Overview
Just an hour’s flight from Sydney, Lord Howe is a subtropical paradise and one of Australia’s most beautiful islands. Lord Howe is a world heritage site with an endemic clownfish and the southern-most barrier reef in the world. Like a mini-Galapagos, it’s home to a rare flightless rail, millions of seabirds and an extraordinary stick-insect or ’land lobster’ wiped out by rats in the 20th century and thought extinct until the rediscovery of live animals in 2001. Join local guides, naturalists and one of the best accommodation views on the islands, and explore Australia’s paradise.
Highlights- Self-contained accommodation with some of the best mountain and lagoon views on the island
- Expert guiding by Lord Howe’s leading naturalist (as featured on Attenborough's BBC)
- View beautiful nesting sea birds up close
- Enjoy a behind-the-scenes encounter with the island’s famous stick-insect
- Freshly cooked bread and breakfast eggs, complimentary sparkling wine, fresh coffee and fresh seafood
- Tour and talk at the Museum by the curator
- Options: additional birdwatching, Mt Gower Walk, snorkelling, diving
- Snorkelling gear and bicycle hire
Itinerary
Day 1 You will be picked up and transferred to your accommodation to settle in before lunch. In the afternoon, local naturalist Ian Hutton will meet you for a short introductory walk around settlement and shops; close up look at White terns, Black Noddies and other bird life. At 5:30PM, there will be an introductory lecture to Lord Howe Island at the museum including special Lord Howe Island Phasmid viewing and story. Evening will be at a local restaurant.
Day 2–3 (short stay) The following days you can choose based on your interests and the order may be revised due to other constraints. Note, some activities are weather-dependent. Each day, a basic continental breakfast (bread and local eggs) is supplied. Evening meals are at your own expense as you can choose from a selection of local restaurants, or you can cook in your apartment, or use the BBQ with ocean and mountain views.
Day 4 Following an early breakfast, transfer to the airport to check in for your flight home.
Options
Option 1. A morning to explore the island with your snorkel gear and bikes and an afternoon guided snorkel cruise with Islander Cruises.
Option 2. Morning birdwatching walk with Ian Hutton to look for waders and other birds, then on to Ned’s Beach for Sooty terns, Brown noddies and Black winged petrels (depending on season). In the afternoon, a pelagic cruise (3.5 hours) offshore from Lord Howe Island or if weather suitable to Balls Pyramid for fishing and birdwatching.
Option 3. All day picnic day at North Bay. After a short ferry trip we have a BBQ picnic lunch then snorkelling before climbing Mount Eliza and beachcombing. Chance to see Sooty terns, Grey Ternlets, Black Noddies, Brown Noddies, and Red-tailed Tropicbirds. Also at low tide this is the best place on the island to view the visiting shorebirds. Dinner is pizza or a BBQ on the beach. Return by car to your accommodation.
Option 4. Spectacular Mt Gower walk (all day) with local naturalist and fifth-generation islander Jack Shick.
Option 5. Morning birdwatching walk with Ian Hutton to look for waders and other birds, then on to Ned’s Beach for Sooty terns, Brown noddies and Black winged petrels (depending on season). Afternoon relaxing or exploring by bicycle then in the evening, a guided tour with Ian Hutton, either (Spring) watching the Flesh footed shearwaters return at dusk; or (autumn) 4.30pm drive south for viewing the return of the Providence petrels at Little Island – one of the great seabird spectacles of the world (filmed by David Attenborough for Life of Birds).
Inclusions
- Return flights from Newcastle / Port Macquarie
- Light continental breakfast every day
- Lunches during excursions (check individual options, below)
- Bike hire
- Snorkel gear hire
- Three nights accommodation
- One evening meal delivered to your accommodation for you to BBQ.
- Airport transfers
- OPTION 1
- Guided snorkel cruise with Islander Cruises.
- OPTION 2
- Morning birdwatching walk
- Afternoon pelagic cruise (3.5 hours)
- OPTION 3
- North Bay ferry
- BBQ picnic lunch
- Snorkelling
- Mount Eliza climb and beachcombing.
- Dinner pizza or a BBQ on the beach.
