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Winter Destination - Lord Howe Island

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Created by Dl33ta > 9 months ago, 23 Jul 2016
Dl33ta
TAS, 461 posts
23 Jul 2016 7:48PM
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Just got back from a trip to Lord Howe island with Dave from lordhowekitesurf.com, thought I'd share some of my experience.

Getting There


It took a little bit of research to get the low down on the baggage restrictions for Lord Howe. The restrictions stem from the fact that LH is serviced by 3 32 seat Dash 8 aircraft during winter, which have obvious cargo restrictions. There are a number of factors which will determine whether your luggage gets bumped; 1) how many people on your flight, which is a function of 2) whether the previous days plane was cancelled (happens a bit) and 3) if there is a lot of freight that day.


Each person gets 22kg of luggage, 14kg of checked luggage and 7kg of carry on. It is unlikely that you will get all your kitesurfing gear and clothes into 14kg so best to pay for extra baggage (23kg per item). I had a surfboard bag with a wetsuit, surfboard, bar, harness, etc plus the kite I figured I would be using on the day. This came to 14kg exactly, then asked for that item to be given priority over my other baggage (they will put a priority tag on it). The rest of my gear and clothes were in my extra baggage item which was 23kg.

As it happened, and is common during winter, there weren't too many people on the flight so all our baggage arrived on the same day.

Accomodation and air fares


If you can wait until Oxley puts up the kitesurfing packages you will get a better deal. They won't be posted until Oxley gets the winter airfare specials in from Qantas which can be late May. The flights can be over 50% cheaper with the packages so it's well worth the wait. The accomodation standards on the island can be very different so if you don't like "honest" type dwellings it's best to do some research.

In winter the wind gets strong/bad enough to cancel flights, great if your on the island already, not so great if you're sitting at the airport waiting to leave/arrive. The island is used to this happening and everything seems to work out but build some leeway into your schedule if you have tight timelines.

Getting Around

Most visitors to LH hire a bike from Wilsons as although the island is only 10km long it can still be some distance between your accomodation and where you want to go. Hiring a car is pretty expensive and probably overkill.


Eating

LH food is relatively expensive, not just for visitors but for residents as well. Being way out in the middle of the ocean means that almost everything has to come in by plane or the fortnightly barge that comes from the mainland. Both options aren't cheap and add an overhead to everything you buy on the island.


The only thing that doesn't have to be shipped in is fish which if you are on a budget is the cheapest way to eat. Dave and some of the hosts offer fish packs that start at around $12 and are enough to feed 3 - 4 people. Joy's and the TopShop have a surprisingly diverse array of groceries to keep you self sufficient during your stay.


If you have some cash to spend there are a limited options available to you during winter as many of the other establishments shut down for renovations or holidays. Some notables are Anchorage which has great quality but probably the most expensive on the island. Go to Greenback and get some fresh fish and chips. Definitely go to the bowls club on Friday night for an epic pizza but book early!

You need to be thinking early about what you are going to be eating and let your host know as early in advance as possible . Restaurants books out often in winter, especially if a big group shows up so decide where you want to go either the day before or early in the morning. There is a system on the island where your host will drop you off at your restaurant at 6.30pm and then the restaurant will drop you back to your accomodation by about 8.30 or so.


Dave Gardiner's Kitesurfing Tour


Dave has been working hard to develop a kitesurfing scene on LH for years now. He is a long term resident of the island and loves the place. Although it would be possible to just turn up and go kitesurfing you will definitely get more quality kitesurfing in by signing up. Dave will come and pick you up from your accomodation and take you to the best launch spot for the day. He'll also let you know what to look out for on the reef and what to expect from the capricious LH frontal weather.


You can be on the water as much as you want to be. While I was here we generally went for a kite in the morning up till about 11, had a break for 2 or 3 hours for lunch then back out for another kite in the afternoon. Dave will keep you as busy as your legs allow! I've been on a couple of kitesurfing tours now and this is the only one I thought worth writing about.


Kiting LH

LH sits out in the middle of nowhere, nicely positioned during winter between the edge of intense east cost low pressure systems and associated troughs that seem to march through one after another. The weather here can be pretty full on and challenging. If you are new to kitesurfing it probably isn't the best place to cut your teeth. Gusts can be > 10 knots the average and you need to be prepared for squalls to come through of 40+ knots. Again here it's handy to have a local like Dave around to give you an idea of what to expect.

You can kite the lagoon at any tide but you obviously need to be careful on low tide as sections of the reef expose. At high tide the whole place opens up giving you a 5km stretch of breakers to play in. There are some nice waves to be found at various breaks and some are only accessible during particular tide and wind directions.

During my stay the main wind direction was Westerly which is direct onshore for most of the lagoon. This meant a lot of tacking upwind to get out on to the reef which again would be difficult for a beginner. Once you're out in the reef passages though you can get some assists from an outgoing tide to stay on the breaks. Incoming tide can suck a fair bit of your apparent wind and you need to be aware of this if you get on a wave in the passage.

Once the wind clocks around to the south-west then the fun really begins, a single tack out to the reef and your choice of breaks.

Unlike somewhere like Namotu, you aren't competing for waves with 30 other kiters. Most of the local kiters were away while I was here so it was just Dave and I out on the waves. I think if you were a twin-tipper into kickers you would be hard pressed to find a better Australian winter destination. Regardless of your style the scenery in and around LH is jaw dropping. It is an unforgettable experience tacking out towards Mount Gowar that stands over 800m above sea level.

No wind?

If the wind isn't on there is a ton of stuff to do on the island. Make sure you take the trip up to the top of Mt Gowar. You need to go with a guide as there are some decent rock ascents that aren't for the faint of heart. The reef is pristine and you can always get some snorkelling gear to swim around and appreciate it with. If you're into surfing you can hire a board or use your own. Take a kayak out to the reef or go over to Neddy's which has some damn nice waves.

Immerse yourself in the island culture, catch up on the goss. Most people that aren't employees are generally keeping down four or more jobs to keep the lifestyle going. Of all the options you have available to you in Queensland for winter, this one is at the top of my list, challenging wind, crystal clear waters and plenty for the whole family to do.. and no mobile phone coverage!

So if you're not a party animal and like a bit of isolation, get on to Oxley and get yourself over there!

Gorgo
VIC, 4911 posts
23 Jul 2016 11:44PM
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Went to Lord Howe with friends a few years ago. Ranks right up there as one of our best holidays. Lord Howe is like a cross between a laid back Aussie country town, with good coffee and restaurants, on a tropical island.

You can buy good produce in small quantities from the Co-Op. It's still expensive but you only have to buy as much as you need for the time you're staying. Better than buying big jars of stuff.

https://www.lordhoweisland.info/travel-essentials/island-services/shops/co-op/

strekke
70 posts
24 Jul 2016 1:46AM
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That sounds like an awesome expedition - got any footage to share?

Kozzie
QLD, 1451 posts
24 Jul 2016 5:41PM
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to expensive for my sort of people the flights alone cost more then bloody hundreds of better kiting spots. then the cost of living is higher aswell?!?! so i guess if you want to get away from wind bums like me go for it aint no way in hell were going there



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"Winter Destination - Lord Howe Island" started by Dl33ta