After enduring city life for the past ten years, my partner and I realised we were missing some vital ingredients in our lives that made us genuinely happy. What seems like only yesterday we were deep in the rat race of the concrete jungle of London, I now wake up and outside my bedroom window is actual lush green jungle. I constantly remind myself of how lucky I am. I’ve swapped the police sirens for the birdsong, the four layers of grey cloud for the piercing blue skies, the commute to work from 1 hour to 1 minute. I feel alive. This is the most inspired I’ve ever been at work, and the fittest I’ve ever been outside of it, and seriously, we eat a lot here!! It is such a privilege to work alongside such a great team of talented and passionate chefs. The kitchen culture here is awesome. I’m doing, I’m learning, I’m growing.
When we arrived I thought wow this is a small place! These thoughts were quickly replaced by an immense feeling of freedom when I saw the natural beauty and the lack of concrete buildings. After having travelled around for months I knew that this was going to be a good place for us to stay. On our first day, Luke cooked dinner for us and we were so happy and impressed with everything that I jokingly asked the people from previous seasons if there was a catch! Now, 5 months later, still no catch and we have decided to commit to Pinetrees Lodge for almost 3 years. The people that I work with are good workers and they do their best everyday. It inspires and motivates me with many things in life to be surrounded by good people, fresh air, sea and sun. It’s definitely the best job I’ve ever had. If I have to clean grease traps everyday to stay here I will!
I have travelled all my life. I have seen many beautiful places in the world, and thought that it would be almost impossible to find a place that had it all – but when I arrived at Pinetrees Lodge in Lord Howe Island I instantly knew that I was home. The more time I spend here, the more I love this place. David Attenborough is right; this island is so beautiful that it’s almost unbelievable. I went from living a busy life in Copenhagen and Madrid to living a life so relaxed that I can appreciate every single moment of the day. We have our healthy meals cooked by some of the best chefs of the island, we get crispy white sheets and fresh towels whenever we want. Dani, Luke and everyone here are incredible people to work with. We also have fantastic trails to walk and we have 11 stunning beaches to explore. Every day! We all came here to Pinetrees Lodge with different stories and different life goals. We all work hard and most of us are far away from our families. But after almost 6 months almost every staff member you’ll meet will tell you that their time here is by far one of their best moments in life!
My main motivation to come and work at Pinetrees was to save money, but after just two months, I’ve gained so much more than I imagined. I’ve met such an interesting bunch of people, from many different backgrounds, and I’ve already learnt so much from them. Every day off is packed with new adventurous pursuits, be it climbing a mountain, diving the reef or cycling the island. The work is rewarding and I feel genuinely appreciated by Dani and Luke, my work mates, as well as the guests. As my first experience of a ‘live-in’ work environment, I was nervous before arriving however I very quickly felt like part of the family. This is fast turning out to be one of the happiest periods of my life so far and I owe much of that to the people I’ve met and to the wonders of the island itself.
My partner and I have just moved on from Pinetrees after the best two and a half years of our lives. We started at the bottom, with little experience in front of house roles, but by the end we were skilled in all facets of the hospitality industry, and confident leading a team of both co-workers and friends. Pinetrees is a fantastic place to work, save money, travel, meet amazing people (both staff and all the repeat guests) and learn all about the hospitality industry. There is so much fun to be had on the island also, in one day you could snorkel with turtles, hike through a subtropical palm forest, get a tan, go for a surf, play 9 holes of golf have a BBQ and a beer with your mates, watch a bali-esque sunset and see the clearest night sky in the world. We planned to stay for one summer season, but we stayed for three, and can’t wait to go back.
If I somehow had the chance to design an island it would look exactly like Lord Howe. It’s got everything you need; world-class surfing and fishing, postcard beaches and weather, incredible wildlife and a healthy social life in the community. This is my second stint at Pinetrees. I first came in 2013 and it was during this time that I became inspired to make some career-driven decisions. I left when the season ended and enrolled in a Bachelor of Business in Hotel and Hospitality Management. After spending a year living in Copenhagen with my partner, we both decided that a return to a place that offered me so much initial inspiration was on the cards. Management have not only helped me with my studies but provided me with opportunities to apply my knowledge in a practical sense across all departments of the business. Aside from working for one of Australia’s leading lodges, one of the things I love the most is that there’s still a flourishing family vibe to the place. Having a casual conversation or a coffee with the owners in the mornings is a real thing.
We arrived at a point in our lives where we needed to pay off our debts, get unstuck and embark upon a grand adventure. We wanted to be in a beautiful, warm environment with good people and low outgoings and we found this combination at Pinetrees. Within five months we’d paid back our substantial bank debt whilst being well fed, clothed and housed in one of the most stunning locations on the planet. Dani and Luke are kind, generous people who really do care about their staff. We all work hard but the relief of such simplicity, serenity and beauty is a true gift. Working at Pinetrees is an incredibly special opportunity that we are profoundly grateful for.
My Hotel Management Degree has allowed me to travel and work all around the world, and Lord Howe Island is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. It was great that Dani and Luke acknowledged my studies and promoted me to Food and Beverage Manager within two weeks of starting at Pinetrees. It was an incredible 12 months where I made some amazing friends, saved a lot of money and had some unbelievable experiences. I will definitely return to Pinetrees, either to work or just for a relaxing holiday.
After exploring the world for 50 years and visiting more than 200 countries, Lord Howe Island is still my favourite place. Where else can you have a wildlife experience like the Galapagos, a reef experience like West Papua and a mountain experience like Bora Bora all in one spot? The Smith family is one of many ‘regular’ families of three generations who stay at Pinetrees in summer. It’s no surprise that Dani and Luke have produced this beautiful cookbook. The recipes are delicious, the photos are stunning and I hope every Pinetrees guest buys extra copies to give to friends.
Lord Howe Island is the response to the cri de coeur “stop the world, I want to get off”. It’s the childhood you miss, a chance to disconnect from a digital life and recharge yourself. It’s also a reminder of just how beautiful and remarkable the planet is. After sunset drinks at the Pinetrees boatshed, picnic lunches in stunning locations and the cossetting you get from the sixth generation of the Rourke family who run the lodge, you’re recharged and ready to face the world once more.
