That wasn't always the case, though, as Ann, a sixth-generation local, explained. Now, just recently, there was a row going on because someone was using the wrong kind of lettuce in their Caesar salads. Many locals can trace their heritage to the island's earliest settlers of the mid-1800s. This translates into a small community that boasts innumerable charms rarely found in today's world. One small example is the local phone book, which sports a hand-drawn cover and lists 359 phone numbers.
Many residents nod and speak to visitors as if they're long-lost friends.
It's an attitude that quickly spreads to visitors, who keep running into each other on the small island. Within a day or two, most visitors know the other visitors on sight, and many strike up conversations that turn into holiday friendships. With so many good points, Lord Howe has to have some down sides, and it does. Primarily, inclement weather is a major factor on this island that emphasizes outdoor activities. And finally, an infestation of rats years ago has never been completely handled, so out in the rainforest hikers will probably spot a few scurrying through the underbrush.