As you may have noticed I have not been out and about in blogland very much over the last couple of weeks. This was due to me being on a small island - smaller than many farms I think - in the Pacific Ocean off the east coast of Australia.
Lord Howe Island is an old volcanic island, formed by a 'hot spot' of volcanic activity in much the same way as Hawaii was formed. It's about two and a bit hours by plane from Sydney - and may well be the most 'middle of nowhere' place I have ever been. It also happens to be one of the most remarkable places I have ever been. There will be a reasonable (read 'large') number of Lord Howe Island posts on this blog in the next few weeks!
This is a bit of a map to show you where it is.
The south end of the island is dominated by two large mountains - Mount Lidgbird and Mount Gower - with Mount Gower being the highest at 875 m. Thats only about 100 m lower than the highest point in England, and given that Mt. Gower starts at sea level its a decent days walk! (More on that to follow)
 |
| View to Mt. Gower across the lagoon |
 |
| First evening on Lord Howe - cloud over both Mountains |
 |
| Morning over Mt. Lidgbird (LHS) and Mt. Gower (RHS) |
 |
| View of Mountains from Settlement Beach |
 |
| View of Mountains from Malabar Hill |
The pair of mountains are tall enough to form their own weather - and lenses of cloud can often been seen sitting on the tops of the peaks.
In case you had not noticed, this is a pretty special place!
You can find more images from around the world at
Our World Tuesday.
magical scenes, stewart!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteI'll be watching for more!
Have a great week!
Lea
Wow, what a gorgeous place to visit. The last shot with the clouds over the mountain is just stunning. Lovely post and photos. Welcome back! Have a happy new week!
ReplyDeleteAh, what an awesome place, Stewart!! Superb captures and they did take my breath away this morning!! Gorgeous!!! Thank you so much for sharing, as always!! I do hope you have a great new week!!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing place, looking forward to seeing more photos of the island. Diane
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to this series. Was your visit vacation, or work?
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing place! Lucky you.
ReplyDeleteSomeplace I've never heard of but thanks to you I now know where it is. It looks like a beautiful island. Love the water's blue color! Looking forward to more of your posts.
ReplyDeleteLokks very interesting. Can't wait to see more.
ReplyDeleteWhat a magical place and a photographers dream. I'm looking forward to seeing more.
ReplyDeleteI envy you your visit to Lord Howe Island. I am sure that it is indeed a magical place as you say. It seems to be a bit of a Holy Grail for Australian birders.
ReplyDeleteA truly best kept secret, as it should be. Oh, wow, a heritage island that is relatively untouched and pristine. The peace and quiet there must be heavenly. I can just imagine how many thousands of pictures you took. :)
ReplyDeleteAhhhhhh....and here they come. The wait has been worth it! More please!!!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteI bet you had a wonderful time on Lord Howe. A past Miss Australia, Rosemary Fenton (Miss Australia 1960) came from there. She was born on the island and raised there. She later married Ian Sinclair, the one-time Leader of the National Party and also at one time Speaker of the House of Representatives. Rosemary Fenton was a beautiful-looking young woman. I met her in 1963 when she visited Gympie and when I, along with a couple of friends of mine entered the contest. She was quite a lovely girl, too...not just in her looks.
I look forward to seeing more of your wonderful photos of the island and its surrounds. Thanks. :)
Such a beautiful place! Would love to be there too! :)
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures, especially the last one. As we Yanks would say, " it's the icing on the cake". Looking forward to seeing what you were doing there and the wildlife you captured. With your camera, of course.
ReplyDeleteMagic spot indeed! That ring of clouds on the mountain top is amazing.
ReplyDeleteIt looks lovely - I cannot wait to read further posts.
ReplyDeleteI certainly did notice! What a beautiful place. I can't recall ever hearing about this island before. Looking forward to your posts...
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of a very beautiful place. I look forward to reading more about your time out there.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that you were able to get to Lord Howe Island and indeed it looks so beautiful. Looking forwarrd to seeing what else you saw there.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! It looks incredible!
ReplyDeleteHowe island is on my list. Such gorgeous captures. Wow!!!
ReplyDeleteThe color of the water is gorgeous, and the cloud formation over the mountains is awesome. What a gorgeous place to visit with your camera in hand. ...The Beauty of Mother Nature.
ReplyDeleteI too will be looking forward to more pictures from this tiny speck of land in the sea.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place..Love the clouds over the mountains..Very small island..Is it inhabited? Does it have running water or electricity..Looking forward to more photos..
ReplyDeleteWhat a place! It must be fantastic exploring the island with your camera. Enjoy the beach, the water looks fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThis place is true paradise. I didn't know it was so far from mainland Australia.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous place to visit! I love the mountain range so close to the sea. I bet you had a wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful lagoon. It doesn't look very protected, do the winds cause a lot of problems for the anchored boats? - Margy
ReplyDeleteIt's stunningly beautiful! I'm not surprised people have discovered its treasures!
ReplyDeleteIncredible mountains !
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! What an interesting place to visit.
ReplyDelete