Lord Howe Island Walks

Walk Overview

Lord Howe Island is perfectly set up for a walking holiday based on day walks from a single base. The island has an area of about 3,600 acres of which about 70% is park preserve. The inhabited portion of the island is the low-lying, north-central area, with most of the walking terrain to the south and north. There being few cars and roads, it’s a simple thing to stroll or ride to the start of each walk from your accommodation.

The island is only eleven kilometres long and two kilometres wide, but with its hills and mountains, thick vegetation and irregular shape it seems far bigger. The island has many walking tracks that twist, bend and generally meander. They’re more about a relaxed journey than a route.  

Mount Gower (875m) and Mount Lidgbird (777m) dominate the southern section of the island and contribute hugely to the island’s jaw-dropping appearance. From first sight these mountains draw the eye of the walker. And with good reason as the walk to the summit of Mount Gower is generally regarded as one of Australia’s best day walks. It’s a challenging walk but the rewards are magnificent - excellent views, an other-worldly mist forest as well as prolific and unusual birdlife.

The other walks have their own attractions and capacity to delight. You’ll experience sea-cliffs, remote beaches, rainforest, massive Banyan trees, pristine streams and wonderful views over Lord Howe as well as surrounding islands and rock stacks. Most walks have at least one opportunity for a swim in the alluring turquoise waters.

Lord Howe Island is a designated World Heritage Site due to its rare natural attractions. In an effort to protect its precious environment, visitor numbers are restricted to 400 people at any time. The island lies 700km northeast of Sydney and is reached by an easy 2 hour flight.

Further information:

• An itinerary of day walks is described below.

• For more information on walking on Lord Howe Island, click the button below.

Itinerary

Some of the day walks are shown below. Each of them can be shortened readily.

Day 1

Mt Gower

Distance: 10km

Time: 8 hours

Accommodation: Hotel/Apartment

Day 2

Northern Hills

Distance: 6-9km

Time: 4-5 hours

Accommodation: Hotel/Apartment

Day 3

South Circuit Walk

Distance: 12km

Time: 6 hours

Accommodation: Hotel/Apartment

Walk Options

Guided

Several tour operators offer guided walking trips on Lord Howe Island. They are either six or seven day trips staying at one resort for the duration. All the trips include the walks described above

Typically, the package offered by these operators includes:

• Transfers to and from Lord Howe Island airport 

• Guides for walks

• Guided boat and/or snorkelling trip

• Accommodation

• All meals

Assisted self-guided

We are not aware of tour operators offering self-guided services. However, some of the accommodation providers will provide assistance and there are a couple of day walk tour operators based on the island.

Independent

As mentioned above under “Assisted self-guided”, some of the accommodation providers will provide walking related assistance and there are a couple of day walk tour operators based on the island.

Essential Information

Access

Lord Howe Island is located approximately 600 km north-east of Sydney (at about the same latitude as Port Macquarie). Flying is the only feasible way for most people to get there and QantasLink offers year-round scheduled services. Flight time is just under two hours. Flights depart from Sydney on most days and Brisbane on the weekends.

Park entry

No park entry fees or passes are required.

Best time

Although Lord Howe Island is a great place to visit year-round (in winter, the average maximum temperature is a mild 19 degrees celsius), the best time to do the walks is September through to May. 

Difficulty

The walks are rated at easy to moderate. The Mount Gower walk is an exception and is rated hard due to very steep sections, significant aggregate ascent and descent and cliff traversing.  

Accommodation

Whilst the number of visitors to the island at any one time is limited to 400, Lord Howe has a good range of accommodation options. Generally, accommodation is pricier than equivalent standard accommodation on mainland Australia, but on the mainland you’re not on Lord Howe Island!

Some of the accommodation providers are attuned to walkers’ needs or offer amenities suited to walkers. 

We can assist walkers in choosing the accommodation options which best suit their needs.

Other activities

As a popular holiday destination, Lord Howe offers many activities and attractions in addition to the walks. Many walkers choose to add extra days to their trip so that they can enjoy some of these.

Assistance

We can assist walkers with various aspects of their walking holidays.