They come for that most elusive of holidays - a good time. The islands offer a variety of accommodation. Those unused to small islands need a warning. With just 750 people it remains a good idea to book ahead, and check by phone before coming. More than one visitor has stepped off the plane to find accommodation full, or the twenty kilometres from the airfield to the main settlement have no public transport.
Most attractions are now readily accessible.
The famous Moriori tree carvings are in fenced reserves, clearly marked. Such relics of the imprisonment of the Maori leader and prophet Te Kooti as remain, can be seen in the small island museum at Waitangi. In several bush reserves, the island s distinct flora, including the Chatham lily, is springing back. But the rarest of the birds, including the famous black robin, are still only on uninhabited off-shore islands to which access it forbidden. Reserves and monuments are new to the Chathams.