Snapshot
| Where | Lord Howe Island, New South Wales — 700km east of the NSW coast · Under 2 hours by air from Sydney · 1 hour 30 minutes from Port Macquarie · 1 hour 50 minutes from Newcastle or the Gold Coast · The airstrip sits 2.5km from the main settlement |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Air only — there is no ferry or road link to the mainland · Daily flights run from Sydney, with Eastern Air Services flying direct from Port Macquarie, Newcastle and the Gold Coast · Every lodge provides free airport transfers · On the island, bikes and your own feet are the transport, the speed limit is 25 km/h and only a few rental cars exist |
| Best time | September to November (mild days, wildflowers, nesting land birds) and March to May (settled weather for walking and kayaking) · Seabirds breed from November to June, and shearwaters return to their burrows at dusk from September to May |
| Worst time | June to August is the quietest and windiest quarter (July is windiest) — some lodges close for refurbishment and tour operators stop for vessel maintenance · December to February is peak season, with the busiest flights and rooms going early under the visitor cap of about 400 at a time |
| Time needed | Three days covers the lagoon, Malabar Hill, North Bay and the guided Mount Gower climb · One day is enough for Malabar Hill, Kim's Lookout and a lagoon snorkel · Allow a week if you want the reef trips, Ball's Pyramid and slow days |
| Cost | Indicative one-way flights from $670 from Port Macquarie and $800 from Newcastle or the Gold Coast, before taxes · The Mount Gower guide fee is paid to a licensed operator — check the current price · The Lord Howe Island Board publishes its visitor charges in a downloadable Fees and Charges schedule — check it for the current entry fee · Island scenic flight from $180 per person |
| Facilities | 23 lodges and apartments, all pre-booked, with free airport transfers · Bikes and helmets for hire, plus cafés and a visitor centre in the settlement · No mobile reception anywhere — public telephones, and internet at Thornleigh Farm, the museum, the visitor centre and several cafés · No camping for visitors |
| Best for | Walkers who want a guided mountain day and short coastal tracks · Snorkellers and divers drawn to the world's southernmost coral reef · Birdwatchers and slow-travel visitors happy to go without a phone |
| Difficulty |
3 of 5 — Challenging
Most island tracks are short and easy to moderate, but Mount Gower is a guide-only day of about eight hours with rope sections, and Goat House Cave is a difficult 2.1km one-way scramble with ropes in sections. |
Driving there? Car hire and what to check →
Lord Howe Island is the eroded remnant of a shield volcano that formed about 7 million years ago on the western edge of the Lord Howe Rise, and the sea has taken about 90% of it. What is left is an island about 11km long with Mount Gower rising 875m and Mount Lidgbird 777m at the southern end, and Ball's Pyramid standing 23km southeast as the world's tallest sea stack at 551m. The barrier reef that encloses the lagoon is the world's southernmost true coral reef and shows a rare transition between coral and algal reefs, and the island group has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1982.
Most of the land sits in the Permanent Park Preserve, created in January 1982 and covering about 70% of the island group; 105 of the 241 native plant species recorded here are endemic. The Lord Howe woodhen, once among the world's rarest birds, was brought back by captive breeding to numbers of about 220, and the Lord Howe phasmid, the world's largest stick insect, was rediscovered on Ball's Pyramid after being feared extinct.
