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(Enderby) Island Life, 12 February Smooth Sailing to The Snares, 11 February

Subantarctic Islands Voyages

Macquarie Island Expedition: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 22 Dec 2019

This is without doubt one of the most inspirational and informative journeys or expeditions into the Southern Ocean ecosystem that one can make anywhere in the world. Long recognised for their rich biodiversity, the Subantarctic Islands lying to the south of New Zealand are UNESCO World Heritage sites. This places them in a select group of only 180 natural sites that have been designated as ‘the most important and significant natural habitats' on the planet. They are also afforded the highest conservation status and protection by the Australian and New Zealand governments and access to these islands is by permit only. On this expedition we offer you the unique chance to explore, photograph and understand these wonderful places in the company of some of the most knowledgeable and passionate guides.

As a young biologist, Heritage Expeditions founder Rodney Russ first visited these islands in 1972 with the New Zealand Wildlife Service. He organised New Zealand's first commercial expedition there in 1989, and many years and over 100 expeditions later, he is still as passionate about the islands as he was in 1972. It was only natural that his family should travel with him, what wasn't predictable was that they would join him in the business and be as passionate about the conservation of this region as he is. As the original concessionaire we enjoy good relationships with the conservation departments and some of the access permits we hold are unique to these expeditions.

The name we have given to this voyage ‘Galapagos of the Southern Ocean' reflects the astounding natural biodiversity and the importance of these islands as a wildlife refuge. (The book ‘Galapagos of the Antarctic' written by Rodney Russ and Aleks Terauds and published by Heritage Expeditions describes all of these islands in great detail.) The islands all lie in the cool temperate zone with a unique climate and are home to a vast array of wildlife including albatross, penguins, petrels, prions, shearwaters and marine mammals like sea lions, fur seals and elephant seals. The flora is equally fascinating; the majority of it being like the birds and endemic to these islands.

This expedition includes four of the Subantarctic Islands, The Snares, Auckland, Macquarie and Campbell. Each one is different and each one is unique, just like this expedition.

Departures

Macquarie Island Expedition: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 22 Dec 2019
Voyage #: SOE1967

22 December, 2019 to 03 January, 2020

Main Deck Triple $7000.00 USD pp Contact us

Main Deck $8300.00 USD pp Available

Superior $8700.00 USD pp Waitlisted

Superior Plus $9250.00 USD pp Available

Mini Suite $9750.00 USD pp Waitlisted

Heritage Suite $10400.00 USD pp Contact us

Additional charges:

Landing Fees (per person in USD) $800.00 USD pp

This trip includes:

Pre/Post cruise transfers, one night hotel accommodation in a twin share room (incl. dinner/breakfast), all on board ship accommodation, meals and all expedition shore excursions.

This trip does not include:

All items of a personal nature, laundry, drinks, gratuities. International/domestic flights, visas and travel insurance.

Macquarie Island Expedition: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 22 Dec 2019 itinerary:

Day 1: Invercargill

Meet your fellow voyagers and expedition staff for an informal get-together over dinner at the hotel, where you will stay overnight.

Day 2: Port of Bluff

We transfer you to the Port of Bluff where the staff welcome you on board the Spirit of Enderby and as you settle into your cabin, our adventure begins.

Day 3: The Snares – North East Island

North East Island is the largest of The Snares and staggeringly, this one island is claimed by some to be home to more nesting seabirds than all of the British Isles together. Zodiac cruising the rugged coastline we learn how the islands got their name and encounter Snares Crested Penguins, Cape Petrel and Buller’s Albatross on the imposing cliffs. We are also likely to encounter Antarctic Terns, White-fronted Terns, Red-billed Gulls, Tomtits and Fernbirds.

Day 4: Auckland Islands – Enderby Island

Named for the same distinguished shipping family as our own vessel and one of the most beautiful islands in the group, this is a great birding location and a chance to see everything from the famous Southern Royal Albatross and Northern Giant Petrel to parakeets, Bellbirds and the endemic shag, teal and snipe. Sandy Bay is one of three breeding grounds on the Auckland Islands for the rare Hooker’s or New Zealand Sea Lion.

Day 5: Auckland Islands – Carnley Harbour

These islands have witnessed many a shipwreck in days gone by. Loaded in human history, they harbour tales of castaways, bullion and coastwatchers through to today’s scientific visitors. Today we land in Carnley Harbour and if weather and sea conditions permit visit the Shy Mollymawk colony at South West Cape or if weather is not suitable we will select one of a number of other sites available to us.

Day 6: At Sea

As we make our way through an area known as the Furious Fifties in the tumultuous Southern Ocean, we will learn more about the flora and fauna as we prepare for our arrival at Macquarie Island. En route there are great birding opportunities which may include the Wandering Albatross, Royal Albatross, Black-browed Albatross, Light-mantled Sooty Albatross, Salvin’s Albatross, Grey-headed Albatross, Northern and Southern Giant Petrel, Sooty Shearwater and Little Shearwater. We will endeavour to spot the Fairy Prion, Fulmar Prion and Antarctic Prion – never an easy task – but we should get some great views. Other species to be on the lookout for include the Soft-plumaged Petrel, Mottled Petrel, White-headed Petrel, Grey-faced Petrel, White-chinned Petrel, Grey-backed Storm-Petrel, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel and the Black-bellied Storm-Petrel.

Days 7 to 8: Macquarie Island

Described by one Australian explorer as “One of the wonder spots of the world” this is the only place in the world where the beautiful Royal Penguin breeds. Three other species of penguins, the King, Gentoo and Rockhopper also breed here. You will never forget your first experience of a noisy ‘penguin city’, where the dapper inhabitants show no fear of their strange visitors and where you will be immersed in a tumult of chattering, feeding chicks; territorial disputes; petty pilfering and courtship displays. This all happens amongst the hundreds of Southern Elephant Seals lolling on the beaches and dunes. On arrival we meet with scientists and Park Rangers based here who will accompany us on all our landings.

Day 9: At Sea

We head north from Macquarie Island through waters rich in seabirds towards Campbell Island. We invite you to join the captain on the bridge, to keep a keen lookout for birds and for whales. Today there will also be briefings and lectures on Campbell Island in preparation for our visit there.

Days 10 to 11: Campbell Island – Perseverance Harbour

We spend two days exploring the island by foot taking in the panorama of rocky islets and sea stacks; once the lonely preserve of settlers and seal hunters and now returned to nature. Enjoy an easy walk to the nesting site of the Southern Royal Albatross at Col Lyall or walk across the hills to Northwest Bay and see the strange and beautiful megaherbs growing on the hills. These huge pink and yellow wild flowers have adapted well to the harsh conditions. We also seek out other wildlife such as Campbell Island Shags, Light-mantled Sooty Albatross and, on the beaches beyond, young male sea lions testing their strength.

Day 12: At Sea

At sea en route to the Port of Bluff, take the opportunity to relax and reflect on an amazing experience. We will recap the highlights of our expedition and enjoy a farewell dinner tonight as we complete the last few miles of our journey.

Day 13: Invercargill

We arrive at the Port of Bluff early in the morning. After breakfast, customs formalities and a last minute opportunity to bid farewell to your expedition team, you disembark and board our complimentary coach transfer to downtown Invercargill or Invercargill Airport.

Enquire for a full itinerary.

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1866: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 22 Dec 2018 1668: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 23 Dec 2016 1369: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 30 Dec 2013

1866: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 22 Dec 2018

Day 1: Saturday 21st December
Invercargill

This evening we gathered at the Kelvin Hotel for our first meal together and to meet with our Expedition Leader Alex Fergus, Cruise Director Rachael Iveson-Brown and a few other members of the Heritage Expeditions office and expedition team. We were briefed on plans for the next day and the adventure we were about to set out on.

Day 2: Sunday 22nd December
Port of Bluff and the Foveaux Strait

The group are met from 08:45 this morning for baggage checks, they were loaded for transportation direct the ship this morning. At 09:00 we embarked a coach for the 1hr 15 minute journey to Curio Bay. En route to Curio Bay we passed through rural undulating countryside, the first cut of summer hay bales could be seen lined up neatly in fields. We passed whitebait fishing huts along the river, and paddocks filled with livestock.

Curio Bay was very picturesque; it was a clear blue sky day. At close by Porpoise Bay, those who made their way there first after disembarking the coach were lucky enough to view a small pod of Hector Dolphins swimming close to shore, Lucy, Elana and Benjamin took the opportunity to take a swim and the dolphins came in close, what a great start to the three True Young Explorers expedition adventures. The rest of us explored the Curio Scape interactive centre and headed to view the Petrified Forest or wander across the rocks filled with rock pools. After lunch we headed back to Invercargill, as we got closer in the distance we could see Stewart Island, there were few clouds on the horizon, it looked a great day to head out to sea.

At 15:00 we arrived at the Port of Bluff, after security checks we made our way through the port to pull up alongside the Spirit of Enderby, Professor Khromov. Alex Fergus and the expedition team were there to greet and welcome us onboard, it was time to find cabins and explore the ship before completing custom formalities on the bridge. At 16:00 the Spirit of Enderby departed the wharf, safely escorted by the pilot boat we headed out of the harbour.

After welcome briefings we completed a lifeboat drill, the lifeboats were cosy proving a quick way to get to know some of the fellow passengers onboard. A Zodiac briefing in the lecture theatre was held at 18:30 so we were prepared for our first Zodiac experience hopefully at The Snares tomorrow morning weather/sea conditions permitting.

Heading out of the Port of Bluff the weather is pleasant, the sun reflected off the water. Our pilot disembarks and as we leave the calm waters the port we enter the Foveaux Strait, the ship starts to rock gently as we head across the strait, and onward past the east coast of Stewart Island, the island is New Zealand’s third largest. We have time at leisure around the vessel until our pre-dinner drinks in the bar which is followed by a lovely first dinner at sea prepared by Damien and Bek at 19:30.

Most people opted for an early night. The ship is gently rolling as we drift off to sleep and start our journey into the Southern Ocean.

Day 3: Monday 23rd December
The Snares and At Sea

We arrive at The Snares at 04:30, dropping anchor. Lisle and Alex were awake long before most of us assessing conditions for a Zodiac cruise this morning, the seas were a bit choppy but they decided it was possible, and in the lee of the coastline conditions for the Zodiacs would be calmer. Those that woke early were able to see the early morning departures of the Sooty Shearwaters from their nests on The Snares.

