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Discovering the paradise of Lord Howe Island
By: Lisa Wolff, Yahoo!7 Travel

The first time I visited Australia over 15 years ago, my uncle had just returned from a holiday on Lord Howe Island. It's a natural treasure, home to only 350 people and restricted to 400 visitors at one time. The way he talked about this secret hideaway convinced me that true paradise did exist - a mere 700km north east of Sydney.

When I immigrated to Sydney and started dating, I'd give every prospective suitor the Lord Howe test. It was simple. All I wanted to know is whether they had visited the Island of my dreams. The ones that had never even heard about Lord Howe lost points immediately and the one man that offered to take me to visit, I decided to marry.

Lord Howe Island...finally
So a few months after our wedding, new husband and I were finally going to discover the number one destination on my must-see list. It's a short two-hour flight from Sydney on Qantas Link's 36-seater Dash 8 aircraft. The plane landed at the quaintest airport where our welcoming party were waiting a few steps away from the runway, behind a white picket fence.

Doug, from Arajilla Retreat, our home on Lord Howe, took us for a tour of the 11km long Island. We seemed to be driving snail-like slow. "The speed limit here is 25km/hr," Doug told us. With our hearts still beating to city-time, I wondered how I would get used to the languid pace. But after a day, I was ready to throw my watch into the sea. "We all run on Island time," said Doug. Yep, no need for a clock ticking away my life here. What bliss!

Smiles all around
I asked Doug what made him move here. "Because I wanted to be happy," he answered without a moment's hesitation. Looking around at the turquoise blue water, the lush green forests and the colourful birds singing away in the trees, I mused that it would take quite a bit of effort to be sad in this place. Every person that passed by waved and grinned. Wow, everyone here is really happy. And it appears to be infectious. In urban life, we're suspicious of strangers. In Lord Howe heaven, it felt a little awkward at first to be smiling at people I didn't know. But soon, I was waving and greeting everyone with warmth that I usually reserve for family. Doug was right. I was feeling so happy.

Arajilla Harmony
When I saw our accommodation, my smile grew even wider. Arajilla Retreat is regarded as one of the most luxurious resorts on Lord Howe. Everything about this place is geared towards serenity - from the sunny open-plan lounge with comfy couches to our bungalow with a huge bed and lovely deck perfect for all-day relaxation.

No need for hi-tech here
Our room seemed well-equipped with everything we would need on holiday. I just wanted to check with Doug about wireless access. "You would like to see a wine-list?" Doug queried, eager to show off Arajilla's comprehensive selection of excellent Aussie wines including their own label. "No", I corrected. "Wireless. You know, the internet". "Oh", he said. "Yes, we do" as he waved his arms as if trying to brush off my question. "But there's no use of that technology here. There's not even mobile reception". Ah, now this sounds like a getaway every stressed-out city slicker needs.

In my view, it's always the staff that takes a property to five-star heights and the Arajilla team get full marks for their hospitality and charming helpfulness. Sam, Bonny and Holly made the best coffee on the Island (my caffeine-connoisseur hubbie remarked that it was even better than his favourite brew back on the mainland). The girls were always on hand for activity suggestions and to go that extra step to make our stay so memorable. Owners of Arajilla for 20 years, Jan and Bill often joined us for a drink before dinner. They are a congenial couple who genuinely love sharing their piece of idyllic life with guests.

Delicious food...island-style
Most of the food on the island is flown in daily or shipped in on a barge every fortnight. Despite these restrictions, the meals at Arajilla were delicious. Since the eating options on the Island are limited (there are a few cafes, takeaway joints and three grocery stores), Arajilla guests are treated to three meals a day. Breakfast is a feast of fruit, the yummiest dried fruit (we picked some up from the co-op before we left), cereal, freshly baked pastries and mini-quiche. There is also a hot menu and I can highly recommend the pancakes and the scrumptious corn fritters with zucchini and avocado.

