Welcome to Lord Howe Island, Australia, often called the “Galapagos of Australia”. And it’s easy to see why! This place is STUNNING. So stunning in fact that it made Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel List for Top Regions for 2020!

I was invited by Destination New South Wales and Visit Lord Howe Island for a few days to experience all that this beautiful island has to offer with a small group of bloggers and journalists. And it was amazing! We snorkeled, took a boat ride around the island, went hiking, and ate delicious seafood. The whole experience was amazing, and I can’t wait to share it with all of you!

Before this trip, I had only briefly heard of Lord Howe Island but didn’t really know anything about it. This small island is only a 2-hour flight from Sydney or Brisbane, making it an easy add-on to any Australia vacation. To be specific, Lord Howe Island is located 373 miles east of the Australian mainland, closest to Port Macquarie. It’s also been on the World Heritage List since 1982, which has helped it to stay absolutely pristine.

The main way they keep the island in such good condition is by limiting the number of tourists at one time. Only 350 people live on the island full time, and up to 400 people are allowed to visit at a time. These restrictions protect the delicate ecosystem of the island.

Have I convinced you to visit the island yet? Here are my top reasons for why Lord Howe Island needs to be next on your travels.

The Beaches

Lord Howe Island has some of the clearest and bluest waters I’ve ever seen! A few of the beaches you can hit up include Old Settlement Beach, Blinky Beach, North Bay, Ned’s Beach, and Lagoon Beach, to name a few.

You’ll never want to leave the pristine beaches of Lord Howe. If you want to swim with turtles, head over to Old Settlement Beach, where you can often find them right near the shoreline. At Ned’s Beach, you can feed the fish and watch schools of them swim around you. For a little slice of secluded paradise, head to Lover’s Bay and have a picnic. There are over 15 beaches to choose from on Lord Howe Island, and you really can’t go wrong!

The Wildlife

Fun fact: Lord Howe Island is home to the southernmost coral reef on the planet! It’s the very end of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. There’s an abundance of ocean wildlife you can see here amongst the coral reefs, and you’re likely to find sea turtles near the shore as well. This makes Lord Howe Island a great destination for snorkeling and diving. And if you’re really looking for an adventure, you can go scuba diving out at the vertical rock spire of Balls Pyramid!

But don’t worry, even if you’re not into snorkeling, there’s plenty of wildlife to still be seen. For example, you can have a fun afternoon feeding the fish at Ned’s Beach. They’ll swarm around your legs, as pictured above – it’s quite the experience! There’s also several endemic species to the island, like the Lord Howe Island Phasmid (a strange and fantastical stick insect that was long thought to be extinct). You can even find 207 different bird species on the island! When we hiked up Malabar Hill, we saw tons of red-tailed tropicbirds nesting atop the cliffs. It made for some incredible photographs!

The Stargazing

If you’re from America like me, seeing the stars from Down Under is an especially incredible experience because it’s a completely different sky. Because Lord Howe Island is so remote and has so little residents, you get amazing clarity of the night sky with the naked eye. And if you’re into astrophotography, it’s even better. You’ll be able to get incredible captures like the one below!

The Outdoor Activities

There is so much to see and do on Lord Howe Island! First of all, the best way to get around is by bike, which you can easily rent (or some hotels provide them with your stay). Along the beach, you can rental equipment like SUPs or kayaks in order to better explore the bay, or arrange to get on a boat tour that will take you all the way around the island to see it from all sides. I highly recommend a tour as a way to see some bits of the island that you can only get to by boat, like the tall sea cliffs! And of course, there’s always the aforementioned diving and snorkeling around the island in the Marine Park. There is so much marine life to see on Lord Howe, you can’t miss out on spending some time under the sea as well as on land.

Hiking is another major thing to do on Lord Howe Island. I recommend making the climb up Malabar Hill for sunrise with a magical view over Blinky Beach. From the top, you’ll also get a view down the cliffs of the Admiralty Islands and the bright turquoise waters that surround them. For the real hiking buffs out there, you’ll want to arrange a guided hike to climb Mount Gower. Mt Gower is a challenging 8-hour return hike that includes rope-assisted climbs and is not for the faint of heart. It takes you 875 metres, making it the island’s tallest mountain. But once you’re up top, you’ll get the best 360-degree views of the island that you can get without being in a plane or helicopter. Please note though, it is required to do a guided tour for this difficult hike!

Have I convinced you yet to go? Don’t miss out on this beautiful destination when you’re visiting Australia. You seriously won’t regret it!

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