- Transfers to and from accommodation.
- OPTION 4
- Mt Gower walk (all day).
- OPTION 5
- Morning birdwatching walk.
- Evening guided tour with Ian Hutton
Exclusions
- Any items of a personal nature.
- Any meals or drinks not specified in inclusions.
- Anything not included in the list of inclusions (above).
- Laundry.
- Travel insurance.
Note, we can arrange all travel to and from tour locations, quote for group bookings, and tailor any packages as required.
*Price
- Prices may vary due subject to availability and accommodation type, number of travellers and activity options.
Product 401934
Itinerary
Includes
Excludes
Highlights
Payment Terms
COVID-19The initial deposit is refundable for 5 days - a cooling off period long enough for us to send you precise final terms. Note, many of these are still being negotiated but this first payment will be held in trust, giving us time to determine the conditions for final payment without putting this payment at any risk.
1. RESERVATIONS
Reservations are confirmed on receipt of a non-refundable deposit of $A500 per person or per booking, or the amount specified on your booking. On receipt of your reservation form and deposit, we will, subject to availability, reserve your place on your selected travel module. Additional deposits may be required and will be advised at time of booking. Final payment of land costs are due at least* 60 days prior to arrival and all reservations will be cancelled if full payment is not received by the due date, with loss of deposit. On receipt of your payment, we will send tour information and vouchers. Please ensure that you receive the information before you travel. Bookings made at least* less than 60 days prior to departure must be paid in full. Due to time constraints, tour information and vouchers may be collected on the first day of departure with Wildiaries from its tour guide. These arrangements will be confirmed to you in writing prior to travel. Every reservation amendment will incur an AUD$50.00 charge, subject to availability. Note that if travel documents have been issued, the fee will be AUD$100. *Special conditions may apply to some trips. You will be notified if this is the case.
2. CANCELLATIONS
All cancellations must be made in writing to Wildiaries, and all tours are subject to the following cancellation charges based on the number of days before tour departure: Over 60 days: No refund of tour deposit Between 0 and 60 days: No refund of tour cost There is no refund for any unused portions of the tour once the tour has commenced. [Please note that if the reason for cancellation falls within the terms of any holiday insurance policy which you hold, then any such charges will normally be refunded to you by the insurance company, subject to the terms of your insurance]. Any cancellation fees imposed by hotels, ground operators or other principals or suppliers of goods and services will be charged to you in addition to the cancellation amounts stated above.
3. BAGGAGE
Baggage restrictions may apply to charter air travel and small group tours and must be strictly adhered to. We recommend that you ensure you adhere to any weight restrictions indicated.
4. WILD ANIMALS
Please be aware that travel may take you into areas of extreme weather conditions [eg. heat] or bring you in close contact with wild animals. Cases of dehydration and attacks by wild animals are rare, but no tour can guarantee that this will not occur. Neither Wildiaries, its contractors, agents or staff can be held responsible for any injury or incident on your tour. Neither does Wildiaries guarantee sightings of any wild animals, even if these are listed as animals possible to see on a tour.
5. PASSPORT, VISAS & DEPARTURE TAX
The onus is upon you to ensure that passports and visas are valid. Wildiaries, their contractors, agents or staff cannot be held liable for any visas etc. not held by you. The onus is on you to ensure departure tax is included when the airline ticket is purchased prior to arrival in any country.
6. RESPONSIBILITIES
Wildiaries, its contractors and agents act only as agents for the passenger with respect to services provided, including, but not limited to hotels, restaurants, touring, and all forms of transportation. Wildiaries shall not be liable for any loss whatsoever arising from any cause whatsoever, and without restricting the generality of the foregoing, shall particularly not be responsible for loss or damage arising from any errors or omissions contained in its brochure or other literature, late or non-confirmation or acceptance of bookings, loss or damage caused by delays, sickness, injury or death, whether occasioned by negligence or not. In addition Wildiaries shall have the right at any time at its discretion to cancel any tour or the remainder thereof or make any alteration in route, accommodation, price or other details, and in the event of any tour been rendered impossible, illegal or inadvisable by weather, avalanches, strike, war, government or interference or any other cause whatsoever, the extra expenses incurred as a result thereof shall be your sole responsibility. Wildiaries may at its discretion and without liability or cost to itself at any time cancel or terminate the passenger’s booking and in particular without limiting the generality of the foregoing it shall be entitled to do so in the event of the illness or the illegal or incompatible behaviour of the passenger, who shall in such circumstances not be entitled to any refund. The person making any booking will, by the making of such booking, warrant that he or she has authority to enter into a contract on behalf of the other person/s included in such a booking and in the event of the failure of any or all of the other person/s so included to make payment, the person making the booking shall by his/her signature thereof assume personal liability for the total price of all bookings made by him/her.
