Lord Howe Island may only be six miles (10kms) long and just over a mile (two kilometres) wide, but it boasts miles of fantastic trails that range from casual walkers to summit scrambles. It helps that the island weather here is just about perfect for hiking every month of the year.
Plenty of engaging, well-marked trails cover the island.
Nearly 70 percent of the island is protected within a nature preserve, adding to the raw intimacy of the experience.
What makes the hiking on Lord Howe Island so great is that it has everything from sea-level strolls through banyan forests and lush kentia palm groves to challenging climbs to the summit of Mount Gower at 875 metres above sea level.
No matter where you hike, you are guaranteed to get amazing views and a serious dose of wildlife in the form of birds and other little creatures.
The island roughly divides itself into two parts. The northern section is home to some serious climbs like Mount Eliza, Transit Hill, and North Bay.
But the real challenge in the northern end of the island is Malabar Hill and Kim’s Lookout, a four-mile (seven kilometer) return trek that rates as a class 4-5.
This world-class hike on Lord Howe Island takes most people about three hours to complete, giving them plenty of time afterwards to relax at one of the many stunning beaches.
At the southern end of the island, hard-core hikers will discover the challenge of the Mount Gower summit climb, rated as one of the world’s premier day treks.
This class 5 trek is an eight-mile (14km) round trip and takes most hikers around eight hours to complete.
The Goat House Cave is another amazing trek on the southern end of Lord Howe Island.
It takes around five hours to reach these stunning natural caves, which are inhabited by rare sea birds, and then get back to the start of the walk.
There are also some fun, easy walks in the area, like Intermediate Hill and Little Island.