The small British Aerospace jet taxis down the island's runway, and I'm already ripping open my airport purchase of rich Guernsey fudge. It's smooth and brown, the colour of those famous cows that provided the cream to make it. Delicious!

We take off, banking over the island. Guernsey lies below us striped by greenhouses glittering in the late afternoon sun. From the small window we can see almost all of the triangular island laid out neatly below before we turn north heading for Heathrow, 40 minutes away.

Guernsey, one of several Channel Islands, is an ancient island believed to have been inhabited for 6000 years. Fought over in tug-of-wars between France and England for several centuries, today it is officially part of the UK. Even so, many residents still bear French names and speak the language, sign of their heritage and proximity to France which is closer than England. My own great-great grandmother had a French name and it was because of her I decided to visit Guernsey. 

Mary Ann Mauger was just twenty when she left her family and sailed alone from the sheltered harbour of St Peter Port, Guernsey's capital, bound for Port Phillip, Australia. Over 140 years later, I return with my family to meet the island that had bred such courage and determination.

What I found was a magic blend of history and cosmopolitan style. Duty free stores jostle shops selling thick handcrafted woollen guernseys, as worn by fishermen of the island for decades. The pattern incorporates ladders and ropes, tools of trade at sea. 

On the cliff tops, large mansions keep watch over bays that once harboured smugglers and pirates - in fact many were financed by privateering. Victor Hugo lived here for l5 years and Renoir visited and painted in l883.

These islands, of which Guernsey is the second largest, are a forgotten corner of the UK. Before leaving for London we were frustrated by the lack of information available from travel agents and it was difficult even to find details of fares and prices. On return to Australia, I found people smiling politely and saying "Where?" when I included Guernsey in our list of places visited. The next question, inevitably, was: "Why?"

Why indeed? Does a tax haven interest you with investment advantages?   Or ruins stretching back to prehistory? Craft? VAT-free shopping? Eating places with French menus written in English?   Rugged coastal scenery best viewed from hiking trails along steep cliff paths? Guernsey's mild climate is perfect for gardening, so how about flower gardens, hothouses and nurseries that fly fresh flowers to Britain daily, supplying florists' shops all over the country?

You can take the time to visit the other eight Channel Islands but for those with a tight schedule, Guernsey provides all you need. There is night life and both inexpensive and glamorous places to stay. When you eat, there probably is nothing better for a picnic than to call in at the French Halles behind the town church.

Here you will find a profusion of fruit and vegetable stalls, charcuteries, delicatessens and bakeries. Be sure to stock up on Guernsey tomatoes, some of the best in the world, and thick Guernsey cream to pour over local strawberries. Some bakeries also sell Guernsey 'gache' a rich fruity bread. I was able to find some and hoarded it for several days after returning to London, teaming it with rich cheddar cheese also bought on the island.

For a quick orientation tour, take a round-island trip on a double-decker bus with an open top deck. This trip takes you firstly north along the beaches where squat round Martello towers, originally built during the Napoleonic wars, pop up at regular intervals.

Turning inland you pass through villages and gardens that look as if they have washed up alternatively from either Kent or Calais. Whitewashed walls or natural stone are most common and many cottages have gravelled yards bordered by brilliant flower beds instead of lawns. Towards the south of the island you can stop off near the airport to see the German Underground hospital and museum, unique and interesting reminders of the Occupation by German troops during the Second World War.

Finally you return to the capital, steeply-built St Peter Port, scrambling up cliffs from the harbour. Stone steps link Le Quay with High St - the names of these two streets alone reflecting the marriage of French and English in the town where on one corner Lloyds Bank faces Le Riches stores across the road. Up the street Parfums de Paris, at a fraction of British prices (you can take back up to 60ml perfume or 250 ml toilet water tax free) are just along from Boot's Chemists. 'Bobbies' in British uniforms patrol the streets and they come as a surprise for all seems so peaceful, and locals are proud of the low crime rate.

If you don't want to walk, you may hire a car for a day but one town map carries these warnings: "Many roads in Guernsey are narrow lanes with high hedges or granite walls. You must be ready to meet cattle, horses, cyclists, pedestrians and other drivers who may be just as lost as you!" It goes on to caution that many intersections are not signposted - an aspect that certainly adds to the sense of adventure. The good news is that the island is only eight kilometres by ten kilometres and most residents speak English. So if you get yourself lost, there is a great possibility that you will soon find a friendly local who will happily put you on the right track again.

A fortnight or a few hours, a week or a weekend on Guernsey - it hardly matters as you can always go back, as the Channel Islands are a worthwhile detour for anyone visiting Britain, or even as a stepping stone on the way to France.

As the 'ping-ping' announces that we can unfasten our seatbelts, I sink my teeth into yet another piece of fudge, glad that all those years ago, great-great-grandma had made her lonely journey to a strange land. Because if she hadn't, of course I might never have had a reason to visit hers. It seems Grandma WAS right after all!

- Sally Hammond