We only chose to have a light salad lunch in the dining-room once during our stay. The other days, the team packed us gourmet sandwiches for a picnic on one of the glorious beaches. Another time, we were given a fully-equipped barbecue pack. There are barbeques scattered all over the island, most supplied with wood while there are a few on North Bay that are fuelled by gas. My hubbie had never built a wood-flamed fire before so we had a lot of fun (and smoke-inhalation) getting our meat on the sizzle. Arajilla supplied us with salad, bread, chicken, steak, marinades and utensils for our outdoor feast. We felt quite a sense of achievement as we finally tucked into our delicious char-grilled lunch, with the view of the azure ocean making the meal close to perfect.

Dinners at Arajilla are a three-course affair. The menu changed on a nightly basis and there were always options to choose from. The chef isn't restricted to a type of cuisine and he'd take us on a culinary journey from Asia with Thai-style chicken dumplings to Italy for a pea and pumpkin risotto. The succulent lamb backstrap with sauteed mushrooms was a foodie highlight for me. Outside visitors are also welcome to dine at Arajilla at the cost of around $70 for three courses.

Discovering pristine nature
We relaxed into a bit of a routine. After brekkie, we'd consult our ramblers guide and choose a hike that appealed. It was a difficult choice as there were so many nature walks to pick from ranging from leisurely class one ambles all the way up to difficult class six climbs. We'd work up a sweat getting to the peaks from where the views were breathtaking. Animal lovers are in their element as the protected environment attracts over 130 bird species and an abundance of marine life. Fishing is forbidden so snorkelling in the crystal-clear waters is a treat. Even the cows look content, knowing that their beef is safe.

After our walk, we'd head to one of the unspoilt beaches for lunch and a swim. My favourite was Ned's Beach which boasted fields of lush grass, soft sand and the bluest waters I've ever seen. Old Settlement Beach is also a brilliant snorkelling spot while the best surfing waves can be found at Blinky. Even at the busiest times, we felt as if we had the beaches to ourselves. There was not a crowd in sight.

Not a care in the world
In the afternoon, we usually returned to Arajilla to read our books on the deck or catch the last rays of sun with a hot drink and moreish biscotti in the guest lounge. Then a little while later there was pre-dinner drinks followed by our evening meal in the dining room. Each day was more glorious than the last with not a worry in the world. I could get used to this kind of life.

We felt like true islanders by the time our holiday was over. I couldn't believe how quickly we had adapted to a world without material pretension or petty anxiety which usually rules our days. When we landed back in Sydney, I felt like a rabbit in the headlights. Everything felt a bit too loud and garish. But I held on to that little sparkle of soul from Lord Howe paradise and I smiled at strangers walking by. They may think I'm crazy but I don't care. Once you've had a taste of Lord Howe happiness, it stays with you forever.

My favourite Lord Howe activities

Hikes

Malabar Hill and Kims Lookout - This is one of Lord Howe's most popular walks with a mediocre level of fitness needed to get to the top of the 209 metre-high Malabar peak. It took us about an hour to reach the summit and from here we were spellbound by the views of Admiralty Islands and the surrounding beaches. It was a clear day so we could easily make out the coral reef in the lagoon and could even see Balls Pyramid - a sharp, tall rock jutting out from the middle of the ocean. It's worthwhile continuing onto Kims Lookout for a thrilling panorama of towering Mount Gower at a massive 875 metres and its slightly smaller sister Mount Lidgebird at 777 metres high. Our legs felt like jelly on the walk back down. Thank goodness for the stairs hewn into the rock to help make the journey to the bottom so much easier.

North Bay - We were lucky that the start of our walk co-incided with low tide so we decided to take the path less travelled - over the rocks. It took us about an hour to round the coastline rock-hopping and pebble-stepping all the way. It may not be as steep as the regular path but we needed to focus on each step to avoid slipping. North Bay is well equipped with toilets and barbeques and offers some excellent snorkelling. Since this spot can only be reached by boat or foot, it can be peacefully secluded. We continued 600m to Mount Eliza. However, our trip to the top was thwarted by a squawking sooty tern who was nursing her speckled egg in the middle of our path. She was screeching with distress so we decided to turn around and admire one of the best views on the Island from lower down.

