Lord Howe Island: Ball’s Pyramid
But perhaps the ultimate attraction on Lord Howe’s Island is a trip to Ball’s Pyramid. The Lord Howe Island is actually part of an island chain, that is formed by an underground stationary hot spot, similar to Hawaii. Islands north of Lord Howe have disintegrated into coral atolls, while Lord Howe Island itself is the largest island consisting of two dormant volcanic peaks. 20km south of Lord Howe is the Ball’s Pyramid, the most recent volcanic stack (still 6.4 million years old). Ball’s Pyramid rises 562 m (1,844 ft) high, while measuring only 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) in length and 300 metres (980 ft) across. This is the world’s tallest volcanic seastack/tower! You obviously can’t land anywhere on Ball’s Pyramid and any climbing is prohibited, but circumnavigating it in a boat you can get pretty close to see the relentless waves slamming it hard. There are several other seastacks around and a lot of birds, including super rare ones that are like holy grail for birders. A trip here is difficult as the seas are usually very rough around the Ball’s Pyramid as well as crossing the deep oceanic channel in between it and the Lord Howe. But I got lucky….
