Signal verified · updated 2026-09-03
Macquarie Island
Australian subantarctic island halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica; a UNESCO World Heritage site famed as the only place where Earth's mantle rocks emerge above the sea, with vast penguin and seal colonies.
- Formation
- uplifted oceanic crust and mantle (ophiolite) — the only place on Earth where mantle rocks are actively exposed above sea level; ~34 km long, ~5.5 km wide plateau with steep escarpments
- Population
- 20
- Water
- Pacific Ocean
- Access
- restricted
Every required movement
The passage
to Macquarie Island.
No airport or harbour; access by sea from Hobart via Australian Antarctic program voyages or expedition cruise ships with permits; landings strictly controlled with ranger supervision.
- 01None (Hobart Airport, HBA, Tasmania, is the departure port)
Nearest recorded air access
Schedule or condition may change · verify - 02Water crossing
Expedition cruise operators (e.g. Heritage Expeditions, Aurora) from Hobart/Bluff; AAD resupply voyages.
Schedule or condition may change · verify - 03Entry check
Tasmania PWS access authority required; restricted area under National Parks and Reserved Land Regulations.
Schedule or condition may change · verify
Research, then reserve
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What the chart cannot hold
What becomes visible when you follow unesco world heritage listing (1997) beyond the familiar map?
A 34-km-long nature reserve managed by the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. Discovered in 1810, exploited by sealers, then a scientific base since 1948. Rabbits, rats and mice were fully eradicated by 2014, triggering seabird and vegetation recovery.
Discovered 1810 by sealer Frederick Hasselborough; 19th-century sealing and oiling; annexed by Tasmania 1900; Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition station 1911-1914; wildlife sanctuary 1933; ANARE station from 1948; State Reserve 1978; World Heritage 1997; pest-free declared 2014.
Field ledger
The useful
details.
- Coordinates
- 54.63° S · 158.86° E
- Sovereignty
- Australia · part of country
- Nearest mainland
- Tasmania (~1500 km northwest)
- Best recorded window
- November-March (austral summer).
- Permits / entry
- Tasmania PWS access authority required; restricted area under National Parks and Reserved Land Regulations.
- Languages
- English
Community intelligence
Notes from
the crossing.
Share firsthand conditions, access changes, respectful observations, or a question for someone who has been.
No traveler has left a public note here yet.
The empty ledger is part of the mystery—and an invitation to be useful.Travel information changes quickly. This field file was last revised 2026-09-03. Confirm all transport and permit details before booking.
Official source