On the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1982 because of its rare birds and plant life, and its coral reef in unpolluted and virtually untouched waters, LORD HOWE ISLAND is the ultimate destination for ecotourists. The island’s preservation was assured by Victorian-era descriptions of “this gem of the sea” when reports were brought back to the Australian mainland regarding the progress of the multiracial settlers who had arrived in the 1830s.
Even today only a tenth of the land has been cleared for cultivation or grazing, and two-thirds of the island is designated as Permanent Park Reserve. Only 11km long and just under 3km across at its widest point, the crescent-shaped subtropical island is covered with kentia palm plantations, which represent the island’s only industry other than tourism. With a population of just 280, only 400 visitors are allowed on the island at any one time; to enforce this limit, accommodation has to be booked in advance. There is only one short road and, although some locals have vehicles, people get around mainly by bicycle, boat or on foot.
As you fly in, you have a stunning view of the whole of the volcanic island: the towering summits of rainforest-clad Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird at the southern end, the narrow centre with its idyllic lagoon and a coral reef extending about six kilometres along the island’s west coast, and a group of tiny islets off the coast at the lower northern end of the island providing sanctuary for the prolific birdlife – the island’s 32 species make this a heaven for ornithologists.
One of the first things you notice about the island is how easy-going and laid-back the local people are: many prefer to go barefoot. The emphasis is on tranquillity and visitors are mostly couples and families – there are no rowdy nightclubs here. Though it’s expensive to get to the island, once here you’ll find that cruises, bike rental and eating out are all relatively affordable. The island’s climate is subtropical, with temperatures rising from an average low of 16°C to 19°C in winter, 26°C in the summer, and an annual rainfall of 1650mm. It’s cheaper to visit in the winter, though many places are closed and there’s usually a lot more rain and wind.
History
With the decline of whaling, economic salvation came in the form of the “thatch” palm, one of the four endemic species of the kentia palm. Up to this time used as roofing for the islanders’ homes, it now began to be exported to Europe and the USA as a decorative interior plant, which helped to boost the island’s economy. Then, in 1918 the kentia industry was devastated by the introduction of rats, which escaped onto the island from a ship. Tourism, though, was eventually to become the mainstay of the island. Lord Howe had been a popular stopover on the cruise-ship circuit before World War II, and after the war it began to be visited by holiday-makers from Sydney, who came by seaplane.
Today, rats still pose a hazard to the palms, but the kentia industry is nonetheless in resurgence, run by the Lord Howe Island Board under the auspices of the government of New South Wales, with profits going towards the preservation of the island’s unique ecosystem. Seeds are no longer exported but instead cultivated in the Lord Howe Island Board’s own nursery, which sells two-and-a-half million plants annually, mainly to Europe and North America. You can visit the nursery on guided walks with Ron’s Rambles or Jim’s Tours (book at Thompson’s General Store); they also grow seedlings here for regeneration around the island.
Ecology
Similarly, until the arrival of settlers, fifteen species of land birds (nine of which are now extinct) lived on the island, undisturbed by predators and coexisting with migrating seabirds, skinks, geckos, spiders, snails and the now-extinct giant horned turtle. However, in the eighteenth century Lord Howe became a port of call for ships en route to Norfolk Island, whose hungry crews eradicated the island’s stocks of white gallinule and white-throated pigeon. The small, plump and flightless woodhen managed to survive, protected on Mount Gower, and an intensive captive breeding programme in the early 1980s has more than doubled numbers of the species to 66. About one million seabirds – fourteen species – nest here annually: as well as being one of the few known breeding grounds of the providence petrel, the island also has the world’s largest colony of red-tailed tropic birds and is the most southerly breeding location of the sooty tern, the noddy tern and the masked booby.