Go if…
- You want a guided mountain day: Mount Gower runs 4.5km one way to an 875m summit in about eight hours with a licensed guide
- You snorkel or dive — the reef here is the world's southernmost true coral reef and the lagoon sits behind it in sheltered water
- You want wildlife within reach: woodhen on the tracks at dawn, red-tailed tropicbirds and masked boobies on the offshore islands, and seabird colonies along the coast
- You can live without a phone for a week and would rather have bikes and footpaths than traffic
Skip it if…
- You cannot book ahead — flights and rooms are limited, the island caps visitors at about 400 at a time, and a confirmed accommodation booking comes before your flights
- You want to camp: visitors are not permitted to camp anywhere on the island and there is no campground
- You need mobile reception, late trading or a wide choice of restaurants — there is no phone coverage, and in winter lodges close for refurbishment while tour operators stop for vessel maintenance
- You are set on the southern summits but not fit for a full mountain day: Mount Gower takes about eight hours and Goat House Cave has ropes in sections
What to expect
Reviewed
You reach Lord Howe Island by air and nothing else: daily flights from Sydney take under two hours, Eastern Air Services runs direct services from Port Macquarie (1 hour 30 minutes), Newcastle and the Gold Coast (1 hour 50 minutes), and the airstrip sits 2.5km from the main settlement. Your lodge meets the plane — every accommodation property on the island provides free airport transfers — and from there the island runs on bicycles and your own feet. Bikes and helmets are for hire, the speed limit across the island is 25 km/h, and only a small number of rental cars exist. Cyclists need a fixed light for riding after sunset, and street lighting is deliberately limited so that birds navigating at night are not thrown by it. There is no mobile phone reception anywhere on the island. Public telephones remain in service and internet runs at Thornleigh Farm in the centre, at the museum, at the visitor centre and in several cafés, so you sort out your messages in town and leave the phone in your bag.
The mountains at the south end are the reason for most of the walking. Mount Gower rises 875m and Mount Lidgbird 777m, and the tracks that climb toward them leave from Lagoon Road and the beaches at the island's southern tip. Tracks are graded to the Australian Standard AS 2156.1, and the Lord Howe Island Board keeps a walking track brochure and map at its administration office and the visitor centre. Boot scrub and dip stations stand at the start of the southern mountain tracks — use them, because the water-borne mould Phytophthora threatens the palms and ferns that make this forest unique, and the island's own advice is to scrub boots and shoes before you step onto any track.
Ned's Beach Road runs to the north-east corner through stands of Kentia palms — Howea forsteriana, the palm the island sent to the world's parlours — growing wild beside the mown path. Of the 241 native plant species recorded on the island group, 105 are endemic, and the hillside above the beach carries them thick: 24 shrub species, 24 creepers and climbers, 12 orchid species and 56 fern species, with the mountain rose, the Fitzgeraldii tree and the pumpkin tree flowering on Mount Gower in summer. The Malabar Hill track leaves from a track off the road before the grassy section at Ned's Beach, so you can walk straight from the palms onto the ridge. At low tide the reef flats off the eastern beaches open up for walking, and guided low-tide reef walks run with local naturalists when the weather and the tide line up. Wear shoes in the water against sea urchins and sharp reef shells, keep off the coral — it takes hundreds of years to grow — and treat every beach as unattended: check the conditions yourself before you swim.
The birdlife is why the island holds its World Heritage listing for natural values as much as for scenery. At least 168 bird species have been recorded on the island group, which holds one of only two known breeding areas for the providence petrel, probably the world's largest breeding concentration of red-tailed tropicbird, and the most southerly breeding colony of the masked booby. Sooty terns, common noddies, black noddies and wedge-tailed shearwaters nest here too, along with Australia's only breeding population of flesh-footed shearwaters. The endemic Lord Howe woodhen patrols the tracks at dawn, and the Lord Howe currawong, golden whistler, white-eye and emerald ground dove are among the surviving native landbirds. Keep clear of nests and eggs on the sandy beaches, and expect tracks to close while the birds are nesting.
Two marine parks surround the island and they run by different rules. The NSW Lord Howe Island Marine Park covers state waters in Sanctuary, Habitat Protection, General Use and Special Purpose zones, and the Commonwealth Lord Howe Marine Park runs beyond 3 nautical miles in five zone types across 110,126 square kilometres. Snorkelling and diving at Elizabeth and Middleton reefs need no permit, recreational fishing at Elizabeth Reef requires one, and fishing at Middleton Reef is not allowed. Check the current zoning before you head to the outer reefs, because parts of them carry exclusion zones and permit conditions that move, and the lagoon's sheltered water is where most of the snorkelling actually happens.
