Catalina Island, USA
Airing Date: Oct 24th, 2005
Catalina Island is one hour by ferry from the mainland and has only one town, no smog, no traffic and no road rage. Cars aren't welcome on the island and locals have a ten year waiting list to bring their cars over. Tourists get around on bicycles or golf carts.
Avalon is the sole town on the island. It's had a song named after it, Bryan Ferry's 'Avalon'. There's much on the island that is just a little bit different. There's a post office, but it doesn't deliver mail, the grocery store does that instead. There's a third street but no first or second. You can also visit the casino, although you can't actually gamble. The word casino means place of entertainment and that is what the 'casino' in Avalon was all about. Built in 1929, it was designed as a grand ballroom to entertain those on the island, including celebrities like John Wayne, Charlie Chaplin, Doris Day and Errol Flynn. The man who built the casino was William Wrigley Junior, as in Wrigley's Chewing Gum. While he lived in his mansion on the island he helped develop the town of Avalon. In 1919 he bought 99 per cent of the island. Wrigley died in 1932 but the Wrigley Family owned Catalina until 1975. Excluding Avalon, Wrigley Junior wanted the island to be untouched and today his wishes live on as 90 percent of the island remains as a nature reserve.
You can explore the island on a half day Jeep tour, you might even see some buffalo. In the 1920's 14 buffalo where shipped over to Catalina Island for a movie and they have been breeding ever since. The tour stops off for lunch at the Catalina Airport where you can sample a buffalo burger.
While there isn't a forest on the island, there is one under the sea. The gigantic kelp can grow up to 100 metre's tall, and you can see it on a semi-submersible tour.
Further information
Ferry to Catalina Island from $130 return. Half day Jeep tour from $110 a person. Rooms at Pavilion Lodge from $135 a night.
Catalina Island
Website: www.catalina.com
Air New Zealand to Los Angeles from $2329 ex Melbourne, $2332 ex Brisbane, $2345 ex Sydney, $2626 ex Adelaide, $2769 ex Perth. Prices include surcharges, fees & taxes. Conditions apply. Book by 30/10/05
Air New Zealand
Telephone: 13 24 76
Prices correct at 24/10/05
