Day 3 - Auckland Islands

20 January 2014

Today we got the chance to get on land and check out the Auckland Islands. With the severe windy weather, going to Enderby island was postponed until tomorrow and we instead did a couple of trips to see some of the history of the Auckland Islands.

Several attempts have been made to farm and cultivate the land but poor soil and extreme weather made permanent impossible. The most famous attempt was in 1848-1852 when the Hardwicke settlement was created by the south seas whaling and fishing company. At this stage rabbits and stock were introduced to the islands. We landed in the zodiacs at Erebus cove where the old Hardwicke settlement used to be which was covered in thick southern rata trees.

We then stopped off at Ranui Cove where the huts of the coast watchers from during the war, we walked through rata forest and herb fields before we reached the coastwatchers lookout where we had an amazing view of Port Ross.

We anchored up in front of Sandy Bay, Enderby Island tonight where the sea and sky was alive with wildlife as the sun set. I spent hours watching the albatross colony, hookers sea lions and penguins on the beach and moving through the water. The yellow eyed penguins were my favourite diving through the water so gracefully.

The southern rata trees (Metrosideros umbellata)were flowering with a hundreds of shades of red.

Unloading the zodiacs

Arriving at Erebus cove

Bob the oldest person on the expedition at 78 taking a few snaps (Photo by Greg Oliver)

Flowering rata

Bellbird on the shoreline

The graveyard is all that really remains of the Hardwicke settlement

From shore the forest looked impenetrable but was surprisingly open once under the tree canopy (the pigs possibly prevent a thick forest undergrowth)

It was a lot of fun exploring the rata forest and weaving my way around the gnarled trunks.

We checked out the Victoria tree an old rata still standing since 1985 when rescuers from an Australian government ship, the Victoria carved the tree when landed to search for castaways. Visitors back in the 1990s talked about how it wouldn’t be there in 5 years time but it still stands.

Landing in the zodiacs at Ranui Cove (Photo by Greg Oliver)

View of the dense rata growth from the coastwaters lookout hut

I felt like I was in south island New Zealand

Coastwatchers lookout hut used during the war

There was a old newspaper preserved in the hut when it was used during the second world war

Tiny orchard

Grass species

A small stream

Coastwatchers living quarters

There was an emergency evacuation from the ship this afternoon where a lady was flown back to New Zealand by helicopter. She was air lifter from the DOC research station by the Otago rescue helicopter which had flown over 500km+ against a strong head wind to get here. It was touch and go whether or not they could come but luckily they did otherwise we would have been heading back to bluff.

Hundreds of Auckland Island shags flying across Port Ross as it gets dark

Porpoising yellow eyed penguin