Getaway to Lord Howe Island

Night fell suddenly on the tiny yacht, an insignificant stain on the rough Tasman Sea. Ominous clouds approached and the rain poured down. The same ten-foot and four-meter waves that had been so exhilarating surfing in the daylight turned into menacing monsters, intent on dumping tons of foamy water onto Levi’s deck and into her cabin. The sails had double curled in anticipation of a stormy night.

We had left New Zealand’s picturesque Bay of Islands seven days earlier aboard my Levitation yacht, a Cavalier 32, bound for Queensland, Australia. He had arranged to clear customs on Lord Howe Island as it is popular with many yachts sailing between the two countries.

My crew: Orit, a 24-year-old Israeli girl, a brilliant backpacker, who had no sailing experience. She spent a period in the military after school and wanted to become a marine biologist. And Nick, 50, who had sailed most of his life and manned yachts in Queensland’s coastal regattas, though he never owned his own yacht, believed himself to be an expert in marine navigation.

Orit and I were on duty throughout the night. Searching in the dark through the pouring rain, we finally made out the black triangle known as Balls Pyramid and the towering mountains of Lord Howe Island.

I found it strange … couldn’t see any navigation lights … just the increasing size of the black landmass. I looked on the graph for the magenta flash mark to indicate a beacon and couldn’t find any. I couldn’t even detect the light that should be at the top of the mountain for air traffic. I make a call on channel 16 on the VHF periodically during the night. No response.

Finally dawn dawned, gray and sad, boisterous 25-30 kt winds from the southeast churning the sea. At 0600 hours the radio came to life and I got in touch with someone outside of our little world. What a relief, I was eager to get the marine weather forecast. The weather and tidal conditions weren’t favorable for navigating the narrow entrance to the coral reef, they told me, but by mid-afternoon the situation was expected to improve.

Exhausted, we all wanted to get in before dark and fatigue made us nervous. “As soon as my feet hit the ground, I head to the nearest McDonald’s, a Big Mac, and a thick shake,” Orit fantasized. “For me it’s a long hot shower, clean hair, dry clothes, and then I’ll settle for a glass of cold chardonnay,” I replied. Nick was quiet! Darkness fell as the harbormaster led us through the narrow coral inlet, where the wind still lifted white caps over the calm waters of the lagoon. He pointed his high beam flashlight at the two switched off triangular navigational aids and lined them up. There were no port or starboard beacons, and what I thought was a forward light turned out to be a lone light on the shore. The mooring was close to the coral entrance and it was difficult to lift and secure the chain in the still stormy conditions.

The island was dark and threatening. Where was the town, lights of any kind (navigation, street, car!) And all the familiar signs of life we ​​are used to! This was really weird to me. In all my travels I have never experienced it before. This was far from what we envisioned as our tropical island getaway.

The sun rose on a new day, and so did our spirits. We were in awe of the majestic twin mountains of Gower and Lidguard, their peaks shrouded in mist. The seductive emerald and turquoise waters of the crystal clear lagoon meet the sun-kissed sand and lush tropical forest. Ivory foam cascaded over the world’s southernmost coral reef. We manually feed schools of fish.

We waited impatiently for the wind to subside and then we climbed onto my inflatable, swinging 3 garbage bags of wet, smelly clothing. After a long line, we carried the load up the boat ramp. Terra signs how wonderful it felt. The customs officer, barefoot, in shorts and a T-shirt, met us in his office (the back of an SUV). I paid a $ 150A fee and made arrangements for the quarantine check.

Now was the time to satisfy our desire to explore. Nick headed to Wilson’s bike rental. We would see him from time to time, head down and a multi-colored helmet on, selling furiously. Orit and I decided to walk.

At Aunty Sue’s garden restaurant we devoured a meal of freshly caught fish and salad from the garden. What a luxury after the last eight days. Leanda Lei Apartments allowed us to wear their clothes. Orit and I rowed back to Levi. Nick was still doing his thing and chose to join some of the locals at the Bowling Club.

As night fell, the wind whipped the waters of the lagoon. Levi swayed alarmingly, sometimes healing. The bullets of wind sped down the mountain at astonishing speeds, swaying and pulling us against our mooring. I was afraid the chain would break and we would end up on the rocks or on the coral. On a pause we put on harnesses (yes, on a mooring) and ventured out, securing the boat with more rope and chain. Our first night was very shaky. At intervals during the night I checked the GPS and waypoints to make sure we hadn’t crawled.

Travel brochures described Lord Howe as “not just another island, but another world.” And that is! Lord Howe, discovered in 1788 and established in 1833, is one of the first three islands in the world to receive world heritage list status and is impressive for its natural beauty, marine and plant life. It is only 11 km long and 2.8 km wide, 700 km NE of Sydney, Australia. Two volcanic mountains dominate the island and overlook the lagoon surrounded by reefs and their waves.

Many of its 300 residents are descendants of the original settlers. The Wilsons, who have operated Ocean View Apartments for more than 90 years, have collected many memorabilia from boaters and visiting travelers during that time.

As expected, Nick decided to fly home. Orit stayed with me and we settled into a relaxed lifestyle while we made repairs and waited for a favorable window of time.
One night we walked fearlessly in total darkness, as there are no street lamps in the bowling club under a roof of dense tropical foliage. The keys are left in the ignition of the cars and the doors are opened, nobody steals them where they would go. Car accidents, the worst thing they told me was hitting me against a tree while drunk after leaving the bowling club. The speed limit is 25 km throughout the island and bicycles have priority.

We enjoyed happy hour at the bowling club, live music at Pine Trees Resort, and played Bongo Drums with some of the locals as they played guitars and sang.
No, we didn’t find a McDonald’s or even an ATM. High-rise buildings, large hotels, cinemas, shopping centers, and marinas were conspicuously absent. But there were also the things that can only go with development; pollution, traffic jams, high crime rate and stress.

What we did find in abundance were the most important things that nourish the soul. Lord Howe is unspoiled and serene, a haven for rare and beautiful birds, a mecca for fishermen. You can dive or snorkel in the crystal clear lagoon and there is deep sea fishing just beyond the reef. It is a place to escape the fast life … And lazily embrace beauty and simplicity.