Lord Howe have I not been here before?
I'd been searching for a week getaway, never really thing of Lord Howe as an option, but by some miracle Qantas had frequent flyer seats available on our dates and I jumped on them without a 2nd thought. And with a bit of searching, we found a nice little studio at Sommerset apartments for the week, and we were all set.
We landed at LH airport and was transferred to our centrally located accommodation. The plan was to rent bikes for the week, but after realising how close everything was, we decided to leave the bikes for later. Our studio was clean, comfortable, quiet and only a short walk to the cafes and restaurants.
We were up early the next morning for what I thought was one of the highlights of the trip and one of the top day hikes in Australia - Mt Gower. The hike is only available through 2 local companies so book early and keep your fingers crossed for good weather. Overall, the hike took around 9 hours with a few breaks and a lunch stop. Not an easy hike, we really felt the muscles aching for the next few days, but it was worth every step. The moss-covered forest on top was something truly unique. And the thousands of Petrel birds gliding overhead in the strong winds brought back memories of the Galapagos islands.
Being way to sore to even think about another hike, we opted for a kayak and snorkel rental to explore some of the amazing reef and marine life LH has to offer. While not as expansive as reef in North Queensland, I'll put Lord Howe on top as we didn't have to share a location with 50 to 100 other people. Most times we were the only ones out there! I don’t think there are many places in the world where you can snorkel for hours and only have the fish and sharks to keep you company. Plus, the serval snorkelling options right off the beach made this a real highlight.
We settled into a daily routine of - walk on the beach to get coffee, walk back along the beach to get breakfast, morning snorkel, lunch, hike and finish drinks at the local bar while watching the sunset. We were amazed every day at how peaceful it was. With only 400 accommodation beds available for tourists there is more then enough Lord Howe to go around. Seeing 10 people walking down our street in the morning seemed like rush hour.
Lord Howe might take a little more planning then say the Whitsundays, but for the uncrowded beaches, relaxed local atmosphere, wildlife and more then enough outdoor activities to keep you busy, I’d be putting this at the top of anyone’s holiday wish list.
Just a few key points to remember -
* Book early as accommodation and flights are limited.
* Give yourself an extra day as delays can be common. We found this out on our last day as Qantas cancelled our flight due to a backlog of other cancellations the days prior. But free nights accommodation, dinner credit and free breakfast, we were well looked after. And we did get a bonus afternoon snorkel in as well.
* Prices are a little more than the mainland, but nothing too over the top.
* Pre-book your must do activies and book them early during your stay. Just in case of bad weather you can rescheule for later.