Close-up of colorful wet seaweed in shades of red and green

A Day in the Auckland Islands

Our day began with gentler seas as we approached the northern part of the Auckland Islands and anchored off Erebus Cove.
Large flock of seabirds flying over rough sea
The morning’s agenda included a visit to the historical Hardwicke Settlement, established in 1849 and abandoned just 3 years later.
We disembarked via zodiacs for a short trip to shore, where we were divided into groups for a guided walk to the cemetery and then to the Victoria Tree. Honestly, the experience didn’t quite meet my expectations. The site was crowded, and while the Southern Rātā trees were impressive, the large group made it difficult to appreciate.

  1. Cemetery at Hardwicke: This small site contains the graves of early settlers and shipwreck survivors who attempted to carve out a life on these remote islands.

    Tourists observing historic graves in forest

  2. Victoria Tree: A large Southern Rātā tree, notable for an inscription by a 1865 relief party commemorating the rescue of the General Grant shipwreck survivors. No pictures but here is something from nearby 🙂

    Guided hiking group exploring dense island forest

Wildlife-wise, we saw a lone New Zealand sea lion, and some Tui and Bellbirds.
In the afternoon, the ship repositioned to Carnley Harbour in the southern part of the islands—a stunning natural harbour formed from the crater of an extinct volcano. We set off for a zodiac cruise near Adams Island, and though initially it lacked excitement, our perspective shifted when we spotted a few yellow-eyed penguins—a new species for us!
Penguins swimming near tourist zodiac boat
Yellow-eyed penguin, also known as hioho, are endemic to New Zealand. There’s no need for a comparison photo because they are the only species in the genus Megadyptes. In comparison, there are 7 penguin species in the genus Eudyptes (brush tailed penguins)
Yellow-eyed penguins standing in coastal grass
Neither of us mentioned it at the time, but we both felt that the trip hadn’t started as spectacularly as we’d hoped. Perhaps our previous expeditions had set the bar too high?
Andy and Jennifer Martin

We’re Andy and Jennifer—two former corporate executives who chose long ago to prioritise experiences over stuff while pursuing our passions for travel and photography. From the Arctic to Antarctica, and most places in between, we’ve captured the world through our lenses and love sharing those stories. Our careers gave us the means, but our purpose is inspiring others to explore and helping people create images they’re proud of.

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