Norfolk Island Shopping

Shopping

As a result of the lack of many taxes and duties, Norfolk Island has acquired a reputation as a "shopper's paradise". The main (and only) street of Burnt Pine is lined on both sides with shops selling everything from clothes to toys to books, and shop assistants will always be forthcoming about exactly how much you stand to save over "mainland prices" (both Australian and New Zealand prices). A number of shops are described as "department stores", which can seem rather quaint to visitors from big cities, as these shops are often no larger than the others. The difference lies in the slightly wider range of merchandise available. One of the true delights of shopping on Norfolk Island is that in many shops you simply have no idea what will be for sale. On Sunday mornings, an open-air market is held in the carpark of the post office. Prices are comparable to those found in the shops, but some retailers choose only to sell at the market. Locally produced items are beginning to form a reasonable sector of Norfolk Island's retail market, with homemade preserves being a particular specialty. Additionally, the ubiquitous Norfolk Island Pine (not really a pine at all) is to be found in keyrings, magnets and other trinkets. Pine products are normally quite safe to import to Australia or New Zealand, but always make it known to the seller where you're intending to take the product you've just bought, since it never hurts to be sure. The distinctive Norfolk language is also the source of some retail value, with books being written on the structure and vocabulary, as well as audio CDs of songs written in Norfolk. Many books are shamelessly pitched at the wide-eyed (or wide-eared) tourist, but the work containing the most scholarship on the language itself is Speak Norfolk Today, by Alice Inez Buffett. There is also a wide range of fictional and non-fictional books on Norfolk and the South Pacific in general available at most shops. The island's bookshop is The Golden Orb, which contains a section devoted to Norfolk and South Pacific literature. Be aware that most shops are closed on Wednesday afternoons and also that those operated by Seventh Day Adventists are closed all day Saturday.