FEATURED LOCATION
The Sub Antarctic Islands
The True Young Explorers Scholarship offered by Heritage Expeditions provides a limited spots for people between the ages of 18-30 an amazing opportunity to be able to travel to the wildlife-rich UNESCO World Heritage Sites of New Zealand and Australia's Subantarctic Islands. Their aim is to create a league of ambassadors inspired to help raise the profile and protect these precious areas, and the unique flora and fauna inhabiting them, for future generation.
In December 2022, I was beyond stoked to have been offered a scholarship to join their Birding Down Under Expeditions, visiting all of the Subantarctic Islands between New Zealand, Australia and Antarctica. I spent 16 days aboard the Heritage Adventurer as we explored Snares Island, Auckland Islands, Macquarie Island, Campbell Island, Antipode Islands, Bounty Islands and Chatham Islands.
In December 2022, I was beyond stoked to have been offered a scholarship to join their Birding Down Under Expeditions, visiting all of the Subantarctic Islands between New Zealand, Australia and Antarctica. I spent 16 days aboard the Heritage Adventurer as we explored Snares Island, Auckland Islands, Macquarie Island, Campbell Island, Antipode Islands, Bounty Islands and Chatham Islands.
Snares Islands, Tini Heke / Cruising the coastline on zodiacs
We embarked on our Zodiacs and cruised along the calm Southern Ocean towards Ho Ho Bay. As we cruised along the bay we passed colonies of Snares Crested Penguins with their striking yellow eyebrows, dotting the rockface as we ventured further south towards Mollymawk Bay. Here many clusters of petrel rested on the water's surface, and large numbers of penguins navigated the penguin 'slide' with varying degrees of success timing with the slight swell coming into the bay.
Auckland Islands / Hiking on Enderby Island.
An entourage of New Zealand/Hooker's Sea Lions, busy Yellow-eyed Penguins/Hoiho, elusive snipe and the endemic Auckland Islands Teal were there to welcome us to their island while Light-mantled Sooty Albatross and majestic Southern Royal Albatross soared elegantly across the idyllic Subantarctic skies.
Macquarie Island / Exploring Sandy Bay and zodiac cruising Lusitania Bay
It was a short ride to the shore where we were greeted by inquisitive King Penguins with their striking orange plumage highlighting their beaks, ear and breast patches, young Elephant Seals/weaners and jostling juvenile males rolling over to view us with their saucer-like eyes. Everyone was impressed by organised chaos at the Royal Penguin colony, and how these incredible birds could climb so high to raise their chicks.
Our second day at Macquarie Island, or "Macca" as it's known to the rangers, we explored the entire west coast of the island. Piling into our trusty Zodiacs, we skipped across the water towards Lusitania Bay - location of Macca's largest King Penguin colony. The sheer number of birds triumphantly dwarfed the remains of the island's dark past, what our guides called "melting penguin pots" - the rusting digesters where penguins were herded into pens, slaughtered and processed for their oil in the late 19th century.
Our second day at Macquarie Island, or "Macca" as it's known to the rangers, we explored the entire west coast of the island. Piling into our trusty Zodiacs, we skipped across the water towards Lusitania Bay - location of Macca's largest King Penguin colony. The sheer number of birds triumphantly dwarfed the remains of the island's dark past, what our guides called "melting penguin pots" - the rusting digesters where penguins were herded into pens, slaughtered and processed for their oil in the late 19th century.
Campbell Island, Motu Ihupuku / Hiking to the top of Mount Honey
Heritage Adventurer dropped anchor in the glassy, calm waters of Campbell Island's Perseverance Harbour - New Zealand's Southern-most island. We hiked up Mt Honey (569m) where similar wildlife encounters were enjoyed with Campbell Island Snipe and nesting and gamming Southern Royal Albatross dotted the mountainside. Capping off an incredible day we experienced the astounding sight of the more than 20,000-plus colony of Campbell, Grey-Headed, and Black-Browed Albatross as we sailed into the evening.
Antipode Islands, Moutere Mahue / Dodging giant kelp in the zodiacs
It was wildlife encounters galore as we Zodiac cruised over impossibly clear waters, waving kelp beds below, and observed the hijinks of Erect-crested and Rockhopper Penguins, playful Hooker's/New Zealand Sea Lions and petrels. As luck would have it we even spotted a Leopard Seal lazing in the sun on the shore! The topography of these inhospitable volcanic wildlife havens was amazing, how the ocean carved out beautiful island gardens within the caves where Terns were resting inside them.
Our excitement only grew as we spotted a Red-crowned Parakeet (Kakariki) with an unusual bright yellow and green mottled colouring body exploring the coastline. While our sightings of Antipodes Parakeets exceeded our expectation with the birds usually being elusive and well camouflaged in the surrounding greenery we observed many including a pair watching us watching them just metres away.
Our excitement only grew as we spotted a Red-crowned Parakeet (Kakariki) with an unusual bright yellow and green mottled colouring body exploring the coastline. While our sightings of Antipodes Parakeets exceeded our expectation with the birds usually being elusive and well camouflaged in the surrounding greenery we observed many including a pair watching us watching them just metres away.
Bounty Islands, Moutere Hauriri / a small group of 13 uninhabited granite islats and numerous rocks
A layer of thick fog swallowed the ship with haste as we blindly headed towards the sound of crashing waves. As it lifted, the sky remained littered with birds and the islands revealed themselves to be crawling with wildlife. As we returned from the zodiac cruise, fog engulfed all that was once visible and it was our time to carry on. These truely were bountiful islands.
Chatham Islands / The Pyramid, Tarakoikoia
As Heritage Adventurer approached the Chatham Archipelago our eyes drew naturally towards the tall, almost monumental island aptly named The Pyramid/Tarakoikoia. The ragged shark's tooth-shaped island was teeming with nesting endemic Chatham Island Albatross - the only place in the world these striking birds breed - as many more wheeled in the sky above. While circumnavigating the island both clockwise and anti-clockwise we enjoyed incredible views of this unlikely life-filled outpost.
Continuing to South East Island we anchored and proceeded to launch the Zodiacs. As we were running earlier than expected, Cheli our Expedition Leader created a Zodiac group for 'the Keeners', or guests who wanted to have a quick lunch and get a head start at exploring the island. This was a great opportunity for the birders among us to search for Shore Plover, Chatham Island Black Robin/Karure, Chatham Island Shag, and other species along the way.
Three hours later we had successfully completed our circumnavigation of South East Island and were treated to some very unique observations: seeing baby fur seal pups less than a couple of days old suckling milk from their mother and a rare sighting of a Chatham Island Blue Penguin/Korora. What a highlight to end the day with!
Continuing to South East Island we anchored and proceeded to launch the Zodiacs. As we were running earlier than expected, Cheli our Expedition Leader created a Zodiac group for 'the Keeners', or guests who wanted to have a quick lunch and get a head start at exploring the island. This was a great opportunity for the birders among us to search for Shore Plover, Chatham Island Black Robin/Karure, Chatham Island Shag, and other species along the way.
Three hours later we had successfully completed our circumnavigation of South East Island and were treated to some very unique observations: seeing baby fur seal pups less than a couple of days old suckling milk from their mother and a rare sighting of a Chatham Island Blue Penguin/Korora. What a highlight to end the day with!
A HUGE thank you to Heritage Expeditions for making this dream a reality, creating accessibility to these pristine and incredible remote locations.
More information on the True Young Explorer Scholarship - Heritage Expeditions