After a 07:00 breakfast we all attended a briefing. We boarded Zodiacs at 08:15, for many this was their first time in a Zodiac and it was a chance to put into practice what was explained at the Zodiac briefing yesterday. The sea swell made boarding a little challenging for some but quickly each craft filled and the Zodiacs headed off from South Promontory, just north of Broughton Island and cruised along the east coast. As we approached the coastline the rock granite structures could be seen clearly and we were greeting with our first group of Snares Crested Penguins.

Salvins Albatross and Cape Petrels were in abundance around us and the next few hours were spent exploring the many coves, caves and bays of the eastern coast. Weaving in and out of the small outlets, past waving kelp as it moved with the tide, waves were crashing against rocks and New Zealand Fur Seals and New Zealand Sea Lion sat upon rocks watching our Zodiacs pass by.

Birdlife darted in and out the branches of the large tree daisy Olearia lyallii, and a few Buller’s Albatross glided overhead, it would not be long before the rocky granites and overhangs would be covered with these mollymawks. We continued to make our way along the coastline and as we rounded Station Point from Ho Ho Bay into flotillas of Snares Created Penguins we noticed the distinctive dorsal fins of Orca just offshore, for the next half hour we watched a pod of three Orca, their fins and water blows clearly visible.

The white flowers of Hebe Veronica elliptica were clearly visible as we cruised along the shore and Stilbocarpa robusta, a megaherb with rhubarb-like leaves was growing in the well bird-manured areas. Prickly shield ferns Polystichum vestitum, Blechnum durum and Asplenium obtusatum were plentiful filling gullies and under the canopy, Snares Crested Penguins appeared and disappeared as they negotiated their way through the ferns and megaherbs to or from the water’s edge. The penguins jumped in and out of the sea, standing in cluster groups watching us float by. Passing through deep wide caves and dipping into caverns and cornered wave-cut rock platforms our Zodiacs manoeuvred carefully for us all to take great photo opportunities.

We continued north to the legendary penguin slide, where a continual parade of Snares Crested Penguins traversed up and down a near vertical granite slope to the island's apex. We float at the bottom watching the penguins clamber up the rock face, or slip and slide down, diving at the last moment into the sea. Rafts of Snares Crested Penguins swam around the Zodiacs and others porpoised in and out of the water. Seals follow our Zodiacs, playing in the bubbles from the engines.

During our Zodiac cruise the endemic Snares Fernbird and black Snares Island Tomtits were briefly observed flitting around the treelines. Antipodean Albatross and Grey-headed Albatross flew overhead whilst lots of Fairy Prions and Diving Petrels could be seen on the granite rock structures, bobbing on the sea or diving for food. A Snares Island Snipe could also be heard calling from within the thick shore shrubs.

By 11:00 we are all back on board and the ships anchor was raised as we set a course south to the Auckland Islands, the rest of the day was spent at sea. This afternoon biosecurity checks took place, an important step for all to undertake before landing on any of the Subantarctic Islands.

With the ship swaying to and fro many retreated to their cabins early after dinner, there were a few seats spare in the dining room with some still finding their sea legs and choosing to not venture far from their berths. In the early hours the ship arrived into the calm waters of Port Ross.

Day 4: Tuesday 25th December
Enderby Island – CHRISTMAS DAY

The morning weather was overcast for Christmas Day but in the distance we could make out Sandy Bay. Breakfast was at 07:00 followed by a briefing on the day’s activities. At 08:15 we boarded Zodiacs with pack lunches and headed ashore. Landing on the south side of the beach, we made our way to the grass line above the beach, a lone sea lion greeted us unimpressed with our arrival, perhaps it was concerned we might be looking to share its Christmas feast. His watchful eye followed us as we made our way past with Sue our lecturer positioning herself at a safe distance between.

Gathering by the huts, we changed out of our gumboots ready for the day’s hiking, close by a Yellow-eyed Penguin was seen tucked under a bush. We split into two groups, the long and short walkers then set off, passing between the two streams which trickled out into the ocean as we made our way to the boardwalk. On this section of the beach Yellow-eyed Penguins leave the protected canopy of the island undergrowth where many have nests and make their way to and from the beach as they are heading out to fish or returning back to their nests later in the day. Both walking groups headed off across the boardwalk to the western cliffs, as we entered under a compact canopy of early red-flowering Rata coastal forest a Bellbird was sighted on a branch singing away. Following along the boardwalk the flora around us changed to lower tundra-like tops as we walked though shrublands of Dracophyllum, Ozothamnus and Weeping Mapou, the tussock Chionochloa antarctica and into meadows of megaherbs. There was plenty of Bulbinella rossii was visible, much had passed its best display this season, but some were still flowering bright yellow. There was good coastal herbs like Stilbocarpa polaris and the carrot relative Anisotome latifolia among the meadows, and plenty of Auckland Island Gentiana with their purple flowers. Sue’s botany eyes spotted sun orchids Thelymitra cyanea and the 2 headed orchid Waireia stenopetala low to the ground. Anaphalioides bellidioides (Everlasting daisy) a New Zealand native soft herbaceous densely mat-forming evergreen perennial was growing well in the moist soil.

We reached the end of the boardwalk at the northern cliffs, battling our way through strong gusts exceeding 50 knots to where we were able to observe Light-mantled Sooty Albatross, arguably the most beautiful of all the albatross. These were nesting on the cliff faces to the north of the island as also were many colonies of Auckland Island Shags. Along this ridge we walked past Plantago triantha dotted amongst the grass too. Afterwards the short walking group turned back along the boardwalk slowly making their way back to Sandy Bay. Albatross glided across the fields of megaherbs as we passed, the strong winds providing excellent flight opportunities as they dipped and glided.

The walkers who headed back to Sandy Bay early watched Hooker Sea Lions laying in their groups on the beach and New Zealand Sea Lion, there were many pups around. Beachmaster bulls gathered on the beach defending their harems from younger ambitious males. Sitting on the grassy embankment looking down over the beach, a small group of sea lions accompanied us scattered amongst the grass occasionally barking their presence to us and attempting to move closer. You certainly needed eyes in the back of your head; Stefan was engrossed in taking photos and did not notice the sea lion that crept up at speed behind him he was alerted to its presence by another expeditioner. The spectacle of sea lion battles, a pup being born kept us entertained for a long time as we sat and enjoyed our Christmas Day on Enderby Island.

The larger group headed off on a fantastic clockwise circumnavigation walk around the remainder of the island. Covering varied terrain of flat or gently rolling hills, pushing through a discrete tussock path against sheer cliffs and on into the Rata forest, this was a highlight and had a very different character to that of the open coastal regions. Hooker Sea Lion lay around in the tussocks and along sections of the coast. As we walked around the island we found Yellow-Eyed Penguins, Macquarie Island Cabbages, Banded Dotterels and Auckland Island Teal, and those at the front of the group were even treated to fleeting escapes of Auckland Island Snipe.

Auckland Island Pipit darted around not deterred by our presence, frequently perching on branches and in the grasses and meadows for photo opportunities. Both groups had good views of a local pair of New Zealand Falcon.

From 15:00 groups started to be shuttled back to the ship anchored in the calm bay, with the last group boarding around 5pm. Protected from the swells, the ship remained at anchor. The bar was busy pre dinner, and conversation was full of Christmas cheer, decorative lights hung across the bar, an assortment of festive hats, jewellery and clothing adorned some arriving for pre-dinner drinks, Roger’s penguin jumper made many laugh and we added some yellow to its eyes to celebrate the time spent with Yellow-eyed Penguins today, festive music quietly playing in the background.

A seven-course degustation for Christmas dinner was prepared by Damien and Bek, they had worked hard in the galley this afternoon bring together this lovely feast for us. There was plenty of conversation as the short and long groups shared their day’s experiences. Dessert included Christmas cake and pudding. Exhausted from a full day’s activities at Enderby Island many quickly collapsed into slumber this evening when their heads hit the pillows.

Day 5: Wednesday 26th December
Auckland Island, Hardwick - Enderby Settlement, Carnley Harbour

Early this morning the ship repositioned a short distance along the coast in preparation for this morning’s exploration of the Enderby Settlement at Hardwick. The Southern Rata could be seen in the distance along the coastline beginning to break crimson bud above the canopy.

All passengers attended a briefing at 07:00 and by 07:30 we were shuttling the short distance into Hardwick, also known as Enderby Settlement. The settlement grew out of blind optimism regarding the subantarctic region’s resource in whales and misleading reports about the suitability of these islands as a site for British colonisation. The first settlers arrived at Port Ross in December 1849, confident that the predictions by Charles Enderby of the English whaling firm Enderby & Son would offer great opportunities. The Enderby people were greeted by the Maori and Moriori settlers who had been occupying the Port Ross area already for seven years. When Charles Enderby arrived within weeks a small town stood at Erebus Cove in Port Ross where once there had been dense Rata forest. Accommodation including a small house for Enderby, cottages for families and barracks for single men, a store, workshop and chapel were built, it was envisioned it would grow into a prosperous settlement but the English were soon disheartened by the poor soils, unsettled climate and lack of whales. Unrest grew amongst the people as crops failed and lack of revenue was apparent. Finally in 1851 two special commissioners were dispatched to investigate the state of affairs at the settlement, and by August the next year despite protests from the Lieutenant-Governor the settlement was closed. The settlement had been one of the briefest colonial experiments in British history that lasted for two years and nine months.

Landing on a small rocky beach at Erebus Cove we made our way past two old buildings; a boatshed and the collapsed remains of a castaway depot, both built after the settlement was abandoned. In the Rata and Olearia lyallii forest behind the cove was evidence of house sites and pathways. It was a short walk to the cemetery established by the Enderby Settlement, the headstones were a poignant reminder of the difficulties experienced by settlers, and shipwrecked mariners who arrived a generation after the settlement had closed. Dotted within the small cemetery and around the board walk were gentians, and a small number of spider and 2 headed orchids were visible at ground level. A short walk under the Rata canopy occupied old road-way we arrived at the Victoria Tree, a carved inscription, now faint can still be seen at the base of this large old Rata tree which commemorates the visit in 1865 by an Australian government vessel, the Victoria, on a routine search for castaways.

As we assembled on the stony shore waiting for a Zodiac to shuttle us back to the ship for breakfast a single sea lion swam in the cove, watching our presence with interest it followed the Zodiacs and parked itself up on the rocks with a very watchful eye on those waiting to board the Zodiacs, it was particularly interested in Lisle but with his dominant solid stance Lisle was going nowhere! Finally the inquisitive marine mammal gave up the challenge, disappearing in the subantarctic cold water around the bay.

