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Sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand Photo Sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand January 16 – February 2, 2020 TASM A N S E A NEW ZEALAND Milford Doubtful Sound / Sound Bradshaw Sound Dusky Sound / Breaksea Sound Queenstown FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK Dunedin STEWART ISLAND / ULVA ISLAND THE SNARES Enderby AUCKLAND MACQUARIE ISLANDS ISLAND CAMPBELL ISLAND Saturday, January 18, 2020 Dunedin, New Zealand Having made our individual journeys to the lovely, southern city of Dunedin, the second largest city in the South Island, we found ourselves comfortably accommodated at the Distinction Dunedin Hotel, located in the center of the ‘old’ city, though older settlements were once located here. There are several 14th-century Moa-hunter sites along the Otago Harbor with a permanent site situated under the modern city. Maori called this village Otepoti. Today, the population of New Zealand is around 4.794 million. Europeans make up roughly 69% of the population with Maori comprising 15%. Asians are the next largest group with 9% of the population, while other Pacific Islanders comprise around 7% of the population. After settling into our rooms, an optional visit to the Otago Museum, a short 25-minute walk from the hotel, was suggested as a means of shaking off travel stiffness, getting fresh air and sun to minimize jet lag, and an excellent way of delving into a little bit of settler history. In the evening we met with staff and fellow travelers for welcome drinks and dinner. Sunday, January 19 Dunedin / Embark Caledonian Sky After a hearty breakfast, the first tour set off for Orokonui Gorge and Ecocentre. Arriving at the Ecocentre, we split into groups and set out to explore the sanctuary. As we strolled along, we heard about the various uses for native grasses before seeing our first target species, the tuatara, an ancient lizard from the dinosaur era. A few steps further we met the flightless, critically endangered takahe and Otago skink with its snazzy black and white patterning. We saw huge ancient trees that had survived being chopped down in the early settler days because of their isolation. Multitudes of tui, bellbird, and kaka were easily spotted, especially around the feeding stations. Walking tours finished at the visitor center for lunch before we left for the albatross colony at Tairora Head. There were thrilling views of Otago and spotted shags nesting on the cliffs. A short, introductory film provided background information before the long walk to the viewing room. Through windows, we could see four northern royal albatross on nests and had good views of royal spoonbills flying past. The second tour drove along the top road of the Otago Peninsula to visit Larnach Castle, providing spectacular views of Otago Harbour. Preferring to call his estate ‘The Camp,’ William Larnach began construction of his estate in 1871. He was a prominent entrepreneur and politician with the wherewithal to acquire precious building and furnishing materials from all around the world. We had a guided tour of the building’s interior before wandering the gardens on our own. A lovely lunch awaited us in the dining room. While having a rather decadent version of pavlova for dessert, a bagpiper and Scottish dancers entertained the diners. Returning to Dunedin via the coastal route, we were dropped off at the historic train station to begin a walking tour of the city. Originally named ‘New Edinburgh,’ the city was established to remind the founding settlers of their homes in Scotland. Today, the people of Dunedin take pride in their heritage architecture, endeavoring to reclaim and restore several of the historic buildings. The railway station, displaying its Flemish Renaissance architectural splendor, with Royal Dalton mosaic tiles lining the interior, is no longer servicing train schedules but remains a reminder of the once prosperous city, built on the gold rush of the mid-1800s. Our tour finished at the Octagon, the city’s town hall and St Paul’s Cathedral looming high on the upper terraces. All on board, a mandatory safety drill complete, we enjoyed a glass of ‘champagne’ as we headed through Taiaroa Heads and out into the Pacific Ocean, the bow of the Caledonian Sky pointed south. Monday, January 20 At Sea After an unexpectedly calm night at sea, we enjoyed a leisurely morning before our lecture series was kicked off by Shirley Campbell and her presentation, Maori Colonization of New Zealand: A Cultural Conquest of New Lands. Brent Stephenson followed with his presentation, Seabirds of the Southern Ocean. Those out on deck were treated to their first sightings of southern royal and Campbell albatross, along with pintado, or cape petrels. A delicious lunch outdoors on the Lido Deck provided fresh sea air to invigorate our souls. As the islands we plan to visit are now free of introduced, invasive species, both animal