations to come."
Matt Rand, director of Global Ocean Legacy, a project by Pew and its partners to call for the establishment
of major marine parks around the world, said: "The United Kingdom is the caretaker of more than six million square kilometers (3.75 million square miles) of ocean - the fifth-largest marine area of any country.
"Through this designation, British citizens are playing a vital role in ensuring the health of our seas. The
Pitcairn Islands marine reserve will build a refuge of untouched ocean to protect and conserve a wealth of
marine life."
A Journey to Pitcairn Island
Just when I’d thought I’d seen it all… someone offers
me a journey to one of the world’s most isolated
communities. I’ve spent the past 14 years traversing
the globe collecting travel stories at over 65 countries
for newspapers and magazines. But what travel writer could pass up the opportunity to go where so few
have been before?
I’d first learnt of Pitcairn
Island as most others
have – through the
Mutiny On The Bounty.
I was intrigued from the
moment I heard the tale.
And then, years later, I
had my first brush with
Pitcairn Islanders when I
travelled to Mangareva
on a Tahiti Tourism
media trip. I watched the
supply ship come into
harbour, saw the
Pitcairners jump ashore, and I wondered what their island
was like, and how it must feel to live so isolated from the
world. I’ll confess… I stared as they got off, intrigued by
their lives, intrigued by their fortress in the middle of all
that sea.
by Craig Tansley
the chains. And then they appear - those Pitcairners,
chancing the might of the ocean in their longboat. We’re
passed like cargo onto the longboat’s deck, then scuttled
across the sea, waiting till the right time to enter the tiniest of South Pacific harbours.
When we make it to land, I can’t believe I’m here. Nor
can I believe just how small this island is – so far from
the world.
At first my intrigue
about the Bounty
mutineers demands my
full attention.
I probably drive my
hosts Kerry and
Heather mad with my
non-stop questions,
needless to say my
first stops are mutiny
hot-spots - Christian’s
Cave and John Adams’
grave.
But after a few days on Pitcairn I find my interest in the
mutineers is replaced by something else. I become far
more fascinated by the community here – this tiny group
of people living a life so sheltered from the world outside. And the beauty of the island soon demands my atAnd so three years later, I’ve returned to Mangareva; but tention, I explore every bay and every valley, desperate
this time my journey won’t end here, rather… it’s just
to see it all.
beginning. I step onboard the vessel that will get me
there, the Claymore, with fellow passengers who include It all only takes me a few days to feel at home here. I
the Governor and an American who’s coming to Pitcairn begin to understand who’s who, I wave at new friends
for the stamp in his passport (in all my travels I’d never
and I look forward to shop opening days when I’ll have
before met a member of the Golden Century Travellers
the chance to talk to everyone.
Club… to tell you the truth, I didn’t think it existed,
surely it was just fable?).
I’ve seen prettier islands, I’ve seen thicker jungles, I’ve
swum in safer… warmer waters… but I’ve never been
As we make it out from the safety of Mangareva’s
anywhere remotely like Pitcairn Island. Who has?
gigantic lagoon, the swells of the open ocean have us
heaving and rolling with each wave – with each roll the
Maybe I’ll see another 65 countries before I’m done, but
journey seems to grow in magnitude. I’ve long since got nothing I find will ever be anything like this place.
over the anticipation of destinations – but Pitcairn is
A tiny, pretty fortress in the middle of the Pacific Ocean
different, I could barely sleep at night wondering what
– nowhere on Earth feels quite so safe and cosy.
I’d find.
On the third morning, I wake before dawn, desperate for
that first glimpse. She’s tiny, a blip on the horizon. At
anchor, the Claymore pitches with the sea, straining at
Craig Tansley is a freelance travel writer based in Melbourne
Australia, who writes for many of Australia’s most prestigious newspapers and magazines – from the Australian Financial Review to the Sydney Morning Herald, International
Traveller.
FA ST O R LA ST TO
PITC AI R N I S LA N D
2015
JUST A FEW BERTHS
LEFT in 2015
Email: [email protected]
for up to date availability
May / June 2015
Depart Mangareva 26th May / Arrive Pitcairn 28th May.
Depart Pitcairn 31st May / Arrive Mangareva 2nd June
Depart Mangareva 2nd June/ Arrive Pitcairn 4th June
Depart Pitcairn 7th June / Arrive Mangareva 9th June
August / September 2015
Depart Mangareva 25th Aug / Arrive Pitcairn 27th Aug
Depart Pitcairn 30th Aug / Arrive Mangareva 1st Sept
Depart Mangareva 1st Sept / Arrive Pitcairn 3rd Sept
Depart Pitcairn 6th Sept / Arrive Mangareva 8th Sept
November/ /December 2015
Depart Mangareva 24th Nov. / Arrive Pitcairn 26th Nov
Depart Pitcairn 29th Nov / Arrive Mangareva 1st Dec
Depart Mangareva 1st Dec / Arrive Pitcairn 3rd Dec
Depart Pitcairn 6th Dec / Arrive Mangareva 8th Dec
DON’T MISS OUT.
