Lord Howe Island holiday: how to plan around the cap

A Lord Howe Island holiday starts with a bed, not a plane ticket. The island limits the number of tourist beds, so only about 400 visitors can be there at any one time. Book your lodging first. Then buy your flights.

This guide covers the cap, how to get there, what to do and what to pack. It is plain planning advice, so check prices and timetables before you pay.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Lord Howe Island.

The 400 visitor cap

Lord Howe Island is a small island in the Tasman Sea, about 10 km long. It lies off the New South Wales coast and is run by the Lord Howe Island Board under the Lord Howe Island Act 1953. The Board caps tourist beds at 400. That keeps the island quiet and helps protect its forests and reef.

The island was added to the World Heritage List in 1982, so its forests and reef are valued far beyond Australia.

What the cap means for you:

• Beds can sell out, most of all in school holidays and in the warmer months.
• Some airfares carry change fees or cannot be refunded, so confirm your lodging before you buy a ticket.
• You will share beaches and tracks with very few people.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Lord Howe Island.

Getting there

You reach the island by air. In September 2006 QantasLink said it flew up to 11 return services a week from Sydney and two a week from Brisbane in peak season. It also announced a weekly Saturday service from Port Macquarie for the autumn of 2007, running from 17 February to 19 May. Timetables change, so check the current one.

The planes are small turboprops. In 2006 QantasLink announced a 36-seat Bombardier Dash 8 for the Port Macquarie route. Small planes mean tight baggage limits, so pack light and ask the airline for the exact allowance.

Buy travel insurance. Island weather can change, and flights can be delayed.

Sources for this section: TravelMole, QantasLink announces new service to Lord Howe (22 September 2006).

Walks and Mount Gower

Mount Gower, at 875 m, is the island's highest peak. The walk to the top is a long, hard day. One 2005 trip report describes a group leaving at 8:30 am and finishing around 4 pm. Ropes help on a steep section near the summit and along a narrow ledge on the lower track. A licensed guide is required, unless you live on the island. Book early.

If that sounds like too much, ask your lodge about easier walks. Short tracks around the settlement suit most people. Wear good shoes, bring a rain jacket and carry water.

Sources for this section: Hiking the World, Mount Gower, Lord Howe Island (27 June 2005).

Ned's Beach and the lagoon

Ned's Beach is the easiest outing on the island. Fish come close to the shore here, so it is a good spot to wade in and look. Ask locally before you feed any fish, because the wrong food can harm them.

The lagoon on the western side is shallow and sheltered. It has coral and calm water, so it suits snorkelling. The reef around the island is the southernmost coral reef in the world.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Lord Howe Island.

Getting around and what to pack

The settlement is small and the distances are short. Most visitors walk or ride bicycles, and there is no public transport. Ask your lodge how to stay in touch with family while you are away.

• Light bags, because of the baggage limit.
• Walking shoes, a rain jacket, a hat and sunscreen.
• Swimwear and a snorkel, unless your lodge supplies them.
• Travel insurance papers and cash in case a card machine is down.

Ask your lodge about meals, since choices on a small island are limited. Keep a respectful distance from wildlife.

Sources for this section: this guide draws on the sources listed below.

A simple planning order

1. Pick your dates and book a bed.
2. Confirm your flights.
3. Book a Mount Gower guide early if you want that walk.
4. Buy insurance and pack light.

Follow that order and the 400 visitor cap works in your favour. You get a quiet island that few people ever see.

Sources

1. TravelMole, QantasLink announces new service to Lord Howe: travelmole.com
2. Hiking the World, Mount Gower, Lord Howe Island: hikingtheworld.blog
3. Wikipedia, Lord Howe Island: en.wikipedia.org