Lord Howe Island

The main roads of the island connecting the airport, accommodation, restaurants and golf club are within easy cycling distance. The bicycle comes into its own and is the most popular form of transport, with bike racks situated everywhere.

Walking is easily possible around the town and between most accommodation and the beaches.

The island's roads have a slow speed limit.

There is no taxi service or public transport on the island. All accommodation providers include transport to and from the airport on arrival, and transport to dinner at 6:30PM. The restaurants all provide transport back to your accommodation after your meal.

• Wilson's Hire. Some accommodation provides bicycles, but Wilson's provides the bikes for everyone else. They have lots of bikes here, but like everywhere else on Lord Howe, it pays to book in advance. from $8 per day. 

Look around, it is a beautiful place. The views from high vantage points are amazing. There are also many places to visit like the remnants of the underwater volcano.

• Botanic Gardens. There is a small botanic garden on Lagoon Road just past the museum. However, the whole of Lord Howe Island is a botanic garden, with many examples of large Banyan Trees and Pandanus scattered along the front of the Lagoon. free. 
• 🌍 Lord Howe Island Museum (On the corner of Lagoon Road and Middle Beach Road), ☏ +61 2 6563 2111. 9AM–3PM daily.. One room outlining the history of the island, and another highlighting its environmental features and world heritage status. Entry by donation. 
• Catalina Wreckage. The Catalina Monument is adjacent to the bike parking at Old Settlement Beach. The Australian Air Force flying boat crashed while attempting a landing on the lagoon in bad weather, striking the top of the Malabar Ridge above. The wreckage of the Catalina still lies in place on the side of the ridge facing Old Settlement, visible from the path behind the beach. 

Lord Howe Island is very much geared up for outdoor recreation: bush walking, trekking, guided and self-guided walks, fish feeding, swimming, surfing, Scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking, bird-watching and reef walks are all popular. Sports are also an option: golf, tennis and bowls especially. Deep sea, rock and shore fishing charters are available. For the more laid back, options include picnics, barbecues, bicycling and dining out. Available for hire are golf clubs, tennis racquets, bicycles and helmets, scuba and snorkelling gear, paddle skis and spy boards.

• Tennis. The court is opposite Thompson's Store. Hire is $10 per hour, book at the store. Racquets and balls are available.
• Golf. Clubs are available at the clubhouse. The course is meticulously maintained. Green fees of $40 are due, and payable via an honour system at the clubhouse.
• Snorkel. There is snorkelling available off just about every beach on the island. Ned's Beach is the jewel in the crown, with corals, tropical and reef fish just metres from the shore. Some of the best accessible snorkelling is at Escott's Reef, near the edge of the reef off the airport. It is a fair swim from shore, and a boat trip may be in order for this one. Comet's Hole is the best place to see the Galapagos Shark, around 100m offshore from the airport runway. Hawkbill turtles can be seen around the lagoon and Ned's. Green turtles are best seen munching on the sea-grass off Old Settlement Beach. You can rent snorkels at Wilsons, or on the beach at Ned's.
• Dive. Several operators run SCUBA trips to the surrounding reef areas, and to nearly Balls Pyramid.
• Glass Bottom Boating
• Kayaking
• Stand up Paddleboards
• Bushwalking. The most popular walk is up to Malabar Ridge. The best approach is from the track that meets the road about 50m short of Ned's beach. Like everything else on Lord Howe, once you leave the lagoon some hills are involved. You ascent the ridge, to lookout over the birdlife living on the cliffs overlooking the turquoise sea. You can walk further to Kim's lookout, and descend via the North Bay track to Old Settlement Beach. Serious walkers can pre-book full-day guided walks up Mount Gower.
• Fishing. Spear fishing is not permitted.
• Fish Feeding. The food dispenser on Ned's takes $1 coins.
• Jetty Jumping. A favourite with the kids at high tide.

There is a choice of restaurants on Lord Howe, catering mainly to a high end market. Expect to pay up around $25 for mains at the clubs, and $35 to $55 most other places. Limited choice is usually the order of the day, expect only four or so dishes on the menu each night, and for half of them to be locally caught fish.

