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Lord Howe Island from the air: the turquoise coral lagoon off Lagoon Beach, with green mountain slopes behind

Sample journey · 6–8 days

Lord Howe Island, where visitors are counted

Sydney, the Lord Howe lagoon, Mount Gower & Ned's Beach

Photo: Dylan Shaw / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Lord Howe Island is about two hours' flight from Sydney but seems to run on a different clock. It's the remnant of a volcano that rose from the sea several million years ago: two steep mountains in the south, a lagoon and coral reef to the west, and forests that are home to birds found nowhere else on Earth. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1982, and the island community itself limits how many visitors can stay at once. So even in summer the beaches often have only a handful of people.

The journey is designed for couples and honeymooners, though not for lying by a pool. Days here are simple and active: a bicycle to the far end of the island, snorkelling with turtles in the lagoon, an evening on a hill with seabirds overhead and, for strong walkers, an eight-hour guided climb to the summit of Mount Gower. The stays are one of a handful of small lodges or guesthouses, where dinner comes from island gardens and the sea.

The route

The journey

  1. Sydney
  2. Lord Howe Island
  3. The lagoon & Lagoon Beach
  4. Mount Gower
  5. Ned's Beach & North Bay
  6. Sydney
  1. The narrow middle of Lord Howe Island from the air, with Ned's Beach and Lagoon Beach on either side

    01Days 1–2 · Sydney & the flight to the island

    A crescent in the ocean

    The first night is in Sydney, so the long-haul flight and the time difference don't collide with a small-aircraft schedule; in the evening, a walk along the harbour. On day two, a flight of about two hours east over the Tasman Sea. The plane is small and baggage weight is strictly limited, so we pack light: the island is informal, and a linen shirt is enough for dinner. Before landing, the whole island fills the window, a green crescent with the lagoon on one side and two mountains in the south. Your hosts meet you at the airstrip, bicycles wait at the lodge, and the first afternoon is simply for getting your bearings: the roads are narrow, cars are few and speeds are low, so almost everything is within reach by bike.

  2. The turquoise Lord Howe lagoon with moored boats and green mountains behind

    02Days 3–4 · The lagoon

    The southernmost coral reef

    On the island's western side the reef encloses a shallow lagoon, the southernmost coral reef in the world. Warm and cool currents meet here, so tropical fish and fish from cooler waters swim among the same corals. In the morning, a glass-bottomed boat and snorkelling at North Bay or Erscotts Hole, where green turtles are often seen. In the afternoon, a kayak on the lagoon or simply a book on Lagoon Beach. The next day, a boat around the island to Ball's Pyramid, a 551-metre volcanic spire in the middle of the ocean, with dolphins and seabirds often along the way. For divers, some of the most interesting sites in the South Pacific, depending on the weather and sea.

  3. Sunset over Mount Lidgbird and Mount Gower at the southern end of Lord Howe Island, seen from the air

    03Day 5 · Mount Gower

    Eight hours up into the cloud forest

    Mount Gower is an 875-metre peak at the island's southern end, and it may only be climbed with a licensed local guide. The walk starts early and takes about eight hours there and back: along a cliff face above the sea, with ropes to hold in places, across a stream and up a steep path to the summit plateau. Up there grows a mossy cloud forest, always damp, with plants found nowhere else in the world. In the winter months, providence petrels, which breed only here, wheel over the summit and often fly down to inspect walkers. It's a demanding climb that needs good fitness and a head for heights, and if the weather says no, the guide moves it to another day. For everyone else, the gentler Malabar walk in the north.

  4. A red-tailed tropicbird in flight against a blue sky over Lord Howe Island

    04Days 6–7 · Ned's Beach & the northern hills

    Fish at your feet, birds overhead

    The last full day is slow. In the morning, Ned's Beach on the eastern shore, where in the marine park fish and sometimes reef sharks swim a few steps from the sand and snorkelling starts straight from the beach. In the afternoon, a bike ride north and a path through kentia palm forest to the Malabar cliffs, where from roughly September to May red-tailed tropicbirds glide above the drop. On the way you often meet the Lord Howe woodhen, a flightless bird that was once close to extinction and now strolls along the lanes. In the evening, sunset on Lagoon Beach and a last dinner. On day seven, the flight back to Sydney and onward home.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    An island without crowds

    A limit on visitors means empty beaches and trails, even in summer.

  2. 02

    Mount Gower

    An eight-hour guided climb into a cloud forest high above the sea.

  3. 03

    The southernmost reef

    Turtles, corals and fish from warm and cool waters in the same lagoon.

  4. 04

    Ball's Pyramid

    A volcanic spire rising straight out of the ocean, by boat when the sea allows.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • For a honeymoon

    One of the small lodges with a view of the mountains, a picnic on a remote beach and an extra night on the island, so no day needs to be rushed.

  • More gently

    Instead of Mount Gower, the Malabar and Kim's Lookout walks, snorkelling and slow days by bike. The island suits those who avoid heights too.

  • Another season

    In summer (December to February) the water is warmest and the island busiest; autumn is calmer, and winter (June to August) cooler and windier, but the petrels circle Mount Gower.

  • With Sydney or New Zealand

    Before the island, a few days in Sydney and the Blue Mountains; after it, a flight across the Tasman to New Zealand.

Practical considerations

  • Only a limited number of visitors can stay on the island at one time, so stays and flights are worth booking well ahead, especially in summer and the school holidays.
  • The flight is by small aircraft with strict baggage weight limits; we check the current rules and help you pack light.
  • The Mount Gower climb is only possible with a licensed local guide, depends on the weather and needs good fitness; we always leave a spare day for it.
  • The climate is mild all year, but weather at sea changes quickly; boat trips and diving depend on wind and swell.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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