05 Jan 2024

Exploring the iconic Macquarie Island

We were excited to explore Australia's iconic Subantarctic Island, Macquarie Island, justifiably famous among adventurers. We had all seen the photos and heard the stories and couldn't wait to get ashore.

After a brief rain delay, we landed at Sandy Bay and were immediately greeted with incredible activity on the beach and bustling penguin colonies. Where to start? The King Penguin parade on the beach was a thing of true beauty. The busy little Royal Penguins crossed our path going to and from the sea and up to feed their chicks. The piles of Elephant Seals wore many faces and occasionally burst into battle. The noise, colour, aroma and chicks of the Royal Penguin colony took our breath away. The boardwalk featured the Megaherb Pleurophyllum in abundance and Giant Petrel and Brown Skua chicks. The King Penguin colony overflowed onto the beach with many moulting birds showcasing their melodious trumpeting call. It was a truly breathtaking experience.

Mother Nature must have decided that the party on the beach wasn't enough, because she threw in flocks of Prions buzzing above the Zodiacs and Orca seen from the back decks of Heritage Adventurer upon our return.

The many first-time visitors among us learned that no matter how much you expect from Macquarie Island based on stories and pictures, reality always blows your expectations away.

The expedition continued after dinner with a Zodiac cruise at Lusitania Bay as we encountered the mass abundance of King Penguins and Rockhopper Penguins at the waterfall, with the Orca returning for a visit. A great way to round off the day's activities.

Images © F. Wardle