Pitcairn Island

        The Mutiny on the Bounty, Fletcher Christian, and Captain Bligh are all familiar to the vast majority of us, but how many know that the story is true? The mutiny occured in Tongan waters in 1789. Fletcher Christian, 18 Polynesians and eight mutineers sailed the Tongan waters looking for an island on which to hide from the British fleet that were bound to look for them. They found an uncharted island they called Pitcairn. They burned the HMS Bounty and sunk it in what is now known as Bounty Bay. 
            Today the Pitcairn Islands are the only remaining British positions in the Pacific and it is populated by about 50 decedents of Bounty’s mutineers. The people are wonderful, but the islands are almost inaccessible.  You can only stay on the island for a few hours because of problems with anchorage off the coast.
            An article in CDNN in 2001 stated that the British Government had given its go-ahead for the development of tourism, including two air strips and lodgings for tourists. The impact of such development on the island has been questioned. UNESCO has declared Henderson Island a World Heritage Site because of its bird and turtle populations. Any development will have to come after studying the impact of such development on the present human population, the flora and fauna, and the ecological stability of the Pitcairn area in general.
            As there are few ships traveling to Pitcairn at this time, it would be best for you to ask your local travel bureau for more information.