Where to stay
Everything is pre-booked and close to the water: 23 lodges and apartments cluster around the settlement and the lagoon, from all-inclusive waterfront lodges to self-catering units, and there is no way to turn up without a booking.
When bookings open: Visitors are not permitted to camp on Lord Howe Island — only island residents and authorised researchers may apply to the Lord Howe Island Board for approval to camp in the Permanent Park Preserve, and no campground booking system exists. Accommodation is by pre-booked lodge and apartment, and flights are arranged only once your stay is confirmed, so book the room first. Official booking page. Checked 8 November 2026. Booking dates for every state.
| Stay | Guest rating | Best for | Distance | Style | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinetrees Lodge | 4.9 / 5 (912 reviews, Tripadvisor) | Families and long-stay walkers who want an all-inclusive waterfront base on the lagoon | On Lagoon Beach, in the main settlement | All-inclusive waterfront lodge with rooms, suites and cottages, guided tours and meal packages, and no wi-fi or television in the rooms by design; the family has held land on the island since 1848 | Check rates |
| Capella Lodge | 4.9 / 5 (373 reviews, Tripadvisor) | Couples who want a luxury base under Mounts Gower and Lidgbird | Near the base of Mounts Gower and Lidgbird, in the south of the island | Nine-suite boutique lodge with views over the coral reef and the twin peaks, an on-site spa and open bar, and some suites with hot tubs or plunge pools | Check rates |
| Arajilla Retreat | 4.8 / 5 (384 reviews, Tripadvisor) | Snorkellers and cyclists who want meals, bikes and gear included | Behind Old Settlement Beach, at the sheltered northern end of the island | Twelve suites from one-bedroom units to a two-bedroom beach house, with packages covering breakfast, lunch and dinner and drinks, plus free bikes and snorkel gear | Check rates |
| Beachcomber Lodge | 4.4 / 5 (108 reviews, Tripadvisor) | Walkers who want Ned's Beach at the end of the street | On Anderson Road, about 7 minutes' walk from Ned's Beach and 1.2km from Lagoon Beach | Lodge with free airport transfers, a tennis court, bar and garden, a minute's walk from the Habitat Protection Zone | Check rates |
| Lorhiti Apartments | 4.8 / 5 (418 reviews, Tripadvisor) | Self-catering couples and families who want to walk everywhere | In the main settlement, within walking distance of the lagoon | Self-contained apartments in the settlement, the island's most-reviewed apartment property | Check rates |
| Admiralty Apartments | 5 / 5 (148 reviews, Tripadvisor) | Cyclists who want a quiet base near Ned's Beach | Near Ned's Beach, in the north-east of the island | Luxury apartments with daily servicing, welcome hampers and bikes for guests | Check rates |
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What to do here
8 walks & sights
Mount Gower guided summit walk
The Lord Howe Island Board permits visitor access to Mount Gower only with a licensed guide, and the climb runs 4.5km one way to the 875m summit in about eight hours. You pass through palm rainforest and cloud forest with rope sections on the steep ground near the top, and one operator schedules its guided climbs for Mondays and Thursdays. Endemic plants flower up here in summer — the mountain rose, the Fitzgeraldii tree and the pumpkin tree — and the summit sits in cloud the lagoon below never sees. Book the guide before you fly, and treat the weather as the deciding factor on the day.
Malabar Hill, Pooles Lookout and Kim's Lookout
The ridge walk starts on a track off the road before the grassy section at Ned's Beach and climbs to Malabar Hill's 208m summit in about 1.5 hours return. The track passes Pooles Lookout and Kim's Lookout before continuing along the ridge to Dawsons Point. It is the island's best moderate half-day — big views back over the lagoon and the northern beaches, and a real climb without the commitment of the southern peaks.
