It's a beautiful tree. I've only seen them in botanic gardens and indoors. I've searched through several sites that might offer helpful tips or links and I find the most comprehensive page, and one that can help you be certain that you have a Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) or a Cook Pine (Araucaria columnaris) is this one:
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph27.htm This page includes information about how it should look (the peeling bark may be normal or if there is too much it may be a sign of distress). Read through it carefully and I hope you're able to come up with something helpful.
Looking at this photo, with a caption, I have to revise my guess and say that you have a Cook Pine:
Attachment:
File comment: This image is for identification and comes from http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph27.htm . The caption reads "Left: Cook pine (Araucaria columnaris). Right: Norfolk island pine (A. heterophylla). Photo taken in residential neighborhood west of Palomar College. Note Owens Peak (Palomar "P" Mountain) in the distance. It would be difficult to classify these as the same species."
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