Guest Information

Airport transfers

We’ll meet you at the airport on arrival and drop you to the airport on departure. We’ll also leave a note with all of your departure details on the doorstep of your room by 5.00pm the day before you depart.

Around the lodge

Outdoor gatherings are still the safest way to congregate during the COVID-19 pandemic and we have many outdoor ‘garden rooms’ around the lodge to relax with family, friends and other guests. We’ve temporarily closed our indoor communal spaces (i.e. pool room, lounge, lobby, day spa) to reduce the risk of guests and staff becoming ‘close contacts’ and ‘casual contacts’. If you spend more than 15 minutes inside with a COVID-19 positive person then you’ll be required to self-isolate in your room for up to seven days. Please remember this!

Babysitters

Babysitters may be available during your stay, and it’s wise to make arrangements before you travel to avoid disappointment. If you’d like more information about babysitting requirements and charges, then please contact Danielle Nicolson through lovelordhowe.com.au.

Bar

Pinetrees is licensed and our bar has a great selection of beer, wine, champagne, soft drinks and juices for sale. Bar service is available on the lodge verandah at lunch and an hour before dinner, and table service is available during dinner. Sorry – there’s no BYO on the lodge verandah.

Bikes

Bikes are the best mode of transport on Lord Howe – it’s part of the experience! Bikes are available at Wilson’s Hire from 9.00am – 5.00pm (Sunday to Friday). Road rules are the same as other towns in NSW and helmets are compulsory. Please ensure you return your bike to Wilson’s Hire by 10.00am on the day of your departure.

Bike parking

Please park your bikes in the Pinetrees driveway, and do not ride on the boardwalks.

Boatshed

The Pinetrees boatshed is one of the best places on Lord Howe. It’s open each day from 8.00am – 7.30pm. The honesty bar has beer, wine, champagne, juices and soft drinks. Please write your name and drinks on the sheet provided, and we’ll add it to your account. It’s a great place to meet other guests and share a sunset drink. Due to COVID-19 density limits, only 18 guests can share the deck on a ‘first come’ basis, but there are plenty of cosy spots along the foreshore where you can enjoy a quiet afternoon in the shade, or a sunset drink.

Car hire

There are only a limited number of cars available on the island and they’re in high demand, so we strongly recommend booking a car before you arrive. You should call Wilson’s Hire (02 6563 2045), Thompson’s Store (02 6563 2155) or Leanda Lei (02 6563 2195). Please park hire cars across the road from the Pinetrees driveway.

Check-out

Please depart your room by 10.00am, and leave your luggage outside your door for collection prior to your flight. The Front Desk is open from 7.30am – 10.30am. Please check-out during these hours.

COVID-19

Please read our COVID-19 Plan before arrival.

Credit cards

We accept Mastercard and Visa. Credit card fees apply. There is an ATM next door at the Bowling Club.

Day Spa

The Day Spa is temporarily closed due to the high risk of the Omicron variant in an enclosed space.

Electricity

Lord Howe is powered by diesel generators (20%), solar panels (80%) and Tesla batteries. We can’t provide air conditioners or heaters (not that you’ll need them). Please help us conserve power and ensure your lights are turned off when you’re not using them.

Emergency assembly area

If there is a fire at Pinetrees, please leave your room, exit Pinetrees via the driveway and gather on the cricket ground, immediately to the north of Pinetrees.

Emergency contacts

A free phone is located in the Pinetrees lobby. In an emergency, please call the hospital on 6563 2000, the doctor’s residence on 6563 2056, the fire captain on 6563 2392 or the police station on 6563 2199. You can also dial 000. Remember that you need to dial 0 for an outside line. Our lodge manager can be reached on extension 28.

Enquiries and Front Desk

All enquires about your stay at Pinetrees should be made at the Front Desk from 7.30am – 10.30am. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re required to reduce the number of close contact hours between staff and guests, and have rostered a morning opening of the Front Desk to ensure a minimal impact on your daytime adventures around Lord Howe. We’ll also be visiting your table during breakfast and lunch, and we’re happy to help with any queries during those visits.

Housekeeping

Our staff will service your room each day between 9.00am – 4.00pm. Please use the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign if you’d like some privacy. If we can’t access your room, we’ll leave some fresh towels outside. We’ve also provided disinfectant sprays and other cleaning products so you can manage your own room outside of our daily housekeeping visit.

