Louise Casha

My Personal Travel Experience

Visiting Lord Howe Island transforms you to another time and place. When we landed after our short 2-hour flight from Sydney, I am not sure if I was more taken by the breathtaking nature in plane view of the airport landing strip or the warm hospitality we were immediately greeted with. Just Paradise… Lord Howe Island’s slogan is not an exaggeration.

As soon as you touch down at Lord Howe’s airport you sense you are about to experience something special.

The lovely Andrea from Milky Way Holiday Accommodation was there to greet us at the airport for our complimentary transfer which seems to be a standard on the island. She graciously took us on a tour of the island on the way to the Milky Way, which is located at the Settlement Beach end of the island. Lord Howe instantly gave me Hawaii vibes in the sense that you relax immediately, and the lush green expanse of nature is stunning.

Rooms are presented beautifully and meticulously clean at the Milky Way.

Fresh flowers, fruits and breakfast supplies greet you when checking in at the Milky Way.

A well-equipped and tidy kitchenette is a great feature at the Milky Way.

Transport on the island is different! The only cars on the island appeared to be the accommodation transfers! Most people commute on bikes, a holiday novelty and an environmentally conscious initiative.   After watching Andrea wave to the rare oncoming driver as they approached, we came to realise that all the locals know each other on Lord Howe. Many of the families living on the island are descendants of the first families to move to the island. There is an evident rich and proud history of community within the fabric of Lord Howe.

My husband thought that I must have had a knock to the head as I did experience a personality change on the Island pretty much straight away! You see, I haven’t ridden a bike since I was 8, am afraid of expanses of water and my fitness level for hiking would be rated as well, pitiful! However, I embraced the nature and way of life on the Island immediately. We hired bikes along with the other 398 tourists at the time! I recommend booking ahead for bike hire as we had to wait a day for bikes to be available resulting in us exploring the Island via the one main road, Lagoon Rd from one end to the other by foot. Taxis are available for those who prefer to take an easier option.

The majority of the 400 tourists allowed on the island at a time get around by bicycle.

There is an abundance of water activities on offer. Sunset lagoon fishing tours, scuba diving, even a Galapagos Shark snorkel tour just to name a few. There is no short of land adventures for those willing either. For the most adventurous at heart Mount Gower, the highest mountain (875 m above sea level) on the subtropical island, can be trekked with Jack a 5^th generation islander, naturalist and photographer.

We kayaked to North Bay and I even hiked from Settlement’s Beach to the sublime Ned’s Beach. I have never been tempted to engage with nature like I sensed on Lord Howe Island. It was captivating and so so good for the soul.

Kayaking is a fun water activity that is doable for even those of us that are not used to exercising!

The island is capped at 400 visitors at any one time. Consequently, dining on the island requires a bit of organisation. Reservations are required for most restaurants however the fresh produce is worth the little effort in planning ahead. Restaurants have landlines to book reservations which your accommodation will most likely help with. The Milky Way has a local phone that guests can use at any time.

On-demand technology isn’t a focus on the island. The Telstra phone boxes on street corners took me back to my childhood!

On our first night we enjoyed a delicious meal at the Anchorage Lord Howe, probably the most sophisticated dining experience in town. We also savoured the vibe and tasty wood-fired pizzas at the Brewery one evening. The Brewery does not require bookings for groups less than 6 however is the only establishment we visited that didn’t offer transport back to your hotel. We didn’t see that as a bad thing, savouring any chance to enjoy the relaxed walks home catching the spectacular sunsets from the numerous viewpoints on the island.

There are so many vantage points on Lord Howe for the gorgeous sunsets.

For those visitors who do not want to rely on the sometimes patchy free local or accommodation Wi-Fi, I suggest visiting the Museum shortly after arriving on the Island to get your data sorted. They have very reasonably priced plans and the proceeds go to funding the Museum which has a thoughtfully planned and informative history of the Island exhibited. I spent hours there reading the rich history and current environmental initiatives of the island and its community.

I truly recommend all Aussies add Lord Howe Island to their bucket list. Especially for Sydneysiders, to have a World Heritage Listed Island just 2 hours from home should not be taken for granted. Outstanding beauty is just one feature of this remarkable destination. Not only is it a nature-lovers playground, but it is also a place to reset and to dream of returning to.