North Bay: the Max Nichols track, Mount Eliza and Old Gulch
The Max Nichols memorial track leaves the Old Settlement Beach picnic area and runs 1.5km one way at a moderate grade to North Bay, where the Old Gulch track continues 0.3km one way, mostly on timber boardwalk. Mount Eliza starts at the North Bay picnic area and climbs 0.6km in about 30 minutes to a 147m summit, but the Board closes it every year from September to the end of March for nesting sooty terns and wedge-tailed shearwaters — that seasonal closure is the reason to time the walk. Boobies, sooty terns and common noddies nest along this coast and are watched from the lookouts rather than approached, and the tracks connect on to Malabar Hill and Ned's Beach.
Lagoon Beach snorkelling and reef walking
The barrier reef off the island's western side holds a sheltered lagoon and a sandy beach, and it is the world's southernmost true coral reef — a rare place where coral reef grades into algal reef. Snorkelling here is calm-water work in the lagoon and along the fringing reefs that lie off the eastern beaches, and guided low-tide reef walks run with local naturalists when the tide and the weather agree. Wear shoes in the shallows against sea urchins and reef shells, never stand on the coral, and check the conditions yourself before you swim.
Ball's Pyramid and the outer reefs
Ball's Pyramid rises 551m straight from the sea 23km southeast of the island, the world's tallest volcanic sea stack, and it is where the Lord Howe phasmid — the world's largest stick insect — was rediscovered after being thought extinct. You see it by air on the combination flight or by boat with a charter operator, and both take in the marine park and the island's coastline. Diving and snorkelling at Elizabeth and Middleton reefs need no permit, recreational fishing at Elizabeth Reef requires one and fishing at Middleton Reef is not allowed, so check the zoning pages before you go.
Coastal Track to Boat Harbour and Intermediate Hill
The Coastal Track leaves Lagoon Road near the airport turn-off and runs 3.5km one way to Boat Harbour via Mutton Bird Point and Rocky Run, with the lookout platform at Mutton Bird Point about 1.4km along, high over the swell. Allow about 3 hours for the 7km return. Intermediate Hill branches off 0.2km from the start: 1km one way to a 250m summit platform looking toward Ball's Pyramid, which makes a good half-day when the southern peaks are closed in.
Goat House Cave
The track leaves Lagoon Road at the base of Mount Lidgbird — turn left at the bottom of the hill after Capella Lodge — and climbs through wet rainforest and up Smoking Tree Ridge to the cave on the mountain's flank. It covers 2.1km one way in about three hours with ropes in sections on the steep ground. This is the hardest walk on the island you can do without a guide, and it asks for a head for heights and dry rock.
Little Island and Transit Hill
Little Island is the furthest point of the southern tracks before a guide becomes mandatory, reached from the southern end of Lagoon Road on a 3km return walk of about 1.5 hours at an easy grade. Transit Hill leaves from opposite the Administration Office via Bowker Avenue and climbs 1.2km to a 360° lookout over both sides of the island. Both are the walks to do on a day when the mountains are wrapped in cloud, and Transit Hill continues 0.5km down to Blinky Beach on a steeper track that turns slippery when wet.
Lord Howe Island itineraries: 1, 2 or 3 days
3 plans
One day: Malabar Hill, Kim's Lookout and the lagoon
- Morning. Ride toward Ned's Beach and start the Malabar Hill track from the road before the grassy section: 3km return in about 1.5 hours, climbing past Pooles Lookout to Kim's Lookout and the 208m summit. Stop at the boot scrub station at the trackhead — the scrub and dip stations at the start of the southern mountain tracks are there to keep Phytophthora out of the palm forest.
- Midday. Continue to Middle Beach and walk the Clear Place and Valley of the Shadows: 1.2km return in about an hour, easy, from the Middle Beach trackhead. This is the forest the World Heritage listing covers, and the walk is short enough to keep the afternoon free for the water.