It's also worthwhile taking the short amble along the wooden boardwalks to Old Gulch, where you can watch the waves crashing against the pebbled shore. The return trip back to Old Settlement beach is pretty steep. It's not difficult but I was huffing and puffing by the time we reached the bottom.

Valley of Shadows - If you're after something more chilled, then the walk through the Valley of Shadows is a wise choice. The path is along the forest floor under the shade of the tree canopy. There is fascinating flora and fauna to be seen along the way and there's a welcome bench at the end to just sit and listen to nature's music.

Mount Gower - This is the most advanced walk-climb on Lord Howe but is supposed to be very rewarding. The one-day hike is guided and involves some rope-climbing and hair-raising heights. I wasn't brave enough for the challenge but those that do make it to the top say the views at the summit make the effort worthwhile.

Feeding the fish

One afternoon, we borrowed push bikes from Arajilla and cycled to Ned's Beach. We were keen to snorkel and despite the glorious weather, the water was a little chilly. We didn't have to look very far for a solution. Ned's honesty box rental lends out a variety of water accessories such as wetsuits, flippers and snorkels for small change. I loved that there is no-one manning the stall and the payment is all trust-based.

Armed with our huge chunks of bread that we had collected from Arajilla earlier, we waded into the water suitably clad in shortie suits. We stood knee-deep and tossed crumbs into the water. Within a few seconds, we were surrounded by metre-long kingfish who chomped hungrily at the bread. They literally eat out of your hands if you don't throw the crumbs in quick enough. What an amazing experience.

Snorkelling

After giving the fish their snack, we donned our snorkels and headed back into the water. The coral is immaculate and the visibility is superb. We loved watching the array of colourful marine life and picked out a number of familiar fish. Scuba diving is also a very popular activity here. And because of the sheltered waters, it's a perfect place to do a learn-how-to-dive course.

Shopping

One of the best things about Lord Howe is that there is nothing resembling a mall. There are three grocery stores which stock everything from lollies to fishing tackle. There's also a cool surf shop, an arts and crafts outlet, a co-op as well as two banks which open a couple of hours per week.

How to Get There

Qantaslink flies most days to Lord Howe Island directly from Sydney. The airline also flies from Brisbane on weekends as well as out of Port Macquarie in high season (from February to June, and September to December).

If you can plan at least six months in advance and you have some frequent flier miles to spare, the route to Lord Howe is one of the best value ways to use your miles. However, since the planes are small, seats get whipped up in seconds. Due to the 400 visitors restriction on the island, flights are expensive and you can expect to pay about $1,000 for a return flight. So book as early as you can.

Where to Stay

There is a full range of accommodation options on Lord Howe Island ranging from family friendly self-contained cottages to more opulent resorts. I had a look around some of the properties available and Arajilla was by far my favourite. The retreat is centrally situated and has ten one-bedroom and two two-bedroom suites. There is also a tranquil Ayurvedic-style spa on site which offers massage, facials as well as more unusual body rituals like Shirodhara (involving the flow of warm oil on your third eye). The staff are so friendly and warm and went out of their way to make our holiday a real time-out. Everything about Arajilla is focussed on comfort and serenity and it's no wonder that stressed out corporate types return to the retreat over again.

Keep in mind that everything in Lord Howe comes at a slight premium as most items need to be flown or shipped in from the mainland. So don't be surprised if prices are higher on the Island. An all-inclusive rate (three meals a day, pre-dinner drinks, bike hire, transfers etc) for the one-bedroom suites in Arajilla start from $520 per person per night.

Visit Arajilla Retreat to find out more and book your gateway into paradise.