Pitcairn Islands Sights

Sights

Sights The remains of the Bounty are in Bounty Bay. The ship was deliberately burned and sunk by the mutineers, and it's been well picked over by divers in the meantime, but there's still an allure to seeing (what little is left of) the vessel of the true tale that made "Captain Bligh" and "the Bounty" household names. The Bounty's anchor is on display in front of the Public Hall in the town square, where the library/post office building, and the Adventist church can also be found. The new museum in Adamstown contains artifacts from the Bounty (including Fletcher Christian's Bible), stamps, issues of National Geographic featuring the islands, and other items of local interest. One of the ship's four cannons is planned to be displayed here. The island's school lies up in the western "suburbs" of Adamstown. The grave of John Adams, the last surviving mutineer who first Christianized the community, the only one with a preserved grave. Fletcher Christian's cave, past the school and further up, is where the lead mutineer is said to have watched for approaching ships and/or hid from his ruthless fellow settlers when necessary. A Galapagos tortoise named Mrs Turpin was left on the island in the early 20th century, and now lives in Tedside on the northwest shore of the island. Taro Ground in the south of Pitcairn is the largest flat area on the island and site of the island's traditional link to the outside world: its ham radio station. Flatland is a smaller plateau at the upper extent of Adamstown, with a tennis court, volleyball, and picnic facilities. Garnet's Ridge, at 300m one of the highest parts of a tall island, offers great views to both the west and east. Highest Point is the... highest point on the island, at 337m. Down Rope, a cliff on the southeast edge of the island, has ancient Polynesian petroglyphs in its face and an isolated sandy beach at its base. Gudgeon is a sea-level cave on the southwest side of the island, which hides a sandy beach in a large, wide space carved by the waves. Activities If the ocean is calm enough, go swimming in St. Paul's Pool, a picturesque tidal pool nestled among the seaside rocks in eastern part of Pitcairn. (Swimming in the ocean itself generally isn't safe due to the rocky shoreline.) Sail yourself or perhaps travel with the locals to another of the islands. Oeno has sandy beaches suitable for swimming, Henderson offers rare opportunities for birdwatching and exploration of ancient caves (dwellings?), and both are good for snorkeling or scuba diving among coral reefs and a few shipwrecks. Ducie is over 300 miles away, out of range of the islanders' boats, and therefore rarely visited, but is also good for seeing rare birds. Every year on January 23, "Bounty Day" is celebrated with a huge community dinner and the burning of a model of the Bounty.