Pitcairn - Pitcairn

Pitcairn is a small, 4.5 km² group of islands in the South Pacific. A small colony lives here, whose ancestors, in addition to Polynesians, were partly mutineers of the famous Bounty. Pitcairn is now a British overseas territory.

Regions

The widely scattered Pitcairn Islands include the following islands:

• Main island Pitcairn (only inhabited island)
• Oeno Island with Sandy Island
• Henderson Island: The island is about 10 km long and 5 km wide. There are 10 endemic plant species and 4 endemic bird species on the uninhabited island. It has been a UNESCO natural heritage site since 1988.
• Atoll Ducie

background

On December 23, 1787, the ship HMS Bounty of the British Admiralty set sail with orders to bring cuttings of the breadfruit tree from Tahiti to the West Indies in the Caribbean. After a good five-month stay, the ship made its way back and made a stopover en route. After a major dispute between the lieutenant and the crew, a mutiny broke out at Tonga, the lieutenant and other crew members were abandoned on a launch and the crew set off on their own with the bounty.

While the lieutenant reached the Dutch port of Kupang, 5800 kilometers away on the island of Timor, with his barge after 41 days to warn the Admiralty, the mutineers landed with the bounty on the small atoll Tubuai with the aim of building a fortress there. After this failed due to fighting with the indigenous population, the mutineers returned to Tahiti. Fearing that they would soon be picked up and arrested by the Admiralty, the core of the group, along with some Polynesians from Tahiti, decided to leave and look for an island where they could hide, while other members of the team decided to to stay in Tahiti (where they were actually arrested).

The mutineers sailed purposefully to the island of Pitcairn. It had been sighted by a British ship 20 years earlier, but had never been entered; it was in the middle of the Pacific, far from any trade route, and due to the inaccuracy of the maps at the time, it seemed unlikely that the mutineers would be found there. On January 15, 1790, they actually reached the island of Pitcairn, ran aground, unloaded the entire cargo and then burned the ship to prevent an escape from the island.

The mutineers found traces of tools and statues on the island, which already indicated an earlier Polynesian culture on the island, but at the time of settlement the island was uninhabited and the Polynesian culture was already extinct. The existing flora (including coconut palms and breadfruit trees) seemed to allow a life on the island economically. However, life on the island was anything but easy and the cultural differences between the British mutineers and the Polynesians led to regular skirmishes. When two British warships docked at Pitcairn on December 17, 1814, only one of the mutineers was alive; all others were either forcibly killed or have become addicted to alcohol. The crew refrained from bringing him before a British maritime court, especially since as a Christian who was faithful to the Bible, he was now deeply rooted in the community.

Pitcairn was evacuated twice: once to Tahiti in 1831 and once to Norfolk Island in 1856. While their stay in Tahiti was short-lived, two thirds of the population decided to stay on Norfolk Island permanently, only one third returned to Pitcairn two years later. In 1887 Pitcairn officially became a British colony. In 1890, Pitcairn Island was converted from a Seventh-day Adventist missionary ship. All islanders were baptized and to this day the entire population belongs to this free church.

Pitcairn has always remained a secluded island, only between the world wars the island was more frequently visited due to the shipping traffic through the Panama Canal. After the Second World War, the ships gradually disappeared again. Lately the island has suffered from heavy migration; many young people hope for a better future in Australia, New Zealand or Great Britain.

Pitcairn is now the last British overseas territory in the Pacific and at the same time, with just under 50 inhabitants, the most sparsely populated self-governing territory on earth. Although cruise ships regularly moor in front of Pitcairn, visits to the island are quite rare. This is due to the small number of islanders who would be overwhelmed by such visits.

getting there

Since Pitcairn does not have an airport, the area can only be reached by ship. Of the -25.068672-130.096091 Landing stage you can get to the island's capital Adamstown on foot or by quad bike.

The government of the Pitcairn Islands has its own ship that runs Pitcairn with the island every three months on a weekly basis Mangareva (French Polynesia) connects. The departure times (usually Tuesdays) are coordinated with the weekly Air Tahiti flight from Tahiti to Mangareva. However, if you are traveling from further away, especially from German-speaking countries, you may have to spend several nights in Tahiti before you can continue your journey.

The price of 5,000 New Zealand dollars for the pure crossing is almost usury when you compare that with the prices charged for trips to similarly remote islands. If you have the option of renting a ship in French Polynesia, it will usually be much cheaper. The drive from Mangareva to Pitcairn takes two days.

No visa is required for a stay of up to 14 days, but you have to prove that you have international health insurance that covers the costs of any necessary repatriation. If you plan to stay longer, you have to apply for a visa online in advance.

mobility

Quads have established themselves as a means of transport on the island, not least because of the unpaved roads and the sometimes somewhat long distances. Of course, you can also explore the island on foot, but sturdy shoes are essential.

Tourist Attractions

• -25.066288-130.1004741  Pitcairn Island Museum, Adamstown PCRN 1ZZ. .The island's museum is still relatively young. Finds from the original Polynesian settlement and relics of the Bounty such as the ship's Bible are exhibited here.last change: not specified
• The Anchor of the bounty was lifted out of the sea and can be seen in front of the parish hall today. In the future, one of the ship's cannons, which was also lifted from the sea, is to be exhibited.

activities

shop

The island mainly sells souvenirs to tourists, including models of the bounty. Lately the island has also tried, more or less successfully, as a honey producer.

Pitcairn produces its own commemorative coins at irregular intervals, which are mainly of collector's value and are hardly suitable as a means of payment. The island's postage stamps are of philatelic interest.

kitchen

There is self-sufficiency, the local gastronomy is limited to a few cafes that only open once a week. The cuisine on Pitcairn consists mainly of fish products, everything else has to be imported from New Zealand and French Polynesia and is accordingly expensive.

nightlife

accommodation

It is best to book accommodation before arrival via the official tourism website. You have the choice of either being taken into a host family and eating and living together, or renting a self-catering holiday home. The prices are usually charged per day and not per night.

Learn

Work

There is no work on Pitcairn. Special staff that is needed on the island (such as doctors or technicians) is provided by New Zealand.

security

The island of Pitcairn has recently been rocked by an abuse scandal that made it into the national media. For this reason, underage children are now banned from entering the island, and the UK Home Office has also instructed its staff not to bring minors to the island.

Apart from that, the island is absolutely safe.

health

New Zealand sends a doctor to Pitcairn and there is also a small hospital for dental treatments and radiology. However, the island is not prepared for special medical emergencies and it can take weeks to get to a well-equipped hospital, so it is important to be in good physical condition.

Practical advice

Electricity is rationed on Pitcairn and is only provided a few hours a day.

There are no radio or television stations and no cellular network on Pitcairn. In some cases even amateur radio is widespread. Internet does exist, but there is only one 1 Mbit line for the entire island, so the whole thing is unsuitable for HD streaming.

A joke that is probably not meant to be taken seriously: the entire island is covered by Google Street View. If the cost of the crossing is too high for you, you can at least tour the island virtually.

trips

literature

Web links

• http://pitcairn.pn/ - Official website of Pitcairn Islands
• www.government.pn - official island site
• Pitcairn Island Tourism - official tourism website of the island (English)