Lord Howe Island

Lord Howe Island, Australia

A golden sunset glowing over the lagoon and Mount Gower on Lord Howe Island.

Go for a small, slow island with a lagoon, forested peaks and birdlife within easy reach, but book early and budget well.

The place

Lord Howe Island lies in the Tasman Sea, roughly between Australia and New Zealand, and belongs to the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a long, irregular crescent of volcanic land, narrow enough that the sea is never far from view. Most of the population lives in the north, on the flatter, low-lying ground, while the south is dominated by forested hills that rise steeply to Mount Gower, the island's highest point. Visitors tend to stay near the settlement and move around by bicycle, because the distances are short and the roads are quiet.

The western shore is the island's great draw. A sandy, semi-enclosed coral lagoon runs along the coast, sheltered from the open ocean by a reef, so the water is often calm enough for swimming and snorkelling while surf breaks beyond. Kayaking, reef walks and bird watching are part of the daily routine, and the sea is the main attraction on most days.

The land is just as striking. Pandanus and large banyan trees line the foreshore, and the whole island feels like one carefully kept garden, a point the island's museum makes clearly. Lookouts on the hill tracks give wide views over the lagoon, the reef and the peaks behind, and the cliffs that frame those views are unfenced, so walks need care.

Ball's Pyramid, a sheer volcanic stack, sits to the southeast and is uninhabited, a reminder of the island's volcanic origins. A cluster of uninhabited islets lies to the north. Life here moves to the pace of a small community and limited air and sea links, and that unhurried rhythm is much of the island's character.

Its story

The island was not settled by people before Europeans arrived. Archaeologists have searched for signs of earlier occupation and found none, which is unusual for a subtropical island of its size, and scholars still debate why Polynesian voyagers never made it a home. Whatever the reason, its plants and animals developed for a very long time without human interference, and that isolation shaped the island as it is today.

Its European history begins with a chance sighting. Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball, commanding the armed tender HMS Supply, was sailing from Botany Bay with convicts bound for a new penal settlement on Norfolk Island when his crew spotted land. The Supply was the oldest and smallest ship of the First Fleet, so the discovery came from a vessel never meant to explore.

On the return voyage Ball landed a party to claim the island for Britain. The men captured numerous turtles and tame birds and carried them back to Sydney. The island was named after Richard Howe, the first Earl Howe, and was once written as Lord Howe's Island before the modern spelling took hold.

Ball also noticed the rock stack that now bears his name during that same return voyage. Today the island's history is told in a small museum, with one room on the people and their story and another on the environment and the island's World Heritage status.

What to see

Culture

Lord Howe Island is a small, close community that depends on visitors without putting on a show for them. The island is a World Heritage area, and much of its character comes from keeping the forest, lagoon and birdlife undisturbed, so visitor behaviour matters more here than in most places. Residents know one another, and they expect a quiet, courteous manner in shops, on the roads and at the restaurants.

Daily life runs on a schedule set by flights and supply boats. Shops and restaurants have limited stock and set hours, and people plan ahead for everything from dinner to the lift home. Patience when a dish is off the menu or a bike is out of stock is part of fitting in.

The wildlife and the cliffs call for care. Stay on formed tracks, since the island's natural areas are sensitive, and remember that several lookouts are named after people who died there. Keep noise down in the evenings, because sound carries across the small settlement. Ask before photographing residents or their homes, and stay on the formed tracks around the forest and seabird areas.

What to wear

Lord Howe Island has no traditional costume of its own that the sources I drew on describe, so the story of its clothing is practical rather than ceremonial. People have long dressed for a warm, humid subtropical island: light cottons, shorts, and rubber sandals for the lagoon, with a jumper for cooler evenings. Any textile tradition belongs to the wider Australian heritage of the community rather than to a local craft.

What people wear now is relaxed. In the settlement you will see swimwear under shirts, bicycles ridden in sandals, and fleeces pulled over T-shirts after dark. Dress for dinner is casual at the island's restaurants, where a clean shirt and closed shoes are plenty. Nobody is expected to dress up, and overdressing draws more attention than it earns.

For a visit, pack for sun and wind. A broad-brimmed hat, sunglasses with UV protection, and a rash vest or long-sleeved shirt for snorkelling will cover most days. Sturdy closed shoes or trail runners suit the forested tracks and the steep, rooty climbs to the lookouts, where the ground can be slippery. Reef shoes protect your feet on the coral, and a light waterproof helps on exposed ridges, where the wind can be strong even when the lagoon is still.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. Summer, roughly December to February, has the best weather, with January and February the warmest months. April to May and October to November are milder than midsummer, while June to August is cooler and wetter. Check current conditions before booking, as flights and the sea are both weather dependent.

How long. 3–4

Getting there. Fly from Sydney, usually on QantasLink, which runs daily and more often in summer. Smaller twin-engine planes also serve Newcastle, Port Macquarie and the Gold Coast on some days. The flight takes roughly two hours and lands at a small airstrip with a notoriously tricky approach.

Budget. high

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources