We knew that the landing was going to be fun when the steward announced "fasten your seat belts for the roller coaster". Here is the approach to the island (ps 1/11/11 we are having great trouble with this video which we are trying to get the correct way up! pps 2/1/11 James has corrected the video)
We arrived at Lord Howe (resident population ~350, visitor population max 400) at a suitably tiny airport (the fenced area is arrivals).
to be met by Ginny, our host, in her estate car (this was the airport transfer service). While we were waiting for our luggage, Ginny described the landing a week ago, when the plane had a problem and had landed on one engine, I'm pleased that I missed that one.
The luggage arrived on this conveyer belt
and this is the car park
As we left the airport, we noticed a message to the departing passengers
Ginny took us on a short introductory tour ... This is the shop, they have everything, here is the church, etc ... before bringing us to our 'cottage'. En route, we passed the usual road signs
This is our lounge
and our garden
After unpacking, we went shopping to Joy's shop (she has everything) and then off for a walk. We went down to Ned's beach where we saw kingfish just a metre away from us; they come to be fed
Ned's beach has a 'rental shop' that operates on an honesty basis. I quote verbatim
"....our spy's are watching ...."
We spotted the spy
a welcome swallow, breeding on the island since 1980. The island's most numerous seabird is the sooty tern and there are many nesting around Ned's Beach.
You have to be careful not to approach too close to where they are nesting or you will get mobbed.
We continued across the island to the other coast and to the jetty where a police boat was moored. The boat had been here to rescue a cargo boat which had been stranded on a sandbank. The locals were there to witness the departure after such an eventful incident for the island. It had made the TV news.
The jetty was used by the flying boat service which provided a passenger service to the island from 1947 until 1974 when the air strip was built
We then retired to our terrace with a bottle of Verdelho from the Hunter Valley.
There was a lot of rain overnight, more than we has heard since we left the UK. This will have pleased the locals who were wanting their water tanks filled up.
Pat and John on tour