Things to do & places to visit in Norfolk Island, Australia

At first glance, it’s hard to believe that vibrant Norfolk Island could have a dark past. Yet during the 19th century, the now-peaceful Australian retreat was a convict colony, home to criminals who’d been banished into exile. Today, the archaeological remains of the penal colony have UNESCO World Heritage status and are revered for their historical significance. You can visit the settlement’s remains, an eerie yet beautiful collection that includes a jail, a cemetery, lumbar yard and salt house.

Norfolk Island #9 destination in Australia 2023. The average rating score is 4.71 based on 7.288 traveler reviews, of 53 attractions. Timezone: Pacific/Norfolk, current date and time: Sunday, May 05, 2024, 7:30.

Top things to do (43)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Emily Bay (867 reviews)
- Lives up to the reputation as one of the best swimming and snorkelling locations in the world
Beaches

Visited Emily Bay over 5 days of a 9 day visit to Norfolk Island. Lives up to its reputation as one of the best beaches in the South Pacific. Despite it being quite windy in the township of Burnt Pine, always found the waters of Emily Bay to be calm due to its amazing protection from dual peninsulas and twin reefs that surround it. Incredibly safe beach to swim at. No sharks can enter it due to the reefs that surround it. Water is incredibly clear and calm which makes it a snorkeler’s paradise. Was a lot more coral and fish varieties than I had anticipated. The coral reefs have formed on limestone which make it very different in colour and coral types than I’ve experienced on the Great Barrier Reef, Mauritius or in Fiji. There are warnings though of potentially high bacteria rates in Emily Bay and Slaughter Bay after rain resulting from runoff from the convict built stormwater drains which should be considered when swimming or snorkelling. See more..
5.0 Fletcher's Mutiny Cyclorama (856 reviews)
- Don't Miss It
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks

This amazing 360° panoramic painting lets you discover how the world's most famous mutiny created the Norfolk Island community. See more..
5.0 St. Barnabas Chapel (694 reviews)
- Aussies Go To Church
Churches & Cathedrals

I love an old church and this one did not disappoint. The work that went into these old buildings never ceases to amaze me - especially when there's not a screw or nail used. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and very comical when requesting we make a small donation 'in the small box with the slot to the right hand side of the door'. Worth a donation to see beautiful old buildings like this looked after for many more generations to enjoy. You can come with a tour group or on your own - the doors are never locked. See more..
5.0 Norfolk Island Cemetery (522 reviews)
- A must do
Cemeteries

Everyone I know who has visited Norfolk said this is a must do and they were right. A very sobering place to visit when you see the ages on many of the tombstones and some of the stories. We went early in our visit, but in hindsight, it would probably be better to visit later in your time on Norfolk, once you've heard some of the stories & history of the island and the families. We didn't go on a tour and went looking for Colleen McCulloughs headstone, so in the process saw many of the family groups buried there. The old part of the cemetery is definitely interesting and it's even worth taking a step out onto the beach as Cemetery Bay in itself is a pretty spot. See more..
5.0 Kingston and Arthur's Vale Historic Area (305 reviews)
- Loved the History
Historic Sites

The museums in this area, in the well-preserved buildings of the second convict settlement on Norfolk Island, are absolute treasures. They house artifacts and records from Norfolk Island’s five settlements, the Polynesian settlement of maybe 1000 years ago, the two penal settlements, the Pitcairn islanders whose descendants still live in Norfolk and the Melanesian mission of the nineteenth century. It’s well worth buying a museum pass which includes two 9.30am tag-a-long tours with informative guides and allows unlimited entry to the museums to view the collections at leisure. The graveyard and the other buildings outside the museums are well worth exploring and the Research Centre has information on the early settlers on the island. See more..
5.0 Pitcairn Settlers Village (122 reviews)
- you have to do this tour
Historic Sites

one of the best tours i have been one.( especially after i didnt really want to go on it at first and glad i did ) right from the start Dinty captivated me into her storytelling and i was enjoying myself so much. she was so passionate, funny, knowledgeable, and so entertaining i could of listened to her all day. she answered any questions that were thrown at her. the tour was a great insight to the homestead and the drive in the old ford car was a highlight. i really dont know what i was expecting but i know this is different to what i thought this experience might be like and i wish all tours would be like this. so thankyou Dinty to making this a great tour one we will remember and because of the way you told the story one which we will remember most of what you explained to us. See more..
5.0 The Hilli Goat (92 reviews)
- Hilli goat farm and afternoon snacks
Spent 2-3 hours Farms