The cold waters of the Tasman Sea, which surround Lord Howe, host the world’s southernmost coral reef, a tropical oddity which is sustained by the warm summer currents that sweep in from the Great Barrier Reef. There are about sixty varieties of brilliantly coloured and fantastically shaped coral, and the meeting of warm and cold currents means that a huge variety of both tropical and temperate fish can be spotted by snorkellers in the crystal-clear waters. Some of the most colourful species include the yellow moon wrasse and the yellow-and-black banner fish. Unique to Lord Howe is the doubleheader, with its bizarre, bulbous forehead and fat lips. Beyond the lagoon, the water becomes very deep, with particularly good diving in the seas around the Admiralty Islets, which have sheer underwater precipices and chasms. The diving season lasts from May to September.
The island Sights
From Ned’s Beach the walk to Malabar Hill (209m) gives access to one of the world’s largest nesting concentrations of red-tailed tropic birds, who between September and May make their homes in the crannies of the cliff face below, laying only one egg and looking after the chick for twelve weeks until it can fly. It’s fascinating to watch the white-and-red birds’ unusual and rather balletic backwards-dancing through the air. From here, you can head along the cliff edge to Kim’s Lookout (182m), which provides a good view of the settlement and the lagoon beaches and islets at this end of the island, and from where it’s just over a kilometre back to Old Settlement Beach (or you can continue on to North Beach and Mount Eliza). In the centre of the island there are other walks to take: from Middle Beach to the Clear Place; from Blinky Beach, the island’s main surfing spot, to Transit Hill (121m); and from near the airstrip to the summit of Intermediate Hill (250m); and two longer walks from the base of Intermediate Hill to Boat Harbour or to the base of Mount Lidgbird (777m).
The ultimate view, however, is at the southern end of the island, where the lofty summit of Mount Gower (875m) gives vistas over the whole island and out to sea towards Balls Pyramid (548m), a rocky outcrop 23km from Lord Howe. The mountain is high enough to have a true mist forest on its summit, with a profusion of ferns, and tree trunks and rocks covered in mosses. This very strenuous walk can be undertaken only with a licensed guide (Jack Shick tel 02/6563 2218; $25; bring your own lunch).
The track to the top was blazed by botanists in 1869, who took two days to get there, but they were rewarded with the discovery of a plant seen nowhere else on earth – the pumpkin tree, bearing fleshy orange flowers. You can see other rare endemic plants here, such as the island apple and the blue plum, as well as birds such as the providence petrel and the woodhen. On average, the return walk takes eight hours; it’s graded medium to hard and you’ll need to be fit and have a good pair of walking boots. It’s not for the faint-hearted: one section of the walk runs precariously along a narrow cliff face above the sea, and in parts the track is so steep that you must haul yourself up by ropes. To join the walk, you have to be at the Little Island gate on the south of the island by 7.30am. Transport is not provided; it takes about 25 minutes to cycle from the north end or you could call Wilson’s (tel 02/6563 2045) who might be able to provide a lift.
Another worthwhile stop is the Lord Howe Historical Museum, opposite Lagoon Beach on the corner of Middle Beach Road and Lagoon Road (daily 2–4pm; $4). As well as detailing the history of Lord Howe Island from its discovery to the present day, the museum also sells the useful World Heritage Map ($8), which has a guide, maps, details of walks and bird-watching information. Another good buy is the useful Ramblers Guide to Lord Howe Island ($6), which covers all the walks on the island in much greater detail. You’ll also find a post office (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, closed lunch 1–2pm), which acts as a Commonwealth Bank agent ($3 processing fee), a Westpac bank (Mon–Fri 10am–noon & 2–4pm) and a community hall-cum-summer cinema here. There’s another store, Joy’s Shop (daily 9am–6.30pm), on Middle Beach Road opposite Leanda Lei Apartments, which sells liquor and cigarettes, though the cheapest place to get alcohol is the Liquor Store, off Lagoon Road further east. The State Bank (Mon–Fri 10am–12.30pm & 2–4.30pm) is also located off Lagoon Road. The place where the locals shop is the Top Shop, tucked away on Skyline Street, off Mutton Bird Drive; here you can get fresh meat and vegetables, which are flown in daily from Port Macquarie. There are no ATMs on the island, so bring cash with you, although in emergencies some establishments, including Larrups clothes and beachwear shop and the Lagoon Café can give cash out on eftpos or credit cards to customers.