The general arrangement is to book your restaurant for the night before noon. There is usually a booking sheet out the front of each restaurant for this purpose if you want to cycle around, or you can call them from the free phone out the front of Thompson's Store. You should then put your name down at your accommodation for a lift, and the restaurant will then provide you with transport home. Because of this arrangement, with accommodation providing a lift at 6:30PM, dinner commences at this time.

For lunch, Thompson's Store sells hamburgers around $8 each 11AM-2PM. You can get rolls and sandwiches from the Anchorage or from the Coral Cafe for around $15 until 2PM.

Most accommodation has some facilities for preparing your own food. There are barbecues on the beach, well stocked with wood, but you will need matches and probably firelighters.

You should have a good plan for where and how you are eating each day. Restaurants do book out. The lunch take-away option is gone from 2PM. Shops close for provisions around 6PM. Making a decision on dinner at 5PM can mean you go hungry.

• Pandanus. Modern Australian on week nights, with a slightly cheaper Asian menu on Saturday and Sunday nights.
• Beach House on the Moon. Only open two nights a week. Communal eating, as reasonably priced as anywhere.
• The Anchorage. Serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with bookings only really necessary for dinner. Even if you haven't booked, you may still get a table here. Right in the centre of town, with Steak and seafood to match any on the mainland. Around $35 for a main. Also good for a coffee and a muffin any time of day.
• Bowling Club. Pie night Monday night. Closed for dinner Saturday night.
• Golf Club. Pizza night Sunday night. Make sure to book well in advance to watch the sun go down from the balcony.

There are no pubs on Lord Howe, but there is a bar at the Bowling Club and the Golf Club with a mix of locals and visitors. The Crooked Post near the lagoon is a small cocktail bar specialising in island-inspired cocktails. Friday night tends to be the biggest night, but even then things tend to be quiet by 9PM. Most people aren't at Lord Howe for the nightlife.

Lord Howe Island is small, so location doesn't usually come much into play when deciding where to stay. However, there is a small ridge along the island, and some accommodation is at the top of the hill. Due to the strict limit on visitors and the limited accommodation, it is absolutely essential to book your accommodation in advance, at the same time as booking your flight.

• Arajilla Retreat, Old Settlement Beach, ☏ +61 2 6563 2484, toll-free: 1800 063 928, fax: +61 2 6563 2022, reservations@arajilla.com.au. Doubles $848-1,056. (updated Jun 2017)
• Capella Lodge, ☏ +61 2 9918 4355, fax: +61 2 9918 4381. Doubles $550-590. 
• Lorhiti Apartments, ☏ +61 7 3366 8000, fax: +61 7 3366 8377, lorhiti@bigpond.com.au. Doubles $90-250. 
• Pinetrees, ☏ +61 2 6563 2177, fax: +61 2 6563 2156. Doubles $300-310. 

There are no mobile phone towers on Lord Howe Island, and consequently no mobile phone reception of any kind. There are coin operated public phones in town, and at several locations around the island.

Internet (two terminals + Wi-Fi) is available for a fee at the visitor information centre when it is open. Some accommodation providers have Wi-Fi or terminals as well. The Internet connections aren't particularly fast, and if something breaks that needs replacement, it can be unavailable for weeks.

Australia Post has a postal agency on Lord Howe Island open M-F 9AM-1PM & 2PM-4PM. From Sep-May airmail is dispatched and received every day except Friday. In the winter months, mail is dispatched whenever flights operate.

The MV Island Trader provides a surface freight link with Port Macquarie every fortnight. The arrival of the boat can be quite an event in itself. Every local will be able to tell you when the boat is due, and the whole population can turn up at the post office to collect their consigned shopping. You'll see the pallets heading up from the boat to the shops, and soon after the fresh produce and other selections hit the shelves. Expect whatever you see come ashore to be on the menu and in the shops for the next couple of weeks.

Although the island walks are well formed, all the cliffs are unfenced. Some of the island's lookouts are named for the people who have fallen and died there. Take care near the cliff edges. The island locals will tell of occasions where people have broken limbs on the Gower walk, having to wait in the bush overnight while a rescue helicopter is sent from the mainland.

The island has a small hospital, with a doctor resident on the island on-call. He is used to stitching up all kinds of bicycle related falls, but for anything more serious a medivac to the mainland may be required.

Unless you arrived by yacht or private aircraft, the only connections are back to the Australian East Coast or New Zealand.