Despite its small appearance, Pitcairn Island’s land mass of 550 hectares, is such, you could easily lose yourself for a day without bumping into anyone.

With kilometres of roads, primarily for tourists and visitors information, there is signage at each major intersection. These give directions to major locations on the island, like The Highest Point, Ships Landing Point, Adamstown, Aute Valley, St Pauls, Tedside, Cemetery, Eco Trail and The Square. All good and well, but with no street names, no letter box numbers how do us locals identify and pinpoint a location?

For example, we may need to describe where a tree has fallen over a track, or specifically where you’re been or are going to. It may be where your quad bikes ran out of fuel or perhaps where a wild goat’s been spotted.

“Where was it that you last fished and caught a basket full in minutes?”

The answers easy, there are 114 place names identifying key coastal positions around the island. Ok, nothing is sign posted, but even a newbie will soon learn where they are.

So, let’s go for a walk.

From the Landing, BOUNTY BAY, we’ll follow the coast to the left and within metres you’ll get to… ‘Moi Pool’ then,

Red Allen
Stonepeoplefightfor
Buhi Pool
Blank Bank
Red Hole
Dog Head
Where Dick Fall
Turpin Head
Hot Water Pool
Sandy Pool
Man Pool
Big Pool
Scissors
Bitey Bitey
Funny Bubu
Minnie Off
Tom Off
Hogs Water
Fox Pool Reef
Lincoln Pool
Partave’s Cave
Tibbie
McCoy’s Drop
Tatinanny
Middle Place
Johnny Fall
Sandy Harbour
Flat Rocks
Lin Fall
Whitefish Pool
Martin Larsoo Fall
Black Back
Green Cave
Middle Place
Six Feet
WEST
Matts Rocks
Dan Fall
Rats Hole
Nellie Fall
Heronsdene
Tanema
West Harbour Isthmus
Garden
Ala
Frankie
Vibebea
Buffets Harbour
Cabin
Sandy Harbour
Minali Rock
Uhali Stone
Headache
Big Stone
Big George
Longstone
John Mills Harbour
SOUTH
Pulawana
Ginger Valley Stud
The Road
Oh Dear
Pali
Gudgeon Harbour
Inside Valley Stone
Outer Valley Stone
Ala
Down The Hole
Stud
Down Cask
Lemupool Merchant
Timiti’s Crack
Stud
Fred’s Hole
Cave
Minali
Howland Fall
Big Stone
Break Im Hip
Hand Rock
Bop Bop
Tibis Harbour
Moi Pool
Water Drop
Pipi
Dowley
Rope
Middle Place
Hilatotara
Ugly Name Side
Middle Place
EAST
Nancy Stone
St Pauls Point
Big Pool
Isaac Stone
Driver Hole
Fetiwi Stone
Middle Place
Oven
Glenny Harbour
Robert Fall
Pool of Uaru
Ala
Down the God
Freddie Fall
St Pauls Rock
Smooth Rocks
NORTH
Tall Point
Small Stone
Cabbage
Oldman Fishing Place
Bagananwy
Gun
Butts Pool
Flattie Heywood

And within a few more metres you’re back at the ‘Landing’, BOUNTY BAY.

So, if I said to you I went fishing and filled my basket within minutes at Moi Pool next to Water Drop, you now know exactly where I had been.

…Not that I’d give away a prime fishing spot!