During breakfast the ship sailed down the coast to Carnley Harbour. Entering the harbour there were steep sheer cliffs facing us, this harbour is the remains of an ancient volcano. Overcast skies did not show the full grandeur of this beautiful remote harbour which is rich in history of shipwrecks; however from our cruise we could get a sense of its size. As we reached our furthest sailing point we turned and the misty clouds ahead gave way to rain as we sailed back out of the harbour and turned the ship and our attentions to the sea day ahead of us towards Macquarie Island.

Lisle and Dan were on the bridge joined by a small group of passengers keen to see and photograph birds that were passing by the ship during the morning and afternoon. Due to the sea swells it was difficult to view any cetaceans.

We joined Lisle in the lecture theatre for his ‘Introduction to Seabird Identification’ which covered off on a number of the species we had seen or were likely to see over the coming days. Mid-afternoon we also joined Dan for his ‘Introduction to Marine Mammals’, another informative lecture that would assist us ID some of the species we could see on this expedition.

The sea swell maintained good rhythm throughout the afternoon and long into the night as we sailed south through the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties but that didn’t stop us celebrating three Boxing Day birthdays with a cake this evening at dinner and a fine rendition of Happy Birthday.

Day 6: Thursday 27th December
At Sea to Macquarie Island

The seas continued to rock the ship all day as we continued our passage south; in the library some passengers could be found downloading images and browsing through the library book collection. Many retreated to their cabins, catching up on sleep, reading or simply taking to their berths whilst the turbulent seas tossed us from side to side. Others were on the bridge with cameras and binoculars, the seas made it difficult to observe any marine life as wave after wave connected with the ships bow sending sprays of salty water across the forward deck. No lectures were held today due to the sea conditions but biosecurity checks took place at 3pm in the bar/library or lecture room.

Before dinner the bar opened, a small gathering of passengers lodging themselves into the comfy fixed seats around the bars edge. It wasn’t long before Rachael our Cruise Director could be heard announcing dinner, the chefs had worked against very difficult conditions today in the galley but once again produced a lovely evening dinner that despite the seas was well attended.

Day 7: Friday 28th December
Macquarie Island

When we woke up this morning we were positioned of Macquarie Island, a low fog encased much of the island. We started with an early breakfast, Alex had forewarned us that this would be a busy day; the forecast for the following day was questionable so we wanted to do as much today while weather conditions would allow.

Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service ranger Chris Howard was collected from Buckles Bay by Zodiac and soon joined us on board. It was an early start for Chris as Australian time difference meant he was 2 hours behind NZ time. Chris and Alex held a briefing in the lecture room explaining the day’s landings and providing some insight into life working on the island, its wildlife and fauna. Shortly afterwards we changed into our landing clothes and boarded Zodiacs. We landed stern-first at Buckles Bay between sets of big waves, scrambling onto the beach as fast as possible so the Zodiacs could get off before the next set arrived.

On shore Sue and Luke two others TASPAWS rangers waited for us and along with Chris guided us up to the viewing platform where we had great views of white-morph Southern Giant Petrels. Poa foliosa hid seals well with Pleurophyllum hookeri and Acacna minor dotted amongst the grassland as we made our way along the isthmus, past the Magnetic Exclusion Zone and onto the north coastal beach overlooking Cosray Rocks, the Gentoo Penguin colony was huddled together in groups along the beach or individuals stood dotted up along the grass area overlooking the beach, a few inquisitive ones headed our way to investigate their visitors. Down at the waterline Gentoos were fishing amongst the seaweed. The rain started to fall but this didn’t deter anyone from standing watching this spectacle, finally reluctant to leave we slowly made our way along the beach towards the Australian Antarctic Program Station. We were welcomed to their mess room with large smiles, we were all a little wet from rain shower but scones, jam and cream soon took over our thoughts, and a hot drink warmed us up. Some of us had our passports stamped, bought souvenirs or sent postcards from the Macquarie Island post office, which will apparently reach their recipients sometime in April. Afterwards we headed back along the gravel path passing scores of huge Elephant Seals slumbering amongst the tussocks; some were well hidden, whilst others sprawled out alongside the path – or across the path. A small number of King Penguins were standing in groups by the beach whilst others stood separately watching us watching them! We walked back along the Isthumus, stopping briefly at the digester, passing a rather large Elephant Seal positioned on the pathway who blocked our passage and had to be moved on quietly (and bravely) by Sue. We gathered on the beach waiting to head back to the ship for lunch, with rain still falling we boarded the Zodiacs on the beach and took the opportunity to cruise past a small Rockhopper colony near the base as we went back to the ship, Luke, Sue and Chris joined us too.

Over lunch the Spirit of Enderby repositioned to anchor off Sandy Bay, Royal Penguins could be seen swimming in the water porpoising around the vessel. As we set out for our afternoon ashore the sun came out, a great omen for our visit. The Zodiacs shuttled us 10 at a time, and as we got closer to shore many Royal Penguins could be seen on the rocks as we rounded into Sandy Bay. The beach and rocky headland was alive with wriggling elephant seal weaners, wrestling and barking sub-adults and groups of Southern Elephant Seals simply lying sardine-style on the beach, some looked like super-sized sardines! They raised their heads and snorted or had a bit of a joust, then they inevitably collapse back on top of each other, a friendly flipper over the rival. As we landed at Sandy Bay groups of Royal Penguins marched around or stood on the beach, many young could be seen moulting. Their rakish gold crests porpoised back and forth to and from the water all around us, higher up the hillside the smell of their colony could be experienced as we walked up to the observation platform, the sound of penguin vocalizations could be heard all around us, these calls apparently are individually identifiable, allowing mates to recognize each other and also their chick. The colony was alive with groups of creched chicks, adults marching to and fro to feed them, and desperate attempts to drive off marauding skuas.

King Penguins lined the beach as we pick our way pass and amongst them – none of them are at all bothered by these funny tall colourful penguins shuffling past them today with their cameras clicking away. Some approach to check the funny looking penguins out, others stand or lay obligingly for photos. The Kings dominate the beachline, at the far end there is a large colony of them clustered; we are not allowed amongst these – there is no elbow room for penguins, let alone humans!

What an extraordinary place and what a privilege to be here! The ship remained anchored off Sandy Bay overnight.

Day 8: Saturday 29th December
Lusitania Bay cruise-by (south-east coast of Macquarie Island) and At Sea

Early this morning the ship cruised along to the southern end of Macquarie Island along past Lusitania Bay, the site of an estimated 500,000-pair strong King Penguin colony. Once the scene of mass slaughter penguins were thrown into giant pressure cookers (‘digesters’) and their fat rendered into barrels of oil. The digesters can now be seen rusting on the beach, surrounded entirely by breeding penguins. We were unable to land because winds were too strong but camera and binoculars were focused on the spectacle before us, small rafts of King Penguins could also be spotted dotted around the ship. The cloud cover obscured the higher levels across the island but slowly it lifted as the morning progressed. Before lunch we dropped the Rangers back to Buckles Bay, landing on the boulder beach by Zodiac between sets of large waves.

As lunch was underway Macquarie Island slowly disappeared into the distance as the ship turned north setting course for Campbell Island.

The afternoon sea pounded against the ships bow as the Furious Fifties did its best to challenge our hardworking chefs in the galley and expedition team around the vessel. Sue gave a lecture about The Snares later this afternoon. After dinner swells 8 to 10 metres rocked the vessel, most people were in their cabins and berths by then. The ship continued to cut through the Southern Ocean and sway late into the night, Captain Dimitry and his experienced officers are no strangers to these wild waters and negotiating a passage on the Spirit of Enderby,.

Day 9: Sunday 30th December
At Sea to Campbell Island

We continued our journey to Campbell Island; the sea was not letting up. Due to the conditions the lecture programme was postponed for the day and the bar/library was generally quiet. The Furious Fifties were giving us a good taste of the seas past explorers would have encountered on their journeys through these waters; we should remember that these ships would have been less comfortable than ours.

Biosecurity checks were completed late afternoon in the bar/library and lecture room. We had become well accustomed to moving around the ship in these turbulent seas as it swayed from side to side and the one hand for ship rule was not forgotten even if that meant two trips with larger gear loads to be checked.

Once again our chefs Damien and Bek produced a lovely dinner, we continued to be amazed at how they had managed to bring together the meal in turbulent seas, and how Olga and Yulia managed to deliver the plates safely to the tables as they balanced this way and that, it was a sight to watch.

Early to bed for many tonight but we knew that during the night we would enter the calmer waters of Perseverance Harbour and there would be respite from the relentless angry seas we were encountering on our passage from Macquarie Island.

Day 10: Monday 31st December
Campbell Island - NEW YEARS EVE

We arrived in the early hours where the calm waters of Perseverance Harbour waited for us, after the last 36 hours it was welcomed by all.

At 08:30 we joined Alex in the lecture room for his presentation on Campbell Island, an introduction to the island’s history and biota, followed by a briefing describing our activities ashore at today. Campbell Island is New Zealand’s southernmost territory and lies 660 km south of Bluff, volcanic islands, there is much evidence of old peat erosion scars, volcanic rock and limestone formations from over the many million years. Half the group opted for the days walk to Northwest Bay and the others opted for a morning Zodiac cruise, followed by a walk up the boardwalk to the Col-Lyall Saddle.

After collecting packed lunches at 10:00 the Zodiacs transferred the Northwest Bay Walk passengers to the wharf at Beeman Base and Alex and Dr Steve set off for the days walk. Pushing through the tussocks, over ridges and around bays we were treated to the many landscapes of Campbell Island. The soft peat under foot cushioned by moss in places and surrounded by megaherbs and tussocks accompanied the journey as we climbed high to the field of megaherbs that appeared as the group moved across the top of the plateau and headed down into Northwest Bay. Among the tussocks Southern Royal Albatross sat, their feathers ruffled by the winds which are blowing across the undulated landscape. Winding our way down to Capstan Cove wading through thick peat and pushing through the scrub, we then wound our way back up the hillside to overlook Northwest Bay. Continuing around the side of Mt Dumas, the group stopped at the coastwatchers cave, then tracked down into Camp Cove to meet Dan with a Zodiac, with many smiling faces and a sense of achievement after this 10km walk the group made their way back to the ship at 7pm.

