# Lord Howe (Adventure) Island - Part One



## paulo (Nov 1, 2007)

Im going to start and end what I hope will be a series of reports on out recent trip to Lord Howe Island with the same sentence.
*LORD HOWE IS AN AMAZING PLACE!!!*
I started to write on the flight home but got stuck looking at the pictures and videos we captured throughout the two weeks and the next minute we are landing back in Brisbane. It was only once I left the airport in Brisbane I realized what a different world we had been in for the past fourteen days. 
Stepping off the plane at LHI airport youre afforded a window back in time to what the world was like before people became selfish, rude and lazy. Though Im sure life on the small island community is far more complex than first meets the eye, as a tourist your spared those details and only met with the world where there are no locks on doors and everyone waves or stops for a chat as they pass you by on a bicycle or at the max car cruising speed of 25kph. 
There are no mobile phones, no television where we stayed and without a watch or clock I had no idea what the time was other than when the pre-dinner drinks bell rang at Pinetrees Resort every evening promptly at 6:30pm. So, fourteen days without driving, telephones, keys, clocks, household chores, television and money meant this really was a break from the everyday life that wears you down. Nothing to do but go fishing.

*The Preparations*
I had never heard of Lord Howe Island before Grant mentioned it as a possible destination for kayak fishing almost a year ago now. A quick check on the net gave it the thumbs up providing we could get our kayaks there and back. We all agreed we would require Adventure Islands to tackle such potential strong currents and high winds the area is renowned for.

After a lot of research, emails and phone calls it appeared to be viable (if expensive) to ship the yaks over on the island's fortnightly supply ship out of Port Macquarie, "The Island Trader". Time over with lessons learnt, I wouldn't engage in such a logistical exercise to get the kayaks there again. There are a range of kayaks for hire on the island, including a few Hobie Mirage Kayaks. Contact Dean at Environmental Tours on 02 65632214, to enquire about his current Hobie fleet (AI, Revo and an Outback) along with a range of other paddle yaks. Transport sorted, flights and accommodation booked, we counted down the months and days to the weekend before departure, when we drove the three yaks to Port Macquarie from Brisbane.








With a view to maximum fishing time we decided on a fully catered accommodation package with the Pinetrees Resort. Expecting a bangers and mash, tired 70s décor experience we were pleasantly surprised to find quite the opposite with three fulltime chefs, a friendly manager in John Blacket and his army of smiling kitchen, restaurant and resort staff only to ready to help out, serve you more food in one meal than you would normally eat in a day, give you advice on where to go and what to do or drop you off somewhere on the island if you're too lazy to get on your trusty treadly.









Pinetrees has kept all of the good things from the guesthouse\resorts of the previous century which only adds to the experience of being in another time as well as another place whilst on Lord Howe Island. From the full buffet breakfast, with a chef on hand to whip up your personal omlette or crisp your bacon the way you like it, to the three course evening meals, all of the food was superb. If you plan an early outing they provide you with a breakfast tray the night before and a cut lunch or even offer to drop everything you need for a full bbq at one of the many beautifully manicured locations all over the island. To be honest, from the minute you step off the plane you get the feeling the entire community of Lord Howe Island is there to make your stay better in any way they can, even if its just a friendly wave.
















We flew out of Brisbane on a Qantas Dash 8 on time, Sunday May 16. A good tail wind had us landing sooner than the scheduled 2 hour flight time and with only 10-15k blowing a comfortable landing. One thing about LHI is the wind can howl. Sometimes to a point where the plane can't land and it has to turn around and head back to the mainland. On some of the windier days we would sit at the end of the runway watching the daily plane take off over the lagoon. Some days it was going sideways at the same rate it was going up!! 
Here's the view on the way in.


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## paulo (Nov 1, 2007)

Checked in and fed by 1pm, we set about hiring pushbikes from Joel at Wilson's hire for our stay. Joel gave us all the info we needed to find the fish. After that we had a tour of the 'town', tracked down our kayaks and began unwrapping them for action the next day.

With sunset at 4:39 we headed over just before 4pm to check out the fish feeding phenomenon at Neds Beach about 3kms by pushy.
We weren't disappointed and like kids in a toy store it was hard to contain your excitement with a half dozen metre plus kingfish, hundreds of massive drummer, trevally, mullet and even the odd wrasse and bluefish all swimming around your legs in knee deep water. Like dogs at a fence the kingies wait to be fed and the cheeky mullet and drummer dive in front of them to steal it. Its quite a site having a metre long fish launch at you from two feet away for a morsel of bread. There is a hundred or so photos and tons of video. Heres a few.

































After a 3 course feast including kingfish we got an early night hoping the wind and swell we saw on the way in would drop tomorrow.


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## TheFishinMusician (Feb 5, 2007)

.


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## garyp (May 30, 2008)

Lookout Murd. Seems Paul is vying for a place on the Epic Adventures Post podium. He better throw in some or ****** to compete with the crocs you and Junglefisher like to call friends.

This is all going to end with someone writing a report of paddling around in the South Pole. Mark my words.

Can't wait for the fishing to start!!!


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## skorgard (Oct 6, 2007)

I look forward to reading the rest of the report. LHI is a fantastic place and I also stayed at Pinetrees. I have made a note that AIs can be hired there. I made a suggestion on the Forum some time ago - which received a lukewarm response - that AKFF members who know of resorts where quality kayaks can be hired - should make this available on the site as it would be useful when planning holidays.


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## GregL (Jul 27, 2008)

I hate you I hate you I hate you!!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

You lucky bastard.

Can't wait for the rest of the report.

You lucky bastard.

Smeg. ;-)


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## murd (Jan 27, 2008)

garyp said:


> Lookout Murd. Seems Paul is vying for a place on the Epic Adventures Post podium. He better throw in some or ****** to compete with the crocs you and Junglefisher like to call friends.


Hmmm, you could be right Gary. Who knows though, I might just have 'something' up my sleeve in the near future to climb back aboard the 'Epic Adventures Post' podium' ;-)


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## amulloway (Jul 8, 2008)

is it wrong that i'm aroused right now???
i don't think so
more more more
ash


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## DougOut (Dec 31, 2006)

Top marks for part one Paul  can't wait to see "all" the fishy bits
Vickii and I just love that place, totally inspired now ..... we must return, 
next year me thinks.


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## grant ashwell (Apr 24, 2007)

WOW..


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## madfishman (Dec 10, 2007)

grant ashwell said:


> WOW..


X 2


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## paulo (Nov 1, 2007)

amulloway said:


> is it wrong that i'm aroused right now???
> i don't think so
> more more more
> ash


Perfectly understandable Ash. Its that sort of place.

Part two is out now. Parts three, four and five where we get amongst the fish are coming soon.


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