2012 subantarctic isles trip

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things".

- Henry Miller

Several folk have asked me to send a few pictures & more details of my holiday in January 2012, given that it wasn’t a standard lazing on the beach type of trip, and because I went to places which aren’t on the standard tourist itinerary! Where did I go? First, the geography lesson:

The first map shows where the subantarctic islands are placed in relation to Antarctica, but the map below is easier to follow because it shows Aotearoa (“Land of the Long White Cloud”) the right way up!

On this trip I visited some of NZ’s "subantarctic" islands. 5 of the six Australasian “subantarctic” islands are NZ territory: the Bounty Islands, the Antipodes, the Snares, the Auckland Islands, and Campbell Island. Macquarie Island, which is further south, is Australian territory (administered from Tasmania). There are no human inhabitants but many unique indigenous plants and seabirds are found here. Visitor numbers are limited to minimise the environmental impact: all of these islands are nature reserves and World Heritage sites. Biosecurity regulations must be adhered to, and there are restrictions on where you can go, and where you can land. Non sailors can only set foot on these islands on an organised trip. Some Antarctic cruises visit several subantarctic islands while en route to or from the frozen south, but my budget wasn’t up to that!

The trip I went on took a week to visit 3 subantarctic island groups: we landed on Campbell Island, on the main island of the Auckland group, and on Enderby Island in the Auckland group (a wildlife photographer's paradise!). We also viewed the coastline of the Snares from zodiacs (landing is not permitted on this group of islands). After the organised trip I spent a few days backpacking on Stewart Island (NZ’s third largest island), then I visited friends near Wyndham (north of Invercargill), in Mosgiel (south of Dunedin) and in Christchurch. The photos which follow reflect my journey - they're loaded in chronological order.