Lord Howe Island holidays with kids start with a small, striking fact: the whole island is about 10 km long and no more than 2 km wide. For families, that scale helps. Distances are short, the developed part is low-lying, and the water on the west coast is sheltered.
This page covers what makes the island suit children, what the climate does through the year, and what to plan before you book. It is a place with less than 500 residents, so a little forward thinking goes a long way. For the wider picture, see our Lord Howe Island travel guide.
Why the island suits families
Lord Howe sits in the Tasman Sea, 600 km directly east of Port Macquarie and 780 km northeast of Sydney. It is a volcanic remnant, shaped like an irregular crescent, with a total area of 14.55 km2. Only 3.98 km2 of that is the low-lying developed part, so there is not a lot of ground to cover.
Along the west coast is a sandy, semi-enclosed coral reef lagoon. Sheltered water is what most parents look for first, and this is the island's headline feature. The surrounding waters are protected as the Lord Howe Island Marine Park, and the island has the world's southernmost barrier coral reef.
The north is where most people live. The south is dominated by forested hills that rise to Mount Gower, at 875 m the highest point on the island. We would not suggest anything as ambitious as that for small children, but it is useful to know it frames the southern skyline.
Nature that holds a child's attention
UNESCO records the Lord Howe Island Group as a World Heritage Site of global natural significance. Most of the island is virtually untouched forest, and many of its plants and animals are found nowhere else in the world. Nesting seabirds are another listed attraction, which makes for easy wildlife spotting.
History gives older kids a story to chew on. When HMS Supply's party went ashore in March 1788, they found turtles on the beach and birds so tame they could be picked up by hand. Watercolour sketches by George Raper and John Hunter are the only pictorial record of the white swamphen and the Lord Howe pigeon, both hunted to extinction soon after. It is a sobering tale, and a good one for explaining why the island is now protected.
Protected land and what it means
The Lord Howe Island Act 1981 established a Permanent Park Preserve covering about 70% of the island. In practice, that means large areas of forest remain untouched. Ball's Pyramid, a volcanic spire about 23 km southeast of the main island, is uninhabited and is the most notable of the 28 islands, islets and rocks in the group.
Things to do with children
We can only point to what is documented: the lagoon, the reef, the forest and the seabirds. For ideas on specific outings, our pages on Lord Howe Island activities and Lord Howe Island attractions are the best next stop. Operators who run guided trips are gathered under tours and rentals on Lord Howe Island.
Blinky Beach is worth knowing by name. It is where the whaling barque Caroline landed in June 1834 and permanent settlement began, and nearby is the area now called Old Settlement, where the first huts were built beside a fresh water supply. Older children may enjoy the idea that they are standing where the island's first settlers arrived.
Fishing is another family option, and we cover it separately on our Lord Howe Island fishing page. Early visitors wrote that fish inside the reef were easily taken with hook and line. We would not promise the same today.
Climate and the best time with kids
The island's weather is mild all year. Daytime maximums range from about 17 C in August to about 23 C in February, and nights never drop much below 16 C. Summer suits swimming days, while winter has more rain days, up to nearly 13 in July.
| Month | Max C | Min C | Rain mm | Rain days | Sunny days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22.7 | 21.5 | 73.4 | 8.4 | 28.9 |
| February | 23.1 | 21.9 | 83.7 | 8.1 | 25.9 |
| March | 22.4 | 21.2 | 103.2 | 9.4 | 28.6 |
| April | 21.2 | 19.8 | 86.4 | 9.6 | 28.1 |
| May | 19.8 | 18.2 | 100.6 | 10.9 | 27.9 |
| June | 18.4 | 16.8 | 108.7 | 12.7 | 25.7 |
| July | 17.5 | 15.9 | 95.8 | 12.9 | 27.5 |
| August | 17.3 | 15.6 | 82.5 | 11.4 | 29.1 |
| September | 17.9 | 16.3 | 82.0 | 9.1 | 28.2 |
| October | 18.6 | 17.1 | 76.6 | 9.1 | 28.7 |
| November | 19.9 | 18.4 | 86.3 | 8.9 | 27.9 |
| December | 21.4 | 20.1 | 87.8 | 8.3 | 28.9 |
These are 1991-2020 averages for the island area. Our reading: December to March gives the warmest days and the fewest rain days, which is the sensible window for lagoon time with young children.
Getting there and planning ahead
There is no road link to the mainland, so you fly. Commuter airlines serve Sydney, Gold Coast, Newcastle and Port Macquarie. Older material on this site describes a short flight of around two hours from Sydney and Brisbane, so check current schedules before you commit.
The distance figures sometimes quoted for road trips to the island area (for example 456 km to Sydney) are not meaningful for a sea crossing, so ignore them and plan around flights.
The island's time zone is UTC+10:30, or UTC+11 during daylight saving. The currency is the Australian dollar. The Lord Howe Island Board administers the island, and visitor numbers are limited to about 400 at a time, so book early, especially in school holidays.
Where to stay
Families can look at Lord Howe Island apartments for more space and self-catering, or browse the full Lord Howe Island accommodation list. For deals, see Lord Howe Island specials. Statewide trip ideas are on Visit NSW, and background reading is at Wikipedia's Lord Howe Island entry.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lord Howe Island safe for young swimmers?
The west coast has a sandy, semi-enclosed, sheltered coral reef lagoon, which is the calmest option on the island. As anywhere, supervise children closely.
How many people live on the island?
Fewer than 500, most of them in the north. Visitor numbers are capped at about 400 at a time.
When is the warmest time to visit?
February is the warmest month, averaging a 23.1 C maximum, with January and March close behind.
