Macquarie Island: Australia’s sub-Antarctic Island

Alex Burridge – December 2024
MD Antarctica Travel Centre

I have long hoped to get to Macquarie Island, maybe 20 years. When working at Peregrine Adventures, we teamed up with WWF Australia to help promote the need for a rabbit (300,000 of them) and rodent eradication programme. This was finally started in 2007, and in 2014, the eradication programme was declared a success. The final rabbit being shot in 2013 is now on display in a museum in Hobart.

To read more about the project CLICK HERE
To read more about King penguins recolonisation CLICK HERE

150,000 + strong king penguin colony Lusitania Bay Macquarie Island

Given weather conditions in the Great Southern Ocean can be challenging, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll get ashore. Luckily for us, we had good, relatively calm, conditions. As a result, on the 23^rd of December 2024, setting foot on Macquarie Island became a reality for me – making me one very happy and fortunate person!

The islands flora and fauna has recovered remarkably quickly, showing that nature can heal given a chance. The Island’s megafauna and tussock grass has re-colonised most of the land previously devastated by rabbits.

Macquarie Island is unique in many ways, so much so it was awarded World Heritage status in 1997. Geologically it’s the only place in the world were rocks from the Earth’s mantle are exposed above sea-level (formed between 11 million and 30 million years ago). It is also the only place where Royal Penguins breed.

Macquarie Island:  A World Heritage Site

Royal Penguins

King Penguin colony Sandy Bay Macquarie Island

Eastern Rockhopper near Sandy Bay Macquarie Island

Light-mantled sooty albatross near Sandy Bay, Macquarie Island. Macquarie is home to three more species of albatross: black-browed, grey-headed and Wandering (10+ nests with numbers slowly increasing since rodents and rabbits have been eradicated)

King penguins and elephant seals on Macquarie Island

Giant petrel chick near board-walk

Our second landing onto Macquarie Island, on Christmas Eve, was at Sandy Bay.

Sandy Bay is home to 150,000 king penguins, with a total Island population of perhaps 450,000.

Macquarie Island has four breeding species of penguin: gentoo, Eastern rockhopper, royal and king – all of which you see during your time here.  There are believed to be 850,000 breeding pairs of Royal penguins, with Hurd Point (found at the southern end of the island) being home to approximately 500,000 pairs, which we cruise past onboard the Heritage Adventurer. This is still some way behind the largest penguin colony in the world though, with the Zavodovski Island in the South Sandwich Island having over 1.5 million chinstrap penguins.

Hurd Point Royal Penguin colony (part of) 500,000 pairs

Macquarie Island shag

With just two possible landing sites on Macquarie Island, full use is made of ship-based cruising (in addition to going ashore at the Isthmus and Sandy Bay).

Sub-adult elephant seal

Very relaxed elephant seal

Elephant seal nostril exercises

I travelled on-board the Heritage Adventurer operated by New Zealand operator Heritage Expeditions. The crew were almost all Kiwis (with a couple of Aussies); their experience, knowledge and passion for their back-yard shone through.  Some of the crew had been involved with eradication programmes on Campbell Island and helped with advice for Macquarie Island’s eradication programme.

You can visit Macquarie Island and New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic Islands on several voyages.
CLICK HERE to view itineraries.

The Heritage Adventurer is a classic purpose built older expedition cruise ship. She was originally named the MS Hanseatic, built in Finland, launched in 1991 and operated by Hapag-Lloyd cruises.
She’s been refurbished to a high standard and offers very comfortable accommodation. She high an ice rating of 1A so she’s well suited to sailing in the Great Southern Ocean as far as the Ross Sea.

Each polar cruise has its own highlights and as the weather varies the schedule may change. Call 1300 784 794 or email contact@antarcticatravelcentre.com.au to talk to one of our Antarctic Experts to find the cruise that is right for you.