Visit our stunning cliff top property at Anson Bay to learn the history of the property & business. Pick our lunch from the edable garden learn about seasonal organic living. Meet the cheeky goats & watch the milking. See how the cheese is made and then sit down to a feast of homegrown & home cooked food, sample the delicious Hilli Goats Cheese and enjoy our beautiful sea views over a wine. See more..
5.0 Old Military Barracks (24 reviews)
- Historical building
Historic Sites

The Barracks is a fabulous Georgian building built by the convicts.Other buildings around the barracks contained kitchens, washhouses, privies, a military hospital, guard room, powder magazine and a well. It’s certainly worth exploring this area as it’s totally steeped in Australian history. See more..
5.0 Norfolk Bath & Body (23 reviews)
- Soaps galore and more
Speciality & Gift Shops

Norfolk Bath & Body is one of Norfolk Island's favourite retail stores. You will find locally made soap bars, cupcake soaps & cake slice soaps (we are famous for these)...plus we also stock an amazing range of luxury candles and body products sourced from all over the world. We are the duty free Australian & New Zealand Exclusive Agent for Marahlago Larimar jewellery from the Carribean. See more..
5.0 Culla & Co Horse & Carriage Tour (20 reviews)
- Fantastic !
Sightseeing Tours

I didn't know what to expect to be honest. Riding in a wooden cart for 2 hours pulled by a couple of cart horses didn't sound like the most exciting experience ever. But sitting up front with Culla as he encouraged his 2 big Cyledales (Sam and Bud) to pull a big cart along the winding roads of NI and enthralling us with his local knowledge, was a major treat. Others have said it was the best thing on NI. I think I agree. We also met Culla's Border Collie who is a marvelous character himself. Loved the way the cart got towed up the steep hills by the ute so as not to stress the horses. We had a lovely sunny day, so homemade sandwiches and photos on the cliff top were another highlight. See more..
5.0 The Ferny Lane Theatre (14 reviews)
- Movies
Spent 2-3 hours Theaters

Norfolk Island's community theatre offering movies on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as the historical play Trial of the Fifteen on Wednesday. Home of the Norfolk Island Theatre Festival in October every year. See more..
5.0 Flagstaff Hill (12 reviews)
- Beautiful walk
Lookouts

FLAGSTAFF HILL looks over Kingston and Palm Glen you may see the local parrot. Both good walks and amazing views See more..
5.0 Norfolk Island History and Genealogy (10 reviews)
- Excellent Twilight Tour
Ghost & Vampire Tours • Historical & Heritage Tours • Walking Tours

I booked Liz McCoy’s Twilight Tour through the local travel agent. You will meet Liz at the Kingston Pier at 8:00pm tour lasts about 2 hours. Liz has a great knowledge of the convict and local history. The walk through Kingston at night was a real experience and in my opinion is better than the daylight hours. The stars at night are spectacular which adds to visual scenery at night. Seeing the buildings and ruins under touch (lantern) light is definitely a must. No ghosts but some very interesting haunting stories and local history. See more..
5.0 Craig's Knitwear (3 reviews)
- The island where time stands still.
Sunday: Speciality & Gift Shops

Beautiful island where people don't lock their cars or houses, the speed limit is 50kmh, and WiFi is hard to come by. Life is very laid back, no formal clothes needed, and every corner you turn is like a postcard. You need to adjust to shops closing early, lack of grocery items and staff shortages in some places. But it is so worth the trip, highly recommended. See more..
5.0 Norfolk Island Natural Therapies Clinic (1 review)
- Fantastic Massage in a Beautiful Setting
Spas