and plant, we had to undergo a strict biosecurity inspection of all gear going ashore to ensure that we didn’t inadvertently introduce anything foreign to these pristine islands. The expedition crew thoroughly scrutinized, vacuumed, and combed through our clothing and backpacks, scrubbed and disinfected our boots and walking shoes before we went through a final inspection to clear us to go ashore. Taking several hours, we could be sure that no one would unknowingly introduce an invasive to the delicate ecosystem on Campbell Island. Yvonne Cook delivered our final lecture of the day with, The Shaky Isles: Geology of New Zealand. In the evening we dressed for the Captain’s welcome cocktails and dinner and met Captain Ulf-Peter Lindstrom and his senior crew. Tuesday, January 21 Campbell Island This morning we sailed into the glassy, calm waters of Perseverance Harbour, the largest of several fiord-like bays on the eastern side of the island. Lying 410 miles south of Bluff, Campbell Island is New Zealand’s southern-most sub-Antarctic island. Zodiacs ferried us to the landing, the odd New Zealand sea lion popping up to investigate before slipping back into the tea-colored water. Hiking up the narrow boardwalk, we snaked our way into the scrub hugging the slopes of Beeman Hill. Lichen encrusted, stunted trees provided a vast array of greens and yellows. A sea lion pup, perhaps only a month old, barely hid amongst the shrubby undergrowth. Great delights were the magnificent collection of flowering megaherbs, delicate gentians flowers, orchids, and Campbell Island daisies. Fearless New Zealand pipits foraged underfoot and into the dense shrubs. Most spectacular of all was the opportunity to observe southern royal albatross nesting amongst the tussock grass. Adults and chicks sat quietly as we passed. From the windless cliffs at the top of the two-mile climb, we had spectacular views overlooking Northwest Bay to the west of the island. Returning to the ship for lunch, the Caledonian Sky picked up anchor to sail north along the coastline. Numerous lava flows, ash beds, conglomerates, and dykes were visible. Rounding the northern cape, we could see spectacular giant columns of basalt rising from the ocean. The ship drifted while we set out in Zodiacs to explore the high cliffs. There were several colonies of eastern rockhopper penguins crowding the steep slopes of the western aspect. However, the star was the erect-crested penguin, not expected in these waters. But here they were, three individuals looking somewhat lost in a colony of smaller rockhoppers. We continued to cruise some seven nautical miles further south along the coastline observing rafts of Campbell cormorants, while a number of different species of albatross, petrels, and elegant Antarctic terns soared above. We explored caves carved into the now exposed 450-million-year-old mica schist, now colored with more recent sandstone rock showcasing stunning pink, green, and gray colorations. Below a very large rockhopper colony, great petrels were fighting over the remains of what was presumed to be a hapless penguin. Bull kelp, said to be the heaviest in the world by weight, clung to the rocks now exposed by the low tide, while penguins clambered up from the water to find a secure landing. Time recap and dinner, we turned our Zodiacs around and headed back to the ship. Wednesday, January 22 At Sea We spent the day sailing west of Campbell Island, passing over a deep, oceanic trench which separates it from Macquarie Island, some 430 miles southwest. The first activity of the day was an early yoga session with Shirley followed by a presentation by Lloyd Esler, Human History of the Sub Antarctic. Tom Hiney followed with his presentation, Importance of Islands. Brent invited us to Deck 4 to see a diving petrel that had landed on the ship before being thrown back into the winds. Those out on deck also had good sightings of southern royal and Campbell albatross, as well as several cape petrels. Later in the afternoon we had a second biosecurity check in preparation for our landings on Macquarie Island. Brent delivered the last lecture of the day, Penguins of the Southern Oceans. Thursday, January 23 Macquarie Island, Australia Australia’s sub-Antarctic island, Macquarie, lies 54 degrees south of the equator. Twenty-one miles long and three miles wide, this is the only other landmass at the same latitude as South America. This makes the island extremely exposed. The Caledonian Sky sheltered on the eastern side of the island where the weather was relatively calm, despite a 30-knot wind that kept the island’s rangers on shore. We disembarked for a tour of the low-lying isthmus separating the east and west coasts. The Australian Antarctic research station has nestled here since 1948. Elephant seals of all ages groaned and belched as we carefully walked in single file past them, trying hard not to attract too much attention.
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