Macquarie Island

Macquarie Island is a nature reserve on a subantarctic island between New Zealand and Antarctica, roughly 1500 kilometers southeast of Tasmania. The terrain shows steep cliffs along the coasts and flat grasslands inland, while frequent rain and strong winds shape the climate.

A sealer discovered the island in 1810 and named it after the then Governor of New South Wales. Hunting for seals and later penguins for their oil continued until the early 1900s, before the island became protected.

The research station serves as a base for long-term observations of seals and penguins that gather in large colonies along the coast. Scientists from different countries work here for several months at a time and share the station facilities in this remote environment.

The journey is possible only with approved vessels that depart from Hobart several times a year and spend multiple days at sea. A permit from Tasmanian authorities is required, and landings are allowed only under supervision and for short periods.

Rocks from the mantle emerge at the surface here, a phenomenon visible nowhere else on dry land. This rare geological formation resulted from tectonic movements that pushed deeply buried layers upward.