Lord Howe Island NSW Holiday planner World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island NSW the last paradise less than two hours flight from sydney and Brisbane is nsW’s beautiful N AUSTRALIA Admiralty lord Howe island, a timeless natural Islets Lord paradise that will relax and revitalise Howe Island Roach you. explore reefs teeming with Island rainbow-coloured fish, relax on unspoilt 0 1km beaches, marvel at flora found nowhere APPROX. SCALE Mt Eliza KIM’S 147m LOOKOUT else on earth, or climb the soaring Malabar Hill 209m North mountains where magnificent seabirds Neds Beach Bay FISH FEEDING & SNORKELLING nest in their thousands. lord Howe SNORKELLING Old Settlement has a World Heritage listing, awarded Beach JETTY to only a handful of island groups, and SNORKELLING Lagoon Beach MUSEUM Middle Beach another rare quality – it’s a reminder Blackburn SNORKELLING & FISHING Island BOWLING of more innocent times when doors CLUB The Valley of Shadows weren’t locked, honesty boxes were CORAL REEF Transit Hill the rule and cars gave way to bicycles. AIRPORT The isn’t it time you discovered this island Lagoon Blinky Beach SURFING & FISHING paradise yourself? CALM WATER Lovers GOLF CLUB Mutton Bird Bay Island Intermediate cover: lord Howe island, r. ian lloyd Hill 250m Salmon opposite page Beach top: aerial view bottom left: The view from Mt Gower, Boat Jack shick Harbour bottom right: snorkel and dive with turtles, PRO diVe Mount Lidgbird 777m to Balls Tourism NSW is a division of Industry and Investment Pyramid an initiative of Tourism new south Wales on behalf of the nsW Government Whilst Tourism new south Wales makes every effort to ensure the information contained in this publication is true Mount and correct at the time of publication, some information may be incorrect or may have changed since publication. Gower all information contained in this publication is subject to change or update without notice. Before relying on any 875m information contained in this publication you are therefore advised to personally confirm all information prior to making any travel, holiday or other arrangements. Tourism new south Wales cannot guarantee and assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information. Copyright © Tourism new south Wales, 2008. This publication may include tourism products and service information supplied by third parties. inclusion in Base mapping copyright © explore australia publishing pty ltd, 2007 this publication is not an endorsement of the information or of the supplier of the information. every effort has been made to ensure that the details on this map were Care has been taken to ensure legitimate usage of any copyright material. Tourism new south Wales welcomes Gower accurate at the time of going to press. Tourism new south Wales can not any information from entities who believe their copyright may have been infringed by this publication. accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions. The representation on Island the map of any road is not necessarily evidence of public right of way. aBn 16 961 498 210 1011-0062 printed March 2011. 2 lord HoWe island nsW Contents 4 a carefree lifestyle 6 natural wonders 8 A marine playground 10 Exploring the island 13 A traveller’s guide to paradise 14 Tours, attractions and accommodation 19 Lord Howe island Travel agents lord HoWe island nsW 3 A carefree lifestyle Lord Howe islanders do things differently. Honesty boxes are still common, and bare feet are official school uniform. At any one time, you’re one Relax and unwind to the ‘CBd’ – the island’s main street, with its of only 400 visitors on Lord life on lord Howe island is relaxed and cafés, post office, hall, general store, banks, art, Howe, where the locals unhurried. There is no mobile phone reception craft and clothing shops. fiercely protect a lifestyle and the island’s motor vehicles are restricted dining out that consists largely of to 25 km/h. Bicycles are the main mode of Wherever you go on lord Howe, fresh fish will fishing, telling yarns and transport. There are no high-rise buildings and be on the menu – delicious kingfish, straight out ensuring that visitors leave no power or telephone lines to spoil the views. of the water, is a local favourite. dine simply on with a smile on their faces. it’s only 700 km north-east of sydney, but sushi and homemade bread, or enjoy five-star Whether your idea of rest lord Howe is a world away from the city hustle dining and savour dishes such as fresh pasta, and relaxation is a daily and bustle. However, the island has not left boutique-farmed meats and organic island round of golf or a luxurious modern comforts behind. on the contrary, lord greens at the island’s top restaurants. spa