Like no other

Many locations tout themselves as perfect getaways, but there can be few places on earth that offer more of a real get-away-from-it-all getaway than Flowerpot Lodge on Pitt Island. It’s far from the maddening crowds, it’s nestled in some truly stunning scenery, and your hosts - Brent and Bernie Mallinson - offer the perfect introduction to absolutely everything there is to see and do on this tiny island at the bottom of the world.

For a real get away from it all getaway, look no further than Flowerpot Lodge.

And there is good reason for Brent and Bernie to be so knowledgeable – Bernie is a descendant of one of the earliest European settlers to Pitt Island, and Brent first visited 20 years ago and has now lived there for nearly two decades.

Moriori had of course been on the Island prior to the Europeans’ arrival - they knew it as Rangiaotea, while Māori called it Rangiauria. The honour of giving the Island its English name fell to Captain Charles Johnston on HMS Cornwallis in May 1807, who dubbed it ‘Pitt’s Island’ after William Pitt, who would go on to be known as Pitt the Elder. Over time the title was shortened to Pitt.

Then, in 1843, the Englishman Frederick Hunt, together with his wife Mary, arrived and - so the story goes - bartered his red military jacket for a large chunk of the island from the local chief, Apitea. Hunt then set about clearing much of the island and, like any settler worth his salt, began growing and trading fruit and vegetables locally and with any passing whaling ships that visited the Island. A force to be reckoned with by many accounts, Hunt was also rumoured to not be averse to a little smuggling on the side, but it was his habit of robustly ignoring the taxman that landed him in trouble with Wellington. His response was to declare himself King of Pitt Island and therefore above and beyond the laws of Inland Revenue. He also built a jail to enforce his own law of the land, and when two of Hunt’s daughters married local men – James Langdale and Matthew Gregory – he agreed only on the condition that they assumed his name. They agreed, and around two-thirds of the islanders today can trace their lineage back to these pioneers, including Bernie, and Flowerpot Lodge now stands on the spot where Frederick Hunt first built his homestead. The jail is still there too, but is rarely used these days!

Flying into Pitt, which is about 20 kilometres to the southeast of Chatham Island, the Island looks deceptively small. In fact it has an area of 65 square kilometres - around 16,000 acres - so it would take a week or so to fully explore what the Island has to offer.

There is the intriguing history of this remote outpost of humanity to explore, from the earliest Moriori inhabitants to the hardy European settlers, but for many it is the stunning scenery and rare and unique flora and fauna of the Island that is the real drawcard. The Island sees only between 350-400 visitors a year, so you generally have the place to yourself to fulfil your ultimate Robinson Crusoe daydream, ponder the big questions or just forget your cares and woes and watch the waves roll by. Life here really is governed more by wind and tide rather than clocks and calendars.

“One of the most heard comments we receive from new arrivals is how different Pitt Island is,”

Brent says. “Generally, Pitt Island is steeper country and quite rugged compared to the main island, especially the southern end of Pitt. While a significant portion of the Island is now moderate rolling farmland, there is still around 4000 acres of native bush, much of it protected in the three DOC Scenic Reserves. All this provides the perfect backdrop for our tours and adventures. Guests are usually buzzing after landing on our tiny grass airstrip, as the views of Southern Chatham, the Outer Islands and Pitt, which you can’t really appreciate from land, are amazing.”

There are also around 20 endemic bird subspecies, about 50 odd endemic plants and trees, the rugged isolation, and the small piece of luxury at Flowerpot Bay Lodge that all adds up to a pretty impressive canvas. Add in some good old-fashioned homecooked local food, and it’s not difficult to ensure happy guests!

There’s all that and – wait for it! - at its highest and most eastern elevation, Mt Hakepa, Pitt Island is also the first populated location on earth to see the sunrise. Sorry Gisborne.