maximum stay, except with permission
from the LHIB. Moorings are located
approximately 1km from the jetty, so a
capable dingy must be carried.
There are toilets, showers and
laundry facilities for public use at the
jetty, as well as fresh and bore water,
however as Lord Howe Island relies on
rainfall for fresh water, be mindful not
to waste it. Fuel and gas are available
from Gower Wilsons (see contacts box).
Radio communications are on
Channels 12 and 16, which enable you
to call the Lord Howe Island Police /
Port Operations Manager (POM) and
assistant (APOM). You must contact
the POM on approaching the island,
as entry to the lagoon is not permitted
without the approval of the POM who
can advise the safest passage for the
conditions.
Lord Howe Island and Balls Pyramid
are protected by the Marine Park fromthe high water mark to 12 nautical miles
seaward. There are sanctuary zones
within the Marine Park, so be sure to
observe these closely and refrain from
fishing or anchoring in these areas. A
Marine Park map / visitors guide can be
downloaded from the LHIB website (see
contacts box).
Vessels in excess of 5m may not
anchor in the lagoon, and any vessel
anchoring must do so in clear, sandy
areas, avoiding delicate sea grass and
coral. There are 12 public day-use
moorings in the lagoon, signified
by pink floats. These mark excellent
snorkeling sites, but priority must be
given to commercial operators.
Tide times for LHI are 16 minutes
ahead of the Fort Denison chart and 46
minutes ahead during Daylight Saving
periods. Tide heights can vary greatly
subject to atmospheric pressure, wind
and sea conditions.Balls Pyramid
Located 20km southeast of Lord Howe
Island is the world’s tallest volcanic
stack: Balls Pyramid. Stretching 562m
skyward, Balls Pyramid is a playground
for divers, fishermen and rock climbers,
although the latter is these days only
authorised under strict conditions. Balls
is home to the last known wild
population of the endangered Lord
Howe Island stick insect.
Balls Pyramid is considered Lord Howe
Island’s premier dive site, however
conditions must be perfect for the boat
to run, which they were not for our visit,
sadly. It’s the only place in the world
divers can see the Ballina angelfish, a
deep-water species that is generally
only found in depths of 100m or more.
In addition, divers may see large
schools of violet sweep, amberjack,
kingfish, silver drummer, rainbow
runners, trevally and occasionally
marlin, dolphins and wahoo. One for
the bucket list – it’s definitely still on
mine.“These volcanic beginnings have created an incredible
underwater topography offering caverns, crevices,
trenches and drop-offs for divers to explore”
Lord Howe is mostly covered in virgin subtropical rainforest.58 tradeaboat.com.auLord Howe Island, NSW