Full story
Lord Howe Island, the epitome of South Sea innocence, is the sort of place where people tend to obey rules. Theft is almost unheard of. There was no key to our hotel room and no lock for the bicycles (the main form of transport on the island).
Indeed, the island has only two road rules: bicycles must not exceed 25km/h and bike helmets to be worn at all times. Prepare for a culture shock of the best kind.
Lord Howe is the genuine item: a subtropical island of great beauty where people actually live and work, and have done since 1833 when three New Zealanders and their Maori wives stepped ashore here.
Officially part of New South Wales, Lord Howe is a place apart, with its own unique culture, colourful history and a very strong sense of identity. Because visitor numbers are strictly controlled, you never feel as though you are on a holiday island – just a beautiful refuge from the modern world.
The lack of tourist hoopla (there is no disco, pub or internet café; although you can get a drink at the golf club) is what makes Lord Howe such a remarkable destination.
A largely car-free island, just two hour’s flying time from Sydney, where there is always a deserted stretch of sand, a chilled glass of wine and delicious sunsets to gaze on sounds like the perfect place for a romantic interlude. And it is.
Accommodation ranges from older style family guesthouses, such at the popular Pinetrees lodge, to exclusive, five-star spa resorts led by Capella Lodge and Arajilla Retreat. Both are tailored to the needs of couples in search of pampering, excellent food and idyllic locations. Capella offers uninterrupted views of Mount Lidgbird, while Arajilla is nestled under a canopy of kentia palms and Banyan trees at the northern end of the island.
Walking, cycling, bird watching, snorkelling and scuba diving are the principal activities on the island. There are no gift shops, no coaches blocking the country lanes or bored people lolling around in “leisure wear” – although the island provides plenty of secluded beaches, even one called, appropriately, Lover’s Bay, where couples can enjoy perfect solitude.
Not that Lord Howe lacks things to do. One morning we got up early and climbed Mount Lidgbird, one of the two volcanic outcrops that dominate the island landscape. Our destination was Goat House Cave, a Cliffside shelter used by the 19th century kentia palm gatherers who were once the backbone of Lord Howe’s economy.
It was a tough climb - slippery, humid and precipitous – but well worth the effort. The cave affords a panoramic view of the whole island, and the sea ravaged cliffs of Boat Harbour and East Point.
Nearby we spied a masked white booby, one of the rarest birds on Lord Howe. At 500m or so the clouds seem to skim the island beneath our feet. During the two and a half hour walk we did not encounter a single person. Our only companion was the sound of the wind whistling through the trees.
The island is so compact – it is only 11kms long and 2.8kms wide – that you can ride from one end to other in less than an hour. One day we cycled to the other end of the island to explore the hillside where an RAAF Catalina crashed in 1948. The aircraft was apparently attempting an emergency landing on the lagoon, which it overshot. Seven men died in the accident. The wreckage, including wings, tailfin and engines, is still strewn over the paddock – exactly where the plane came to grief.
Like their New Zealand forebears, islanders are especially good at preserving their history. At the neatly mown barbecue area nearby there is a little plaque commemorating the Catalina disaster – one of many historic memorials on Lord Howe Island. The full story is told at the local museum, which is free and surprisingly good.
Locals are justifiably proud of Lord Howe’s 1982 inclusion on the World Heritage List. The island and the surrounding ocean are home to an astonishing number of plants, seabirds, fish and invertebrates. Some have called the place “a biological ark” because it shelters exotic seabirds on their long migratory flights across the Pacific.
The surrounding ocean is equally precious, home to giant clams, sea turtles, clownfish, lionfish and butterfly fish. The shallow lagoon on the western side of the island hosts the world’s most southerly coral reefs. No wonder that Lord Howe has, in recent times, become a magnet for scuba divers. The Pro Dive company operates regular diving trips to the nearby Admiralty Islands – diving at Balls Pyramid, a remarkable offshore volcanic outcrop, is now almost obligatory.
Lord Howe is unique in many ways, but most persuasively because it offers solitude, gentle physical activity and just the right amount of creature comforts. While the reef adventures, scenic flights and fishing charters are a strong lure; Lord Howe is also lifting its culinary profile and boasts a good range of restaurants such as Palm Sugar (for hearty-home cooked fare, excellent cakes and coffee), Pandanus (gourmet pizza, pasta and succulent lamb) and Capella Lodge (for local kingfish sashimi and piri piri king prawns).
Both Capella and Arajilla Retreat operate their own in-house spas and promote aromatherapy, reiki and yoga. The refurbished spa at Arajilla now specialises in ayurvedic therapies, based on the ancient Indian medical system. The spa is housed in a Mongolian Yurt under some giant Banyan trees. Facials, massage, and various body treatments are also available.
The Pacific is not short of island paradises. New Caledonia, the far-flung Marquesas in French Polynesia and tiny island of Niue all spring to mind. But Lord Howe offers a rare blend of tropical magic and laid-back Aussie culture, providing the authentic flavour of the Old Pacific and a genuine sense of calm. You’ll never want to leave, believe me.
Author: Mark Chipperfield for Tourism Australia. This article is copyright-free and may be reproduced.