The Island Trader is a specially built supply vessel designed with a flat bottom so as to be able to access the Lord Howe Island wharf. The boat usually sails out of Yamba situated at the mouth of NSW's largest river,the Clarence.
The vessel is sometimes referred to as "The Yamba Trader" although it also trades out of Port Macquarie and can often be seen berthed at the shipyards dock near the bridge over the Hastings River when driving up the Pacific Highway.
Every couple of weeks the boat crosses the shallow lagoon at high tide to moor at the Lord Howe Wharf where it sits on the rocky/sandy bottom at low tide.
After unloading it's cargo, and at the tide, it makes the return trip to either Yamba or Port Macquarie.
With the tides at record lows during our visit at it was a nice surprise for us to be fortunate to be able to see the Island Trader at the dock on the day of our departure.