What is Lord Howe Island?
Lord Howe Island is a small, crescent-shaped World Heritage island in the Tasman Sea, about 600 kilometres east of Port Macquarie in New South Wales. Tourist numbers are capped.
The island was listed as a World Heritage site in 1982 for its natural beauty and unique plants and animals. Only around 400 tourists are allowed to stay at any one time, which keeps it quiet and protected.
Mount Gower, at 875 metres, and Mount Lidgbird rise steeply at the southern end. The lagoon on the western side has coral reefs, and Ned's Beach is famous for fish that swim around waders' feet.
Ball's Pyramid
About 20 kilometres away, Ball's Pyramid rises 551 metres from the sea. It is the tallest volcanic stack in the world. In 2001, scientists found Lord Howe Island stick insects living on it after they had been thought extinct.
The island has a small permanent population, and visitors fly in from Sydney, Brisbane or Port Macquarie. Bicycles are the main way to get around.
Did You Know?
The Lord Howe woodhen, a flightless bird, was saved from extinction by a breeding program in the 1980s.