Antipodes Islands
OVERVIEW
Originally named the Penantipodes by its discoverer in 1800 due to its proximity to the antipodes of London. One of the less known and visited islands. Home to the endemic Antipodian Wandering Albatross, there is a rare beauty in its isolation and starkness.
GEOGRAPHY
Antipodes Islands foreshore with the 'Spirit of Enderby' in the background
The group consists of the main Antipodes Island, with several off lying islets and rocks (principally Bollons Island, Archway Island, Windward Island and Leeward Island).
Antipodes Island is roughly triangular in shape 7km by 5 km with an area of 2025ha. Steep coastal cliffs occur up to 150 m high. The central undulating plateau has several volcanic cones, dissected by steep gullies.
The Islands are of volcanic origin, remnants of the upper portion of an extensive submerged volcanic pile. Composition is of basaltic lava with pyroclastic debris. Phosphate-rich peat soils occur.
HISTORY
Originally named the Penantipodes because of its situation near the antipodes of London, the group was discovered in 1800 by Captain Waterhouse of H.M.S. Reliance. An American sealer under the command of Captain Pendleton was the first to station a sealing gang on the Antipodes, when the brig the Union of New York left an officer and 11 men there in 1804. On returning to Sydney the Union of New York sailed for Fiji and disaster, for the ship was lost and the entire crew massacred. The sealing gang was eventually rescued in 1805 after more than a year on the Antipodes. The gang had collected almost 60,000 skins. Other sealing gangs visited these Islands, but by the 1830's the seals were all but extinct and there was no further sealing.
In the early 1880's there was renewed interest in these Islands for the penguin skin trade. A large number of these skins were collected to meet a demand for fashionable ladies' muffs.
On September 4, 1893 (while on a passage from Rangoon to Talcaguano with a cargo of rice) the Spirit of Dawn was totally wrecked on a reef off the Antipodes Island. Five members of the crew, including the Captain, were drowned. The remaining eleven members of the crew made it into a life boat and were able to land on the Island. During their stay on the Island their only food consisted of mutton birds, mussels and roots. They had to eat these raw as they had no means of lighting a fire. They remained on the Island for 87 days without a fire, during which time they lived in a cave beneath an overhanging bluff.
They hoisted a flag above the cove on the highest point of the Island, which was eventually seen by the crew of the Government Steamer Hinemoa. The survivors had never found the Government depot which was four to five hours walk from their camp. This contained clothing and provisions which would have made their enforced stay a little more pleasant.
On March 13, 1908 the President Felix Faure was completely wrecked on the Antipodes Island. Her entire crew of 22 managed to reach the shore and were rescued by H.M.S. Pegasus in early May of the same year. The survivors found the Provisions Depot which had been established by the New Zealand Government. They lived on albatrosses, penguins and shellfish. At one stage they caught a calf, but the bull, cow and sheep which had been left for food by the Government had all died. It was a particularly cold sixty days,(with rain, hail and snow on all but four of them), that they had too endure before they were rescued.
FAUNA & FLORA
Antipodean Wandering Albatross
Predominant vegetation in coastal areas is tussock grassland of Poa litorosa, up to 1.5m high. Inland, the fern Polystichum vestitum is common. On higher sheltered slopes, and in gullies Coprosma cilata scrub occurs, with ferns Polystichum and Blechnum species and the herb Stilbocarpa polaris. Sheltered bogs of sedge carex ternaria with herbs Pleurophyllum criniferum and Anisotome antipoda occur. In the upper area mosses lycopodium spp and lichens stereocaulon spp are prominent.
Erect-Crested Penguins
Country or region: Antipodes Isl.
Number of species: 39
Number of endemics: 1
Number of globally threatened species: 5
Number of introduced species: 5
The taxonomic order and nomenclature follows Clements 5th edition (updated 2005).
SPHENISCIFORMES: Spheniscidae
King Penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus Rare/Accidental
Snares Penguin Eudyptes robustus Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
Erect-crested Penguin Eudyptes sclateri Endangered
Rockhopper Penguin Eudyptes chrysocome Rare/Accidental Vulnerable
PROCELLARIIFORMES: Diomedeidae
Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans
Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris
Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta Near-threatened
Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata Near-threatened
PROCELLARIIFORMES: Procellariidae
Hall's Giant Petrel Macronectes halli Near-threatened
Cape Petrel Daption capense
White-headed Petrel Pterodroma lessonii
Soft-plumaged Petrel Pterodroma mollis
Fulmar Prion Pachyptila crassirostris
Fairy Prion Pachyptila turtur
Gray Petrel Procellaria cinerea Near-threatened
White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis
Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus
Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis
PROCELLARIIFORMES: Hydrobatidae
Gray-backed Storm-Petrel Garrodia nereis
Black-bellied Storm-Petrel Fregetta tropica
PROCELLARIIFORMES: Pelecanoididae
Common Diving-Petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix
PELECANIFORMES: Phalacrocoracidae
Bounty Islands Shag Phalacrocorax ranfurlyi Vulnerable
ANSERIFORMES: Anatidae
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Introduced species
Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
CHARADRIIFORMES: Scolopacidae
Subantarctic Snipe Coenocorypha aucklandica Endemic (country/region) Near-threatened
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
CHARADRIIFORMES: Laridae
Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus
CHARADRIIFORMES: Sternidae
Antarctic Tern Sterna vittata
PSITTACIFORMES: Psittacidae
Antipodes Parakeet Cyanoramphus unicolor Endemic Vulnerable
Red-fronted Parakeet Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
PASSERIFORMES: Motacillidae
Australasian Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae
PASSERIFORMES: Prunellidae
Dunnock Prunella modularis Introduced species
PASSERIFORMES: Turdidae
Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula Rare/Accidental
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos Introduced species
PASSERIFORMES: Zosteropidae
Silver-eye Zosterops lateralis
PASSERIFORMES: Sturnidae
European Starling Sturnus vulgaris Introduced species
PASSERIFORMES: Fringillidae
Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea Introduced species
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Rare/Accidental
PASSERIFORMES: Passeridae
House Sparrow Passer domesticus Rare/Accidental
Bird Checklists of the World is part of Avibase and Bird links to the World, which are designed and maintained by Denis Lepage, and hosted by Bird Studies Canada, which is a co-partner of Birdlife International.
© Denis Lepage 2006
FURTHER READING
Further Reading:
- Chilton, C (Ed) The Sub Antarctic Islands of New Zealand Vol 1& 2 Philisophical Insitute of Canterbury, Wellington, 1909.
- Fraser, C Beyond the Roaring Forties, Woolmore Printing Ltd, Auckland 1986.
- Higham, T (Ed) Sub Antarctic Islands - A Guide Book, Craig Printing Co Ltd, Invercargill 1991.
- Thomas, M C Forgotten Islands of the South Pacific - the Story of New Zealand's Sub Antarctic Islands by Rosaline Redwood. A H and A W Reed, Wellington.
- Taylor R Straight Through from London. Heritage Expeditions, Christchurch. 2006.
- Shirihai Hadoram A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. Alula Press Oy, Finland 2002.
- Dept of Conservation: Subantarctic Islands Heritage. (Nomination of the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands by the Government of New Zealand for inclusion in the World Heritage List. Wellington. 1997.