CONTACT THE PITCAIRN ISLANDS
TOURISM DEPARTMENT NOW.
Email: [email protected]
WALK WITH ME TO ST PAUL’S POOL
By Melva Evans
Just a short walk past the island’s warehouse and some government equipment sheds, the road begins to climb. It zigs and zags
up Jim’s Ground to Hulianda, where one comes to a fork in the road. We take the road to Aute Valley, which almost immediately forks again, with the east fork leading to down St. Paul’s. This is a road less travelled and, although accessible by wheeled
traffic, is really a wide trail that also zigs and zags on the descent through dense stands of banana trees and pandanus palms,
winding along, just a few meters away from the cliff edge, until the trail opens up to an astonishing expanse of mostly barren red
dirt. Once populated by
dense stands of pandanus
palms that fell victim to
wild fires, conservation
efforts to mitigate and halt
soil erosion in the area have
met with limited success;
however, the starkness of
the landscape lends a beauty
all its own, with or without
plant growth. Mitigation
measures go on in spite of
the limited successes.
The trail continues through
this area, terminating at the
cliff above St. Paul’s Pool.
The pool is a natural wonder of nature, ringed by
great pinnacles of solid
stone, solidified lava and
softer sandstone boulders.
Filled with crystal clear sea
water, the pool is ideal for
swimming and snorkelling
on days when the outside
sea is calm. It is also a
choice location for fishing,
for those who have a bent to
lugging gear up and down
the cliff, for the deep, clear
water is a hospitable habitat
for several varieties of fish
and spiny lobster. Water in
the pool is constantly being
refreshed, either by intake
as waves spill over at the
south end or, through near
invisible cracks on the north
-east side of the pool, evidenced by bubbles that percolate up through the water when waves surge against that side of the pool. - On a cautionary note, the
out-flow current at the north end of the pool is swift and can be extremely dangerous. Swimmers who drift into this area may be
dragged out to sea between jagged boulders, and are strongly encouraged to avoid this area of the pool.
On days when sea conditions are wild, walkers are altogether advised to avoid going down to the pool at all. The reason will be
obvious, as nature puts on a most impressive display of power, sending huge waves crashing over the pinnacles on the south end
of the pool and creating a mass of white water that rapidly exits the pool at the north end. It is an unforgettable experience, leaving the observer in awe at the power of the sea.
We leave St. Paul’s Pool and retrace our steps back up the trail. There are destinations that are worth exploring both to the right
and left along the route, for there are artefacts from a previous civilization on the cliff face at Down the God to the north, and
Down Rope to the south. Accessibility to these destinations is difficult and risky, however; so we’ll consider going there some
other time.
Melva Evans is the On-island Services Coordinator for Pitcairn Island’s Tourism.
MONITORING MARINE RESERVES
AROUND THE WORLD
Many supporters the newly created Pitcairn Islands Marine reserve well know that the monitoring and enforcement of marine reserves can be challenging in remote parts of the world, where many of the last nearpristine waters are found.
To help meet this challenge, The Pew Charitable Trusts has partnered with Satellite Applications Catapult,
a U.K. government initiative created to help foster economic growth through the exploitation of space. Together, they have pioneered a system that enables government officials and other analysts to identify and
monitor unlawful activities in global waters, particularly illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing,
sometimes referred to as pirate fishing. This cutting-edge technology merges satellite tracking and imagery
data with other sources of information, such as fishing vessel databases and oceanographic data, to help
monitor seas across the globe.
The partnership builds on work by the Catapult to develop a system that can synthesize and automate analysis of multiple data sources in near real time to identify vessels acting suspiciously. The system then can
alert users so that they can investigate and take action. It is much more efficient than current processes and
drastically reduces the human power required to detect and analyse suspicious activities.
Pew has made this work a priority to help answer the question of how governments can protect large-scale
marine reserves. In response to growing needs, Pew has initiated a Virtual Watch Room—focused on marine reserves—that will be powered by the Catapult system.
The Virtual Watch Room for marine reserves is just one of the projects that Pew and the Catapult are
working on o develop technological and policy approaches to stop illegal fishing in the world’s oceans.
For further information, please visit:
virtualwatchroom.org pewtrusts.org/endillegalfishing
SIMPLY THE VERY BEST...
PITCAIRN
ISLAND
PURE HONEY
If you haven’t tried it yet you haven’t tasted the
most deliciously flavoured honey in the world.
The rich intense fruitiness of Pitcairn Island Honey flows from the
nectar of the Mango, Lata, Passion, Guava and Rose-apple
flowers found in abundance on Pitcairn.
