19 Oct 2005

Pitcairn Island has a newly paved road taking visitors

4:54 pm on 19 October 2005

Pitcairn Island has a newly paved road to take visitors from the jetty at Bounty Bay to the settlement of Adamstown.

The five million NZ dollar road comes courtesy of the British Government which has jurisdiction over Pitcairn and is part of a push to attract tourists.

Pitcairn's Deputy Governor, Matthew Forbes, says the island's mutineer history is a big attraction for visitors.

"There are relics from the Bounty there, which is why we built the new museum to house those. It's also just a very unique place, not like anywhere else in the world. It's extremely remote and an interesting stamp to have in your passport."

Matthew Forbes, says the island is visited by up to 12 cruise ships a year.

Last year, a number of the island's leaders were convicted of the historical rapes of young girls on the island.