The Coolidge examiner., 1937-02-25

ors are not only restricted as to
numbers, but as to the time of their
visit and the length of their stay.
twenty-five days after leaving her
passengers at Lord Howe, the boat
returns from the islands to the north
and picks up those who are ready
to return to Sydney. Those who
are not ready must stay five weeks,
or some multiple thereof, before
they have another chance to return
to the mainland. Only at periods
when the steamer journeys just to
Norfolk island and back, instead of
making the full run to the New Heb
rides, can the visitor enjoy short
er sojourn on Lord Howe.
The scenic beauty of the island
and the fishing lure visitors, as do
the thrilling mountain climbing and
the enjoyment of sea and shore.
The lagoon is unsurpassed for bath
ing and the excitement o. surf bath
ing may be found on the beaches of
the eastern coast. The climbing of
| Mount Cover is arduous enough to
satisfy even seasoned mountain
eers; the ascent of Mount Lidgbird
is seldom made because of the real
danger involved Numerous walks
about the island and wandering
through the woods serve to unfold
| Of ch he
and flowers.
! Many islanders cultivate beauti-
fully foliaged plants and brilliant
flowers, and the gardens are worth
going far to see. Begonias grow to
enormous size and are often OF
extraordinary color. The palms are
everywhere, and there are numer-
Gus other trees, notably the Norfolk
island pine, which grows to large
size, and the banyan.
Plenty of Good Fishing
| Perhaps because of the coral
reefs, there is an extraordinary
abundance of fish about the island
and many of these are game fish
of fine quality. They may be cap
tured directly from the shore as
well as from boat, and both meth
DDS are in constant use to add va
riety to the sport.
Perhaps the most notable and ed.
ible of these fish is called salmon
but the flesh is pure white, and
neither it nor the fish itself recalls
the salmon of the Northern Hemi.
sphere. The Lord Howe variety
reaches a length of three feet, and,
once hooked, is a valiant fighter.
The labor and excitement of landing
one make a thrilling experience.
In addition to the salmon, the
waters of the island are noted foI
the beautiful bluefish which abounds
there. 1t grows to about four
pounds, is also good fighter, and
makes a splendid meal
An unusual feature of this ocean
fishing is the bait used-not fly, OF
a worm, or any artificial device, but
young bird Fortunately this
shearWater occurs in such numbers
that there seems to be little danger
of its being appreciably decreased
It is locally known as mutton bird u
AS it feeds far out at sea, it is
rarely seen except at a distance
in the late afternoon or very early
in the morning.
This bird nests on the heights o1
Lord Howe, particularly around the
summit of Mount Lidgbird, in in
credible numbers. 1t excavates bur
rows in the soil, in which the female
lays her single egg. After Matching
the young, the parents bring fish
to the burroW at the close of the
day. During the night The birds re
main in the burrows, but leave al
break of day to fish far out at sea
Transportation on the island is
chiefly on foot, for there are few
wheeled vehicles. One is the two
wheeled dump cart belonging to the
community; the others are home
made structures, simple platforms
mounted on two axles, each with
a 12-inch wheel at either end and
with boxes nailed on for seats. There
are also Sleds, with low but stout
runners, for freight and baggage
| nd VII
horses provide all necessary motive
power.
Social life on the island is simple
and pleasant. Hospitality and friend
illness are universal. If there are
c,iques or family quarrels, they are
we'll concealed. Honesty is SO uni
versal and expected that property
is seldom locked and theft is vir,
tually unknown. If there is another
place in the world where the inn
keeper says to his departing guest:
IF it isn't convenient to pay you,
account before leaving, you may
deposit it to my account in Sydney
next week." that spot isn't adver.
tised as it should be!
There is no problem of poverty;
every one has home and an in.
come. Some have finer homes than
others, but the difference rests more
on diversity in ambition and taste
than on opportunity.