This exclusive expedition to the remote Subantarctic Islands combines exceptional wildlife, expert leadership and flexible exploration aboard Heritage Adventurer, in one of the most remote and wildlife-rich regions on Earth.
Set far beyond mainland New Zealand, this remarkable expedition explores the remote Subantarctic Islands, including Snares, Bounty, Antipodes, Auckland, Campbell and Macquarie, and the Chatham archipelago. These isolated outposts form one of the most important wildlife regions on Earth, where vast seabird colonies, endemic landbirds and thriving marine ecosystems exist largely untouched. Few travellers ever reach these islands, making this a genuinely rare opportunity to experience nature at scale in one of the wildest corners of the planet.
Often described as the Galápagos of the Southern Ocean, these remote islands rival even South Georgia for the sheer scale and diversity of their wildlife, yet remain among the least-visited places on Earth. Vast seabird and penguin colonies dominate the landscape, including an estimated 26,000 pairs of endemic Snares crested penguins on the Snares Islands, alongside more than 200,000 pairs of king penguins and an astonishing 3 million royal penguins on Macquarie Island alone. Endemic species such as the Snares tomtit, Snares fernbird, red-crowned parakeet and yellow-eyed penguin thrive here, while southern elephant seals haul out on remote, windswept beaches, creating one of the world's greatest wildlife spectacles.
Sailing through the famed ‘Albatross Latitudes’, this is the most diverse seabird region on Earth with over 40 breeding species, including ten albatross species. Vast penguin colonies dominate remote shores, while the surrounding seas are rich in cetaceans. Crossings to and from Macquarie Island often bring encounters with hourglass dolphin and orca, while time at sea offers the chance to encounter fin, sei, sperm, pygmy blue, pilot and southern right whale.
This remarkable voyage has been carefully created to showcase the very best of the Subantarctic Islands, blending expert expedition operations with our outstanding leadership team, including Chris Breen, Dan Free, Mark Carwardine, Nick Mackman, Sean Weekly, Rachel Ashton, Tim Stenton, Hazel Pittwood and Darren Woodhead. Their combined expertise ensure that you have the best possible experience throughout the voyage. Travelling aboard our expedition vessel Heritage Adventurer, we benefit from an exceptional platform for exploration. Carrying a smaller group than the ship's full capacity and equipped with 14 Zodiacs at our disposal, each day's shaped around wildlife opportunities and maximising our time ashore and on the water.
Typical Itinerary
Day1: Depart UK
Day2: En Route to New Zealand
Day3: Arrive in Queenstown
We arrive in Queenstown and transfer to our accommodation. The remainder of today's free to relax and explore.
This evening, we meet and enjoy dinner together at the hotel.
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park, 1-night
Day4: Embarkation
Today we transfer to the Port of Bluff for embarkation, and set sail towards the Snares Islands.
Today we cruise by Zodiac along the sheltered eastern coast of the Snares Islands (landings aren't permitted here). We explore quiet bays rich in endemic wildlife, including Snares Island tomtit and fernbird. These islands are the sole breeding ground of the endemic Snares crested penguin, with an estimated 26,000 breeding pairs gathering in dense coastal colonies. Vast sooty shearwater colonies, breeding Buller’s albatross and dense tree daisy forests complete this remarkable ecosystem.
Day6: Auckland Islands
Today we land at Sandy Bay in the Auckland Islands, a key breeding site for rare New Zealand sea lion, where beachmaster bulls defend their harems. We enjoy easy walks across boardwalks to dramatic cliffs, with options to explore further. Expect prolific birdlife, including albatross, yellow-eyed penguin and endemic island species.
Day7: Southern Ocean
We spend the day at sea sailing towards Macquarie Island, with expert-led talks and excellent opportunities for pelagic wildlife viewing. Out on deck, look for a range of albatross and petrel species, along with hourglass dolphin and the chance of orca as we approach the island.
Days8-9: Macquarie Island
We enjoy two full days exploring Macquarie Island, one of the Southern Ocean’s greatest penguin strongholds. More than 3 million royal penguins breed here, forming immense colonies that blanket the coastal slopes and beaches, while over 200,000 pairs of king penguins gather in densely packed rookeries. Eastern rockhopper and gentoo penguins also breed on the island, creating an astonishing concentration of penguin life found in few places on Earth.
Macquarie Island is also home to the endemic Macquarie Island shag, and supports breeding populations of wandering, black-browed, grey-headed and light-mantled albatross. During our time here, we plan to make landings at a number of sites, giving us the opportunity to observe and photograph all four species. Macquarie Island is also home to a large population of southern elephant seals, which can often be seen lolling across beaches and dunes.
Pending permits, there's also the exciting possibility of swimming with king penguins — a rare and unforgettable experience if approved.
Day10: Southern Ocean
Enjoy a day at sea en route to Campbell Island. Time on deck can be richly rewarding, with opportunities to scan the horizon for passing cetaceans and follow the effortless glide of albatross alongside the ship.
Back inside, we deepen our understanding of the region through a programme of engaging lectures, presentations and informal discussions, exploring the wildlife, history and ecology of the Subantarctic Islands.
There are opportunities to take part in specialist workshops led by our dedicated team of tour leaders, such as photography sessions with Sean Weekly, wildlife sculpture workshops with Nick Mackman, and presentations from renowned naturalist and broadcaster Mark Carwardine.
Day11: Campbell Island
Today we explore Campbell Island from Perseverance Harbour, with flexible walking options through this wildlife-rich landscape. Look for southern royal albatross, penguin, fur seal and New Zealand sea lion, with excellent opportunities for close observation and photography.
Day12: Southern Ocean
A rewarding day at sea en route to the Antipodes Islands offers exceptional pelagic birding. The Southern Ocean is one of the world's great seabird habitats, and throughout the day there are excellent opportunities to spend time out on deck scanning the horizon with our expert team of naturalists. Expect an array of albatross, petrels and prions, with rare opportunities to compare several species in one of the Southern Ocean’s richest seabird regions.
Wildlife photographer Sean Weekly is on hand to offer practical guidance on camera settings and tips on photographing birds in flight, helping you make the most of this photographic opportunity.
Day13: Antipodes Islands
With landings not permitted here, we explore the rugged coastline of the Antipodes Islands by Zodiac, offering us excellent wildlife opportunities. From the Zodiacs, we can expect sightings of Antipodes and Reischek’s parakeets, New Zealand pipit, and mixed colonies of erect-crested and rockhopper penguins.
Day14: Bounty Islands
Arrival at the Bounty Islands reveals a dramatic cluster of granite outcrops teeming with wildlife. Time spent observing from the water offers an excellent chance of Salvin’s albatross, erect-crested penguins and the rare Bounty Island shag, with New Zealand fur seals hauled out along the rocks.
Days15-16: Chatham Islands
Our time in the Chatham Islands combines rewarding pelagic exploration with visits ashore. Around Pyramid Rock and South East Island, wildlife viewing from the water offers chances to see Chatham Island petrel and, with luck, the extremely rare taiko, alongside shore plover, oystercatcher and nesting seabirds. Cetaceans, including sperm and southern right whale, may also be encountered in these rich waters.
On the main island, a privately protected reserve provides excellent opportunities to encounter endemic species such as Chatham Island pigeon and warbler. An afternoon coastal cruise adds further opportunity to spot taiko and petrel.
Days17-18: Southern Ocean
Sailing back to Bluff, we cross the nutrient-rich Chatham Rise where the northern and southern currents meet, bringing excellent pelagic birding opportunities.
As the voyage draws to a close, a special slideshow and farewell dinner provide time to reflect on the highlights of this remarkable expedition.
Day19: Disembark & Travel Back to Queenstown
After a final breakfast on board, we disembark and travel to Queenstown.
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park, 1-night
Day20: Fly Back to UK
Day21: Arrive in the UK
Please note: Pending permits, we very much hope to have the opportunity to swim with king penguins during our time on Macquarie Island. Our partner is currently seeking the necessary approvals and, while not yet confirmed, this would be a truly memorable addition to our experience.
