Polynesian Fusion Festival January 2021

Thankfully travel has become far more streamlined since the first people to occupy Norfolk Island travelled here by canoe as part of the great Polynesian voyages.  From the first settlement around 800 years ago through to the current Pitcairn settlement with its Tahitian heritage from the wives of the Bounty mutineers, Polynesian culture has played an important role in Norfolk Island’s history.  Tahitian culture is evident in the music, food, arts and language of the Pitcairn Islander descendants.

Philip Gidley King wrote in his personal diary about the discovery of a canoe when he arrived on Norfolk Island in March 1788, along with the existence of the Polynesian rat, and banana, kumara, and harakeke or New Zealand flax plant which are not native to Norfolk Island.  More artefacts in the shape of adzes, hooks and jewellery have been found in the successive centuries by Norfolk’s inhabitants which has kept alive the romantic story of the intrepid Polynesian voyagers who bravely sought new lands in their ocean-going ‘vaka’.

Polynesia is the largest sub-region in the Pacific. Forming a triangle between New Zealand, Easter Island and Hawaii, the region encompasses nations such as Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands and Tahiti.  Natural migrators, travellers used the stars to navigate themselves from their east Asian roots many centuries ago.

Traditions bind Polynesian peoples together, from dancing to language, music and sea-faring skills. Effortless dance moves, despite varying styles, relate narratives through slow hand movements, and traditional music and singing both differentiates each nations identity, but also encapsulates the Polynesian spirit.

The Polynesian Fusion Festival seeks to celebrate this spirit.  A week of festivities will centre around dynamic performances from local and international entertainers, cultural exchange and a fun and engaging programme celebrating Polynesian Fusion.

The programme includes:

• Concerts encompassing performers from Norfolk Island, Pacific Islands & Aotearoa
• Gospel at the stunning St Barnabas
• Taste of Pacific Fusion Food - Hangi, Fish Fry, Tahitian, Vanuatuan, Fijian to name a few!
• Movies from Aotearoa & the Pacific
• Fashion Fusion
• Workshops – Traditional carving, weaving, language, cooking, ethnobotany (traditional use of plants), lei making, poi and haka sessions and Tahitian and Fijian Hula
• Polynesian Pathways Tour

Want to know more?  Click here for event details or contact Helen at Norfolk Island Travel Centre at helen@travelcentre.nf or on 1800 140 066.