Launching the remainder of the Zodiacs the second group cruised the calm waters of the inner harbour, in Tucker Cove a pair of Antarctic Terns with two chicks sat upon a nest on a small rock at the water’s edge. A Campbell Island Teal could be seen on the shoreline eating carrion. Then we head further around the inlet past a couple of seals gliding through the rippled bay. We see the Sitka Spruce 'loneliest tree in the world' which was planted at Camp Cove in the early 1900s. There, an ambitious young sea lion bares its teeth, watching us disembark the Zodiacs it wasn’t long before it was heading in our direction at good speed, standing its ground testing our courage swiftly darting from one person to another making a number of attempts to move close to the passengers. Rachael stood firm guarding us from the inquisitive sea lion, a few of us wondered if she is feeling as brave on the inside as she looked on the outside, it was a very persistent sea lion! After viewing the tree we find our way through the grass and undergrowth back to the Zodiacs and continue our cruise. We passed Garden and Venus Cove on the way back to the ship where we could see endemic Campbell Island Shags at the shoreline. Returning to the ship to munch on our pack lunches as Alex had given the chefs a break from preparing a ship lunch today after the previous day’s mammoth efforts in the galley on the high seas.

At 2pm the Col-Lyall Saddle walkers were transferred back to the wharf, and guided by Rachael, Dan, Lisle and Sue the group passed by the unmanned and derelict buildings of the New Zealand met station, continuing on up through thick Dracophyllum and past large tussocks of Poa litorosa and Chionochloa antarctica. As we continued higher we were accompanied by numerous curious and Campbell Island Pipits. We moved out of the shrub zone and into the tussock zone where the spectacular megaherbs such as Pleurophyllum, Stilbocarpa and Anisotome were blooming, some Ross Lily Bulbinella rossii could still be seen in good flower, but many had just past their best. Ground orchids Aporostylis bifolia, Chiloglottis cornuta and Wairea stenopetala were spotted by our botanist Sue. As we rise into the tussocks numerous Southern Royal Albatross appear dotted on the hillside, we could appreciate their true size as we past quietly by, some were breeding very close to the boardwalk, as we climbed higher their stronghold breeding colony could be seen. The albatross sat amongst the tussock, patient and quiet. Almost everybody made it right to the end of the boardwalk at the western cliffs where the views out over Dent Island and the Southern Ocean were spectacular, clear blue skies and a strong wind allowed Southern Royal Albatross to swoop and glide around us, it was breath-taking. Ben, Hans and Sabrina saw a Snipe amongst the tussocks close to the Southern Royal Albatross colony. As the afternoon got later, we made our way slowly back to the landing site at Beeman Base for a waiting Zodiac and then back onto the ship. Michaela, Nicholas, Judy and Steve were fortunate to come across a Yellow-eyed Penguin on the boardwalk as they made their way back to wharf – they were in the right place at the right time.

Some hardy souls jumped off the gangway this evening into the cool Subantarctic waters of Perseverance Harbour for a quick dip. Then our day was rewarded by an excellent New Year’s Eve dinner. Afterwards most retreated to the bar, settling in for the New Year’s Eve celebrations waiting for 2019 to arrive. It was Jennifer’s birthday, as the cake arrived the bar burst into song to wish her Happy Birthday and shortly after that the countdown to New Year began. Glasses were filled to toast in the New Year, Auld Lang Syne was sung by some and glasses were raised to toast in the New Year.

A few took the opportunity afterwards to go outside whilst in the calm waters of Perseverance Harbour up onto the Monkeydeck to watch the New Year night sky, there was some discussion amongst those on deck as to if an aurora could be partially seen through the cloudy skies.

Day 11: Tuesday 1st January
Campbell Island and At Sea to Bluff - NEW YEARS DAY

At 06:00 the Zodiacs departed with the Col-Lyall boardwalk walkers, this was the long walkers from yesterday who wanted to experience the magnificence of the albatross there that others had seen yesterday afternoon.

The morning outer harbour Zodiac cruise departed not long after, as the day began activity was already busy along the harbours southern water’s edge. Campbell Island Shags could be seen along the shoreline, Light-mantled Sooty Albatross on nests tucked into the undergrowth, one had a small chick. The sea lion tagging teams tent was seen in the tussocks, we quietly floated past in the early morning light. Mt Honey was partially cloud covered. A sea lion rookery was at the entrance to the harbour at Erebus Pt, we continued out of the harbour into choppier waters following the coastline where we found a small group of Eastern Rockhopper Penguins, we could see about 12 penguins, some were playing in a rock pool, whilst others were seen hopping across the rocks, once upon a time this colony would have been larger in size. Turning the Zodiacs back towards inner Perseverance Harbour we slowly made our way back into the calmer waters and along the northern coastline. There was a kelp forest along the shoreline but the water was very clear, large spider crabs could clearly be seen at the bottom and sea lions kept us company. Campbell and Southern Royal Albatross, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel and Cape Petrel were observed during the early morning cruise. As we returned to the ship the Col-Lyall walkers were seen in the distance crossing the ridge making their way back to ship too.

At 09:00 we raised the anchor and left Perseverance Harbour. We were preparing to push into northerly weather conditions as we made our way to Bluff. Breakfast was available in the dining rooms and as we rounded Erebus Pt at the harbour head the ship once again began its rhythmic rolling motion.

We sailed north following the coast line. Cossack Rock appeared within our sight and as we passed the rocky peninsula we are treated to the magnificent sight of Campbell Island Albatross and Grey-headed Albatross swooping and gliding around the ship, a raft of albatross ahead takes flight, an amazing sight as long wings lift from the seas surface. The albatross bank this way and that, closely passing the ship. We continue along the rugged coastline past North Cape and the ship heads north, next stop Bluff.

Throughout the day the ship sways back and forth, the now familiar roll of Spirit of Enderby. At 11:00 we join Roger in the lecture room where he shares the touching story of his search to photograph an Emperor Penguin. Later in the afternoon we join Lisle for a humorous insight into the life of a birder, the lecture was well attended many taking the opportunity to rest in the comfortable lecture room chairs, as we swayed from side to side the swells tried to lull us into a snooze, however Lisle kept our attention well and no one succumbed to the seas rhythm. Most of us left wondering if we were simply birdwatchers or might turn into twitchers, we had picked up some useful birding terms to start speaking like birders – thank you Lisle for the amusing journey into the life of a birder.

The bar was open for pre-dinner drinks, and dinner served at 19:30, some retired early to their cabins.

Day 12: Wednesday 2nd January
At Sea to Bluff

The ship continued to rock through the night. Breakfast was available from 08:30 this morning in the dining rooms, and at 10:30 we joined Dan in the lecture room for his presentation ‘Seventy degrees north to Seventy degrees South’. He takes us on a journey around the globe, elaborating on the many varied small ship expeditions which can be taken too many remote and beautiful places, capturing our imagination with amazing photos.

After lunch we finalised accounts with Rachael. At 15:00 Sue gave a lecture on her time at Raoul Island, providing insight into the Kermadec Islands which are the tiny emergent part of a chain of submarine volcanoes that define the Kermadec ridge. The subtropical, volcanic Kermadec Islands are the northernmost part of New Zealand and also visited by Heritage Expeditions on past voyages in this area.

At 17:00 we all gathered in the lecture room for a disembarkation briefing for Bluff from Alex, and the True Young Explorers scholarship recipients Ben and Elana briefly shared their thoughts from the voyage and what they would take away from the experience, and how they would continue to advocate for this region in the future. Lucy’s sea legs were better resting in her berth this afternoon. Finally recapping the highlights of the past two weeks the excellent photo slideshow prepared by Dan brought back many memories of our adventures on Galapagos of the Southern Ocean.

In the evening the bar was busy for one last time, as we all met to share stories of the trip and then off for our final dinner at 20:00. Damien and Bek provided a wonderful farewell meal and before everyone left the dining room the lights dimmed and a chorus of happy birthday was sung to Expedition Leader Alex who was presented with a delicious cake to celebrate his birthday on board today.

As the ship dropped anchor in the lee of Stewart Island shortly after dinner finished, many retreated to their cabins taking the opportunity to continue packing bags as the ship had stopped rolling before settling down for their last night’s sleep on board in calmer conditions.

Day 13: Wednesday 3rd January
Port of Bluff

At about 4am we could hear the anchor raise and the now familiar movement of the ship from side to side started again as Spirit of Enderby made her way across the Foveaux Strait to Bluff. Some woke early to watch us pick up the pilot at 05:30; the wind was strong as we sailed towards Port of Bluff. Day was just breaking, the sky a mixture of blue and overcast clouds as we docked at 06:00.

The ship was a buzz with activity early this morning as bags were prepared for disembarkation, custom formalities were completed and everyone gathered for the last breakfast feast. Outside the Port of Bluff had one final weather surprise for us with winds gusting across the wharf, we could have been at the northern cliffs on Enderby Island again if it was not for the very different surrounds. A rainbow shone bright in the distance across the harbours entrance.

As we disembarked fond farewells were shared between expedition staff and passengers before boarding the coach to Invercargill, many were returning to their homes but a small group were continuing their South Island adventures by extending the stay in Southland with a few days on Stewart Island, whilst a few others were also extending their time in New Zealand elsewhere.

Our sea legs would take a few days to adjust back to land legs fulltime after experiencing the sea swells we had encountered, we had been in ‘expedition mode’ from the off with an awareness of the weather elements and flexibility being at the for front of our trusty Expedition Leader Alex’s leadership as we explored each island.

Our photos and memories will now we shared with many. We remember our Zodiac cruise around The Snares with amazing sightings of the endemic Snares Crested Penguins. On Enderby Island at Sandy Bay the Hooker Sea Lions snoozed on the beach, whilst the Bull Sea Lions asserted their dominance, young pups gathered and new life was born. Yellow-eyed Penguin rushed back and forth to the beach, and stood in the grassy dunes watching our movements with the Spirit of Enderby back dropped behind them, and let us not forget the Rata forest canopy along the beautiful coastline. Macquarie’s birdlife was spectacular, and the magnificence of this island where penguins gather in immense colonies on the beaches, coastal terraces and slopes we will always remember. Then at Campbell Island there was our amusing encounter with the lone sea lion at Camp Cove, and the silence of the albatross colony gliding above us at Col-Lyall, while fields of megaherbs surrounded us on our walks. The sights, sounds, and smells of the Southern Ocean and the Subantarctic Islands are experienced by few, we are among the lucky ones, even the seas reminded us of the journeys old explorers would have encountered. Thank-you for sharing the journey and the places Heritage Expeditions visit year after year, watching those who experience it for the first time and to see it touch hearts the way it has ours for many years is special.

1866: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 22 Dec 2018 1668: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 23 Dec 2016 1369: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 30 Dec 2013

1668: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 23 Dec 2016

Day 1: 23rd December
Invercargill

This evening we gathered at the Kelvin Hotel for our first meal together and to meet with our Expedition Leader, we were briefed on plans for the next day and the expedition we were about to set out on.

