Pinetrees Lodge is the classic way to stay on Lord Howe Island: a family-run guesthouse on the lagoon where every meal is taken care of. The same family has been hosting visitors here since the 1890s. Descendants of the island's first settlers still run it. That history shows in the welcome, which feels more like staying with well-traveled friends than checking into a hotel.
Packages are full board. You get a full breakfast, lunch (often a picnic or barbecue), afternoon tea and a four-course dinner every day, with island airport transfers and daily suggestions from the staff based on the weather. Couples who book the honeymoon package add Champagne, fruit and chocolates on arrival and a discount at the day spa.
Pinetrees suits couples who want a social, food-focused stay right on the lagoon without having to think about where to eat. It suits less well if you want a small boutique lodge with designer suites or a strictly kid-free setting; families do visit, especially in school holidays. Couples after a more exclusive experience should compare Capella Lodge.
Highlights at a glance
- Family-run on the lagoon since the 1890s
- Full board with four-course dinners
- Garden Cottages with outdoor stone baths
- Sunset drinks at the boatshed
- Flights can be booked through the lodge
Why Couples Love Pinetrees
The setting and the hosts. Pinetrees sits on the lagoon shore with lawns running down to the boatshed, where sunset drinks and canapés are a nightly ritual. Turn left or right along the sand and you are on one of the island's calmest swimming beaches.
The family story is part of the appeal. Thomas and Margaret Andrews settled on the island in 1842. Their daughter Mary began taking guests at the family home around 1895. The lodge has passed down the generations ever since. In 2010, Qantas named one of its Dash-8 aircraft after Pixie Rourke, a long-time host who chaired the island's tourism association.
Guests return year after year. Many describe the food and the easy, sociable dinners on the verandah as the highlight, along with staff who seem to know the whole island.
Rooms and Cottages to Book
Accommodation is single-storey and close to the restaurant, lounge, bar and gardens. Rooms are serviced daily.
- The Garden Cottages, about 83 square meters, are the honeymoon pick. Each has high ceilings, a separate living area, a small kitchen, a library of more than 100 books and a stone bath on a private outdoor deck.
- The Sallywood Suite, about 58 square meters, has a separate living room and French doors.
- The Under the Pines Room, about 36 square meters, has a small library nook with a couch, good for reading days.
- The Palm Room and Transit Hill Room, about 29 and 32 square meters, are simple king rooms for couples who will be out all day.
The Chef's Cottage and four-bedroom Banyan Cottage are built for families and groups.
Food, Drink and the Day Spa
Food is the feature of a Pinetrees holiday. Mornings start with a full breakfast. Lunch is often packed as a picnic or set up as a barbecue at a beauty spot such as Cobby's Corner, delivered in a cooler. Afternoon tea is served at the lodge. Dinner is four courses. The chefs, several of whom have worked in leading Australian kitchens, can handle any dietary need.
Executive Chef Alasdair Nicolson hosts a weekly cooking class on the verandah. Sunset drinks and canapés at the boatshed are the social moment of the day.
The Pinetrees Day Spa offers massages and facials using Pure Fiji products. Honeymoon guests get 20 percent off treatments. Morning vinyasa yoga takes place beside the lagoon for couples who want to stretch before a hike.
Why guests fall for it
Things to Do
Each morning at breakfast, staff suggest activities based on the weather and your interests, which is useful on an island where the wind decides everything.
The lagoon is on your doorstep for swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding. Ned's Beach, on the eastern side, is the place for fish feeding and snorkeling. North Bay has turtles and clear water. For a big day, join a guided Mount Gower hike, 875 m to the top and one of Australia's best walks; book it well in advance.
Stays of seven nights or longer (outside summer holidays) add a coral viewing cruise, a sustainability tour and a cooking experience with the chefs. Fishing charters, boat trips to Ball's Pyramid and the island's nine-hole golf course can all be arranged through the lodge.
Getting There and Booking
Fly from Sydney (SYD) to Lord Howe Island Airport (LDH), about two hours on a small turboprop. Pinetrees can book Qantas flights for you without a service fee, which is helpful because seats and rooms are both limited. Book months ahead for summer.
Packages start from five nights and include accommodation, all meals, service, island airport transfers and use of lodge facilities. The Honeymoon Package adds a meet-and-greet with welcome drinks, Champagne with fruit and chocolates, a room upgrade when available and the spa discount. Pinetrees quotes prices on request rather than publishing them, so ask for the Complete Package rate for your dates and room.
Pack layers. Lord Howe is subtropical. Evenings can be cool even in summer.
Is It Worth It?
For couples who want to be looked after and well fed on the lagoon, yes. Pinetrees takes away every decision about meals on an island where food is expensive and restaurants are few. The history and the hosts give it a character that newer lodges cannot copy.
It is not a boutique luxury lodge. Rooms are comfortable rather than lavish, meals are often shared with other guests at the same hours and families visit in school holidays. The five-night minimum on packages means a real commitment of time.
Book a Garden Cottage for the private stone bath. Choose Capella Lodge instead if you want nine suites, mountain views and an open bar, or Arajilla Retreat if you prefer forest seclusion and cooking for yourselves.
Insider tips
- Book a Garden Cottage and ask for one with the most private deck for the stone bath.
- Stay seven nights outside summer holidays to get the free coral cruise and cooking class.
- Let the lodge book your Qantas flights so seats and rooms are held together.
- Reserve the Mount Gower hike as soon as your dates are confirmed.