- Afternoon. Snorkel the lagoon behind the barrier reef on the island's western side, where the water is sheltered, then ride back toward the settlement along the 25 km/h road network. If you want more walking at the end of the day, the Foreshore Walk runs 0.5km one way from the boat sheds past the Aquatic Club and the Pinetrees boatshed.
Nights are in your pre-booked lodge or apartment — visitors are not permitted to camp on the island and there is no campground. Walks: Malabar Hill and Kim's Lookout (3km return, 1.5 hours), the Clear Place and Valley of the Shadows (1.2km return, 1 hour) and the Foreshore Walk (0.5km one way). Flights are only arranged once your accommodation is confirmed, bikes and helmets are for hire, and the speed limit across the island is 25 km/h.
Two days: North Bay, Mount Eliza and the coastal lookouts
- Day 1. As the one-day plan — Malabar Hill and Kim's Lookout (3km return, 1.5 hours) in the morning, the lagoon after it — with the night at your lodge in the settlement.
- Day 2, morning. Walk the Max Nichols memorial track from the Old Settlement Beach picnic area to North Bay: 1.5km one way, moderate. From the North Bay picnic area add the Old Gulch track, 0.3km one way and mostly timber boardwalk, and Mount Eliza, 0.6km one way in about 30 minutes to a 147m summit — but only outside its closure, because the Board shuts that track every year from September to the end of March for nesting sooty terns.
- Day 2, afternoon. Ride south on Lagoon Road to the Coastal Track near the airport turn-off: 3.5km one way to Boat Harbour via Mutton Bird Point and Rocky Run, about 3 hours for the 7km return, with the lookout platform at Mutton Bird Point roughly 1.4km along. The shorter alternative branches 0.2km from the start for Intermediate Hill, 1km one way to a 250m summit platform looking toward Ball's Pyramid.
One night at your booked lodge or apartment; there is no visitor camping on the island. Walks: Max Nichols to North Bay (1.5km one way), Old Gulch (0.3km one way), Mount Eliza (0.6km one way, 30 minutes, closed September to the end of March) and one of the Coastal Track (7km return, 3 hours) or Intermediate Hill (1km one way). Collect the walking track map from the Visitor Centre before you start, carry water, and remember that only Mount Eliza carries a seasonal closure among these walks.
Three days: Goat House Cave and Mount Gower with a guide
- Day 1. As the one-day plan: Malabar Hill and Kim's Lookout (3km return, 1.5 hours), the lagoon and the Foreshore Walk (0.5km one way).
- Day 2, morning. As the two-day plan's morning: North Bay via the Max Nichols track (1.5km one way) and Old Gulch (0.3km one way), with Mount Eliza (0.6km one way, 30 minutes) only outside its September-to-March closure.
- Day 2, afternoon. Take the Goat House Cave track from Lagoon Road, turning left at the bottom of the hill after Capella Lodge: 2.1km one way in about three hours, difficult, with ropes in sections, up Smoking Tree Ridge at the base of Mount Lidgbird. One long walk for the afternoon, not two — and dry rock helps on the ropes.
- Day 3. The guided Mount Gower climb: 4.5km one way to the 875m summit in about eight hours, with a licensed guide and rope sections near the top. One operator schedules its guided climbs for Mondays and Thursdays, so line your flights up with a guided day. If the mountains are closed in, fly instead — the island scenic flight from $180 per person or the Ball's Pyramid and island combination from $390 per person, both with a minimum of two people.
Two nights at your pre-booked lodge or apartment; there is no visitor camping on the island. Walks: Malabar Hill and Kim's Lookout (3km return), Max Nichols (1.5km one way), Old Gulch (0.3km one way), Goat House Cave (2.1km one way, about 3 hours) and the guided Mount Gower climb (4.5km one way, about 8 hours). Mount Gower requires a licensed guide and its fee is extra, so book that day before you fly; the flight alternatives start at $180 per person, and Mount Eliza stays closed from September to the end of March.
