Coral Expeditions announced a new voyage that will call on Macquarie Island (Tasmania Australia).
The island sits halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica at latitude 55 degrees.
Coral Adventurer is scheduled to depart from Bluff (on New Zealand’s South Island) for a 12-night itinerary exploring the World Heritage Islands of New Zealand's sub-Antarctic territory prior to disembarking guests in Melbourne.
The one-off expedition departs on January 31st, 2024, and takes guests to desolate islands - the last landfall before Antarctica. Coral Adventurer is equipped with Zodiac boats/Xplorer tenders in order to permit a range of near-shore activities.
The journey includes the Snares Islands, Auckland Islands of Enderby Island and Carnley Harbour, Campbell Island’s Perseverance Harbour, and Macquarie Island, a World Heritage sanctuary.
Expedition highlights feature:
- Visiting largely untouched World Heritage areas of Snares Islands, Campbell Islands, Auckland Islands, and the wildlife sanctuary Macquarie Island
- Walking the rocky shorelines of Auckland/Campbell islands among the few humans to set foot ashore
- Enjoying guided walks on Macquarie Island with Park Rangers as well as encountering rare flora like fields of mega herbs, lichens, and mosses
- Observing King/Royal penguin colonies at Lusitania Bay
- Learning about the history/heritage of early explorers/settlers in the remote regions
- Viewing the “world’s loneliest tree” (Sitka Spruce) which is 200+ km from the next closest tree on Auckland Island.
Along the way, expert guest lecturers present talks and provide commentary on the destinations' highlights and their rare flora and fauna.
Image: Macquarie Island Tasmania (Australia)
Coral Expeditions Commercial Director Jeff Gillies said the visit to Macquarie Island was the “jewel in the crown” of the journey. He added it was a true sub-Antarctic trip that gave their guests "a taste of the unique topography, rugged wildlife and lonely history of the southern islands."
“We already operate in New Zealand and Tasmania. We like to go deeper into our destinations and this sub-Antarctic voyage is a natural progression of our explorations of the Southern Ocean. We expect it to be popular amongst our loyal clientele, who are eager for new destinations in our portfolio”.