Key info
Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 21 daysfrom £18,695 pp
Duration and price excluding international flights: 18 daysfrom £16,695 pp
Choose your preferred departure date below, then make a booking request, or enquire if you would like to ask us a question.
Departure date
Group size
Duration & price from
Single supplement
Sharing *
* Sharing: We offer single travellers the option to share with another passenger to avoid single room supplements. M/F indicates male or female share
Tour leader(s)
Tour status
17 Nov 2029
85–124
21 days:
£18,695 (inc. flights)
None
M & F available
Sharing *
* Sharing: We offer single travellers the option to share with another passenger to avoid single room supplements. M/F indicates male or female share
Chris Breen, Mark Carwardine, Nick Mackman, Sean Weekly, Rachel Ashton, Dan Free, Tim Stenton, Hazel Pittwood & Darren Woodhead
Chris studied Geographical Sciences in Plymouth, however his first encounter with the wider world was in 1983, when he headed off to Zambia.
Under the tutelage of the late Norman Carr, the pioneer of walking safaris, he worked as a wildlife guide and managed a wilderness camp. On his return to the UK, he had a spell at a major tour operator before setting up Wildlife Worldwide in 1992.
Since then he has travelled the world in search of first-class wildlife experiences. He devised the Festival of Wildlife concept, which has spawned the Festival of Bears. An ardent conservationist, Chris has co-led each of these since their inception. He dedicates several weeks each year to communicating his irrepressible passion for nature to those who travel with him.
General Manager of Wildlife Worldwide Dan graduated with an MSc in Zoology, before spending six weeks exploring India’s tiger reserves.
Venturing on to Central and South America and finally Africa, he worked on conservation projects and gained a wealth of big-cat and wildlife knowledge, before returning to the UK where he worked for several years in ecological consultancy, conducting protected species surveys and specialising in ornithology and herpetology.
Since joining the world of wildlife travel in 2011, Dan has led, pioneered and researched trips to a huge range of destinations in pursuit of some of the world's most sought after species. His enthusiasm for nature and conservation is contagious and his binoculars are never far from reach. Dan's fascination of the natural world extends through all taxa, from the badgers and foxes of his back garden and to the melanistic leopards and snow leopards of India, the Sunda clouded leopard of Borneo and aardvarks of Botswana. In truth there is very little about the natural world which evades Dan's interest!
Mark Carwardine is a zoologist, an outspoken conservationist, an award-winning and bestselling author, a TV and radio presenter, a widely published photographer, a wildlife tour operator and leader, a lecturer, and a BBC Wildlife magazine columnist.
He co-presented the BBC-TV series Last Chance to See, with the comedian and actor Stephen Fry, and the BBC-TV series Museum of Life. He also presented the weekly half-hour radio programme Nature on BBC Radio 4 for many years.
He has written more than 60 books, including the Field Guide to Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises, The Shark Watcher’s Handbook and The Guinness Book of Animal Records. His latest is How to Photograph Garden Birds.
He was Chairman of the Judging Panel of the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for seven years (2005-2011) and was selected as one of the world’s 40 most influential nature photographers in Outdoor Photography magazine.
Nick is an award-winning ceramic sculptor, who gains inspiration from the animal kingdom. The majority of her pieces are based on observations of animals in the field.
Many of her subjects are highly endangered and, in depicting them, she seeks to enlighten the viewer to their beauty, humour and tenderness. She aims to get under the skin of the animal, giving each sculpture its own personality.
Her work is widely exhibited in international collections, and in 2010 she won the Wildlife Artist of the Year Open Category. In 2012 was again a category winner and overall runner-up. Each year she makes the trophies for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. In 2015 she won the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation 2015 Artist of the Year award with her fantastic collection of ceramic warthogs.
Multi award-winner and full time photographer, Sean's work is regularly featured across a range of national and international publications.
After a career as a Royal Marine, Sean moved to the diverse habitats of Singapore where long-tailed macaques, snakes, lizards and tropical birds were just a stones throw away from his home.
