Capella Lodge sits at the foot of Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird on Lord Howe Island, a UNESCO-listed island of rainforest and reef in the Tasman Sea, about 780 kilometres north-east of Sydney. The island is 11 kilometres long, visitors are limited to 400 at any one time, and you can cycle from end to end in 25 minutes. The lodge looks over the Pacific and the world's southernmost coral reef, and its design borrows from the Australian beach house, with a high cantilevered roof, timber floors and floor-to-ceiling glass. There are only nine suites, from the 45-square-metre Capella Suites to the Lagoon and Makambo lofts, the two-bedroom Catalina Suite and the Lidgbird Pavilion with its wraparound verandas. The menu changes daily and leans on line-caught fish, island-grown greens, herbs foraged along the coast and the lodge's own kitchen garden. There is a small spa, and the days fill with walks, snorkelling, swimming and island expeditions. Children aged 10 and over are welcome, and the lodge runs shared transfers to meet the scheduled flights.
- Nearest airport
- Lord Howe Island Airport (LDH), two hours by air from Sydney
- Rooms
- Nine suites
Insider tip Pack light. The two-hour flight from Sydney allows one main bag of up to 14 kilograms each plus a second item of up to nine, and the second item is not guaranteed to travel on the same plane.
Why I choose it It is the most remote small lodge we suggest in Australia, two hours from Sydney, and with nine suites it never feels busy.
