No cars, no public transport and no mobile phone reception? While this may sound like the trappings of many a modern woman’s nightmare, you’d be hard pressed not to fall in love with Lord Howe Island – the tiny Australian paradise ripped straight out of a fantasy novel.
Just a two-hour flight from Sydney or Brisbane, tourist exclusivity is guaranteed, as only 400 visitors can lap up Lord Howe’s natural beauty at any one time. They join the other 347 residents who live in the minute village year-round. The hideaway is characterised by its crystal waters, ivory sand beaches, subtropical forests, coral reefs, and its soaring volcano and blue lagoon. It also boasts a variety of animal life that includes many species found exclusively on Lord Howe. Hailed as one of Down Under’s premier bird watching spots, over 130 species inhabit the island, which has been a World Heritage-listed site since 1982. Its choral reefs – the world’s southernmost – are home to over 500 species of fish.
Those who seek adventure can climb the 875 metres to the summit of Mount Gower, a challenging hike complete with dizzying drop-offs and rope-assisted climbs. There’s also the awe-inspiring Ball’s Pyramid, the world’s largest volcanic stack, which lies in a protected marine park 12 miles southeast of the island. For the ultimate in Lord Howe luxury, Capella Lodge boasts unmatched vistas of ocean and mountain, as well as a seasonally driven restaurant and an outdoor spa where you can indulge in treatments like the aptly named “Gower’s Foot Therapy”. Hailed as the Pacific’s most beautiful isle, and with a climate that can only be described as perpetual spring, this idyllic destination has got to be high on any adventurer’s bucket list.
written by Thea Carley
