Toucanmoon

Visit New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands for A Genuine Wilderness Experience

Visit New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands for A Genuine Wilderness Experience

Christchurch, 9 October 2019:  Small-ship cruise company, Heritage Expeditions, offers a selection of responsible travel options for travellers wishing to explore the Subantarctic islands, including a special partnership voyage with New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, where tourism is restricted to protect the richness and diversity of the flora and fauna and to ensure a genuine wilderness experience for small groups of visitors.

Located in the great Southern Ocean to the south and east of New Zealand, the six tiny groups of islands – the Bounty Islands, the Antipodes, the Snares, the Auckland Islands, Campbell Island and Australia’s Icy Outback Macquarie Island – are home to some of the most abundant and unique wildlife on the planet.

Such is the richness and diversity of these rugged, uninhabited islands that every one of them is a Nature Reserve with UNESCO World Heritage status, and is afforded the highest protection by the governments of Australia and New Zealand.

To travel to this remote, isolated region with its priceless ecosystem and endangered species, is a real privilege for conservation-minded passengers.  They are rewarded with captivating views across starkly beautiful landscapes, complete with a plethora of unique, indigenous plants, and a multitude of sea birds and native mammals.

Stunning scenes await:  lush meadows of megaherbs, with their oversized, colourful flowers; numerous seabird species including albatross, petrel, shag, gull, tern, pipit, shearwater and prion; New Zealand fur seals, Hooker’s sea lions, elephant seals and rowdy penguins, all inhabit this windswept and sometimes forbidding region.

Among the Subantarctic expedition cruises available, Heritage offers:

  • the eight-day Forgotten Islands of the South Pacific (Auckland Islands, Campbell Island and the Snares), departing 3rd January 2020 and 23rd December 2020, from US $4,600 pp;
  • the 11-day Beyond Fiordland:  New Zealand’s Wildest Islands (The Snares, Campbell Island, the Auckland Islands, Stuart and Ulva Islands and Fiordland), departing 13th December 2019, from US $5995pp; and
  • Galapagos of the Southern Ocean (Auckland Islands, Campbell Island, Macquarie Island and the Snares) 13 days departing 1st and 3rd December 2019, 30th November and 11th December 2020, from US $7,000pp.

Prices quoted are based on full-board accommodation in a Main Deck Triple cabin, with shared shower and toilet facilities on one of the specialist cruise operator’s own repurposed polar research vessels, Spirit of Enderby or Akademik Shokalskiy.  These fully ice-strengthened vessels carry no more than 50 passengers and feature a range of different accommodation including twin berths with porthole, superior cabins with bunkbeds and ensuite facilities, plus suites with separate lounge areas.  Pre/post-cruise transfers from Invercargill or Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island to Port of Bluff are also included.

For further information visit https://www.heritage-expeditions.com/destinations/subantarctic-islands-travel/

For enquiries call: +64 3 365 3500

For images visit: https://bit.ly/326OBU8

For media enquiries please contact Debra Taylor, debra@toucanmoon.com, +44 7956 852197.

Note to Editors

Heritage Expeditions is donating five per cent of cabin prices on the Beyond Fiordland voyage to the Department of Conservation to help fund important work to protect the Subantarctic Islands.

About Heritage Expedition

For more than 30 years New Zealand-based Heritage Expeditions has been a pioneer in environmentally-responsible, conservation-focused voyages to some of the world’s least-explored, wild and biologically-rich regions.

The family-owned and operated company, which spans two hemispheres from Antarctica’s Ross Sea to the Russian Far East more than 16,000 kilometres north, specialises in taking small groups of up to 50 intrepid wildlife and wilderness enthusiasts on comfortable adventures to some of the most unique, far-flung locations on earth.

Travelling on board one of two expedition ships designed for polar research – Spirit of Enderby and Akademik Shokalskiy – on voyages ranging from eight to 31 days, passengers visit remote, indigenous communities and rarely-visited sites such as the sub-Antarctic island of Macquarie and Russia’s Wrangel Island, accompanied by expert botanists, ornithologists and naturalists.

Each expedition is meticulously planned and led, ensuring passengers maximise every opportunity to learn, discover and experience as much as possible, while minimising the impact of their visit.  www.heritage-expeditions.com

Ends

About the Author

Founding director of toucanmoon, Debra has many years’ experience in the travel industry and has held director-level positions in several high-profile international companies.

View all posts by Debra Taylor

Your reactions

Add your comment

Fields marked with * are mandatory

Copyright © 2021 Debra Taylor t/a Toucanmoon. All rights reserved.