Lord Howe Island

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Lord Howe Island

An online cruising guide for yachts sailing to Lord Howe Island.

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Lord Howe Island - click for larger view
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Unofficial Flag
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31°33.0′S, 159°05.0′E
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Photo gallery

Overview

Lord Howe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site lying 600km (370mi) east of Port Macquarie on the Australian mainland. Lord Howe is a New South Wales protectorate rather than an Australian territory.

Cruising the region

Charts

Australian Hydrographic Service
Aus610 Lord Howe Island

Radio Nets

Routes to/from

Lord Howe Island must be approached from the west if you wish to moor in the lagoon. If approaching from the east (NZ) side, sail around to the west side of the island and come in via the north western passage into the lagoon.

You must radio ahead on VHF 16 advising of approach. The local police/water rescue/customs folks will find you a mooring if there is one available. Moorings are limited, and so in peak seasons prepare for some disappointment if none are available.

Check-in facilities

Submit details about facilities for checking in.

Marinas

There are no marina facilities on the island.

Anchorages

  • Moorings are available in the lagoon on the western side of the island. Radio ahead on VHF 16 and you will be directed to a mooring if one is available. Anchoring is not permitted.
  • If you plan to arrive during the busy season (southern hemisphere summer, basically) it may pay to call or email ahead to ensure that a mooring is available.
  • In the rare instance of SW winds, anchoring is possible in 10m - 15m depth in sand in the bay off Ned's Beach on the NE side of the island. You can guarantee that SW winds won't stay around for more than a day or so in summer so be prepared to move as the wind shifts.

Tourism & things to do ashore

One of the great things about Lord Howe Island is that there is very little to do there. There are no nightclubs, bars, heli-tours, jetskis, or similar. However it has some great bushwalks, most of which can be attempted solo after picking up one of the local guides from the shops ashore, or engaging one of the tour guides who are easy to find and run these daily or even more often. There are snorkelling tours, fishing tours and other similar low-key activities which can be arranged by arriving at a specific place and time advertised in several of the shop windows. The bird-watching tours are particularly popular.

I recommend obtaining a bicycle which can be rented cheaply on the island and simply riding around checking out the wildlife and other interesting sights. A visit to the meteorlogical station near the airport is also worthwhile, they lauch a weather baloon there daily and the staff there are happy to talk you through it.

My #1 favourite activity would have to be snorkelling in the lagoon. BYO snorkelling gear and head for one of the several popular snorkelling holes around, the aquatic life is certainly colourful and not to be missed.

Be prepared for a relaxing time.

Marine stores

There are no chandleries or similar on the island. Dried goods suitable for cruising sailors can be obtained at several of the small stores on shore, hunt around for the supplies you need as stocks may change regularly.

Offshore Islands

  • Ball's Pyramid is the most well known of the islands near Lord Howe Island. It's well worth a trip to explore it, although landing is prohibited (and would be nearly impossible for most boats).

There are also some offshore islets to the north east of the main island (the Admiralty Islets). These are best avoided by cruisers due to uncertainty in most of the charts of the area, and difficult tidal / current conditions.

References & Publications

Publications, etc.

Cruiser's Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

Forum Discussions

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

External Links


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SailorSmiley.gifContributors to this page

Names: Haiqu; Delatbabel


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