South and east of New Zealand, the UNESCO-listed Subantarctic Islands form six remote groups in the great Southern Ocean that encircles Antarctica.
Small in scale yet extraordinary in life, they support dense seabird colonies and thriving marine ecosystems. With limited access, travel aboard Heritage Adventurer on an expedition cruise to seldom visited shores on the edge of the world.
Macquarie Island
Stretching between New Zealand and Antarctica, Macquarie Island belongs to Australia and feels distinctly different to its Kiwi neighbours. Long, narrow and raw, it is the only place on Earth where oceanic crust is exposed above sea level. King penguins dominate the beaches, while the island’s geology and wildlife create a powerful sense of remoteness and scale.
The Snares
Closest to New Zealand yet still unreachable without permit, the Snares sit south of Stewart Island. Steep, forested and alive with birdsong, they are home to endemic species found nowhere else. Dense seabird colonies and tangled coastal forest make the islands feel intimate, intense and extraordinarily alive.
Auckland Islands
Lying far south of New Zealand in the Southern Ocean, the Auckland Islands are the largest and most varied of the group. Deep harbours cut into rolling hills and windswept plateaus. Here, albatross soar overhead, sea lions haul out on remote beaches, and the islands’ human history adds depth to an already powerful landscape.
Campbell Island
Campbell Island sits further south again, closer to Antarctica than to mainland New Zealand. Its gently rolling hills are carpeted with megaherbs and ringed by dramatic cliffs. Known for its vast albatross colonies and open, elemental feel, it offers a rare sense of space and exposure at the edge of the Southern Ocean.
Antipodes Islands
Remote even by Subantarctic standards, the Antipodes lie far to the east of New Zealand. Volcanic, stark and often battered by weather, they host some of the densest seabird populations in the world. The absence of human presence heightens the feeling of standing somewhere truly untouched.
Bounty Islands
The Bounty Islands are little more than granite outcrops rising sharply from the sea, east of New Zealand. There is no vegetation, no shelter, just rock, sky and ocean. What they lack in scale they make up for in life, with vast numbers of seabirds and seals crowding every available surface.
Speak with Our Polar Expert
If the Subantarctic Islands have caught your attention, a conversation with our polar expert Sue is the natural next step. With deep experience of polar and subpolar expeditions, she can talk through the realities of travelling this far south, the wildlife you are most likely to encounter and what life on board an expedition vessel is really like.
Get in touch using the form below to speak with Sue about whether this expedition is right for you, what you can expect day to day and how a journey to the Subantarctic Islands could fit into your wider travel plans.