Internet

Internet on Lord Howe is very limited. There’s wireless internet service at the Lord Howe Island Museum and Anchorage Café – less than a five-minute bike ride from Pinetrees. There’s no internet service at Pinetrees (by popular demand). As horrific as it seems on arrival, you’ll love it by the third day of your stay.

Laundry

Our guest laundry has complimentary washing machines, clothes dryer, ironing board and detergent. There’s a guests’ clothes line next to the water tanks near the laundry.

Meals

Breakfast is served on the lodge verandah from 7.30am – 9.00am, lunch is from 12.15pm – 1.00pm, afternoon tea is served at 4.00pm and dinner is served at 7.00pm (or 7.30pm during the summer months). Kids’ dinner is available by arrangement. We also provide BBQ hampers and picnics if you’d like to have lunch elsewhere on the island. We’ll talk to you each morning at breakfast about your lunch plans for the day. If you require an early breakfast and packed lunch for a full day tour, then please see the Front Desk staff as soon as you’ve confirmed your tour – we’ll arrange a breakfast tray to take to your room after dinner.

Meals – kids’ meals

Please ask us on check-in if you’d like supplies in your room to prepare an early breakfast for kids who wake up early. We can provide bread, a toaster, cereal, milk, fruit and yogurt etc. Kids love our picnic lunches and BBQs – just ask us if you’d like a couple of Vegemite sandwiches added to your hamper. We can provide mash or other soft food for babies. We serve an early kids’ dinner at 6.00pm. It’s suitable for babies and kids up to the age of 12, and is a Pinetrees institution! The food is healthy and delicious and there’s always dessert. Unfortunately we can’t provide kids’ meals during dinner service at 7.00pm – there isn’t enough space in the kitchen! Bigger kids are welcome at adults’ dinner if they’re happy to eat adults’ food.

Smoking

Telephones

There is no mobile phone coverage on Lord Howe Island. Instead, we provide an old-fashioned landline phone in the lobby. Local calls are free and calls to the mainland require a calling card (available at the Front Desk). The phone number for the lodge is 02 6563 2177 so friends and family can contact you while you’re away.

Tennis

The tennis court is open between 8.00am and 6.00pm – there’s no booking system. Please wear white soled tennis shoes only. There are rackets and balls available in the cupboard in the pool room. Please return the rackets and balls to the pool room at the end of your game.

Time

Lord Howe local time is the same as Sydney during the daylight-saving period, and 30 minutes ahead of Eastern Standard Time during the winter months. Please adjust your watch to make sure you don’t miss meals!

Tours and activities

Each morning at breakfast, we’ll suggest some tours and activities for the day – based on the latest weather forecast – to help you experience the very best that Lord Howe has to offer. Most tours are dependent on weather, season, tide and a minimum (and maximum) number of guests, so please book early to avoid disappointment. You’re best to book your tour directly with the tour operator. Most tour operators are located at the ‘boatsheds’ adjacent to the lagoon near the CBD.

Transport

We’ll drive you to and from the airport on your arrival day and departure day, but we can’t provide any other guest transport around the island – sorry, we have limited staff and vehicles. Instead, you’ll need to ride a bike or walk – and that’s the best part of a Lord Howe holiday. If you’re unable to ride or walk then you’ll need to rent a car. There are only a limited number of cars available on the island and they’re in high demand, so we strongly recommend booking a car before you arrive. You should call Wilson’s Hire (02 6563 2045), Thompson’s Store (02 6563 2155) or Leanda Lei (02 6563 2195).

Towels

We provide separate beach and bath towels. Please reuse your towels (hang them in the bathroom or on your verandah) and help us conserve water and power.

Valuables

Lord Howe is a crime free community – yes, really. You’ll notice honesty systems at the Golf Club, Neds Beach and along the road for local produce. There is no lock on your door and no key. We’ve never had a case of theft at Pinetrees, but if you wish, please see us at the Front Desk and we can store your valuables in our safe.

Water

We have limited supplies of treated bore water for showers and filtered rain water for drinking. Please have short showers to help us conserve water. Our staff will show you the location of your filtered rain water tap when you check-in.

Yoga

Join our yoga instructor for morning yoga beside the Lord Howe Island lagoon. We specialise in creative vinyasa, and combine the flowing practice of vinyasa, with deep, targeted stretching for relaxation and strength building postures. We enjoy reading bodies, and offer modifications to ensure all levels feel nurtured, challenged and safe.

Our classes are available from Monday to Friday, and are for Pinetrees guests only. The class size is limited to 10 people, so it’s best to book at the Front Desk on arrival. Guests who book our one-week yoga package have priority, but we normally have space for casual visitors.