Suggested gear for Lord Howe Island
18 items
- Water bottles or a hydration bladder Carry at least 2 litres per person on the walks.
- Water treatment tablets or a filter Treat creek and camping-area water before drinking.
- Sun hat, sunscreen (SPF 50+) and sunglasses
- Sturdy, broken-in walking shoes or boots
- Day pack (20–30 L)
- First aid kit, including blister care
- Insect repellent
- Head torch with spare batteries
- Lightweight rain jacket
- Personal locator beacon Mobile coverage is unreliable in remote parks.
- Reef shoes or sturdy water shoes Sea urchins and sharp reef shells wait in the shallows, the island's own advice is to wear footwear when wading or reef walking, and the coral takes hundreds of years to grow and breaks underfoot.
- A warm mid-layer Summer maximums run 24 to 27°C and winter maximums 17 to 20°C with minimums of 12 to 15°C, and the 875m summit of Mount Gower sits in cloud far cooler than the lagoon.
- A fixed bike light Bicycles are the island's main transport, a fixed light is required for cycling after sunset, and street lighting is deliberately limited so birds navigating at night are not disrupted.
- Offline maps and the walking track map There is no mobile phone reception on the island; the Visitor Centre hands out the Exploring Lord Howe Island walking track map, and internet is only at Thornleigh Farm, the museum, the visitor centre and a few cafés.
- Snorkel and mask The barrier reef shelters the lagoon for snorkelling and fringing reefs lie off the eastern beaches; some retreats include snorkel gear, but a mask that fits is worth the bag space.
- Gloves with grip Goat House Cave has ropes in sections on steep ground and the Mount Gower scramble uses hands as much as feet.
- Binoculars Red-tailed tropicbirds, masked boobies, sooty terns, common and black noddies, providence petrels and the woodhen are all here, and the colonies are best watched from the lookouts rather than approached.
- A dry bag Boat trips to Ball's Pyramid and snorkel stops on the reef put camera, clothes and tickets in salt spray.
How this compares
Lord Howe Island vs Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island is a large island off South Australia that you reach by ferry or a short flight, with wildlife, granite coastline and self-drive touring on 2WD roads. It asks for a car and a ferry booking but no flights, and it copes better with a shorter trip. Choose Kangaroo Island for a self-drive island loop with seal colonies; choose Lord Howe Island for a guide-only 875m summit, the world's southernmost coral reef and a car-free week by bicycle.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- 45-minute ferry from Cape Jervis or a flight from Adelaide
- Best for
- Self-drive wildlife loops · Seal colonies · Short breaks
Lord Howe Island vs Maria Island
Maria Island is a car-free island national park off Tasmania's east coast, reached by ferry, with wildlife on the grass, sea cliffs and old settlement buildings. It runs on foot and bicycle like Lord Howe Island, with far simpler logistics and far fewer comforts. Choose Maria Island for a budget island walk with wildlife at your feet; choose Lord Howe Island for coral reef snorkelling, a licensed summit climb and lodges with meals.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Ferry from Triabunna on Tasmania's east coast
- Best for
- Car-free island walking · Wildlife · Budget island trips
Lord Howe Island vs Hinchinbrook Island
Hinchinbrook Island is a rugged national park off the Queensland coast with a multi-day wilderness walk, hot springs and steep rainforest peaks. It is wilder and rougher underfoot than Lord Howe Island, with camping the only stay and a permit needed for the track. Choose Hinchinbrook for a hard multi-day bushwalk with a pack; choose Lord Howe Island for guided mountain days, reef snorkelling and a lodge bed each night.