Getting There & Around
The island has only one road and relatively few cars. There are no streetlights so you’ll need to bring a torch with you, or buy one from Joy’s Shop, if you want to venture out at night. There’s no regular bus service, but lodge hosts and restaurants will often pick up and drop off customers. Otherwise, Wilson’s can do pick-ups and drop-offs. The most common ways to get around are by bicycle, boat or just plain walking. There are plenty of places to rent bikes but again the drawback is that they don’t have lights, so if you want to ride at night attach a torch. Leanda Lei Apartments (tel 02/6563 2195) rents out mountain bikes for $7.50 per day, $50 per week, but note that guests have preference. Otherwise, the main outlet is Wilson’s Bike Hire, opposite Lagoon Beach (tel 02/6563 2045; $3 per day plus $1 for helmets, minimum charge of $5 per day), but be warned that their bikes are basic, with no gears – and there are some steep hills on the island. Both Wilson’s and Leanda Lei also rent cars ($40–50 per day plus 20¢ per km).
Water-based activities
Islander Cruises can take you to North Bay, combining a snorkelling excursion around the 1965 wreck of the Favourite (where three-stripe butterfly fish have made their home) with bushwalks up to Old Gulch or up to the summit of Mount Eliza (tel 02/6563 2021; 10am–4pm; $25 including morning and afternoon tea, BYO lunch; no tour July & Aug).
There’s more stunning snorkelling at Sylphs Hole, off Old Settlement Beach, and on the east side of the island at Ned’s Beach, where snorkelling sets can be rented on an honesty-box system ($2 per hr, $4 half day, $6 full day, $30 per week; wetsuit $3 for 30min, $6 for 1hr). At 5pm every day Ned’s Beach is the site of a fish-feeding frenzy, when a local man throws fish scraps into the water, attracting a throng of big trevally and reef sharks. Stay here until dusk and you can observe muttonbirds en masse darkening the sky as they come home to roost. This experience can be a bit frightening, as they fly low through a forest of enormous banyan trees whose tangle of aerial roots descends to the ground.
Fishing trips can be arranged with Lulawai (tel 02/6563 2195; $50 half day), who guarantee you some fish, which the crew will prepare for you to barbecue later. If you’re interested in diving in the waters around Lord Howe, contact Howea Divers (tel & fax 02/6563 2290), a recommended outfit run by a local. As well as advanced dives and tuition, they offer novices the chance to dive either off boats or from the shore for $90. Pro-Dive also has an outlet on the island, with packages bookable through their Sydney central reservations (tel 02/9232 5733, fax 9232 5788).
Eating and drinking
The best restaurants on the island are Aunty Sue’s (tel 02/6563 2177; closed Mon), a relaxed place with tables outside on the deck and a lively atmosphere, where the menu features generous portions of traditional dishes such as quail and kingfish, and Williams at Trader Nick’s (tel 02/6563 2022) a casual fine dining venue with innovative local speciality dishes such as fruit and nut stuffed chicken breast. Shores Restaurant at the Blue Lagoon Lodge on Neds Beach Road (tel 02/6563 2043 or 6563 2020; closed Wed & Thurs) also has great contemporary Australian cuisine in an artistic setting.
For a typical island fish fry, Beachcomber (tel 02/6563 2032), is the place to come at 7pm on Wednesday or Sunday night; a buffet-style meal including a rather unusual marshmallow, coconut and mandarin salad costs $25.
There’s no pub on the island, but the closest thing to a bar is the Bowling Club where the locals hang out daily between 5pm and 8pm; for local swingers there’s a disco held here every Friday night (8.30pm–midnight).
Hotel Accommodation
| Area: | Name of Hotel/Resort | Rating | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lord Howe Island | Leanda Lei Apartments | MC | |
| Pine Trees Resort | MC | ||
| Trader Nicks Hotel | MC | ||
Maps
Lord Howe Island
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