Travelling through South East Asia and Australia with his camera was what ignited his love of the natural world and now he ventures across the globe to expand his wildlife photography. Sean has led numerous workshops in the UK and further afield in Europe at locations including Skomer, Greece, Finland, Spain and Scotland.
Rachel has worked closely with, and been a Project Manager for conservationist, zoologist, wildlife photographer, author and broadcaster Mark Carwardine since 2004.
She has organised and handled bookings on Mark’s trips over the years, as well as assisting him on many of his wildlife adventures, such as whale watching in Baja California (more than 50 trips), ship charters to Baffin Island, Antarctica and South Georgia, and snorkelling with manatees in Florida and sperm whales in Dominica.
A keen diver, she is, like Mark, passionate about marine wildlife. She started out in advertising and marketing in Australia, before a happy career switch to BBC Wildlife magazine in Bristol, where she ultimately became Features Editor. She also wrote the captions for the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for 15 years (1999-2015).
Tim is a naturalist, wildlife guide, photographer and author - with a passion for whales and dolphins.
He lives on the Black Isle in Scotland, where he runs a self-catering holiday business and spends as much time as possible watching cetaceans. His current tally is nine species (and counting!) from his garden. Widely travelled, Tim first met Mark Carwardine and Rachel Ashton as a guest on a Baja California trip many years ago and has returned to the area several times since.
His first book 'Moray Firth Dolphins' was published in 2013, and he is the co-author of 'Europe's Sea Mammals'.
Hazel worked as a wildlife guide on a variety of ships for ten years before leaving life at sea to join Wildlife Worldwide.
She’s a specialist in marine mammals and polar wildlife, with a wealth of experience in Svalbard, Antarctica and various sub-Antarctic islands. Hazel has also led small group tours in Monterey Bay and Baja California, as well as snorkelling trips with orca and humpback whales in Norway.
Darren is a graduate of the Royal College of Art, London, and he's a passionate watercolourist whose work is created entirely on location, drawn directly with the brush.
Darren has been a lifelong freelance artist, travelling and exhibiting widely, and was recently elected a full Member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour. He has worked extensively with the BBC, appearing on Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch as a live on-screen demonstrator and Artist in Residence, as well as on Landward, BBC Radio 4, Radio Scotland and STV.
He taught for many years at George Watson’s College, Edinburgh, Loretto's School, Musselburgh as well as Edinburgh College of Art, and has led painting courses to North Norfolk, Orkney, Arctic Norway and Sweden.
Driven to paint from life, Darren seeks to encourage and nurture enthusiasm through the experience, energy and freshness of first-hand observation and the connection then made to the natural world. He gives regular talks and demonstrations, describing his working methods both home and abroad.
With four distinctive seasons, dramatic mountains, a crystal-clear lake and a host of activities on offer, from the adventurous to the more leisurely, Queenstown is a popular year-round destination.
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Where: South Island
Excellent for: Activity & adventure, City stopover, Hiking
Lying like stepping stones to the Antarctic continent are the little-known Subantarctic Islands. They're home to some of the most abundant and unique wildlife on Earth, and are renowned for the diversity and large number of penguins and seabirds. They're all National Nature Reserves.
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Where: Southern Ocean
Ideal for viewing: wandering albatross, southern royal albatross, rockhopper penguin, erect-crested penguin, storm petrel
Located in the South Pacific, over 800 kilometres east of New Zealand, lies the Chatham Islands. This archipelago consists of about 10 islands and of all the Antipodean Islands south of Australia and New Zealand, the Chatham Islands are the only island group to have permanent human settlement.
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Where: South Pacific
Ideal for viewing: magenta petrel, black robin, grey warbler, Chatham Islands pigeon, storm petrel
The Heritage Adventurer was purpose-built in Finland in 1991 for polar & Pacific voyages. Her impressive pedigree includes having navigated the most northern and southern regions, as well as crossing both the North-west and the North-east Passages, and we are delighted to include her to our fleet of vessels.
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LUXURY VESSEL