Day 2: 24th December
Bluff

Position 0800 hrs: 46º37.8’S 168º21.2’E Bluff
Weather: SSW wind 16 knots, air temperature 14ºC
Sea conditions: 2 metre swell, sea temperature 13ºC
Nature highlights: Southern Royal, Auckland White-capped and Salvin’s Albatross; Cape, Mottled, Cook’s & diving petrels; Sooty Shearwater, Spotted and Bronze (Stewart Island) Shags, Red-billed and Kelp Gulls, White-fronted tern, Little Blue & Fiordland Crested Penguins, Antarctic & Fairy Prions.

We met in the lobby of the Kelvin Hotel in Bluff at 0900, tell-tale signs betraying fellow passengers; rugged day packs; strong walking shoes; outdoor jackets and outsized camera bags.

“Hi, I’m Chris, one of your guides. Welcome to Heritage Expeditions! Please bring your bags over here. Max and I will label them and Alex will have them waiting in your cabins when you get on board. Once that’s done we’ll head down to the museum to look at the Subantarctic display, come back to the Kelvin for lunch, then at 1.30 we’ll take a coach to Bluff and the Spirit of Enderby.”

Once aboard we enjoyed tea and fresh scones in the bar-library, cleared Australian customs for Macquarie Island, settled into our cabins, then headed down to the lecture room for our first briefing at 4pm. Rodney Russ, our Expedition Leader and founder of Heritage Expeditions introduced the team,

….“ I bring you greetings from Captain Dmitri and the crew. This is Jessie Prebble our Cruise Director: She’ll be keeping the show on the road. Here are 2 of the most important people on the ship - our chefs Alain Hauswirth and Ed Roberts. This is Dave Chamley, ship’s doctor, and these are your guides, lecturers and Zodiac drivers; Lisle Gwynn, Steph Borrelle and Chris Todd. OK team, come on up and introduce yourselves…” “And now for the Zodiac briefing… safety around the ship… lifeboat drill…..”

We set sail for The Snares at 6pm, feeling the roll of the ocean as soon as we left port. After a superb dinner (choice of seared salmon or rack of lamb) served by cheerful Russian wait staff Natalia and Olga, we left the lee of bush-clad Ruapuke and Rakiura / Stewart Islands and experienced the full influence of the Southern Ocean swell.

We climbed up to the bridge and upper decks to enjoy the landscapes, seascapes and the see-sawing flight of seabirds long into the evening. Thus began our 13 day voyage to one of the most remote and wild places on earth.

Day 3: 25th December – Christmas Day
The Snares and at Sea

Position 0800 hrs: 48º01.8’S 166º37.7’E
Weather: SSW wind 12 knots, air temperature 14ºC
Sea conditions: 2 metre swell, sea temperature 13ºC
Nature highlights: Snares Crested Penguin, Snares Island Tomtit, Southern Buller’s Albatross, Southern Giant Petrel, Fulmar Prion, Black-bellied Storm-Petrel, Antarctic Tern, New Zealand Fur Seal, New Zealand Sea Lion, Fern Bird.

The perfect Christmas present: fine weather for a Zodiac cruise at The Snares! We arrived here at 0730hrs. All five Zodiacs were craned off the back deck and driven to the gangway, where Russian sailors helped passengers into the Zodiacs, which rose and fell with the swell.

The granite buttresses of The Snares rose abruptly from indigo depths, strikingly blanketed by white lichen and fringed by tan-coloured bull kelp. Higher plants took hold some 20-30 metres further up, above the line of storm-driven waves. The island is covered in a mixture of forest (tree daisy Olearia lyalii with some Brachiglottis stewartii ), open tussock (Poa spp), shrublands on the seaward margins (the coastal hebe Veronica elliptica) and lichen-covered granite.

As we approached the island, endemic Snares Crested Penguins rafted past in big groups; their black and white bodies, bright orange beaks and yellow crests a study in contrast. They preened themselves in the water, porpoised, dived and torpedoed clean out of the sea onto the rocks, before hopping and walking up long, sloping rock-ramps to their nests high in the forest. They seemed very definite about leaving the sea, but eternally undecided about getting back in.

After following the shoreline some way, we motored into a cavernous tunnel, the seabed 5-10 metres down clearly visible through crystal clear water, before exiting into a perfectly calm cove surrounded by forest. Someone sang a verse of Silent Night in the tunnel to check out the acoustics and mark the season.

Buller’s Albatross nested high above us, their beautiful grey heads phasing into dark eye patches, with striking yellow bills. They were all around the island; at sea, soaring over clifftops, sitting on the water, nesting amongst tussocks and shrubs, or sitting on high rocky promontories.

Young sea lions followed the Zodiacs curiously, twisting and turning under water to get a better look at the boats. On the rocky foreshore a large male with furious red eyes defended 2 females against challenges from 2 other males, one from each side. Fern Birds and Black Tomtits fed down to the rocky sea margins. The abundance of wildlife action made it hard to decide what to look at or photograph next: a truly memorable Christmas Day.

Photo credit: C. Todd

Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Kayak Log:
What a Christmas present!

Kayaking on a flat sea surrounded by a raft of curious Snares Crested Penguins, with Hooker's Sea Lions ignoring us as they challenged each other on a wave platform, Mike and I could have been the only humans on the planet.

With the Spirit of Enderby and the cruising Zodiacs out of sight, we paddled quietly through the clear waters, marvelling as the wild inhabitants of The Snares went about their day. Penguins approached to about one metre on the surface, braver under water they came right up to our hull. Sea lions were more curious, frequently swimming right up to our paddles.

We had launched from a Zodiac alongside the Spirit of Enderby, and paddled along the coast of the island, stopping to drift past groups of penguins and posturing sea lions. The benign conditions allowed for exploration deep into a sea cave, with the waves gurgling over rocks in the darkness. Paddling quietly through a long archway which opened into a mirror-calm bay, we were joined by the Zodiacs as we went around to the famed Penguin Slide.

Sitting off to the side as penguins timed their leap ashore, we craned our necks as they made the long trudge up the smooth rock to their colonies high in the vegetation.

With the conditions so good, Rodney called over the radio to push back our pick-up time, and Mike and I paddled back south along the island before heading back to the ship. We pulled alongside a Zodiac to be transferred aboard, having paddled 5 kilometres of the most pristine coastline in New Zealand.

Photo credit: J. Kirk-Anderson

Day 4: 26th December – Boxing Day
Enderby Island

Position 0800 hrs: 50º30.4’S 166º16.5’E
Weather: NW wind 20 knots, air temperature 13ºC
Sea conditions: 1 metre swell (inside harbour), sea temperature 15ºC
Nature highlights: New Zealand Sea Lion breeding colony, endemic Auckland Island Pipit, tomtit, Flightless Teal, snipe, shag and anded dotterel; Red-crowned and Yellow-crowned Parakeet; NZ Falcon, Yellow-eyed Penguin, Light-mantled Sooty Albatross synchronised-flying, nesting Southern Royal Albatross.

The ship stopped rolling at 0300hrs as we entered the sheltered waters Port Ross, known affectionately by early sailors as ‘Sarah’s Bosom’ and anchored off our landing point at Sandy Bay. Enderby Island is low-lying, rising gently from a sandy beach in the south to coastal cliffs along the exposed north coast. After launching the Zodiacs, we landed stern first in order to keep the bow pointing into the small surf. After swinging our legs over the side, we crossed the sea-lion strewn beach to Department of Conservation field huts. A few young male sea lions made half-hearted lunges at us to remind us who owned the beach. Once we had stowed the life-jackets and changed into walking shoes, we headed up a grassy bank above the beach, through low shrubs and onto the boardwalk under a canopy of an enchanting, low-growing, red-flowering rata (Metrosideros umbellata), Myrsine and Dracophyllum trees, the forest floor punctuated by mosses, ferns and the rhubarb-like megaherb Azorella polaris. As we climbed further towards the wind-exposed north coast, the vegetation quickly transitioned down to a dense carpet of cushion plants, gentians, and the megaherbs Bulbinella (yellow flowers and strap-like leaves) and Anisotome (huge mauve globes of florets).

Endemic Auckland Island Dotterels, pipits and tomtits fed on invertebrates (Astelia) close to the boardwalk, the dotterels seemingly oblivious to our presence. At the end of the boardwalk Auckland Island Shags flapped rapidly up and down the line of cliff-tops and a pair of Light-mantled Sooty Albatross soared past in a beautiful display of synchronised flying. Deep peat above the cliffs had been scoured by the wind, revealing old layers where trees had once grown.

Thirty-five people carried on around the island, clockwise and eastward above the cliffs, around the eastern coastline and back to Sandy Bay. They reported seeing endemic snipe amongst the tussocks, Red-crowned Parakeets feeding on grass seeds and Gentianella, Yellow-eyed Penguins nesting and sea lions hauled out around the shoreline, a colony of Auckland Islands Shags, Southern Royal Albatross nesting and flying over the tussocks, a pair of falcons chasing parakeets, and walking inside the ‘enchanted’ rata forest, the canopy twisted over by the prevailing winds and floor carpeted with Azorella, moss and ferns.

Photo credit: J Kirk-Anderson

The remainder of us remained at the cliffs for a time to look at the flowering plants and watch the Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses before returning to the beach to watch sea-lions: huge testosterone-driven dominant males desperately defended their harems, erupting periodically into furious fights. Females with pups snapped at the fighting males or scrambled out of the way to prevent their pups being crushed. Females and pups lay together in small groups, pups bleating like lambs and being nursed attentively. At the top of the beach slightly older pups were being held in crèches while their mothers were at sea. We watched a sea lion give birth to a pup straight onto the sandy beach, skuas dashing in to snatch pieces of the placenta.

We enjoyed a magnificent buffet roast Christmas dinner, delayed until Boxing Day to ensure calm conditions at table.

Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Day 5: 27th December
Carnley Harbour, Auckland Island

Position 0800 hrs: 50º50.6’S 166º05.8’E
Weather: SW wind 20 knots, air temperature 11ºC
Sea conditions: 4 metre swell, sea temperature 14ºC
Nature highlights: Watching seabirds from the bridge leaving the Auckland Islands. Gibson's Wandering Albatross, Grey-backed and Black-bellied Storm-Petrel.

We arrived at Carnley Harbour at 0630 in thick fog and high winds which made it unsuitable to anchor. As a result we headed back out to North Arm in the lee of the island.

