macquarie island facts


The island lies beside the southern extension of the great Alpine Fault of New Zealand and experiences frequent earth tremors. [4], Media related to Macquarie Island at Wikimedia Commons. On 21 March 1948, ANARE established Macquarie Island station.

Four types of penguins live on the island. The only way to get to the island is by sea and there are no harbors to dock a ship. Macquarie Island or Macca as it is affectionately known, is a Sub-Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean administered by Australia.. Penguin Facts. From 1913 to 1915 the meteorological observations begun by Mawson’s group were continued by the Commonwealth Meteorological Service but discontinued after the loss of the relief ship Endeavour with all crew and passengers in 1914.
Most plants in Macquarie Island will not grow with the height more than 1 meter. Your turn - have your say. Macquarie Island is an Australian territory located approximately halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica, and is a World Heritage Site.. There’s not much happening there – basically, there is a research station of the Australian Antarctic Division, and Macquarie Island is home to lots of flora and fauna such as penguins, other birds and Elephant Seals. The island is notable due to the amazing flora and fauna. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. The island became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Hasselborough’s main interest was in the enormous numbers of seals on the island — especially fur seals, estimated at the time to number between 200,000 and 400,000. Otherwise the only transportation to the island is by sea. The island was formed by two tectonic plates meeting and forcing each other upwards. It would help if you were an employee of Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service or the Australian Antarctic Division and were posted to the island when a position came available. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife (TASPAWS) Named after an early governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, the small size of Macquarie Island belies its importance in the history, geoscience and ecology of the Southern Ocean. In addition to conducting geomagnetic observations and mapping the island, studies were made of the island's botany, zoology, meteorology and geology.

Most visits last 1 to 2 days.
After the king penguin colony at Lusitania Bay was devastated by this activity, attention turned to the royal penguins at The Nuggets. Details are in this reference under section "Criterion (viii)".

Rangers on Macquarie Island. Hasselborough and other sealers then proceed to plunder the island of fur seals and elephant seals and in tragic example of environmental exploitation the islands estimated 200,000 fur seals were made …

The Russian expedition led by Thaddeus von Bellinghausen collected flora and fauna on the island in 1820. Companies offering cruises to Antarctica via Macquarie Island and other Sub-Antarctic islands include: There are several walking tracks around the island. Until 1993, it became a part of Esperance Municipality.

Let me show you an island located in southwest Pacific Ocean on Facts about Macquarie Island. It may be possible to land on Macca by helicopter if your ship has a helicopter. It usually takes 3 to 4 days make the crossing from either Bluff in NZ or Hobart in Tasmania. In 1998, Macquarie Island was granted World Heritage status.

The island was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1933 and, with the establishment of the Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Service in 1971, Macquarie Island became a conservation area. Visitors should also stay on designated trails. Australian Antarctic Territory stamps are available for sale at the research station. The summer season is cool.

Understand []. It was first discovered in July 1810, by Captain Hasselburgh, who was searching for places to hunt whales and seals. Macquarie Island scene, 1911 (AOT, It is the only place on Earth where rocks from the Earth's mantle, 6 km (4 mi) below the ocean floor, are being pushed up above sea level. The only human inhabitants are concentrated on the base. The Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) established a continuously occupied year-round research station on the island in 1947 and it has been the subject of diverse scientific studies since. Many birds and animals use Macquarie Island to breed. The annual population is only 20 to 40 human inhabitants.

The huge elephant seals, some weighing in at 1,000kg or more, wallow together on the beach in their dozens. The first person to set ashore Macquarie Island what sealing captain Frederick Hasselborough who named the island after New South Wales Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1810. It is a Tasmanian State Reserve and is managed by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service.

Further reading: M Banks & S Smith (eds), 'Papers presented at the Macquarie Island symposium', PPRST 122/1, 1987; JS Cumpston, Macquarie Island, Melbourne, 1968; P Selkirk et al, Subantarctic Macquarie Island, Cambridge, 1990. It is unlikely you would be able to stay on the island during a visit as you would be expected to sleep on the vessel you arrived on. It has been operating continuously ever since. In some sheltered areas, Poa foliosa may have the height up to 2 metres. It was upgraded to a state reserve in 1972 and in 1978 was renamed the Macquarie Island Nature Reserve. PH30/1/5639). The research station has a bar in the mess building. Skuas, predatory birds, opportunistically try and pick off the chicks and weak. Nearby the base, you can find a helicopter. Macquarie Island flora, Epilobium pedunculare, Macquarie Island flora, Stilbocarpa polaris, Highland herbfield dominated by Pleurophyllum hookeri, List of World Heritage Sites in Australia. The Australian Antarctic Division research station is located at the northern end of the island. The research station's mess building will occasionally provide snacks to visitors like muffins, sandwiches, friands, pizza, tea and coffee. Living on Macquarie Island. Cold, wet and windy, the average winter temperature is about 3°C and the average summer temperature is 7°C. No people live there now. Macquarie Island was accidentally discovered in 1810 by Frederick Hasselburg, who recorded an earlier shipwreck. Macquarie Island scene, 1911 (AOT, PH30/1/5639) Macquarie Island was accidentally discovered in 1810 by Frederick Hasselburg, who recorded an earlier shipwreck. Adult males have an average weight of 2,000kg and can weigh up to 4,000kg. Macquarie Island is a large island in the Southern Ocean. Explore Macquarie Island research station through our 360 degree tour. It was first discovered in July 1810, by Captain Hasselburgh, who was searching for places to hunt whales and seals. A strong constitution for travellers is recommended as sea sickness may be an issue for some - the Southern Ocean can have some of the roughest seas in the world. There are hundreds of thousands of seals and millions of penguins and other sea birds that make their home on the island. Zodiac inflatable boats are used to put visitors ashore at accessible locations for excursions. Some content of the original page may have been edited to make it more suitable for younger readers, unless otherwise noted. They can also be up to 4m in length. This page was last modified on 14 September 2020, at 15:26. A royal penguin rookery on Macquarie Island. In 1826 the Hobart Town Gazette contained the quote: "the remote and stormy region in which Macquarie Island is placed is a strong reason against the adoption of that place as a penal settlement". Most plants in Macquarie Island will not grow with the height more than 1 meter. Recent attempts have reduced dramatically the rabbit and cat populations and the native biota is recovering.