Lord Howe Island Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic views of Lord Howe Island captured by Eugene Tan
#feelnsw
You’ll feel like you’ve entered another realm when you touch down on UNESCO World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island, just a two-hour flight from Sydney. Indeed, its otherworldly landscapes have been compared to the fictitious Isla Nublar from the Jurassic Park movies. With Jurassic World Dominion, the sixth film in the series, hitting Australian cinemas on 10 June, satisfy your appetite for adventure in New South Wales’s own Jurassic Park with these eight itinerary highlights.
Get a buzz scaling an ancient volcano
Like Isla Nublar, Lord Howe Island has volcanic origins — it’s a remnant of a shield volcano that erupted some seven million years ago. Rising up from its southern tip is one of the small island’s most distinctive volcanic features, the hulking basalt peak of Mt Gower (875m). Get your adrenaline pumping on a guided scramble to the summit, a challenging full-day hike that rewards you with misty-eye-inducing views across the 11km-long island. On the way up, you’ll pass through ecosystems so surreal you’ll feel like you’re in a fantasy film of your own.
Be awed by an ancient icon
Marvel at another volcanic wonder in the form of the world’s tallest volcanic stack, Balls Pyramid, which shoots 551m out of the ocean. Located 23km offshore, Balls Pyramid is home to another ancient relic, the Lord Howe Island phasmid, a giant stick insect thought to be extinct for decades before it was rediscovered here in 2001. While climbing Balls Pyramid isn’t permitted, some of the region’s most beautiful coral reefs fringe the sea stack. Admire them on a thrilling snorkelling or scuba diving tour.
Lord Howe Island Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic views of Lord Howe Island captured by Eugene Tan
#feelnsw
Lord Howe Island Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic views of Lord Howe Island captured by Eugene Tan
Discover species that live nowhere else
While you won’t find any man-eating prehistoric reptiles lurking on Lord Howe Island, you can delight in encountering dozens of plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth. Among its most famous endemic creatures is the Lord Howe woodhen, a chocolate-coloured ground-dwelling bird that has made a remarkable comeback following a recent major conservation initiative. Look out for these curious birds as you explore the island.
Jump on a bike and lap up the lack of crowds
Revel in the solitude as you cycle around Lord Howe Island, the most popular way to get around. With less than 400 residents, and daily visitors capped at 400 to help preserve the island’s natural beauty and laidback vibe, this is one destination where you’ll never need to worry about crowds, let alone dinosaurs. Some accommodations offer complimentary bikes, or you can rent one.
Dive into idyllic beaches
Take your pick of Lord Howe Island’s dazzling beaches, with 11 to choose from — and not a Mosasaurus in sight. Chase waves at Blinky Beach, go paddleboarding or kayaking on the island’s famed aquamarine lagoon. Hike over land or take a tour to North Bay’s beach, strap on a snorkel and be wowed by the vibrant colours of the corals just metres offshore from Ned’s Beach, which teem with rare reef fish. Or fully immerse yourself in the world’s most southerly barrier reef with Pro Dive.
Lord Howe Island Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic views of Lord Howe Island captured by Eugene Tan
#feelnsw
Lord Howe Island Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic views of Lord Howe Island captured by Eugene Tan
Hike through forests from another era
Lord Howe Island may not have been formed until more than 50 million years after the last dinosaurs died out, but as you hike along trails weaving through subtropical forests that have evolved over thousands of years, it’s easy to think you’ve stepped into a bygone era. Take an energising 1.5km hike up Malabar Hill at the northern end of the island to pair ancient forests with awe-inspiring views. Between September and May, be dazzled by the airborne courting rituals of red-tailed tropicbirds at the top.
Feast on fresh island produce
Located 600km east of the Australian mainland — much further from land than its Jurassic Park doppelganger — Lord Howe Island’s remoteness means local produce is king, from freshly caught kingfish to home-grown vegetables. There’s even beer brewed locally; head to The Nursery Lord Howe Island to taste ales from the taproom, perhaps also picking up some fresh veggies to cook in your accommodation. Or leave the cooking to local restaurants such as the Coral Cafe, where succulent local kingfish is usually on the menu, or Earl’s Anchorage, also known for its local produce-led fare.
Kick off your hiking boots at a luxury stay
Jurassic Park fans may remember the luxe Hilton Isla Nublar from Jurassic World, the fourth film in the series. On Lord Howe Island, you have the luxury of choosing from a wider range of special stays. Gaze out towards Mt Gower from the infinity pool at Capella Lodge, soak up the heritage along with the relaxed vibe at Pinetrees, be soothed by the kentia palm forest cocooning Arajilla Retreat, or channel your inner Hemsworth on an ultra-luxe stay at Island House.
Lord Howe Island Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic views of Lord Howe Island captured by Eugene Tan
#feelnsw
Lord Howe Island Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic views of Lord Howe Island captured by Eugene Tan
More Inspirational Stories
Mulwala Water Ski Club, MulwalaCredit: Destination NSW
Mulwala Water Ski Club located in the Riverina Murray region in Mulwala, offers an outdoor bar and casual relaxed dining overlooking Lake Mulwala. Learn to water ski on a world-class, private, twin lake the Max Kirwan Ski Park.
#feelnsw #newsouthwales
Cool off with an adventure: NSW is a watersports playground
Mulwala Water Ski Club, Mulwala Credit: Destination NSW
#feelnsw #newsouthwales
Hot sands, wild rivers, bays with towers of coral and waves that curl like a rockabilly quiff – NSW is a paradise for adventure on and under the water. For adrenaline-chasers, there are world-class waves and whitewater runs, foils and jet boats built for speed, and reefs home to sharks and turtles. For the quiet adventurers, try paddleboard expeditions, fishing for rainbow trout and bass in pristine rivers, and colourful snorkelling spots.