Day 6: 28th December
At sea en route to Macquarie Island

Position 0800 hrs: 51º56.2’S 164º06.4’E
Weather: SW wind 24 knots, air temperature 11ºC
Sea conditions: 3 metre swell, sea temperature 12ºC
Nature highlights: Experiencing the power of the Southern Ocean

We spent the entire day punching directly into a SW swell, a day best spent reading or lying in bed.
Rodney asked us to spare thought for those in the sailing ship era who had sometimes taken weeks to beat their way down to Macquarie Island, only to have to stand off for days until it was calm enough to land a boat.

Photo credit: J Kirk-Anderson

Day 7: 29th December
Sandy Bay, Macquarie Island

Position 0800 hrs: 54º24.8’S 159º11.9’E
Weather: Westerly wind 20 knots, air temperature 9ºC
Sea conditions: 1 metre swell, sea temperature 11ºC
Nature highlights: Sandy Bay landings: King and Royal Penguins; elephant seal weaners and young adults; orca; skuas and giant petrels hunting penguin chicks; dramatic landscapes and seascapes.

Macquarie Island, an Australian territory 34 km long x 5 km wide, is apparently the exposed crest of the undersea Macquarie Ridge and the only place on earth where rocks from the earth’s mantle (6 km below the ocean floor) are being actively exposed above sea-level.

We arrived at 0900 and ferried 2 Australian Antarctic Division staff and Alex Fergus (NZ Department of Conservation botanist) by Zodiac to the Australian base at Buckles Bay. The Zodiacs returned with the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service rangers accompanying us to our landings.

We landed stern-first at Sandy Bay between sets of big waves, scrambling onto the beach as fast as possible so the Zodiacs could get off before the next set arrived. The beach and rocky headland was alive with wriggling elephant seal weaners, wrestling and barking sub-adults and groups of elephant seals simply lying sardine-style on the beach. Groups of Royal Penguins marched or stood on the beach, backs to the wind. Royal Penguins with rakish gold crests porpoised back and forth on fishing trips to feed their young in colonies high above the beach. The colony we visited via a boardwalk was alive with little groups of creched chicks, adults marching to and fro to feed them, and desperate attempts to drive off marauding skuas and giant petrels, ever alert for an unguarded chick, which they would snatch and disembowel in minutes. As we departed for the ship from our second (afternoon) landing, a pod of orca swam by and out past the ship.

What an extraordinary place and what a privilege to be here! It made the previous 36 hours beating into sou’west swells to get here seem trivial and irrelevant. The ship remained anchored off Sandy Bay overnight.

Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Kayak Log:
Margaret and Vijay were surprised spectators when a group of Giant Petrel killed and ate a penguin beside their kayak, off Sandy Bay, Macquarie Island.

The couple had just been launched from a Zodiac and were heading towards the beach when the raw act of nature played out beside them. As Mike and I paddled over, the unfortunate penguin was quickly devoured by the group of large seabirds, who ignored us and our double kayaks.

Rafts of penguins formed around us, as if there was safety in numbers and our presence. They left us to head inshore as we continued paddling along the coast, staying outside the surf zone, which was dumping on the shingle beach.

Ashore, Royal and King Penguins formed ranks of white, broken by large grey elephant seals shuffling along the beach. Penguins swam in pools on the rock platforms at the north-eastern end of the bay, and stopped to watch us. Mindful of the swell rolling in, we were cautious in our approach to the shore, back-paddling away from the breakers.

As the time approached for the passengers ashore to return to the Spirit of Enderby, we took advantage of the tail wind and paddled quickly out to board her via a moored Zodiac.

Marvelling at our witness to nature's rawness, we prepared for lunch and our visit to the beach via Zodiac.

Day 8: 30 December
Lusitania Bay cruise-by (south-east coast of Macquarie Island) and Zodiac landings at Buckles Bay (site of Australian base). Afternoon at sea.

Position 0800 hrs: 54º42.1’S 158º32.5’E
Weather: SSW wind 12 knots, air temperature 9ºC
Sea conditions: 2 metre swell, sea temperature 13ºC
Nature highlights: Huge King Penguin colonies at South-east Reef and Lusitania Bay; a pod of orca patrolling the penguin colonies.

At 0630 the Spirt of Enderby cruised to Heard Point and South-east Reef at the southern end of Macquarie Island, site of an estimated 500,000-pair strong King Penguin colony. A pod of orca patrolled the beaches nearby, their massive dorsal fins breaking the surface every few minutes. We headed north to Lusitania Bay, once the scene of mass slaughter as penguins were thrown wholesale into giant pressure cookers (‘digesters’) and their fat rendered into barrels of oil. The digesters were rusting on the beach, surrounded entirely by breeding penguins.

After breakfast we dropped the rangers back to Buckles Bay, landing on the bouldery beach by Zodiac between sets of large waves and scrambling out while Rodney, Lisle and John stood in the water with dry-suits to hold the boats steady and push them off.

The sea’s gorgeous milky blue colour was reminiscent of a glacial lake, apparently caused by penguin guano washing into the sea from the massive colonies. On shore, rangers and scientists gave us a guided tour of the base and its surrounds. In the mess we were given tea and scones with jam and cream. Some of us had our passports stamped, bought souvenirs or sent postcards from the Macquarie Island post office, which will apparently reach their recipients some time in April. Once again the wildlife was spectacular: A Macquarie Island Shag colony; scores of huge elephant seals slumbering amongst the tussocks; a Gentoo Penguin colony, with gentoos fishing amongst the seaweed or feeding their young; white-morph Southern Giant Petrels; King Penguins resting on the beach. We picked up 6 more staff from the base to transport to New Zealand, as we departed swinging by in the Zodiacs for a quick look at the Rockhopper Penguin colony near the base.

We set sail for Campbell Island at 1430 hrs.

Photo credit: Lisle Gwynn

Day 9: 31st December - New Years Eve
At sea en route from Macquarie Island to Campbell Island

Position 0800 hrs: 53º33.4’S 164º12.9’E
Weather: Easterly wind 16 knots, air temperature 13ºC
Sea conditions: 2 metre swell, sea temperature 14ºC
Nature highlights: Quarantine procedures pre-landing at Campbell Island.
Sea Shop open

New Year’s Eve celebrations deferred until Perseverance Harbour and calm waters.

Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Day 10: 1st January 2017
Col Lyall, Campbell Island

Position 0800 hrs: 53º33.1’S 169º10.0’E (Anchored Perseverance Harbour)
Weather: Easterly wind 20 knots, air temperature 12ºC
Sea conditions: 1 metre swell, sea temperature 14ºC
Nature highlights: Southern Royal Albatrosses, megaherbs, ground orchids, Campbell Island Snipe and spectacular coastal landscapes of Col Lyall.
Social highlight: Celebration for New Years Day.

We anchored in Perseverance Harbour under the island’s highest point, Mt Honey. All around us hills rose high and steep from the rocky shoreline, up through Dracophyllum shrubland and tussock clad upper slopes to rocky crags and ridges. Showers of sleet blasted the tops and the high winds made an immediate landing out of the question. The crew had to reposition the ship periodically due the wind. Everyone was dying to get outside!

The wind dropped slightly over lunch, so dressed ‘warmly and waterproofly’ we took the Zodiacs over to the Col Lyall board-walk for the afternoon. Several snipe jumped out in front of us on the way up, including a mother with a small chick. Mauve Pleurophyllum were opening beside the boardwalk and the sharp-eyed spotted 4 species of ground orchid. As we neared the col we began to see Southern Royal Albatross flying above and then around us, their huge wings sweeping across the tussocks-covered slopes and soaring on updrafts. It’s hard to appreciate just how enormous they are until you have familiar objects on land to scale them against. Soon we came to an albatross sitting on its mounded nest among the tussocks. Then we saw dozens of birds, with groups of young adults ‘gamming’, a term for their courtship behaviour, with beak-clacking, wing-stretching, yodeling, head-shaking, neck-arching, co-grooming, and flying low over the tussocks together. One over-flew us so closely we could hear the wind whistling through its wings.

It was sleeting on the col, which somehow added to the splendid sense of wildness; overlooking the rugged cliffs of the west coast, South West Bay, Dent Island and the spectacular volcanic hills and outcrops.

Cold, wet and very happy, we returned to a hot shower and a special 6-course meal and supper to celebrate New Years Day.

Kayak Log:
Our kayaks slipped across the still waters of Perseverance Harbour, calmed after the previous day's strong winds, and we were able to drift along the shoreline of Lookout Bay scanning for birds. The Campbell Island Teal, which we were hoping to see, remained elusive, but we spotted Pipit and were soon joined by sea lions snorting along beside us.

Passing by the abandoned buildings of the MetService, we found the Zodiac cruisers in Tucker Cove with cameras pointed at a Teal standing on a rock at the water's edge. They quietly motored away and we enjoyed the sight of this bird, bought back from the brink of extinction after Rodney Russ discovered one in 1975.

Paddling to the head of Tucker Cove we were escorted by four sea lions, one ahead, one on each flank, and one following in our wake. One inquisitive sea lion took a liking to Mike’s paddle blade.

Heading around into Camp Cove our two double kayaks kept our escort, but they dropped back as we approached the shallows. On the left of the beach an elephant seal shuffled towards us, then turned around and headed back into the bush. Ahead was the “Loneliest Tree in the World”, a Sitka Spruce believed planted in 1907 and the only tree on the island. Wider than it is tall, it has suffered in the past from being the source of Christmas trees for the long-closed meteorological station.

Rounding Duris Point into Garden Cove we passed roaring elephant seals, who stopped their posturing to watch our progress. Soon after another teal was spotted, feeding among the kelp where its plumage was great camouflage.

Passing Venus Bay with the flanks of Mt Honey catching the sun, it was hard to believe we were deep in the Southern Ocean, kayaking at New Zealand's southern-most island. Ahead of us the mixed vegetation on Shoal Point shone in the sunlight, and waves gently broke over Terror Shoal.

Spotting the Zodiacs returning from their cruise towards the entrance to the harbour we turned towards the Spirit of Enderby, sitting below Beeman Hill. Once the Zodiacs had dropped their passengers off at the gangplank, Margaret, Vijay, Mike and I rafted alongside the moored Zodiac and climbed the rope ladder to the deck, where we quietly celebrated a fantastic paddle in an amazing place.

Photo credit: J Kirk-Anderson

Day 11: 2nd January
Northwest Bay and Col Lyall, Campbell Island

Position 0800 hrs: 53º33.0’S 169º09.4’E (Anchored Perseverance Harbour)
Weather: Southerly wind 2 knots, air temperature 8ºC
Sea conditions: 1 metre swell (in harbour), sea temperature 16ºC
Nature highlights: Landings and Zodiac cruises from Perseverance harbour, spectacular departure from Campbell Island via Bull Rock.

