Navigating the narrow hedge-lined roads of Norfolk Island can be a tricky business. First, there's the distracting sight of a gentle signal from oncoming drivers — the ''Norfolk wave'', a gentle lifting of a finger from the wheel to acknowledge every other driver on the road.

Cows have right of way on the roads here, and it must be said that the state of the roads themselves sometimes leaves a bit to be desired. There are other quirks too: no traffic lights, few street lights and no house numbers. Oh, and you can safely leave your keys in the ignition while you go about your business.

These are just some of the many things that make Norfolk Island unique. Although it is part of Australia, you will need your passport for the flight and will leave from an international airport.

Unique language
One of the first things you'll notice when you meet the locals is that many of them have the same surname. It might be Christian, Buffett, Adams, Evans, McCoy, Nobbs, Quintal or Young — names so common that locals are identified, even in the phone book, by their unusual nicknames. Glance through the listings to find ''Diddles'', ''Lettuce Leaf'', ''Loppy'', ''Smudgie'' and ''Pinky'', among others.

The other thing you'll notice is their language, for Norfolk has its own, a lilting hybrid of Tahitian and Old English developed in the 18th century and now one of the world's rarest languages. In ''Norfolk'', locals will tell you, for instance, that this island is ''da bass side orn Earth'' (the best place on Earth).

Mutineer descendents
Their names and language have been passed down from their forebears, the famous Bounty mutineers. Descendents of the mutineers came to Norfolk with their Tahitian wives and children from Pitcairn Island, landing on June 8, 1856. Their descendents now make up about one third of the island's population of 1800 (the rest is around equal numbers of Australians and New Zealanders). Visit on June 8 — or Bounty Day — and you will be swept up in a public holiday on which the people of Norfolk Island celebrate the arrival of their ancestors, complete with re-enactments and everyone in period costume. A volcanic outcrop in the middle of the South Pacific, about 1500km east of Brisbane and 1600km north-east of Sydney, Norfolk Island is also known for its majestic Norfolk pine trees — no building on the island is taller than the trees — and cheap shopping.

Unlike the rest of Australia, there is no income, company, GST or sales tax on Norfolk Island, so retail prices in the 70 or so shops along the main shopping strip on Taylor Road at Burnt Pine can be anything up to 60 percent cheaper than those in Australia.

Dark history
But Norfolk's main attractions are the relics of the island's rich but dark history. Captain Cook claimed the remote and uninhabited island for Britain in 1774, and its first settlers were British convicts who arrived in 1788. From 1825, the island was used as a jail for up to 2000 British convicts, becoming infamous as a hell hole of harshness and brutality. It finally closed in 1855 and the convicts who survived were transported to Tasmania.

Many of the early convict buildings and ruins still stand in the Kingston and Arthur's Vale Historic Area, providing a fascinating insight into the island's history. There are several museums and a visit to the historic seaside cemetery is also worthwhile.

Local delights
Norfolk Island has no fast food chains (the nearest is 1000km away in New Zealand) and you shouldn't miss out on sampling traditional food. Visitors can sign up for a local ''fish fry'', to sample Tahitian-influenced dishes such as Pilhai (baked kumera), Mudda (banana dumplings), and Hihi Pie (made with periwinkles). These are usually held at Puppies Point, on Norfolk's west coast, where a spectacular sunset is almost guaranteed.

For such a quiet place, there's plenty to do. Norfolk's extensive coral reefs are ideal for diving, snorkelling and glass-bottom boat tours, and other activities include horse-riding, mountain biking, kayaking, motorcycle tours, fishing trips. Tours, many of them guided by Bounty descendents, are plentiful (and, of course, include ghost tours). Walking tracks criss-cross the island, with plenty of choices for the experienced and novice hiker. Guided walks are also available. When you leave, check out the invitation on your boarding pass. It needs little translation: ''yorle kam baek suun''.

Find out more: www.norfolkisland.nf

Norfolk Air flies direct to Norfolk Island from Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane and (from October 19, 2007) Melbourne: www.norfolkair.com