Island expedition
Island Museum
A tiny island with a large history, Lord Howe Island has a wonderful museum close to the CBD that offers a first-hand insight to its natural environment as well as its community.
View Details Starting near Middle Beach, a short distance from Capella, the Clear Place loop track is reasonably level and takes walkers to the Valley of the Shadows and Clear Place through fascinating terrain.
Giant banyan trees – sometimes known as strangler figs – with their aerial roots stretching out for balance stand alongside towering Kentia palms which are endemic to the island, while stands of Thatch palms create a cool, calm vibe under the leafy canopy.
Walkers will see many large holes in the ground along the way, which are Mutton bird (or Flesh-footed Shearwater) burrows. These migratory birds return to the island at dusk between September and May.
A signpost indicates the way to the Valley of the Shadows, where walkers take a step back in time as the peaceful cool of giant banyans and Kentia palms create an eerie sanctuary. A little further on, the trail reaches Clear Place which is a great spot to see the island’s wilder eastern coast with views to Mutton Bird Island, Wolf Rock, Intermediate Hill and Mount Lidgbird, with Ball’s Pyramid appearing on the horizon.
