A sub-tropical paradise
Sitting alone in the South Pacific Ocean, hundreds of kilometres off the coast of Australia, lies a crescent shaped sub-tropical paradise known as Lord Howe Island. It’s coral reef bay of crystal clear turquoise waters is lined with a perfect white sand beach, whilst two giant forested mountains sit peacefully in the distance. Few islands can be as exclusive but also remain so modest.
Stepping off the plane I felt like I was walking straight into a scene from the Jurassic Park movies. It’s so quiet and tranquil. Because of such strict controls on development, Lord Howe still feels relatively untouched for such an exotic destination, lush green grass and forest cover the whole island.
A total of 382 people reside permanently on the island with only 400 tourists being allowed to visit at one time. There are only a handful of cars on the island, with most tourists electing to explore on bicycles. For such a small place there’s a great range of activities; from boat trips to world class diving, hiking, whale watching, kayaking, tennis, golf and some incredible food.
David Attenborough described Lord Howe as “So extraordinary, it is almost unbelievable… few islands, surely, can be so accessible, so remarkable, yet so unspoilt.”.
I spent just three nights on the island, on a gifted trip with Visit New South Wales to promote the island as they were announcing they have won Lonely Planets Best in Travel for 2020. This is quite a prestigious achievement, with only 10 locations around the world receiving the accolade.
For more information on Lord Howe Island, you can visit the tourist boards website – https://www.lordhoweisland.info/
Want to see more of the South Pacific? Check out my blog about the To Sua Ocean Trench in Samoa.
