Tea Shire Drive

This is the lovely horse and carriage ride with PJ and his beautiful Shire horse “Gemma”.

During the past few years, a new tour has been available on Norfolk Island, it is named Tea Shire Drive. Many visitors to Norfolk Island have enjoyed an outing with Tea Shire Drive, owners PJ, Ash and family delight tourist with a Shire horse and carriage ride. The delightful outing takes you back in time when life was a slower pace. The Shire horse “Gemma” pulling the beautiful carriage along the Norfolk Island country roads, through the fig trees and the track leading into 100 Acres.

After the lovely morning outing, the group also enjoy a lovely morning tea back at the stables, with tasty treats and sweet wettles made from fresh local produce along with local Norfolk Island, Tea Shire Drive tea.

A year ago. in March 2023, PJ and Ash’s beautiful horse Lanka “Big Girl” died, which was so sad. Many will remember “Big Girl”, she was a wonderful horse, and many visitors and locals enjoyed the Tea Shire Drive rides with “Big Girl” pulling the carriage along the country roadway and into the 100 Acres Reserve. In December 2022 I took a few lovely photos of PJ and “Big Girl” and a happy group of tourists enjoying a lovely sunny outing at 100 Acres. I was also honoured to photograph the 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay as the QBR travelled around Norfolk Island Sports Clubs, during the relay we visited Tea Shire Drive horse stables, and I captured photos of PJ riding “Big Girl” proudly carrying the Commonwealth Games Baton.

Last year PJ and Ash started training the Shire horse named “Gemma” to wear the harnesses and to pull the carriage. “Gemma” had big shoes to fill, and during the following months she

has learnt the skills needed for the Tea Shire Drive. In September 2023, “Gemma” was out on her first tour. “Gemma” is a lovely Shire horse who is the mother of the younger horse at the Tea Shire Drive stables, the younger filly’s name is “Biscuit”. The love and care PJ and family give the horses, shows in their calm and beautiful nature of their Shire horses.

In January this year, I decided to book on the Tea Shire Drive, and my husband and I joined a couple of other visitors on a lovely warm sunny morning at PJ and Ash’s home and watched them harness up “Gemma” in preparation of the mornings adventure. The 1.5-hour journey along Captain Quintal Drive and into Headstone Road and down to the Morton Bay Fig Trees was at a relaxing pace, and it was a pleasure to enjoy the scenery as we clip-clopped along the country roads. We enjoyed a stop at the fig trees and took a few photographs, then back on the carriage and into the gentle track inside 100 Acres leading up to the grassy picnic area, admiring the lovely tall pine trees, which appeared to be reaching high to the blue skies above. There are many sea birds nesting in the park in the summer months and we enjoyed watching and listening to the birds.

The return journey was the same way as we entered, leaving 100 Acres through the gateway across from the Homestead Restaurant and them slowly back down through the Fig Trees, up the road to the intersection, where “Gemma” needed a hand, with a couple jumping off the carriage and giving a helping push up the steep turn, then back onboard as we rode back along Captain Quintal Drive to the stables at Tea Shire Drive.

“Gemma” was then unharnessed and given a hose down, which would have been refreshing, since it was a hot day and I enjoyed taking a few more photos of her and the lovely horse carriage which was now parked in the stable area.

During our morning’s outing, a delicious morning tea was prepared for us, with local fruits, grapes and melon and fresh baking, with trumpeter fish cakes, lovely savoury and sweet wettles. These were served on a pretty three-tier serving plates and we all enjoyed a selection of local Norfolk Island Tea Shire Drive Teas, from Berry, Masala Chai and other wonderful flavours. PJ and Ash also had horse themed jewellery and other gifts available, also with their beautiful range of teas, with eft-pos available for purchases.

Check out the internet link to see the variety of teas.

Shop | Tea Shire Drive

Thank you, PJ for the wonderful morning out with “Gemma” and taking the morning at a slower pace. I would recommend the Tea Shire Drive to any visitor, young or old.

If you would like to book a tour, check out the web page for more details or check out the Facebook page.

Horse & Carriage Tour | Tea Shire Drive | Norfolk Island

You can also give gift cards to treat a friend or family member

Gift Card | Tea Shire Drive

If you would like anymore information or have any questions please get in touch with us via the following:

​Email PJ Wilson: info@teashiredrive.com

Phone PJ on +672 3 55254

or +672 3 22024 and leave a message.

Or check out the website link above.

Here are a few photos I took during our January morning Tea Shire Drive with PJ and “Gemma” pulling the carriage, plus a couple of2022 photos of lovely “Big Girl”

Betty Matthews

16 February 2023