Our last day on land was calm and mainly sunny. We had a choice of a long walk; the board walk again, a Zodiac cruise or sea-kayaking around the harbour.

Rodney led the long walk over the range to Northwest Bay, supported by ‘Dr Dave’. Walkers climbed up through Dracophyllum shrubland. Antarctic Terns nesting in the tussocks chided and circled overhead. A large area near the saddle was completely covered in megaherbs at peak flowering; mauve Pleurophyllum and Anisotome, bright green Azorella and yellow Bulbinella. A few large sea elephants lounged at Northwest Bay. After lunch, dozens of Southern Royal Albatross began flying across the slopes of Mt Dumas. Many others were on the ground ‘gamming’. Dozens of snipe scuttled off, their population recovering in spectacular fashion since the eradication of rats in 2001. Prior to that their last refuge had been on tiny Jacquemart Island.

Lisle, Steph & Chris drove Zodiacs for the harbour cruise where we enjoyed close encounters with the flightless endemic Campbell Island Teal (possibly the rarest duck in the world with approximately 130 known individuals); wrestling sea elephants; nesting terns, Red-billed and Kelp gulls. We landed and walked to the ‘lonely’ Sitka Spruce tree at Camp Cove, and at Tucker Cove walked around the site of the former farmhouse (Shacklock stove standing testimony in the grass), where Chris gave us a quick history lesson. Out towards the heads we watched Light-mantled Sooty Albatross with their striking grey heads and white eyes nesting improbably amongst cliff face vegetation. Meanwhile the kayakers made a landing at Venus Cove for lunch before heading back to the ship.

Photo credit: Heritage Expeditions

Jessie led the ‘board-walkers’ back up to Col Lyall, with more great opportunities for macro-photography and albatross observation. There were some challenges negotiating space with resident male sea lions on the way back to the landing.

After a very successful day we weighed anchor at 1500 hrs and set sail for Bluff via Bull Rock and North Cape. As we rolled gently on long, heavy swells in bright afternoon sunshine, Campbell Island revealed itself at its spectacular best: under cliff after massive cliff waves were smashing and being atomised to white mist; above the cliffs face after tussocky face was covered in huge colonies of Campbell and Black-browed Albatross, a gentle valley was truncated abruptly be sea-cliffs, its river becoming a huge waterfall; the dramatically uplifted sandstone cliffs of Courrejolles Point fell sheer to the sea, at one point tunnelled right through by the waves. And all around the ship albatross and petrels wheeled and soared. A perfect finale to a highly successful expedition to the Galapagos of the South Pacific.

Day 12: 3rd January
En route to Bluff

Position 0800 hrs: 49º30.7’S 168º43.7’E
Weather: NE wind 16 knots, air temperature 10ºC
Sea conditions: 2 metre swell, sea temperature 15ºC
Nature highlights: Seabirds

Day 13: 4th January
Bluff

Position 0800 hrs: 46º37.8’S 168º21.2’E Bluff

We arrived in Bluff at 0630, had breakfast and disembarked at 0830. There were fond farewells to new friends, each taking with us indelible memories of encounters with wildlife, wild places and a great adventure shared in the Subantarctic.

1866: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 22 Dec 2018 1668: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 23 Dec 2016 1369: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 30 Dec 2013

1369: Galapagos of the Southern Ocean 30 Dec 2013

Click here for this voyage's species list

Galapagos of the Southern Ocean - Voyage #1369

Written by Lecturer and Guide, Marcus Richards

Monday 30 December 2013

Invercargill

Expeditioners arrived at the Kelvin Hotel, Invercargill and met for the first time over dinner. The programme for embarkation day was explained and we all adjourned to make final preparations to board the Spirit of Enderby.

Tuesday 31 December 2013

Departing Bluff

Everyone boarded the ship at 1400 today in fine weather at Bluff. After a few formalities we sailed at 1600. Everyone was bristling with excitement and anticipation for the adventures to come as we took part in the lifeboat drill off Stewart Island. Drinks were held in the bar prior to dinner and everyone was in high spirits as we celebrated the end of a year and the promise of a new one. A fine New Year’s Eve buffet dinner was served by chefs Bruce Thomason and Michael Harris, which included a birthday celebration for one of our guests, Robert Ippolito. Today we enjoyed seeing our first Mollymawks of the voyage and sharp eyes kept a lookout for the larger albatrosses, without much success.

Today was made especially exciting when the Ship Doctor, John Moodie, reminded Expedition Leader Rodney Russ of the fact that we may be in the same spot as the Grafton at midnight the 3rd of January, exactly 150 years after she was shipwrecked in 1864 on the southern side of Auckland Island. Hopefully we will get to enjoy this significant occasion without sharing a similar fate!

Wednesday 1 January 2014

Snares Islands

The Snares Island Zodiac Cruise

Zodiac Cruising at The Snares Photo Credit: ABreniere

On the cusp of a new year we arrived off the Snares Islands. These majestic islands were a fitting start to our journey exploring the Subantarctic. We searched for the most sheltered side of the island group and settled on the eastern side of the main island. There we launched the Zodiacs for a cruise around some sheltered bays. We were delighted to see Snares Crested Penguins porpoising in water as well as hopping around on the granitic shore platforms. Snares Island Fernbird and Tomtit were spotted onshore amongst the beautiful Tree Daisy forest. The Antarctic Terns were especially entertaining as they displayed and interacted with juveniles. New Zealand Fur Seals lounged on rocks enjoying the sunny weather.

Dolphins were seen from the ship later that afternoon as we continued our voyage and Rodney gave a talk on the upcoming Auckland Islands, which is the next port of call.

Thursday 2 January 2014

Auckland Islands

We awoke to find ourselves in Port Ross, which is surrounded on all sides by stunning volcanic hills and islands. The decision was made to land on Enderby Island where we were greeted by numerous Hooker’s Sea Lions and multiple Yellow-eyed Penguins amongst the grassy hillocks above the shoreline. The weather was changeable but when the sun came out the vistas were astounding. We all traversed the island by boardwalk and got our first opportunity on the trip to get up close to a nesting Southern Royal Albatross just by the track. Some walked back by the same route to the beach while the majority went for a hike around the coast, going clockwise around the island until they reached the beach again. Auckland Island Snipe and Teal were seen by many of the people encircling the island. In summary, the birdlife was enchanting: Yellow-eyed Penguins, Pipits, Tomtits and Red-crowned Parakeets. The mega-herb fields and mystical Rata forest were also highlights of the walk. Seed heads were an amusing and frustrating problem on the island, as they readily stuck to clothing and equipment. Grouchy Sea Lions tried to bully some of the walkers, but fortunately these creatures were all bark and no bite. Scars on some of the older males told the story of many battles however that had been fought over female harems on the beach. Sadly Samuel and Katya noted the decrease in Sea Lion pup numbers compared with previous years. We dined that evening in the tranquil waters of Port Ross, which was affectionately known as ‘Sarah’s Bosom’ by early explorers of the region due to its sheltered waters in the Furious Fifties of the Southern Ocean. Photo Credit: ABreniere

Enderby Island

Friday 3 January 2014

Auckland Islands

We departed from Port Ross overnight and had entered Carnley Harbour by the early morning. Fortunately for us we enjoyed beautifully calm waters, so it was very different to the howling NW winds that wrecked the Grafton 150 years earlier to the day. We visited the wreck of the Grafton at Epigwatt, which consisted of a few remains of the ship’s timber on the pebbled beach. Snooping around in the bush adjacent to the wreck revealed the remains of the living quarters constructed by Captain Musgrave and his four crewmen for habitation for an eighteen-month period! Today the hut simply resembles a boulder pile that is being progressively overgrown by stinging nettles.

We Zodiac cruised around the North Arm of Carnley Harbour, passing a pointer sign from the castaway depot era of the late 19th and early 20th century. The hillsides rising up on the either side had distinct ridges of exposed walls of rock. We were seeing cross-sections of lava flows that progressively built up the shield volcano that was active in the late Miocene, centered on the middle of Carnley Harbour. Most of the islands in the region are volcanic in origin.

The site cleared by the crew of steamer Erlangen in 1939 for fuel was also visited. While some people stayed on the beach for the scenery and bird watching, the majority went into the regenerated Rata forest to look for old stumps of the ‘iron wood’ that tell of the impressive feat carried out by a desperate crew in their attempt to cross the Pacific and reach neutral waters in South America. Marcus was on the beach fossicking around for geologically interesting rock samples for his planned future research on the Subantarctic’s volcanic islands. One passenger, George Gornacz, gallantly stayed behind at this site to fill the role of Coastwatcher. That is, he got a bit sidetracked in the bush and didn’t realize that the Zodiacs were leaving. However he was promptly relieved of his duties once Agnes realized he was missing and sent Rodney back to pick him up!

Auckland Island Shags and eloquent Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses flew around the harbour almost continuously while we were there and provided a truly marvelous sight. We finished the Zodiac trip with a brief cruise around Figure Eight Island to see the small resident Sea Lion colony and sailed away from the Auckland Islands in early afternoon. Later in the day Marcus gave a lecture on the geology and biogeography of the Subantarctic Islands.

Saturday 4 January 2014

At Sea

Today was a very pleasant day at sea as we crossed the Emerald Basin, heading for Australian waters. The calm seas made it a perfect day for whale watching and there were multiple sightings in the afternoon. Some small groups of Fin Whales were seen at a distance and three Strap-toothed Beaked Whales were seen in quick succession as well, much to the delight of those who were lucky enough to see them.
Lectures were given during the day by Samuel, Katya and Rodney on the topics of pelagic seabirds, cetaceans and Macquarie Island respectively.

Sunday 5 January 2014

Macquarie Island

We sighted an Orca in the morning as we arrived at Macquarie Island in calm weather conditions. After collecting the Australian rangers from the ANARE base we headed for Sandy Bay.

Sandy Bay contains King and Royal Penguin breeding colonies. To the delight of everyone, these birds were often fearless, coming up to us full of curiosity and sometimes just keen to get past us as they made for their preferred sites along the beach. Some King Penguins would approach the equipment we kept in a pile on the beach, having a cheeky peck to aid their investigations. The gigantic Southern Elephant Seals strewn across the beach were amusing to watch. They squabbled amongst themselves, lay side by side and on top of each other in large piles and also made loud comical noises as they blew through their nostrils. They also had the uncanny ability to scratch their heads with their flippers in a remarkably anthropomorphic manner. The youngest weaned juveniles were also incredibly cute, with expressive faces and big round eyes.

