The Pitcairn Islands are a group of five islands in the south Pacific situated about 3500 miles from the coast of Chile in South .America, and 3,300 miles from the coast of New Zealand. The islands or volcanic atolls of Sandy, Oeno, Henderson, and Ducie are uninhabited. Although Henderson island due to it’s rich source of endemic plantlife, an unknown species of endemic gecko, and being the breeding ground of the Green Turtle,is a world heritage site.
Only the largest island, Pitcairn with a population of 50,is inhabited, populated from just nine families, and is the least populated juristriction in the world.
The islands are best known as being inhabited by the decendents of Fletcher Christian and his Bounty Mutineers, along with their Tahitian companions.
The island’s name comes from 15 year old mid shipman Robert Pitcairn, who was the first to sight the islands on board H.M.S Swallow on the 3rd of July 1767.
Commanded by captain Philip Carteret, he charted the islands at 25.2 degrees south and 133.21 degrees west of Greenwich, which although was an accurate latitude, the longtitude was out by about three degrees,making Pitcairn hard to find, as highlighted by Captain James Cook in his failure to find it in 1773.
This mistake was the reason Christian decided to settle on the island in 1790 after he found it to be incorrectly charted.They landed at Bounty Bay, burning their vessel, the former Captain William Bligh’s ‘Bounty’, which can still be seen today below the water.The anchor from the Bounty was recovered in 1957 and stands pride of place on the island’s town square.
The language spoken on Pitcairn is Pitkern, derived from 18th century English.
Their religion is 7th day advent Christian, also derived from the 18th century.
Education is free and compulsary from the age of 5 to 15.
Pitcairners have telephone for local and international calls, 2 English satellite T.V channels and satellite internet connection.There is no radio.
The British government is responsible for it’s defense, being as it is one of the 14 British overseas territories, and the head of their domocratic government is the Mayor of the island.
The official currency is the New Zealand dollar.
There is no air or sea port on the island and residents rely on long boat to ferry them ship to shore, from a small landing dock situated in a small harbour at Bounty Bay.
There is one 6.4 kilometre paved road,called ‘ the hill of difficulty’ from Bounty Bay to it’s capital Adamstown.
Named after the former able seaman John Adams, this small settlement houses a town square, courthouse, post office ,library, church and general store.
The store is supplied by ship from New Zealand, three times a year.
There is a resident pastor on the island who serves a two year term.
Beyond the settlement, near the landmark of ‘ Christian’s Cave’, is the school house,run by an education officer on a two year term from New Zealand, he or she is assisted by a resident Pitcairn language teacher.
In this area is also a school house, hostel, and the Island’s museum, which houses Polynesian artifacts and relics from the Bounty, salvaged from it’s wreck.
Pitcairn has one dedicated passenger/cargo ship, chartered by it’s government, the MV Claymore II, which sails from Pitcairn to Mangareva Island in the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia.
The islands have a summer temperature of between 20-30 degrees centigrade and a winter temperature of no less than 12 degrees centigrade, with an all year round humidity rate of between 60-100 %.
Pitcairn has a few isolated patches of endemic vegetation, hosting mainly the Tree Fern and Ailihow tree.It’s rocky coastline has a globally important seabird population of Petrels and Rail.
There is a small tourist industry on the island of Pitcairn with three types of accomodation, home-stay with a resident local , private 3 bedroom chalets and the island’s hostel.
Information about the Island’s tourism and accommadation can be obtained from the government of Pitcairn website.
It’s activities are Quad biking,fishing,snorkelling/scuba diving,bird watching and hiking.
To travel to Pitcairn one flies from Auckland in New Zealand to Tahiti,( five hours),another flight from Tahiti to Mangareva in the Gambier Islands( 2 1/2 hours), and on to Pitcairn by boat, (32 hours).
Time zone ( UTC + 8)
Internet TLD .pn
Telephone code +64.
Currency NZD.
© D.B.Bellamy.December.2009.
