Lord Howe Island, Australia: Skyscanner Staff Favourites

Tuesday 7 July 2009

A tiny crescent-shaped island in the Pacific Ocean, 400 miles off the east coast of Australia, Lord Howe Island was discovered in 1788 by a convict ship en route from Botany Bay to Norfolk Island.

Name

Tessa and Sam

Role at Skyscanner

Database developers

Why Lord Howe Island?

Even now, the population of Lord Howe Island is only about 350 and tourist numbers are limited to 400 at any one time. The pace of life here is very relaxed; most people walk or cycle to get around because the island is so small (about 6 miles long and just over a mile wide). There are cars on the island, but they are limited to 25 km/h, and mostly seem to be used to carry luggage and supplies.

There are lovely sandy beaches, subtropical forests, mountains at the southern end of the island, and beautiful coastal scenery. The island’s lagoon is bounded by the most southerly coral reef in the world and is a great place to snorkel and scuba dive.

There are many beautiful coastal and mountain walks to enjoy, including to the summit of Mt Gower. It’s also a great place for boat trips in a glass-bottomed boat, kayaking, fish-feeding, or just swimming and playing on the beach with the kids.

Stay

Accommodation ranges from self-catering cottages to luxury hotels, and there are several restaurants and a café.

Eat

A degree of self-sufficiency is handy when most of your groceries come from the mainland - at the cottage we stayed in, our hosts milked their own cows for us and provided us with homemade butter, and home grown fresh vegetables.

Don’t Miss

The stunning scenery and lovely walks.

Do Miss

Wolf Rock, a rock and reef east of Lord Howe Island. On 7 July 2002, The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Nottingham ran aground on the submerged but well-charted Wolf Rock.  A 160 ft (50 m) hole was torn down the side of the vessel from bow to bridge, flooding five of her compartments and nearly causing her to sink.

Top Tip

Baggage allowances on flights to Lord Howe Island are restricted to 1 piece weighing 14kg, so pack light. (Read our tips on how to pack light).

Find cheap flights to Lord Howe Island from Brisbane, as we did, or from Sydney.