We returned to ship for lunch and those keen for more headed back to the beach for the afternoon, which proved to be just as good. We met some hunters who search the island for signs of any pests that may have survived the eradication operation of the three previous years, including Leona from Marlborough with two specially trained rodent dogs.

The rangers spent the night on the ship and we were also joined for dinner on board by a group of ‘Macca’ staff who were on a survival training course in the area. No doubt they found our cuisine far more appealing than their survival rations!

Monday 6 January 2014

Macquarie Island

The weather was mild for Macquarie Island once again today. We took a Zodiac cruise at Lusitania Bay, location of the island’s largest King Penguin colony of over 100,000 birds. The rusting, decrepit digesters amongst the penguins on the beach served as echo of an older time when penguins were killed and processed for their oil. Fortunately the island is now a World Heritage Site and the wildlife is doing much better. Multiple white morph Southern Giant Petrels were hanging around to the delight of the passengers. Before heading to the ANARE station for the remainder of the morning and early afternoon we had a quick briefing from Rodney and rangers Chris and Keith. Onshore the weather was sunny at times and generally pleasant for this part of the world. We saw many Elephant Seals and Gentoo Penguins on the beach and witnessed the daily launching of a weather balloon from the metrological station. Visiting the mess of the ANARE base we met and were able to talk to more staff members on the island and had some delicious scones courtesy of their chefs. Our return to the ship detoured past the Rockhopper Penguin colony, noting the presence of a seal amongst the birds.

A documentary on the Macquarie Island pest eradication from the past few years narrated by Keith (one of the rangers we had met) was screened onboard and copies of the DVD were distributed. At dinner we celebrated Bob Parda’s birthday. Our stay at Macquarie had been an eventful one, which all onboard agreed they had been privileged to experience.

Tuesday 7 January 2014

At Sea

It was a fairly uneventful day at sea with the vessel only rolling moderately at times. Many of us spent time on deck watching the seabirds which gracefully and continuously circled the ship as we voyaged through open waters. Lectures were given by Samuel, Doctor John Moodie, Katya and Rodney on the topics of penguins, shipwrecks, pinnipeds and Campbell Island, respectively.

Wednesday 8 January 2014

Campbell Island

Southern Royal Albatross Colony Campbell Island ern Royal

Photo Credit: ABreniere

We awoke to find ourselves in the calm waters of Perseverance Harbour. After a briefing by Rodney we split into two groups, one to go for a full day walk to Northwest Bay and back with him and the other to go firstly exploring the coves in the upper harbor by Zodiac and then on a walk to the Southern Royal Albatross colony on the Col Lyall saddle. The highlights of the Zodiac cruise included the old farming homestead site at Tucker Cove, the world’s loneliest tree (a Sitka Spruce) at Camp Cove and a cruise past Venus Cove, where the French expedition of 1874 attempted to see the transit of Venus.

The Northwest Bay crew saw Teal and Snipe, whilst the other group saw a beautiful Teal in the harbour whilst in the Zodiacs. (We could tell it was a male by the distinct green of the feathers on his head). Everyone of course saw the abundant Campbell Island Pipit. Campbell Island Shags and Hooker’s Sea Lions were seen hanging about the shores of the harbour. Some of the young male Sea Lions approached the Zodiacs and people on the beaches, being very inquisitive and bold creatures.

After the Zodiac cruise the group went back to the Spirit of Enderby for lunch, then was landed at the Metservice and Department of Conservation (DOC) huts below Beeman Hill for the walk up the boardwalk to the Col Lyall Saddle. We were blown away by the beautiful fields of mega-herbs which were in full flower. The view over the sheer cliff on the western side of the island showed us the effects of the prevailing weather conditions that slam the west coast of Campbell Island. The weather was good enough for us to be able to clearly see Dent Island, the last refuge for the Teal when rats used to plague the main island. However at the top of the boardwalk the biggest attraction by far was the Southern Royal Albatross colony. Some of the birds were minding their nest and others displayed with one another, which is called ‘gamming’. It resembles a courtship display between a bird pair, however the albatrosses display in groups of multiple birds. They call, spread their large wings and clack their bills in an impressive show, which was a delight to witness.

Marcus got some practice driving a Zodiac whilst transporting everyone back to the ship at the end of the day, where we enjoyed another delicious dinner prepared by Mike and Bruce, and served by our wonderful waitresses Natalia and Zoya.

Thursday 9 January 2014

Campbell Island

Early in the morning some enthusiastic expeditioners set off for the summit of Mount Honey with Agnes and Katya. The hike was a success from a botanical perspective, however not the best in terms of sightseeing due to overhanging cloud at the summit. The remainder of the group enjoyed a Zodiac ride with Samuel and another opportunity to climb Col Lyall Saddle with Marcus. Those who went on the Col Lyall boardwalk had an amusing encounter with a stubborn Sea Lion that flatly refused to move off ‘his’ track and did his best to delay our passing around him on a big half circle detour through shrubs and mega-herbs. We all returned to the ship for lunch.

We hauled anchor and departed Campbell Island in the early afternoon in windy and patchy cloud conditions. As we exited the harbour we saw the enormous Campbell Mollymawk colony at North Cape by Bull Rock. There the sky was full of seabirds as we set a course for Bluff, on the New Zealand mainland. The seas by then were distinctively rougher than we had previously encountered on the expedition. We had been extremely lucky to enjoy calmer waters during all our island visits on this voyage, the bad weather only catching up with us near the end of our adventures.

Friday 10 January 2014

At Sea

This was a day of tying up loose ends and trying to remain unscathed as the ship rolled violently at times. The rocking and rolling died down somewhat in the afternoon and two short documentaries on Campbell Island rat eradication and the captive rearing programme for the Campbell Island Teal were shown. We celebrated our last night together with bar festivities and a magnificent buffet spread put on by the chefs. Later in the evening Rodney gave a recap of our voyage and we enjoyed a photo presentation of the trip compiled by Katya which included many beautiful photos taken by the expedition team. This was made available to everyone who wanted a copy to take home. Samuel also compiled the last day of our bird list in the bar. We all retired to our rooms and started to back our bags, full of memories from our adventure and thinking ahead of what adventures lay ahead.

Saturday 11 January 2014

Bluff

After an early breakfast and a meeting with New Zealand Customs, we disembarked at the port of Bluff. It was time to say our goodbyes and journey back to our homes in different parts of the world, returning to our individual lives, houses and occupations. We will not forget however the awe-inspiring expedition we had shared and the treasured memories we will carry with us for a long time.

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" The Heritage expedition was truly wonderful, and we had a memorable voyage. The expedition leaders kept telling us that we were very lucky with the weather, and we felt lucky to be there. The journey was smooth, and we were able to do great hikes, and go out on the Zodiacs and reach new places, and see all the wildlife we could ever hope to see. All the leaders were kind, cheerful and keen, and worked very hard to make sure we made the most of every moment.

The highlight for us was Macquarie Island, where we were surrounded by all the seal, penguins and other birds, close up, and they were as inquisitive as we were. Our ranger guide was very informative and enthusiastic, and we were even invited in to the base for a cup of tea, and we could see how the Macca researchers lived and worked.

We had a lot of fun with our fellow passengers and the leaders, and became good friends with a lot of people we will probably never meet again!

We would recommend to journey to anyone, as long as they understood that the weather can play a big part in such a trip. "

- Christine & Barry Miller (Travelled in 2018)

" Hi Lorna and Heritage Expedition voyage 1567 Staff

Well, home now and settling back into some sort of routine. What an adventure.... I am not fibbing when I say the trip exceeded my expectations by a million miles. It was fabulous.

Rodney, you said the night of the dinner before we left that we might encounter some discomforts on the trip but they would all be forgotten and well worth it due to all the positives and the great time you will have. Mmmmmm I was thinking....what are we in for!!!

I just loved the challenge, the adventure, the flora, the fauna and the friendships. I was so lucky to have met such a lovely group of ladies. Even the wild weather was part of the experience.

Firstly thank you Lorna for all your help and advice prior to the trip. You were very patient with me (and to many others I heard). I must admit I was rather apprehensive before the trip wondering if I had done the right thing. I could have gone to many other places in the world for that amount of money...did I choose the right place....could I manage by myself....would I meet anyone nice...would I be by myself on the ship etc. etc. I know I certainly did make the right choice. Without your kindness and help, I may not have gone ahead with the trip and chickened out.

Jess....what a gem. Thank you Jess. Always smiling and helpfull and organised. I won't forget those early morning wake up calls..."good morning everyone....it's now 7.30....breakfast will be ready...." I'll employ you anytime Jess.

Thanks Connor our wonderful cook. You always had our delicious meals ready on time. Very caring...... Always friendly and polite. Your Mum would be proud of you.

To Tui thank you for your informative and interesting talks. Two of my highlights on the trip were seeing those two magnificent albatross close up with you on the Campbell Island board walk (I just loved being there in those wet/windy/misty cold conditions....it was like I was the only person on earth and I had time to reflect on who I was and what a wonderful and magical world it can be), and also being on Macquarie Island where the Royal penguins were swimming in the rock pool. You were filming them with your underwater camera. My favourite photo is of you doing so with two royals posing for my photo right in front of me...you in the background.

And Kartya (not sure of spelling...sorry). Your talks so very informative and interesting also. Thanks for your company on the bus on the way to Bluff. Hope you had a fabulous skating adventure.

Alex....boy, do you know your stuff. All those megaherbs. You just rattle the names off your tongue like you were speaking them since you were born. Very much your passion. I didn't think too much about the megaherbs/flora before I left.....just the wildlife to be honest......but you gave me a new insight into just how beautiful they all are. It was like being in the garden of Eden.

And of course, our leader Rodney. No nonsense, organised, informative...one always felt safe. Can still see that poor Sea Lion on Campbell Island, having a lovely roll on the grass and then rolling off the wall and into the water. So funny...hope he didn't hurt himself.

Just so many memories. Where to next???

Thank you all.

Kind regards

"

- Laurelle, Australia (travelled 2016)

" I participated in the Galapagos of the Southern Ocean trip, commencing on Dec 9th, 2012. I very much appreciated the opportunity to visit a part of Tasmania that has interested me for a long time, and to step ashore on Macquarie Island was an amazing experience. To be able to experience the vast colonies of breeding King and Royal Penguins and to see Albatrosses close by and megaherbs in full flower was exceptional. Thanks to the staff of Heritage Expeditions for looking after us so well. "

- Alison, Australia (Travelled Dec 2012)