Our clinic is located on Norfolk Island , a quick 1 and 1/2 hour flight from Auckland, New Zealand and only a short 2 and 1/2 hour flight from Sydney or Brisbane, Australia. An island rich in natural minerals, Norfolk has breathtaking landscape surrounded by fresh ocean air and is the perfect place to relax, recharge and revitalize. Let the quality of our services help you enhance your life on our island paradise in the South Pacific with fabulous accommodation, awesome organic fresh local produce and caring hosts. Allow yourself to escape the distractions of daily life, connect to the power within and focus on yourself in a powerful healing environment. At Norfolk Island Natural Therapies Clinic we uphold the belief that unprocessed organic food eaten in the right combination truly is the best medicine.The alkaline lifestyle program is the foundation of all of what the clinic provides. Norfolk Island Natural Therapies Clinic offers homeopathic treatments and massage therapy on Norfolk Island. We offer locals and visitors natural therapies with our homeopath Tony, who has over twenty years experience. The clinic also provides live in cleanse retreats to improve your health. We specialise in live in cleanses for individuals, couples, families and friends and have specific programs for people with a serious illness, personnel in the mining and heavy industries, corporate and trade business. Our live in cleanses can ran at any time of the year depending on your needs. If you seek a nurturing space to enhance your physical, emotional and spiritual health and create resilience and peace in your life ............we are here for YOU!!!! Please contact the clinic via email or our web address. GREAT HEALTH - YOUR CHOICE!!!!! See more..
4.5 Captain Cook's Monument (487 reviews)
- Great walks on Norfolk Island
Monuments & Statues

Spectacular views of the ocean. Clear sunny day no wind. Walked the Bridle track to the monument lookout . Steep , undulating walk, must have good shoes, knees, hips, heart. Not a long walk , I think about 3klms. Take a tour with Pine Trees Tours , they do an early morning walk & a BBQ breakfast at the end of the walk. See more..
4.5 Mount Pitt (418 reviews)
- Worth a Pitt-stop
Mountains

We drove to the lookout at Mt Pitt twice. First time it was foggy/cloudy and we couldn't see a thing. Second time on a clear day and views were crystal clear, just superb. While here it is worth taking the short walk to Mt Bates, the highest peak on NI and all of 1 metres higher than Mt Pitt See more..
4.5 Kingston Pier (294 reviews)
- Interesting
Piers & Boardwalks

An unassuming but significant feature of the island. Not only in it's history, but how it plays such a large role in the islands survival with the arrival of supplies etc. New barges arrived by ship during our visit and half the island turned our to watch them being brought ashore. No ship can actually come ashore so all supplies have to be offloaded out at sea and brought ashore to this jetty. The islanders have always used long boats to do this until the arrival of these new barges. We found ourselves drawn to going down each day to just see what was happening at the wharf. See more..
4.5 Norfolk Island Museum (278 reviews)
- Perfect for a rainy day (or sunny)
Sunday: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours History Museums

The Norfolk Island Museum reveals to you Norfolk's amazing and multi-layered stories. Famous for its colourful history, the island was first settled by Polynesians, then in 1788 by the British who later made it a convict hellhole. Since 1856 it has been home to the descendants of the Bounty mutineers. Located in a number of heritage buildings in Kingston, our museums and research centre help you explore our turbulent past as well as today's living culture. See more..
4.5 Puppy's Point (262 reviews)
- Loved the Fish Fry
Scenic Walking Areas

I took part in Pine Tree Tours Fish Fry in March of this year and have to say that it was a surprisingly good experience. I did not originally intend to take the tour as I am not very fond of fish, but as my Hotel's onsite restaurant (Garden Restaurant at the Paradise Hotel & Resort) that was advertised as being open "7-days" was often not, another guest and I decided to take the Fish Fry tour in an effort to be fed that night. The scenery and sunset were spectacular, as was the DELICIOUS fish! A large range of salads and traditional accompaniments completed the meal, as did the wonderful coconut pie for dessert. Nice easy-going entertainment was provided, together with an impressive hula performance by the Bounty Beauties. I would definitely recommend this tour. See more..
4.5 Norfolk Island National Park & Botanic Garden (220 reviews)
- Botanic Gardens a 'must do' if you are into nature
National Parks • Gardens

The NI Botanic Garden takes the form of a rainforest-gully garden, with boardwalks and quite a few stairs threading through. Some of the stairs are quite steep, so you may need to have a reasonable level of fitness to see the lot. But it is also worth persevering as it is a beautiful place, green and serene with only occasional birdsongs breaking the silence. Unfortunately didn't see any of the elusive (and very rare) Green Parrots that can apparently be found in the garden but a few friendly littleFantails greeted us along the track. It was so enjoyable and relaxing we came back for a second visit. See more..
4.5 Hundred Acres Reserve (183 reviews)
- Superb walk - but watch steep slope on return
Nature & Wildlife Areas

