Paradise by Committee

There are rules for just about everything on Lord Howe Island. But that doesn’t stop it being a stress-free environmental gem.

 
Words: Yvonne van Dongen  Photographs: Don Fuchs

SO HERE IT IS. Paradise on earth. It does exist. It’s called Lord Howe Island and it’s not that far away – just two hours’ flying from Sydney or Brisbane. National Geographic once described it as the most beautiful island in the South Pacific. Fair cop. It’s not World Heritage listed for nothing. In fact Lord Howe shares this honour with only four island groups in the world thanks to its rare collection of plants, birds, marine life and exceptional beauty. It also shelters the world’s southernmost coral reef with 500 species of fish and 90 species of coloured coral and it’s where the world’s most popular indoor palm, the kentia, comes from. Not bad for a place that’s only 11 kilometres long and two kilometres at its widest point.

Maybe it’s me, but after visiting Lord Howe I can’t help but think those natural marvels are only half the story. What impressed me most was the way the island has gone about protecting this paradise. In many respects Lord Howe Island is the closest thing you’ll ever get to a gated community. Minus the gates of course. The Tasman Sea takes care of that.

First impressions had me clocking the lack of high-rise buildings, telephone lines and cellphone reception. Then I learned the island has no power other than diesel generators, recycling is mandatory and cats are banned. Church is big here with 40 percent of the residents belonging to the Seventh Day Adventist church. Eventually I noticed the number of bicycles wheeling along the 12 kilometres of roads. Soon I was on one of those bicycles, safe in the knowledge of a 25kph speed limit and trying hard to believe I could rest the bike anywhere I liked, abandon my unlocked bag wherever I wanted, use the golf course or snorkelling equipment provided on an honesty system and return home to my unsecured rooms without fear of theft or harassment. The sweetest job on the island has to be the cop’s whose biggest worry is policing the use of bicycle helmets.

It was beginning to feel like Singapore without the death penalty. Disneyland without fat people. Almost like New Zealand say 50 years ago, and not just in terms of its safety and natural beauty either. In many respects Lord Howe Island is a kind of paradise by committee and you know how popular committees once were here. There are rules for just about everything – the type and number of pets residents are permitted to own, the kind of car they drive and whether they are even allowed a car, the colour of their house and whether they are even allowed to live here. All these issues are controlled by the Lord Howe Island Board.

Fewer than 400 residents are permitted and they must live on Lord Howe for at least 10 years before they are allowed to have their own houses. None of the properties is freehold. Agricultural blocks are reviewed every 10 years. New housing is tightly controlled. Even tourist numbers are capped at no more than 400 at any time to protect the two-thirds of land given over to national park. Because of this and its size and isolation, Lord Howe is expensive as holiday destinations go. But that doesn’t deter the aficionados, many of whom make an annual pilgrimage. In fact it’s probably an incentive. Quality facilities, exclusivity and an environmental jewel in a tiny isle just 700 kilometres north-east of Sydney are a rare and compelling combination.

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