This Island is undoubtedly Australia's hidden gem, with the untouched ecological wonderland being listed as a world heritage, here are 5 things to do in Lord Howe Island.
The Island will draw you in with its aqua waters, holding vibrant coral reefs bursting with marine life, there is ample opportunity for swimming, snorkelling and diving.
Out of the water, you will find land adorned with luscious green forests and surrounded by towering peaks, housing no more than 350 permanent residences and 400 visitors.
It could easily be one of the world's smallest islands, if it were a country of it's own. Unfortunately it's part of Australia, has it's own runway and quite a few tourists.
Visiting Lord Howe Island is a rare opportunity to see nature at its finest, untouched by civilisation, this ecological paradise begs to be explored, below are 5 things to do there.
5. Swim with turtles
Experience the idyllic Lorde Howe Island by getting up close and personal with some of its friendliest sea creatures, sea turtles.
Known for its majestic beaches and bright coral reefs, Lord Howe Island boasts crystal clear waters that make swimming with sea turtles all the more fun. From September to May, you'll find these friendly sea turtles wash up closer to shore as they follow the current to the island.
If you're lucky, you might spot all three varieties of the sea turtle from the Logger Head, Green and Hawksbill.
If you're looking for other ways to spot the sea turtles, head over to Old Settlement Beach, where they're usually grazing on the seagrass in the shallow waters.
4. Visit Ball's Pyramid
Located in the Pacific Ocean, Ball's Pyramid is one of the top must-sees when visiting Lord Howe Island. Ball's Pyramid is one of the remaining remnants of the sunken continent of Zealandia.
Ball's Pyramid is located a modest 23 km from Lord Howe Island and is home to a colony of stick insects called phasmids (Dryococelus australis).
These insects derive their common name from their stick-like appearance, which is similar to that of a walking stick.
These endemic phasmids were thought to be extinct for over 80 years until they were rediscovered in the early 2000s on Ball's Pyramid.
The phasmid are harmless, flightless and nocturnal insects and are today regarded as one of the rarest insects in the world.
3. Visit Mount Gower
Mount Gower is regarded as the Mount Everest of Lord Howe Island. Nature lovers will enjoy hiking up Mount Gower as it is not only the highest mountain on Lord Howe's Island, but it also provides some of the most scenic views.
Although the terrain is relatively flat, be warned that this is considered to be a challenging hike. Standing at 2,871 ft above sea level, Mount Gower will take you a solid 8 hours to reach the top.
Once you reach the peak, you can relish in rainforest, cloud forest, several endemic plants, and take in the majestic views of the island’s crystal-clear waters.
2. Deep Dive from Admiralty Island
Situated just 15 minutes from Lord Howe Island by boat, lives another remote island called Admiralty Island. Admiralty Island is home to charming coral reefs and deep-sea waters that plunge up to 40 meters deep.
This island is considered to be one of the best diving spots in Australia, which boasts plenty of dive sites. Interestingly, the rocks found on Admiralty Island are given names like Sugar Loaf, Noddy, Tenth of June and Soldier's Cap.
Divers can expect to be greeted by an array of sea creatures like the octopus, stingray, and jellyfish.
These sea creatures are usually used to seeing visitors once in a while, but divers are encouraged to maintain their distance and admire them from afar.
1. Taste Lord Howe Island Gin
Taste some Lord Howe Island Gin, which is made from wild lemon and hibiscus. Described as paradise on ice, the Lord Howe gin which was recently released in 2019, is made from foraged botanicals from Lord Howe Island.
The early settlers on the island planted the wild lemons used in the gin. This light and crisp drink is perfect to enjoy while soaking up some sun on the sandy beaches on the island.
The distiller behind this island-made gin is a local from Lord Howe, named Anthony. Anthony's vision was to give people a taste of the island and when they leave, take it home with them as a reminder of the island's sweet soul.
How To Get To Lord Howe Island?
Qantas is the only airline offering flights and these depart from Sydney once per day. If you're flying there from regional areas such as Perth, Melbourne, Canberra or Brisbane you'll likely have a connection. The daily flight leaves Sydney at 11:55am and arrives at 2:45pm. Flights are operated on a small Qantaslink plane, the Dash8.
Featured Image Credit: "Kims Lookout" by D-Stanley is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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