Your next adrenaline hit
Surfing may be the famous action-hero of the NSW watersports scene, but the state’s rivers, lakes, bays and beaches also host a huge diversity of aquatic adventures to get the heart racing. Take in Sydney Harbour’s icons, while spinning, splashing and thundering past in a jet boat with Oz Jet Boating or Thunder Jet Boat. In Western Sydney, Penrith is a hub for adventure. Penrith Whitewater Stadium, purpose-built for the 2000 Olympics, is uniquely set up for both beginner paddling and intense raft adventures, as well as kayak courses where you can test yourself against Olympic times; Cables Wake Park teaches you to wakeboard via zipline (jumps and obstacles included); and Jet Pack Adventures lets you feel like a water-powered Iron Man.
In Brooklyn, on the Hawkesbury River, Jet Ski Safaris will take you around the bends of the river at 30 knots, while Fliteschool Manly and OzFoiling (with multiple locations on the Mid North Coast) will teach you how to cruise the coastline via eFoil, a motorised surfboard that glides above the water like an elegant seabird. Outside of Sydney, on the Murray River, encounter one of the greatest and oldest waterski clubs in the world at Mulwala Water Ski Club.
Find a wave
With reliable breaks on some of the world’s most picturesque beaches, NSW is a premium spot on the international surf circuit. Surfers with their own board and years of experience behind them can find world-class waves all up the coast while newbies can join in on a surfing lesson, all you have to do is choose which one and which beach. You can also practice on a perfectly shaped, perfectly reliable wave (with multiple options suitable for beginners or experts) at URBNSURF, Olympic Park’s surf park, and finish off with a meal at RAFI, the onsite Applejack-run restaurant and bar that overlooks the waves.
URBNSURF Sydney Credit: Applejack_Sandy’s_URBNSURF Sydney
URBNSURF Sydney
#feelnewsydney
URBNSURF Sydney Credit: Applejack_Sandy’s_URBNSURF Sydney
URBNSURF Sydney
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
#feelnewsydney
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
Explore NSW’s coral reefs
The pristine, ecologically rich seas of NSW have seen the development of 10 protected marine parks covering more than 100,000 square kilometres, offering a haven to wildly diverse range of sea life. Beyond those areas, in the harbour and the bays of the coastal cities, there are also vibrant ecosystems ripe for snorkel or scuba dive trips. Self-guided snorkelling can be done in most places along the coast and, provided you have the equipment and training, so can diving. Or learn the ropes with a tour. Woebegone Expeditions and Courses will teach you how to explore the reefs of the South Coast with safe, freediving techniques; Region X Snorkel Tours has you jumping off a kayak with a snorkel around Batemans Bay; and Ecotreasures fits in a headland walk between time in the aquatic reserve around Manly. For new divers, you can explore the lower North Coast with Jetty Dive Centre or the tropical far North Coast with Cooly Eco Adventures. While Sydney Underwater Scooters will set you up with a handheld swim-assister and show you the clear waters and underwater fauna of Sydney’s Gordon’s Bay.
Paddling sunrise to sunset
Every river, bay and lake has a different scene and a different story, and cruising on a kayak, canoe or stand-up paddleboard (SUP) lets you discover at your own pace. NSW is also full of explorers and local experts ready to guide you along the way. In Sydney, Sydney Harbour Kayaks and Sydney by Kayak will introduce you to the harbour at its multicolour best with dawn and dusk paddles. Manly Kayak Centre has both hire and guided options for kayaks and SUP, as well as giving you the opportunity to try your hand at SUPBALL, which is like polo but replaces the horse with a SUP. Cronulla SUP and Balmoral Paddlesurf let you explore less famous, but no less beautiful, beaches of Sydney’s south and north respectively.
On the Sapphire Coast combine your next river adventure with a story, like on Navigate Expeditions’ Aboriginal Culture Tour, where you journey into the land’s Indigenous heritage, or a Kayak and Shuck Tour where you visit the oyster farms. On the North Coast, social enterprise and SUP tour guides Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours offers cultural eco-tourism on a paddleboard around the pristine waters of Solitary Island Marine Park. Not far away in The Tweed, Watersports Guru offers SUP lessons and hire, allowing you to cruise the waters Cudgen Creek while taking in the local birdlife – if you’re lucky you may even see a pod of dolphins.
Reel in a new experience
With pristine rivers and wild oceans, NSW is a dream for fishing for both newbies and those looking for the next big catch. Out on the oceans of the South Coast Kiama Charter Service will help you pull in your first deep-sea fish (go for blue-eye trevalla, gemfish or hapuka). While Port Macquarie Fishing Charters, Reel Ocean Adventures (in Tuncurry) and Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters, provide the boats, deep-sea equipment and vibes on the North Coast. Inland, learn traditional yabbying in the bush at Narrabri Fish Farm, or set up your own line on NSW’s most epic jetties at Coffs Harbour, Lake Macquarie and Lake St Clair in the Hunter Valley. If you know the ways of a fly fisher, the Snowy Mountains and Blue Mountains are the hot spots.
Kayaking, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a day of kayaking on Sydney Harbour.
#feelnewsydney
Kayaking, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a day of kayaking on Sydney Harbour.
Navigate Expeditions, Kalaru Credit: Destination NSW
Guests on a walking tour with Navigate Expeditions in Kalaru
#feelnsw #newsouthwales
Navigate Expeditions, Kalaru Credit: Destination NSW
Guests on a walking tour with Navigate Expeditions in Kalaru