YOU CAN PURCHASE PITCAIRN
HONEY AND OTHER PITCAIRN
HONEY PRODUCTS ON-LINE AT:
http://www.pitcairn.pn/shop/index.html
WE ARE
THE CUS
TODIAN
S OF THE
WORLD’S
LARGEST
MARINE
R
ESERVE !
THIS PHOTOGRAPH OF THE ENTIRE PITCAIRN ISLAND COMMUNITY AND THEIR FRIENDS AND
MARINE RESERVE SUPPORTERS WAS TAKEN IN SEPTEMBER 2014 AT BOUNTY BAY TO SIGNIFY THE END OF
A VISIT FROM PEW,
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AND THE LONDON ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
IN MARCH 2015, WITH JUST LITTLE HELP FROM PHOTOSHOP, THE ISLANDERS CAN NOW SAY IT LIKE IT IS !
PITCAIRN ISLANDERS
AT THE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM CONFERENCE IN TAHITI
Pitcairn representatives, cultural advisor and artist Meralda Warren
(left) and Pitcairn Islands Travel Coordinator Heather Menzies, joined
eight other overseas countries and territories (OCTs) in Tahiti at the
Integre Sustainable Tourism Conference from Feb 25th –27th.
Funded by the 10th European Development Fund (EDF), INTEGRE
aims at promoting the implementation of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) in its beneficiary European OCTs and in the Pacific
region generally.The project is led by French Polynesia and coordinated by a team of five from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community
with the participating overseas Territories being, French Polynesia,
New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna Island.
The Conference, attended by over 50 tourism specialists, is the second in a series of workshops for the
project partners, planned from 2013-2017. Pitcairn
Island will help strengthen ties between OCTs
through sharing the experiences gained during I
NTEGRE project implementation.
WHERE TO STAY ON PITCAIRN ISLAND…
When the People of Legendary
Pitcairn Island Open their Hearts and
Homes to Guests,
Sharing their History, Culture and
Language is all Part of the Process.
“Its the only way to experience what it’s really
like, living on one of the most remote islands in
the world. The local hospitality is wonderful. I’ve
travelled every where and rarely felt so at home I really didn’t want to leave.”
Pitcairn Island has 11 registered
Accommodation Providers offering guests
a range of home stay, semi private and private
accommodation. Guests can enjoy a full Pitcairn home stay experience, sharing all meals
and amenities in the home of a local family or
they can opt for a semi-private
chalet, or studio unit - with optional shared
meals, or an entirely private 2 or 3 bedroom
bungalow or chalet rental.
Accommodation rates range from
US$70.00 – $120.00 per person/per day, depending on
facilities and location and many hosts offer weekly and monthly rates for longer term visitors and
group bookings. Full home stay rates cover full board, all meals and laundry so it’s great value
for money!
Check out Pitcairn Island’s
Accommodation Page at:
www.visitpitcairn.pn
You can contact homestay hosts directly or let us know if
you need assistance.
[email protected]
-
2016 VOYAGES TO PITCAIRN
ISLAND - DON’T
MISS OUT !!!
Our scheduled voyages will enable you to
stay on Pitcairn Island for either 4 or 11
days. All voyages are timed to meet Air
Tahiti domestic flights between Tahiti and
Mangareva.
February / March 2016
T
U
DO
Depart Mangareva 24th Feb / Arrive Pitcairn 26th Feb
Depart Pitcairn 1st March / Arrive Mangareva 3rd March
Depart Mangareva 3rd March / Arrive Pitcairn 5th March
Depart Pitcairn 8th March / Arrive Mangareva 10th March
SOL
May / June 2016
Depart Mangareva 26th May / Arrive Pitcairn 28th May.
Depart Pitcairn 31st May / Arrive Mangareva 2nd June
Depart Mangareva 2nd June/ Arrive Pitcairn 4th June
Depart Pitcairn 7th June / Arrive Mangareva 9th June
August / September 2016
Depart Mangareva 25th Aug / Arrive Pitcairn 27th Aug
Depart Pitcairn 30th Aug / Arrive Mangareva 1st Sept
Depart Mangareva 1st Sept / Arrive Pitcairn 3rd Sept
Depart Pitcairn 6th Sept / Arrive Mangareva 8th Sept
November/ /December 2016
Depart Mangareva 24th Nov. / Arrive Pitcairn 26th Nov
Depart Pitcairn 29th Nov / Arrive Mangareva 1st Dec
Depart Mangareva 1st Dec / Arrive Pitcairn 3rd Dec
Depart Pitcairn 6th Dec / Arrive Mangareva 8th Dec
DON’T MISS OUT.
CONTACT THE PITCAIRN ISLANDS
TOURISM DEPARTMENT NOW.
Email: [email protected]