Galapagos of the Southern Ocean

Day 1: Arrival in Queenstown

Today you will arrive in Queenstown, New Zealand's world-famous alpine resort. You will make your own way to the hotel where you will spend the first night of your expedition. In the evening, there will be an informal dinner at the hotel – an excellent opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers and some members of your expedition team.

Day 3: The Snares – North East Island

The sub-Antarctic islands closest to New Zealand's main islands are aptly named The Snares, as they were once considered a dangerous obstacle for sailing ships. The Snares consist of two main islands and a group of five islands known as the Western Chain. The islands are uninhabited and are under strict nature conservation. It is possible that more seabirds nest here than on all the British Isles combined.

Your arrival is scheduled for the morning. As landing is not permitted, you will cruise along the sheltered east side of the main island in Zodiacs, weather and sea conditions permitting. In the quiet bays, you have a good chance of seeing endemic species such as the Snares crested penguin, the Snares island tomtit, and the fern warbler. Hundreds of thousands of sooty petrels nest on the Snares. The Buller albatross begins breeding here in early January.

You will also see the impressive forests of the large shrub marguerite Olearia lyallii, whose canopy covers large parts of the archipelago.

Day 5: Auckland Islands – Carnley Harbor

In the south of the archipelago is a large, sheltered natural harbor where you can discover many historical traces. Your arrival is planned for late morning. You will enter the harbor through the eastern entrance, which is flanked on both sides by dramatic cliffs and rugged hills covered with tussock grass.

Your activities today depend on the weather. There are several options available. If the weather is favorable, the more athletic participants have the opportunity to climb to South West Cape, where there is a breeding colony of shy mollymawks (Campbell albatrosses). The climb offers breathtaking views in all directions, especially over the western entrance to Carnley Harbor, Adams Island, and Western Harbor.

For those who do not wish to participate in the hike, there is the option of cruising along the coast of Adams Island, Western Harbor, and Victoria Passage in Zodiacs. Other options include visiting the former coastal lookout hut and viewpoint at Tagua Bay, which were occupied during World War II. Alternatively, you could visit Epigwatt and the remains of the "Grafton, " which ran aground here in 1864. All five men on board survived and lived here for 18 months before using their converted dinghy to sail to New Zealand for help. Two of the survivors later wrote books about their ordeal. Their accounts give us a unique insight into their time on the island.

In the late afternoon, your ship will set course for Macquarie Island.

Days 7 and 8: Macquarie Island

Once described by an Australian explorer as "one of the most wonderful places in the world," this is the only place on earth where the beautiful little blue penguin breeds. In addition, three other penguin species nest here: the king penguin, the gentoo penguin, and the rockhopper penguin.

The first visit to a noisy "penguin town," where the neat inhabitants show no fear of their unusual visitors, remains unforgettable. You are literally drawn into a swarm of chattering animals, hungry chicks, territorial disputes, petty thefts, and elaborate courtship rituals.

All this takes place among hundreds of southern elephant seals, which laze around on the beaches and in the dunes. Landings are expected to take place in the company of scientists and park rangers.

Day 10: Campbell Island – Perseverance Harbor

You have a whole day to explore Campbell Island, New Zealand's southernmost sub-Antarctic territory. The island was discovered in 1810 and soon after occupied by seal hunters, who introduced rats and cats. From 1895 to 1934, the island was used for agriculture and then abandoned again. During World War II, coastal observers were stationed on the island. After the war, the New Zealand Meteorological Service took over the station and operated it as a manned weather and research station until 1995.

In the early 1970s, the removal of farm animals began, which was completed by 1990. The vegetation recovered quickly and the feral cats died out naturally. In an extremely ambitious eradication program, unprecedented in its scale, the New Zealand Department of Conservation also succeeded in removing the rats. Once the island had been declared predator-free, the highly endangered flightless Campbell Island teal, a species rediscovered on an offshore island in 1975, was reintroduced. The Campbell Island snipe, previously found only on a neighboring island, also reestablished itself on Campbell Island.

The vegetation, which the famous English botanist Sir Joseph Hooker described in 1841 as "one of the most impressive floras outside the tropics," is now blooming again in all its glory.

There are several ways to explore the island, including a longer hike to Northwest Bay and an easier route to Col Lyall Saddle. Both options give you ample opportunity to observe the impressive southern royal albatrosses that breed here in large numbers. You will also visit areas where Campbell Island's famous mega-herbs thrive in extraordinary splendor.