Rb 295
By Mark Stratton
MAY 17, 2024

New Zealand Subantarctic Islands Destination Overview

Time travel hasn’t been invented yet. If it were, a journey back thousands of years to New Zealand’s Subantarctic islands would yield the same wildlife and scenery you can see today on a small ship expedition voyage. New Zealand’s five subantarctic island groups, or the ‘Subs’ in the local vernacular, are located in the Southern Ocean, south of South Island, between 47º-54º latitude. They are possibly the most incredible wildlife spectacle many will never have heard of.

New Zealand’s five subantarctic island chains, all uninhabited now and strictly controlled nature reserves, are the Auckland Islands, Snares, Campbell, Bounty, and Antipodes. Volcanically formed, they range in size from tiny Bounty Island, just 135 hectares to Auckland Island’s 53,000 hectares. A 6th subantarctic island, famous on expedition cruises, is Australia’s MacQuarie, described by the explorer Douglas Mawson as ‘one of the wonder spots of the world’. Together, they have been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status because some 11% of the world’s seabirds come down here to nest. 

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Map

New Zealand Subantarctic Islands Map

New Zealand Subantarctic Port Guides

When and how to Travel

Small ship expeditions coincide with the East Antarctic cruise season from November to March. This is the summertime of the southern hemisphere and the only month when DOC permits are issued to visit them. During this season, days are warmer and drier, and beaches wriggle with penguin chicks and seal pups.

The Southern Ocean doesn’t spawn the term ‘Roaring 40s’ or ‘Furious 50s’ for no reason. You may have to strap in for a wild ride. Typically, summer season temperatures range from a pleasant 16-20ºC, with January and February the warmest months. This doesn’t mean dry, though. Around 50-60 millimetres of rain may fall in those summer months.

 

Weather: The weather during this period is relatively mild compared to the rest of the year. You can expect temperatures to range between 5°C and 15°C (41°F to 59°F). While still cool, this is the most comfortable time for exploration.

Wildlife: The summer months are ideal for observing wildlife. This is the breeding season for many bird species, including albatrosses, penguins, and petrels. You may also spot seals and sea lions on the shores.

Scenery: The subantarctic islands are more accessible during this period. Expedition cruises, which are the primary means of visiting these remote locations, are scheduled to coincide with the summer months when sea conditions are more favorable.

Weather: The weather during this period is relatively mild compared to the rest of the year. You can expect temperatures to range between 5°C and 15°C (41°F to 59°F). While still cool, this is the most comfortable time for exploration.

Wildlife: The timing within the summer can influence the specific wildlife you encounter. For example, December and January are excellent for seeing penguin chicks and seal pups.

Scenery: The optimal time to visit New Zealand's subantarctic islands due to milder weather, longer daylight hours, and abundant wildlife activity.

Weather: The weather during this period is relatively mild compared to the rest of the year. You can expect temperatures to range between 5°C and 15°C (41°F to 59°F). While still cool, this is the most comfortable time for exploration.

Wildlife: The timing within the summer can influence the specific wildlife you encounter. For example, December and January are excellent for seeing penguin chicks and seal pups.

Scenery: The optimal time to visit New Zealand's subantarctic islands due to milder weather, longer daylight hours, and abundant wildlife activity.

Weather: The weather during this period is relatively mild compared to the rest of the year. You can expect temperatures to range between 5°C and 15°C (41°F to 59°F). While still cool, this is the most comfortable time for exploration.

Wildlife: The timing within the summer can influence the specific wildlife you encounter. For example, February and March offer opportunities to see fledgling seabirds.

Scenery: The optimal time to visit New Zealand's subantarctic islands due to milder weather, longer daylight hours, and abundant wildlife activity.

Weather: The weather during this period is relatively mild compared to the rest of the year. You can expect temperatures to range between 5°C and 15°C (41°F to 59°F). While still cool, this is the most comfortable time for exploration.

Wildlife: The timing within the summer can influence the specific wildlife you encounter. For example, February and March offer opportunities to see fledgling seabirds.

Scenery: The optimal time to visit New Zealand's subantarctic islands due to milder weather, longer daylight hours, and abundant wildlife activity.

Ship types

These delicate islands with complex, if any, landing points are made to measure for small ship voyages. Landings will be wet with zodiac inflatable dinghies splashing into the island surf. Smaller vessels mean less logistical stress, launching the zodiacs from the ships, most likely to be ice-strengthened because they operate further south in East Antarctica. An example is a New Zealand specialist in this region who began exploring here in the 1980s. They operate the Heritage Adventurer – a 124-metre-long vessel with cabin space for 140 passengers. Working on a limit of 10 passengers per zodiac, they carry 14 dinghies.

