5 reasons to love LORD HOWE ISLAND
Take a dive and explore a new side of Australia
Feel like an off-thebeaten track escape across the Ditch? Lord Howe Island is a natural beauty 780km north-east of Sydney and it’s a fresh way to experience Australia.
1 Laid- back living
Lord Howe Island is so easy-going the sole cop’s main job is to check that cyclists are wearing helmets, and many birds are so trusting you can walk right up to them. The mild climate is like spring all year. Even the sharks are relaxed! Traffic is almost non-existent and a 25km/h speed limit means seatbelts aren’t needed. But tourists don’t usually drive, they’re shuttled – a handy option for dining out, especially the Golf Club’s Sunset Bar – or they ride bikes or walk. With visitors capped at 400 (plus 350 residents), peace reigns. Accommodation, which is mostly tucked away in lush palm gardens, ranges from self-catered comfort, such as Lorhiti near Ned’s Beach, to all-inclusive luxe with quality dining and spa treatments like Arajilla, by Old Settlement Beach.
2 Eco paradise
Nature-lovers will relish the pristine environment.Twothirds of the island is a park preserve and the surrounding waters are a marine park. Guided walks and boat trips supply the eco-lowdown on the best spots. Keep an eye out for Lord Howe woodhens – they’re super-rare and seem to like the golf course. From May to September, visitors can join volunteer conservation programmes including species surveys, weed removal and bird monitoring; other options exist year-round.
3 Wondrous walks
A network of trails through palm and banyan forests lead to glorious Pacific views. Malabar Hill is just one highlight. The ultimate is the day-long guided hike up the highest peak, Mount Gower. It’s a strenuous but rewarding adventure for all ages – you’ll skirt a sheer cliff wall, haul yourself up short rock faces with ropes and drink from a pure mountain stream. The summit is magical – a mossy green forest opening on to an ocean panorama dwarfing the rest of Lord Howe below. And here’s a rare bushwalking bonus – the island has no snakes or dangerous creepy-crawlies!
4 Reef beyond belief
Welcome to the world’s most southern coral reef, 600km off Australia’s east coast but only a two-hour flight from Sydney or Brisbane. The snorkelling and scuba diving are sensational. Sheltered inside the lagoon and mere minutes by boat from the beach, Comet’s Hole and other sites teem with reef fish of all shapes and colours, along with vibrant corals, anemones, lobsters, octopus, huge stingrays and the occasional Galapagos shark.
5 Blissful beaches
Sleepy and scenic, the island’s 11 beaches are perfect for daydreaming over endless blue ocean, palms and pines, cloud-capped headlands and green wooded slopes. Barbecues are stacked with wood for free public use. For more active pursuits, Ned’s Beach has the best snorkelling, with coral just off the sand at low tide. To swim with green turtles, try Old Settlement Beach, their favourite hangout.