02 Jan 2025

Exploring the wild beauty of Campbell Island

Our Beyond Fiordland & Forgotten Islands of the South Pacific voyages saw us sail into Perseverance Harbour at Campbell Island. Early risers were treated to observations of spectacular wildlife as our Captain sailed Heritage Adventurer near the Campbell Albatross colony at Bull Rock. Thousands of albatrosses were visible on their nests, and we marvelled at the hundreds soaring above us.

Sailing down Perseverance Harbour, we anchored in beautifully calm waters before departing on the Zodiacs. The walkers spent the day hiking across the island to Northwest Bay, through varied scenery and ecosystems, and having plenty of encounters with Campbell Island Snipe, New Zealand Sea Lions and Southern Royal Albatross. Climbing the saddle to the Northwest Bay viewpoint rewarded us with views of the dramatic cliffs and rugged west coast.
Some of us spent the day ascending to the highest point on the island, Mount Honey. We trekked up past the scrub line, through the fields of magnificent megaherbs, and onto the rocky summit (569 metres above sea level), where it felt like we could see the entire island spreading beneath us! On our way back down, we spent some time communing with the Southern Royal Albatross at one of their breeding sites. We watched courting pairs flirting with each other and had plenty of close fly-bys, where they seemed to glide just a few metres above our heads. 

Others chose to take a morning Zodiac cruise around Perseverance Harbour in search of the elusive Campbell Island Teal, one of the world’s rarest ducks! Cruisers spotted this stunning bird alongside plenty of Campbell Island Shags and New Zealand Sea Lions at their colony. In the afternoon, we walked up the Col Lyall boardwalk, a 6km round trip up the hills offering fantastic views of the island and exciting viewing of the Southern Royal Albatross along the boardwalk. 

Images © R. Brown, Heritage Expeditions