7. CHANGES TO SCHEDULES
Although every effort is made to adhere to schedules it should be borne in mind that Wildiaries reserves the right to alter any tour arrangements due to local conditions while providing similar tour inclusions.
8. REFUNDS
Whilst Wildiaries uses its best endeavours to ensure that all anticipated accommodation is available as planned, there shall be no claim of any nature whatsoever against Wildiaries for a refund either in the whole or part, if any accommodation or excursion is unavailable or the passenger was unable to use that service. [Please note that if the reason for cancellation falls within the terms of any holiday insurance policy it is your responsibility to refer the matter to your insurance company to seek a refund].
9. INSURANCE
You must take out comprehensive insurance cover before travel for cancellation, medical expenses, personal baggage and money. This should be arranged at the time of payment of any non-refundable costs to cover you for cancellation at that time.
10. PRICING & INSURANCE
We will do the utmost to keep to the prices published. Should increases be forced on us by tour operators, etc. Wildiaries reserves the right to surcharge without notice. All tour costs are based on all known costs at the time of publication.
(a) This agreement is made subject to and shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of Australia.
(b) Wildiaries cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or changes which may occur after that time. All materials contained in any brochure and web site including text, maps, graphics and photographs remain the property of Wildiaries and may not be copied or reproduced.
(c) Clients with special dietary problems are advised to warn us in advance of departure.
(d) For flight information on how to get to the starting point of your tour, contact your travel agent. Please ensure that you re-confirm all your flights prior to air travel.
11. MEDICAL & HEALTH
(a)Hospital facilities in remote locations are often unavailable and evacuation can be difficult and expensive. Wildiaries assumes no liability regarding provision of medical care. A Medical Certificate must therefore be filled out and returned to Wildiaries. If you are aged 65 or older, the Medical Certificate must be signed by your physician. Once you have been confirmed on a trip, normal cancellation penalties apply if your doctor does not approve the Medical Certificate.
(b). It is vital that persons with medical problems make them known to us well before departure. The tour leader has the right to disqualify anyone at any time during a tour if he or she feels the tour member is incapable and/or if a tour member’s continued participation will jeopardise the individual involved or the group. Refunds are not given under such circumstances. The tour leader’s decision is final and neither Wildiaries nor the tour leader shall be subject to any claims or liability in respect of such disqualification.
12. CONSENT
The payment of the deposit OR any other partial payment for a reservation on a tour constitutes consent to all provisions of the conditions and general information contained in this brochure. The terms under which you agree to take these tours cannot be changed or amended except in writing signed by an authorised officer of Wildiaries.
PLEASE NOTE
(a) Share Basis for Single Travellers
Accommodations (both hotels and tented) are usually based on double occupancy. If you are travelling alone and wish to share accommodations, we will assign you a room-mate if possible. If there is no one with whom you can share, or if you prefer single accommodations, you are requested to pay a Single Supplement Fee.
(b) Tour Information
Whilst Wildiaries makes every effort to ensure accuracy in tour information and descriptions, we are reliant on the tour operators and accommodation providers providing us with accurate data. Since tour operators and accommodation providers are constantly changing facilities and services, we cannot be liable for any errors or omissions herein. If any feature is of critical importance to your holiday, it is your responsibility to ask Wildiaries to check whether such features will be available at the time of occupancy.
NOTE:
Payment of your deposit is acceptance of terms and conditions. I/we understand that by sending the deposit(s) on behalf of myself and everyone in my party is acknowledging that we have read and accept the Wildiaries Terms & Conditions.