In 1788, Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball (1756-1818) was given the dubious task of transporting the first group of convicts from Botany Bay in Australia to Norfolk Island. Thus, our journey begins in the land down under.
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BOTANY BAY CLIFFS |
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Sydney's Botany Bay, where Lieutenant James Cook had first landed 18 years previous to Ball's assignment, is now home to the Sydney Airport--so if you are flying to Australia and land in Sydney, you've arrived at our starting point by default. We suggest exploring Botany Bay National Park [AUS$7 for a car day-pass], featuring impressive sandstone cliffs and a variety of historical, cultural, and environmental sights.
Unfortunately, there is no practical way (unless you own a boat and can sail yourself) to follow exactly in Lieutenant Ball's footsteps. He went to Norfolk Island first, then stopped on 13 March 1788 at another, heretofore unknown island on the way back to Botany Bay. The island was obviously a sub-tropical paradise. Curious, he sent a party ashore to take a look around. It appeared to be completely uninhabited (and is now thought to have been completely unknown to the island peoples of the Pacific).
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LORD HOWE ISLAND |
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| NORFOLK ISLAND |
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The little paradise was named Lord Howe Island. Two of the island's most striking features, Mt. Lidgbird and Ball's Pyramid, were named after Lieutenant Ball himself.
We failed to find any direct line, either by sea or by air, linking Norfolk Island with Lord Howe Island. The only way to visit both, it appears, is to first fly to Kingston, capital of Norfolk Island, then fly back to Australia and return on a separate flight to Lord Howe Island. Though this sounds like a run-around, it's actually not too bad, considering flight times: Sydney to Norfolk Island [starting around US$500 on Norfolk Air] only takes 2.5 hours, and from Sydney to Lord Howe [starting around US$350 on Qantas], flight time is a mere 2 hours.
Kingston, where Ball would have spent most of his time on Norfolk Island, remains the capital of Norfolk Island, and the ruins of old Kingston are worth a visit while there. Outside the capital, hiking and biking trails fill the third of the island that makes up the various National Parks and reserves. Additionally, we suggest a sea kayaking excursion or two, as well as a few SCUBA dives. Accommodation can be had for most any budget.
The discovery of Lord Howe Island was the discovery of one of the great gems of the Pacific. AJ recommends kayaking the lagoon, SCUBA diving the island's myriad trenches, volcanic drop-offs, and caves, and a climb up Mt. Gower (day trip). Like Norfolk, accommodation at Lord Howe is available for all budgets, but make reservations well in advance--the island limits the number of visitors to just 400.
MORE FOOTSTEPS:
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GENGHIS KHAN
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THOR HEYERDAHL
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JUAN BAUTISTA DE ANZA
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LT. HENRY LIDGBIRD BALL
