Norfolk Island weekend getaway in Qantas Business Class on points

Norfolk Island sits about two and a half hours from Brisbane by air, and it is one of the few places an Australian can reach without a passport while still walking through an international terminal. As an external territory of Australia, the island is served by flights that are technically domestic but processed on the international side of the airport — complete with duty-free shopping and a dedicated immigration lane for Norfolk-bound passengers.

Cash fares to Norfolk are notoriously expensive, which makes the island one of the better-value Qantas Points redemptions from the east coast. Reward seat availability has also been strong, which is not something you can say about many international routes.

What the flights cost in points

Qantas prices Norfolk Island as a short international sector. From Brisbane or Sydney, a one-way seat in Business costs 27,600 Qantas Points plus $103 in fees and taxes. Melbourne departures route via Sydney and cost more points.

For two people travelling return out of Brisbane or Sydney, that comes to 110,400 Qantas Points and $410 in cash, against a paid Business Class fare of $5,472 for a couple on the weekend in question. From Melbourne, a couple would need 166,000 Qantas Points return. Mid-week travel sometimes turns up cheaper cash fares, so check both before committing the points.

Flying Qantas Business Class to Norfolk

An early-morning departure from Brisbane means a 5:30am check-in, but the international terminal makes the early start feel like the beginning of a proper overseas trip rather than a domestic hop.

Business Class passengers use the priority check-in queue and pass through the usual security screening. At customs, Norfolk Island travellers are directed into a separate lane, because no passport is required — an Australian driver's licence or comparable photo ID is enough. Duty free is open to you either way.

Business Class also brings access to the Qantas International Lounge in Brisbane, which is a genuinely useful inclusion before a dawn departure. There is a hot buffet breakfast, bar-style seating suited to eating rather than perching, and tea, coffee and juice for those not inclined to drink at that hour.

The aircraft is a Boeing 737, so this is domestic-style Business Class: recliner seats in a two-by-two layout, no lie-flat beds and no suites. On a 2.5-hour sector that matters far less than it would on a long-haul flight. The cabin holds 12 seats, and with a dedicated crew member looking after it, the service ratio is the real luxury. Our flight carried only seven passengers up front. Breakfast is a full tray service — an omelette with potatoes, mushrooms and bacon on one tray, a mushroom frittata with bacon and baked beans on the other, both finished with a pastry and yoghurt.

For anyone who has never flown at the front of the aircraft, this is a sensible introduction. The space and the service do most of the work; the absence of a flat bed is irrelevant over a flight this short.

Arriving: the paperwork quirk

You still complete an Australian Incoming Passenger Card before landing. Three things differ from the usual routine:

• Cross out references to Australia and write Norfolk Island in their place.
• If you are travelling on a driver's licence rather than a passport, you can enter the licence number where the passport number is requested.
• Australian citizens complete Section B, for visitors and temporary entrants, rather than Section C for returning residents.

Quarantine rules on arrival are broadly the same as entering Australia from overseas, so treat fresh produce accordingly.

Where to stay

Accommodation on Norfolk skews affordable rather than luxurious. Higher-end options exist but are limited and book out, so short-notice travellers should not count on availability. For a weekend that is rarely a problem: you will spend very little time indoors.

Self-contained houses are worth considering, and booking one through Airbnb via Qantas Hotels gave better quality for the money than the hotel-style alternatives. Ours sat near Puppy's Point on the western side, with ocean views, a fire pit for sunset and a verandah for breakfast. The road in was potholed and shared with cows and chickens, which is about as Norfolk as it gets. Book well ahead.

What to do

Hire a car. Unless you intend to spend the whole weekend on guided tours, independent transport is essential, and a small SUV copes best with the narrow, rough, potholed roads. The speed limit is low enough that you are never in a hurry. Wave at oncoming drivers; locals notice when you do not.

Some highlights from a short stay:

• Mount Pitt for a 360-degree view of the whole island, which is the quickest way to understand how much is packed into it.
• Kingston, the historic settlement where convicts and early settlers established themselves after Captain James Cook landed in 1774. The stone buildings and ruins overlook Slaughter Bay and Emily Bay.
• Slaughter and Emily Bay at low tide, where reefs shelter the shore and create large protected pools for swimming, snorkelling and rock-pooling. Glass-bottomed boat trips run here and can sell out several days ahead.
• The National Park and the 100 Acres walk down to Rocky Point, which has flora found nowhere else on the island and enormous Moreton Bay fig trees.
• Anson Bay, a secluded beach reached by a cliff path, and one of the better sunset spots.
• The Norfolk Island Golf Club, forgiving enough for all standards, with Pacific views that are the real draw. At the Kingston pier in mid-afternoon, returning fishing boats are filleted and sharks arrive for the offcuts.
• Cyclorama, a 360-degree painting of the island's history, which is worth an hour even if galleries are not usually your thing.

Eating and drinking

For a small island, the choice is good. Homestead is the name locals give first for an upmarket meal, and it books out — reserve before you travel. The progressive dinner, which moves between three private homes for entrée, main and dessert, also needs booking well in advance. Hilli Restaurant and Cafe is strong enough to visit more than once, with alfresco seating in courtyard gardens, and Bounty Bar and Grill suits meat eaters.

Casual options include the RSL, Leagues Club and Bowls Club for good value, and cafés for breakfast and lunch: The Orb, The Olive Café for coffee, Seriously Chocolate for savoury dishes as well as the obvious, and Enitaim Woodfire and Espresso in Burnt Pine. Friday-night pizza at Castaway sits alongside the Norfolk Island Brewery and its tasting paddles of local beer.

The best meal of the trip may be one you assemble yourself: charcuterie and cheese from a local supplier, a bottle from the liquor bond store near the information centre, and a free public barbecue area at Puppy's Point or Anson Bay in time for sunset over the Pacific.

Practical notes

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a passport to travel to Norfolk Island? No. Norfolk Island is an external territory of Australia, so Australian travellers need only photo identification, such as a driver's licence. Many people still carry a passport out of habit.

Why does the flight leave from the international terminal? Norfolk Island is processed separately from mainland domestic travel, so departures use international facilities, duty free included, with a passport-free lane at immigration.

How much does a Business Class reward seat cost? From Brisbane or Sydney it is 27,600 Qantas Points one way plus $103 in fees and taxes. From Melbourne it is 41,500 Qantas Points one way.

Is reward seat availability good? It has been notably better than on many other international routes from Australia, which is part of the destination's appeal to points collectors.

What aircraft operates the route? A Boeing 737 with a 12-seat Business cabin in a two-by-two layout. The seats recline rather than lie flat, which suits a sector of around two and a half hours.

Do I need to hire a car? If you want to explore independently, yes. Guided tours are popular, but a car is the only practical way to reach the walks, lookouts and western-side sunset spots on your own schedule.

This information is general in nature. It does not take your personal circumstances into account.