treatment, you’ll find Howe has woven the best of contemporary your own version of paradise Families can eat more casually at one of the life – good coffee, alfresco dining, spas – into on Lord Howe Island. island’s cafés, where aromatic coffee and its laid-back lifestyle. When you cook your own delicious pizzas and salads are served in an meal at one of the island’s many communal easy-going atmosphere. The island is also dotted barbecues in an idyllic setting, with the fire- with BBQ areas and picnic spots – sandy bays wood neatly stacked, you know the islanders and lush palm groves that are simply perfect. have their priorities right. and if you feel the need to pick up the pace, you can always head top left: Blackburn island, The lagoon, don Fuchs top right: Kayaking on The lagoon, Kerry lorimer bottom left: Getting around, island style, arajilla retreat bottom right: Blinky Beach opposite page top left: relax and unwind, arajilla retreat top right: Walk out on the reef to explore at low tide, ian Hutton bottom left: lord Howe island lagoon, Geoff Kelly/MPA bottom right: snorkel with hundreds of friendly fish in The lagoon, Geoff Kelly/MPA 4 lord HoWe island nsW A brief history attempting the first east–west solo flight from fun for everyone lord Howe island was discovered by lieutenant new Zealand to australia, across the Tasman In need of rejuvenation? You Henry lidgbird Ball, commander of the First sea, the legendary english flier and yachts- can choose from a range of spa Fleet ship Supply, in 1788. Ball named the man spent nine weeks on the island after his treatments that include massage, uninhabited island after British admiral richard plane, a Gypsy Moth, was damaged in a storm. exfoliation, body wraps and facials. Howe. Forty-five years later, three couples islanders helped him to rebuild the plane, even Play a round of golf at the Lord Howe arrived from new Zealand to establish the first though they had never seen one before. Island Golf Club where, for a modest settlement. over the next 50 years, the com- By the late 1940s, tourists were discovering fee, you can play unlimited rounds for a week. Where else can you tee off on munity grew slowly as lord Howe became a lord Howe’s charms by more conventional ‘World Heritage turf’? provision station for whaling ships. means – a flying-boat service. Catalinas flew Lord Howe may well be the perfect The kentia palm to the island from rose Bay in sydney, bringing thousands of tourists each year. holiday spot for families – safe, When the whaling industry collapsed in the endlessly fascinating and blessed with 1870s, the islanders began exporting the kentia The Catalinas were succeeded by the large enough activities to satisfy the most palm, valued as a popular ornamental pot plant sandringham flying boats. Today, regular flights energetic child. in europe and north america. from sydney and Brisbane mean a steady stream of visitors can enjoy an unforgettable The first tourists holiday on an island that is largely unchanged The most famous pre-World War ii ‘tourist’ since lieutenant Ball’s day. was sir Francis Chichester. in 1931, while lord HoWe island nsW 5 Natural wonders Lord Howe Island’s inclusion on the World Heritage List offered final proof, if any were needed, that this is a special place. Lord Howe is one of only Birdwatchers’ paradise retreated to the top of Mt Gower before an four island groups in the With 14 species of seabird breeding on the eradication campaign aimed at feral pigs and world possessing World island, lord Howe is australia’s premier cats enabled their re-introduction in the 1980s. Heritage status, thanks to its birdwatching destination. They come in their There are now about 300 woodhens on the “remarkable volcanic geology, hundreds of thousands – petrels, shearwaters, island – you’ll find them wandering through its exceptional range of tropic-birds, terns, noddys, and masked boobies, the forests, unconcerned by how narrowly they ecosystems, its rare collection the largest of lord Howe’s seabirds. Take the escaped extinction. of plants, birds and marine tracks and roads leading to nesting sites at life…and last, though by no Clear place, Muttonbird point, Malabar Hill and Unique flora and fauna means least, its exceptional Mt eliza as well as north Bay and neds Beach, lord Howe and its surrounding islands are the natural beauty”. And, of where you can observe these birds in their remnants of a large shield volcano that has course, all these wonders are natural habitat. Be sure to keep an eye out for been eroded by the sea over millions of years. on constant display. the red-tailed tropic-birds’ courting ritual as The differences in altitude and the range of they perform backward somersaults.