Lord, why did I leave it so long?
“I’m ‘Nobbes’”, he said, shaking my hand with purpose. What an unfortunate name I thought while peering over his shoulder for my bags. I’m sure he’d met many knobs like me in his 25 years on the island, striding off planes, full of impatience and pushy metropolis manners. This earthy islander who fishes for his supper and grows his own food, knew how to handle blow-ins from the mainland. “Ease up ease up,” said Nobbes, you’re on Lord Howe Island time now. His disarming statement put me at ease instantly. It had been 35 years since my last visit to Lord Howe and I feared it might have lost the carefree charm that is its passport. Within moments of arriving on the island, I discovered bicycles outnumbered cars, kids were allowed barefoot at school and the honesty-box was still in use at the golf club. Three ticks of approval and three to go to complete a six-pack of surprises on this World Heritage-listed gem, 600km northeast of Sydney. You can climb a mountain, swim with fi...