Kitesoul Magazine #24 International Edition

88
KITE EXPERIENCE
AUSTRALIA’S LOST PARADISE LORD HOWE ISLAND
beautiful reef-shark later on my trip. Waves
form at several reef passes along the 8km
stretch of reef that runs from the northern to
the southern end of the lagoon. “La Meurthe”
(named after the unmanned “ghost ship” that
drove ashore in 1907) at the north west passage
became my favourite wave-playground.
Lord Howe truly exceeds any water-sports
lover’s (kitesurfing, windsurfing, SUPing, surfing,
diving, snorkelling, kayaking, swimming
etc.) dreams and the options for “fun in the
sun” in crystal-clear waters are pretty much
endless.
From North Bay you can venture by foot up
to Mount Eliza (147m) to get an amazing view
over the entire island. Lord Howe is a true
treasure for hiking and there is a multitude of
walking tracks crisscrossing the island from
As the name suggests, the stunning “North
Bay” is situated at the northern tip of the lagoon.
I will never forget landing my kite there
for the first time on the pine and palm tree
lined, brilliant white crescent shaped beach,
and having hundreds of birds flying around
me checking out my “giant wing”. Sooty terns
or Wide-a-wake as locals call them, the most
abundant sea bird on the island, breed here
over summer. Lord Howe is a bird-lovers’ delight
with almost 170 species of sea and land
birds living on or visiting the island group,
and hundreds of thousands nesting here each
year, including the endemic, flightless Lord
Howe Island Wood hen. Abundant until the
first settlers arrived, Wood hens were nearly
extinct and down to 6 pairs in 1982. Thanks to
local conservation efforts, numbers have risen
and there are about 300 now! I was lucky
enough to spot quite a few of those cute little
feathered friends during my stay on the
island.
easy strolls to breathtaking cliff top guided
treks.
The evenings here are quiet, apart from the
chirring of the cicadas. The only light comes