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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Lord Howe Island
Go for 5–7 nights, book flights and bed together, fly Sydney in about 2 h; day-tripping is impossible and a 2-night stay wastes the airfare.
Lord Howe is a UNESCO-listed volcanic island about 600 km off the New South Wales coast, 10 km long and 1.5 km wide, with the world's southernmost coral reef. Visitor numbers are capped, so beds and seats sell out months ahead and the return airfare is Australia's most expensive domestic route. It is a cycling, walking and snorkelling island, not a resort island.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Oct–Apr (warm, calm lagoon)
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (cooler, rainier, windier, more failed landings)
- Stay
- 5–7 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$150–250 excl. bed · Mid A$250–400 excl. bed · High A$400+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From a mobile 112
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Litre of milk | about A$5 |
| Loaf of bread | about A$5 |
| Hamburger at Thompson's Store, 11:00–14:00Hamburger at Thompson's Store, 11:00 AM–2:00 PM | about A$8 |
| Rolls and sandwiches at the Anchorage or Coral Cafe | about A$15 |
| Main course at the clubs | about A$25 |
| Main course elsewhere | A$35–55 |
| Card surcharge at many places | about 2% |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LDH · Lord Howe Island Airport
- Short runway; turboprops only. QantasLink from Sydney daily, about 2 h; Eastern Air Services from Newcastle, Port Macquarie and the Gold Coast a few times a week.
Typical fares
- QantasLink Sydney → Lord Howe, return
- about A$1,000–1,200, about 2 h each way
- Bicycle hire, per day
- from about A$8
- Golf green fees
- about A$40, honour system at the clubhouse
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Bicycles are the main transport and racks sit at every beach and shop; hire from Wilson's if your accommodation does not supply one. Walking covers the settlement and most beaches. There are no taxis and no public transport. Accommodation providers run guests to dinner at about 18:30 and restaurants drive them home.Bicycles are the main transport and racks sit at every beach and shop; hire from Wilson's if your accommodation does not supply one. Walking covers the settlement and most beaches. There are no taxis and no public transport. Accommodation providers run guests to dinner at about 6:30 PM and restaurants drive them home.
See and do
Known for
- World's southernmost coral reef
- Mount Gower and Malabar Ridge walks
- Ned's Beach fish feeding and snorkelling
- Ball's Pyramid dive trips
- No mobile phone reception
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ball's Pyramid | Dive or boat operator from the island | Half to full day |
| Mount Gower summit | Pre-booked full-day guided walk | 8–10 h |
| North Bay and Malabar Ridge | Walk from the track near Ned's Beach, return via the North Bay track | 3–5 h |
| Port Macquarie | MV Island Trader freight ship, fortnightly | About 2 days |
Sleep
- Old Settlement and Lagoon Road
- Beach, museum, shops and the lagoon within a short walk or ride; the flattest base.
- Middle Beach Road and the ridge
- Quieter, some properties sit up the hill; a few minutes more by bike to dinner.
- North Bay and far ends
- Very few beds, longer rides, best for walkers who want the north track on the doorstep.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| No mobile reception here | No mobile reception here |
| Where do I collect my bicycle? | Where do I collect my bicycle? |
| Can I book dinner for tonight? | Can I book dinner for tonight? |
| Is the lagoon calm today? | Is the lagoon calm today? |
| Do you take card? | Do you take card? |
| Where is the nearest public phone? | Where is the nearest public phone? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- No mobile phone reception anywhere on the island; there are coin public phones in town.
- Only Australian dollars are accepted — no foreign cash or travellers cheques. One ATM, inside the Bowling Club door.
- Book dinner before noon on the day; restaurants have about four dishes a night and sell out.
- Shops close for provisions around 18:00 and lunch takeaway stops at 14:00.
- Cliffs and lookouts are unfenced; several are named for people who fell.
- No decompression chamber on the island — follow the no-diving-within-24-hours-of-flying rule.
Very low crime; the real risks are unfenced cliffs, bicycle falls on the hills and the absence of a decompression chamber. A resident doctor runs the small hospital and serious cases are medivaced to the mainland.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Lord Howe Island yet. Suggested stay: 5–7 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- World's southernmost coral reef
- Mount Gower and Malabar Ridge walks
- Ned's Beach fish feeding and snorkelling
- Ball's Pyramid dive trips
- No mobile phone reception
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Lord Howe Island, revision 5334108 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5334108
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Lord Howe Island
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on the island; the nearest consulates and embassies are in Sydney.
No mobile network. Save offline maps and your accommodation phone number before you fly.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/lord-howe-island). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.