Scenic and Sunset Cruises
Two hours on the water. The parts of this coastline you cannot reach on foot, at the time of day that suits you.
$1,100 per charter, or $275 per person
2 hours · Minimum 2 · Maximum 6 guests
Book a seat and come out with a small group, or take the whole boat and have it to yourselves. From four people up, the whole boat is the better value. We leave from the Lord Howe Island jetty.
What you see
Lord Howe rises straight out of the Tasman, and from the water the scale of it makes sense in a way it does not from the road. Gower and Lidgbird stand over the southern end. The lagoon runs turquoise over the southernmost coral reef in the world.
Two hours is enough to get right around the island when conditions allow. Scott decides the route on the day, on wind and swell, and works the side that is behaving. Some days that means the full circuit. Other days it means one stretch of coast, seen properly.
Where you stop depends on the light, the birds and what the day is doing.
Morning, afternoon or sunset
Same trip, same price. The time of day changes it more than the route does.
Mornings are usually the calmest water and the best light on the lagoon. Late afternoon puts the sun on the cliffs. Sunset is the one most people ask for, and for good reason: gold on the mountains, flat evening water, and the island going dark behind you on the way in.
Sunset moves a long way through the year here — around 7pm in December, closer to 5pm in June — so a sunset run sits at a very different hour depending on when you visit.
Tell us which you would like when you enquire and we will work it around the conditions for your dates.
Seabirds
Lord Howe is one of the great seabird islands, and a lot of what happens here happens offshore. Fourteen species breed in the island group. Providence petrels nest on Gower and Lidgbird and effectively nowhere else on earth — better than ninety-nine per cent of the world’s population is on this island. Red-tailed tropicbirds work the cliffs. Masked boobies sit out on the Admiralty Islands and the southern mountain cliffs, and sooty terns come in their thousands.
What you see depends when you come. Providence petrels are here March to November and gone over summer. Sooty terns run the other way, August through March. Red-tailed tropicbirds are around September to May. Masked boobies and grey ternlets are here every month of the year, so there is no dead month for birds — only different ones.
From the boat you get angles you cannot get from land. Bring binoculars. If you are here for the birds, say so when you enquire and Scott will plan around it.
Photography
The water angle is the one most visitors never get. Mountain peaks, birds in flight, reef through clear water, and at either end of the day the best light there is.
Where conditions allow, Scott will hold the boat in position for a shot. Ask him on the day. Some days the swell will not let him, and he will tell you that too.
If you are here to photograph rather than to sightsee, say so when you enquire. It changes where the boat sits and how long it stays there.
Who it suits
This is the easiest of our trips. Two hours, no experience needed, nothing to do but sit and watch the island go past. It suits families, older guests, photographers, and anyone who wants time on the water without a long day offshore.
Boarding is from the jetty. It is a step of about 200mm down onto the deck, with a handrail and a hand from the crew. If anyone in your group has limited mobility we can bring them aboard through the side door instead, but that depends on the tide being high enough to make it safe. Tell us when you enquire and we will work out whether your time slot suits. If the tide will not allow it on the day, Scott will not board you, and you will be moved to another trip or refunded.
What to bring
Camera, binoculars, sun protection, and a warm layer. It is cooler on the water than on land, and noticeably cooler at sunset. Soft-soled shoes or bare feet.
There is a marine toilet on board.
In the water
We do not offer snorkelling or any in-water activities on our charters.
Weather and conditions
Trips are weather led. Scott makes the call, and on the morning he decides whether the trip goes, whether it runs somewhere different, or whether it does not run at all. That decision is his and it is final.
The scenic is the trip most likely to run. It stays close in and works the lee of the island, so it goes out in conditions that stop the fishing. The one thing it cannot get around is the tide — Fin cannot leave the lagoon below about 0.3 metres, which is why departure times shift through the week rather than sitting at a fixed hour. Your time comes with the Sunday email.
If we cancel
We will offer you another date within your stay if we can. If nothing works, or you would rather not reschedule, you get a full refund.
If we cut a trip short
Sometimes conditions change once we are out. If we come in early because of weather or a safety issue, we will work out a partial refund with you based on the time you had on the water.
If the trip does not reach two
Seat bookings run with two or more. If we do not reach two we will tell you as early as we can, and you can take the whole boat at the charter price, move to another date, or have a full refund.
If you cancel
More than 14 days before your trip, full refund. Between 14 days and 48 hours, we will refund you less a 20% booking fee. Inside 48 hours, no refund, although we will always try to move you to another date if we have one.
If you do not arrive
We wait 30 minutes past the departure time. After that the trip is treated as a cancellation inside 48 hours.
Getting to the island
Flights to Lord Howe are affected by weather more often than most, because of the mountainous terrain and the short runway. If your flight is cancelled or delayed and you cannot make your trip, tell us as soon as you know and we will move you to another date within your stay if one is available. If we cannot, the cancellation terms above apply, and for that reason we do recommend travel insurance.
Common questions
Where do we meet, and what time?
The Lord Howe Island jetty. The time depends on the tide and on whether you have asked for a morning, afternoon or sunset run. It comes with the Sunday email.
Should we book seats or the whole boat?
Two or three of you, book seats. Four or more, take the whole boat, because it works out the same or less and you have it to yourselves.
Will we be sharing the boat?
If you book seats, possibly. The boat takes six all up, so how many others depends on how many of you there are. If you book the whole boat, no. It is yours.
Do we go around the whole island?
When conditions allow, yes. Scott makes that call on the day. If the swell is up on one side, we work the side that is behaving and you see that stretch properly rather than rushing the circuit.
Will I get seasick?
The scenic runs in the calmest water available on the day, and it is short. If you are prone to motion sickness, take your usual remedy the night before rather than on the morning, because most of them need time to work.
Can children come?
Yes. Two hours suits kids better than a fishing day.
Children need to be at least four years old and at least 15 kg, because that is the smallest lifejacket we carry and it has to fit properly before we leave the jetty. We can take up to four children on a trip, and a parent or guardian comes aboard with them. Tell us ages and rough weights when you enquire so this is sorted before you pay rather than on the morning.
What wildlife might we see?
Seabirds year round, with seasonal changes. Turtles and rays come up often. Wildlife is wild, so we do not promise anything, but these are abundant waters.
Can we bring food and drinks?
Yes. Bring what you would like for two hours on the water. No glass on board.
Alcohol is sunset departures only — nothing before 2pm, and two drinks a person. Scott can stop service or turn the boat around if anyone is not right, which is not something he expects to need to do.
More questions are answered on the FAQs page.
Other trips
Offshore Fishing
$3,300 per charter
8 hours · Whole boat · Maximum 6 guests, 4 anglers
Day Fishing
$660 per person
6 hours · Minimum 3 · Maximum 4 anglers
All prices include GST. Trips are weather led. Scott makes the call on the morning.