This is a small and beautiful coastal reserve, well worth a visit. (We liked it so much we visited twice). It features a walking track circuit of about 2 km and its entrance on the New Farm Road is very close to some majestic Moreton Bay figs with massive buttress roots. They're worth a look in themselves. There are more impressive Moreton Bay figs within in the reserve as well as towering NI pines and tree ferns, also reaching for the sky. The track touches the coastline where there are lovely views and lots of birdlife overhead including many Red-tailed Tropicbirds, In the forest we saw White Terns, Black Noddies, a family of feral chickens and a perky Fantail. The return part of the track is steep and could be slippery after rain. Luckily, it was not too bad when we walked but it would definitely pay to care on this section. See more..
4.5 Anson Bay (170 reviews)
- Beautiful Beach
Bodies of Water

One of my favourite Beaches in Norfolk Island. Very picturesque. Unfortunately it is quite difficult to access if you have mobility issues. A zig zag 15 minute walk will take you to the bottom but add a few extra minutes for the return back up. So much to take in along the way with the Norfolk Pines, Rock Faces and of course the beach itself. As a bonus we were the only ones on the beach when we visited. See more..
4.5 Advance Fishing (120 reviews)
- Great trip - a mountain of fish.
Fishing Charters & Tours

Great trip. Got very tired hauling in heaps of fish many of them double headers. The skipper was Luke - he was keen and well organised. His boat was very sea-worthy and being a large twin hull it was very stable. He was heavily booked and the weather was bad (tail end of a cyclone) for a lot of the time we were there but he fitted us in . We were the last trip for a few days as the swell and seas were going bad again. Sharks feeding back the wharf was impressive too. See more..
4.5 Norfolk Island Liqueurs (112 reviews)
- Generous and delicious
Spent 1-2 hours Speciality & Gift Shops • Points of Interest & Landmarks

Norfolk island liqueurs was not something we were prepared for but very happy we stumbled upon it. The styling of the bottle is appealing and the taste testing was well worth the time. The pricing of the big bottles were very reasonable and between our travelling party we are heading home fully stocked! Thank you See more..
4.5 Norfolk Island Visitor Information Centre (87 reviews)
- Norfolk Island experience
Sunday: 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM Spent < 1 hour Visitor Centers

The friendly staff can assist with all your holiday requirements, tour, accommodation, hire car and dinner bookings and all general enquiries. Help yourself to maps and brochures on what there is to see and do during your holiday on Norfolk Island. The Centre is open 7 days a week. (Aust 1800 214 603) (NZ 0800 667 365) See more..
4.5 Norfolk Island Golf Course (85 reviews)
- Tricky course, spectacular views
Golf Courses

Norfolk Island Golf Club offers a stunning 9 hole oceanside golf course along with a bar and restaurant facilities that are located within World Heritage listed building. See more..
4.5 Bounty Museum (83 reviews)
- Quirky museum which is definitely worth a visit
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours History Museums

Discover the amazing story of Norfolk Island in this quirky museum. The Bounty Folk Museum is a treasure chest of history, an Aladdins cave full of fantastic collections, excellent learning resources and inspiring information stretching back to 1788. The Bounty Folk Museum is the people's museum of Norfolk Island, situated on the corner of Queen Elizabeth Avenue and Middlegate Road, the museum is located in one of Norfolk Islands oldest shops built in 1918. As a civic museum for the island of Norfolk, the Bounty Folk Museum chronicles the history of the island and provides visitors with an intimate and informative glimpse into life on Norfolk Island during this time. See more..
4.5 The Local Art Gallery (66 reviews)
- Learning to paint
Spent 1-2 hours Art Galleries

A small art gallery offering original artworks as well as souvenir postcards and canvas prints. Ideal souvenirs of your wonderful trip to Norfolk Island. A special feature is the watercolour lessons offered, useful for beginners or accomplished artists. Personal lessons with just one or two people to give the best value for your investment. A great way to surprise your grandchildren. See more..
4.5 Gallery Guava (60 reviews)
- Excellent display of local art and craft
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Art Galleries

Norfolk Island art gallery Gallery Guava displays a selection of artworks by a number of local Norfolk Island and visiting artists. Original Paintings, Glassware, Ceramics, Prints, Jewellery, Cards, Norfolk Island Gifts and Souvenirs made on the island. See more..