Barrier Time

“You won’t find street lights, an ATM or a bank on the Barrier,” a local tells Los Angeles Times reporter Rosemary Macclure. “But we do have two stop signs.” They also have a place that seems a million milesfrom reality. The kind of place you might expect to see a castaway living on a powdery white beach in a shack built from driftwood. At 110 square miles, Great Barrier Island is the largest in the gulf. It was named by explorer Captain James Cook in 1769, and its history includes whaling, mining and logging. Today, its 1500 residents depend on sheep and dairy farming, besides tourism. During the peak summer season — underway now — visitors come to surf, mountain bike, swim, fish, kayak, explore the island’s hot springs and hike its lush tramping trails. Guests camp, or stay in cabins, holiday houses or lodges, many of which also serve meals. Life slows down; things don’t always happen on time — they happen in “Barrier time.” Friendliness comes with the territory, as does national pride.