Activities

Specialist small ship expeditions offer payable extra activities such as kayaking, snorkelling, or diving. Yet there is a lot of sea travel between the Antarctic islands, so activities are mostly zodiac rides for nature watching and photography. Onboard expert lectures will illuminate the extraordinary natural history and conservation work, as well as the islands’ geology and volcanic origins.

Wildlife

Snares crested penguin: Endemic to the Snares Islands, this medium-sized penguin is considered vulnerable by IUCN classification. Its distinguishing feature is a dashing blond eyebrow swept back, dare I say, like Donald Trump’s hair(piece?).

Hooker’s Sea Lion: Also known as the New Zealand Sea Lion, they are a rare pinniped the IUCN classify as ‘endangered’ and declining. Massive gender dimorphism means big males bear dark brown fur while petit females are silvery pale brown.

Antipodes parakeet: A gorgeous all-green parakeet only found in the Antipodes Islands chain. Their population is stable but likely less than 2000 birds. 

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Sustainability and the Region

New Zealand's subantarctic islands are some of Earth's least modified natural environments. Some were inhabited, but all are now population-free. Under strict protection, as the New Zealand government's DOC enforces national nature reserves, they have either undergone remedial action to improve their conservation or are protected as strictly non-intervention. This includes the protective bonus of marine buffer zones, as in the case of the Auckland Islands, where the 484,000 Motu Maha Marine Reserve (one of four marine reserves) extends 12 nautical miles offshore. Onshore landings are restricted on most islands to a few set locations, and all visitors must have a DOC permit (arranged by your vessel). Visits to the larger islands are capped at just 600 per year. Intervention conservation work has included removing 'pests' introduced by past inhabitation, especially rat eradication programmes. One took place on Campbell, and it was declared rat-free in 2003, ensuring the rodents did not predate upon young birds and eggs. All passengers will be subject to stringent biosecurity measures, especially after heading onto and returning from island landings. That will typically be sterilising boots in disinfecting footbaths. Before travelling, you can assist this process by ensuring your kit is either new or thoroughly cleaned before even setting foot onboard. 

What to Pack

You will need to proof against wild weather, which, although not the piercing cold of more southerly latitudes, can experience summer rain and winds with warm days mixed in.  Expedition cruises will provide a complimentary waterproof jacket to keep. Here’s what you need to wear beneath it.

Clothing

  • Warm fleece-lined trousers.
  • Thick fleece hat.
  • Buff for neck.
  • Base-layers (tops and leggings).
  • Fleeces or padded jackets: several lightweight layers.
  • T-Shirts with lighter cotton for warmer days and sweat wicking.
  • waterproof gloves.
  • 2 x thick socks 
  • Waterproof over-trousers. Make sure these are properly waterproof and not just showerproof or water-repellent. You will get wet in the zodiac from wave spray or during beach landings.
  • Smarter attire for indoor ship life – lectures and dining
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Expert Tips

Rb 295
By Mark Stratton
TRAVEL WRITER AND RADIO BROADCASTER
New Zealand's subantarctic region surrenders a vast array of wildlife to photograph. Both at sea and around the islands, this will include photographing wildlife from zodiac inflatables. Generally, I take two camera bodies and two different lenses. One is a long yet lightweight 200 mm-500 mm lens for faraway shots. The other is a sharp 24-70mm for closer images of the beaches accessible for landings. Carrying two bodies is cumbersome, yet in an environment with windy, wet weather, it saves damp or sea spray from entering my camera during changing lenses if I had one camera body only. A waterproof camera backpack is essential.

Taking images of seabirds presents challenges in this subantarctic environment. Everybody wants an excellent albatross shot. They are, after all, some of the world's largest birds. You'll often see them, wings folded, floating on the sea surface. It's an easy shot. But hardly dynamic. What people want to see is their full, enormous wingspan unfurled effortlessly riding the sea thermals. But that's a hard shot to take. They come at such a speed that you can find yourself almost toppling over when they screech by overhead. Often, your only stability is in your own two legs. That's why I carry a lightweight, long lens, which makes it less tiring to track them in flight. To start, I will narrow my focal point to spot focus and try to aim at the bird's head. The camera will be switched to AF-C mode, meaning my focal dot will latch on to the bird as long as I keep my shutter lightly depressed. I'll then fire off bursts of shots. 

Let's imagine a beach full of wildlife, as seen from a rocking zodiac. Your subject matter is seesawing up and down. You cannot use a tripod and often find yourself twisting from starboard to port. For a start, I kneel on the floor with both elbows on the zodiac sidewall to support my camera. I find a longer lens hard to use if choppy, so sometimes use a shorter one and enlarge images back on the ship or be content with a beach scene full of animals yet not close-ups.  I keep my body loose when shooting and will snap on multiple burst settings when on the crest of a peak to avoid sinking back into the wave trough and photographing water.