- Difficulty
- 4 of 5 — Demanding
- Access
- Boat transfer from Cardwell or Lucinda, Queensland
- Best for
- Multi-day trekking · Wilderness coast · Pack-carrying walkers
Before you go
- Confirm your accommodation before arranging flights: Tourism Australia says flights are arranged once your stay is confirmed, and the island caps visitors at about 400 at a time
- Book flights early — daily services from Sydney take under two hours, and Eastern Air Services flies direct from Port Macquarie (1 hour 30 minutes), Newcastle and the Gold Coast (1 hour 50 minutes), with indicative one-way fares before taxes from $670 to $800
- Do not plan to camp: visitors are not permitted to camp anywhere on Lord Howe Island, and only island residents and authorised researchers may apply to the Board for approval
- Scrub your boots at the stations at the start of the southern mountain tracks — Phytophthora root fungus is the threat they are there for, and the island's guidance is to clean boots and shoes before every track
- Mount Gower requires a licensed guide: book the walk before you fly and check which days the operator runs it
- Mount Eliza closes every year from 1 September to the end of March for nesting sooty terns and wedge-tailed shearwaters, so plan the North Bay walks for the open months
- Assume no mobile reception: public telephones are on the island and internet runs at Thornleigh Farm, the museum, the visitor centre and several cafés, so download maps and tickets before you leave home
- Waste leaves the island — sort rubbish into the right bins and drop man-made debris at the plastic collection stations — and go gently on the reef: never stand on coral, wear shoes in the shallows, and check conditions before swimming at unattended beaches
When to go
seasons & the hard months
Spring and autumn are the seasons to aim for. September to November brings mild days, wildflowers and land birds nesting, and the island's visitor body nominates spring and autumn as the times with more short-lead availability on flights and rooms. Autumn, March to May, settles the weather for walking and kayaking, and the seabird calendar runs on top of it: breeding season is November to June and shearwaters return to their burrows at dusk from September to May. Average maximums sit around 20 to 21°C in spring and 21.6 to 25°C through autumn, and the driest months are November to February.
Winter, June to August, is quiet and that cuts both ways. July is the windiest month and most of the year's bad weather arrives in this quarter, some lodges close for refurbishment, several tour operators stop for vessel maintenance and restaurants cut their hours — but prices drop and the days can still be sunny, with maximums of 17 to 20°C and minimums of 12 to 15°C. Summer, December to February, is peak season with the warmest water and the busiest flights: February averages 25.8°C maximum, humidity runs at 60 to 70% year round and climbs on the warm days, and with a visitor cap of about 400 at a time the flights and rooms go early. Whatever the season allow for rain — it falls all year and averages about 1600mm annually.
Questions
6 answers
By air only. Daily flights from Sydney take under two hours and connect with services from other capital cities, and Eastern Air Services flies direct from Port Macquarie (1 hour 30 minutes), Newcastle and the Gold Coast (1 hour 50 minutes). Indicative one-way fares before taxes start around $670 from Port Macquarie and $800 from Newcastle or the Gold Coast. Accommodation is confirmed before flights are arranged.
No. Only a limited number of rental cars exist on the island, bicycles and helmets are for hire, and the speed limit is 25 km/h. Every accommodation property meets the flights with free airport transfers, and walking is the main transport between trackheads.
No. Visitors are not permitted to camp anywhere on the island — only island residents and authorised researchers may apply to the Lord Howe Island Board for approval to camp in the Permanent Park Preserve, and no campground booking system exists. Everyone else stays in one of the island's 23 lodges and apartments.
With a licensed guide; the Board permits visitor access to the mountain in no other way. The climb runs 4.5km one way to the 875m summit in about eight hours with rope sections near the top, so book a licensed operator before you fly — one schedules its guided climbs for Mondays and Thursdays.
No mobile phone reception anywhere on the island. Public telephones are in service and internet is available: paid at Thornleigh Farm, free or paid at the museum, and at the visitor centre and several cafés. Download your maps and tickets before you leave home.
Outside the nesting season. The Lord Howe Island Board closes the Mount Eliza track every year from September to the end of March to protect nesting sooty terns and wedge-tailed shearwaters on the upper trail and summit. The other North Bay walks — the Max Nichols track and Old Gulch — stay open.
Nearby & next
Official information
Always check current alerts before you travel.