SOMETIMES it is the smallest places that make the biggest effort to reduce their carbon footprint.
And while Pinetrees Lodge on Lord Howe Island may be old, it is certainly up to date.
In fact, it is the first full-service hotel in Australia to gain certification through the rigorous Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard.
Luke Hanson, who owns the lodge with his wife, sixth-generation islander Dani Rourke, described the process as "long, demanding but highly rewarding".
"Initially, we spent over $5 million on renovations to help reduce our carbon footprint," he said. "All guest rooms were refurbished following solar passive design principles. We also changed the restaurant and laundry operations to reduce water and power consumption, invested in new vehicles, reduced waste, installed worm farms and compost bins, and built a large organic market garden to limit food miles.
"All up, we reduced our power consumption by 30 per cent and water consumption by 35 per cent."
The 120-year-old lodge recently started the Sallywood Swamp Forest Restoration Project in its back paddock, planting 3000 of the critically endangered tree and palm species. This year it will build its own nursery and plant a further 3000 trees and palms.
Lord Howe Island is one place where you don't have to worry about crowds. No more than 400 guests are allowed at any one time, and they scatter through eight volcanic peaks, 10 sq km of lagoon, 18 surf spots, 20 beaches, 24km of coastline and 45km of hiking tracks.