New Zealand

Sub-Antarctic Islands

WHS Score 4.06
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Votes for Sub-Antarctic Islands

4.5

  • Timothy C Easton

5.0

  • CampbellME
  • Dutchbirder
  • Lillybett
  • SHIHE HUANG
  • Waxwing

The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands comprise some of the world’s least-modified islands and the surrounding marine area.

As a group, they hold an outstanding diversity of endemic and threatened species among its marine fauna, land birds, and invertebrates. It’s an important area for research into island dynamics and ecology, such as the study of the loss of flight in birds. It also has the most diverse community of seabirds in the world with eight species endemic to the region

Community Perspective: This site has been unreviewed so far. The included islands are: Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island group, and The Snares.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands (ID: 877)
Country
New Zealand
Status
Inscribed 1998 Site history
History of Sub-Antarctic Islands
1998: Inscribed
Inscribed
WHS Type
Natural
Criteria
  • ix
  • x
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • March 22, 2018 npr.org — New Zealand Eradicates Invasive Mice From Antipodes Islands

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Natural landscape: Insular
Travel Information
Takes more than 5 days to visit
Takes more than 5 days to visit
Combined cruise with Macquarie Island, 14 days

See heritage-expeditions.com

One thousand visitors or fewer
One thousand visitors or fewer
“annual visitation to this site has fluctuated from approximately 250 to 750 visitors since …
Recent Connections
View all (36) .
Connections of Sub-Antarctic Islands
Individual People
  • Cousteau
    L'Équipe Cousteau à la redécouverte du monde, episode "Au pays du long nuage blanc" (1988)

    See www.youtube.com

  • William Bligh
    The Bounty Islands - discovered by Bligh in 1788 whilst on his way to Tahiti and named after his ship
Geography
  • Uninhabited islands
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Subantarctic
    Antipodes Islands: 49°40′S 178°46′E; Auckland Islands: 50°42′S 166°05′E; Bounty Islands: 47°45′S 179°03′E; Campbell Island Group: 52°32′S 169°08′E; Snares Islands: 48°01′S 166°32′E
  • Southernmost
    No. 3 (Campbell Island), at 52?33 S
  • Antipodes points
    NEW ZEALAND SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS(Bounty island)=THE LOIRE VALLEY(Angers) S47 45 E179 03 = N47 23 56.004 E0 42 10.008 AND )=LE HAVRE S49 41 E178 48 = N49 29 20.6 E0 06 54.8
  • Submerged continent
    Zealandia
  • Dependent territories
    "Although considered as integral parts of New Zealand, ... the .. island groups are not part of any region or district, but are instead designated as Area Outside Territorial Authority." (wiki)
  • Formerly inhabited islands
    Auckland Islands (part of NZ Sub Antarcic Islands) "Traces of Polynesian settlement, possibly dating to the 13th century, have been found by archaeologists on Enderby Island. This is the most southerly settlement by Polynesians yet known.". (wiki)
  • Volcanic plugs
    Campbell Island

    See www.subantarcticislands.com

  • Polynesia
    Traces of Polynesian settlement, possibly dating to the 13th century, have been found by archaeologists on Enderby Island. This is the most southerly settlement by Polynesians yet known. (wiki)
Trivia
Ecology
  • Albatross breeding sites
    Antipodes Islands - Antipodean (race antipodensis), Shy (race steadi - alternatively considered the "White Capped" species), Black-browed, Light-mantled Auckland Islands - Gibson's, Southern royal (Enderby only), Northern royal (Enderby only), Shy (race steadi), Light-mantled Bounty Islands - Salvin's Campbell - Antipodean (race antipodensis), Southern royal, Black-browed, Campbell, Grey-headed, Light-mantled, Sooty Snares - Salvin's, Black-browed, Buller's
  • Megaherbs
    "They are the best known plants of the New Zealand subantarctic islands" (wiki), including Campbell Island carrot, Ross lily

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Seals
    elephant seal
  • Icebergs
  • Peat
    Auckland Islands "This paper contains a description of the peat soils on part of the Auckland Islands which lie in the South Pacific Ocean approximately 200 miles south of New Zealand. Peat forms a blanket over the surface of the Islands and is the parent material of most of the soils

    See www.tandfonline.com

  • Strict Nature Reserve
    Fully (except marine parts); "All visitors must have a permit and be accompanied by a Department of Conservation officer who enforces a rigorous minimum impact code which includes great care not to import alien species, weeds or seeds. Visits are limited to very few places in the Auckland Islands (Enderby Island, Port Ross, Carnley Harbour), to Campbell Island and by 600 visitors a year at the large sites, and 150 a year at small sites." (UNEP-WCMC)

    See world-heritage-datasheets.unep-wcmc.org

  • Tundra
  • Antarctic Floristic Kingdom
  • Penguins
    King, Gentoo, Fjordland, Snares, Royal, Yellow eyed, Little, Erect Crested, Rockhopper
  • Notable Trees
    World's Loneliest Tree (on Campbell Island)

    See www.atlasobscura.com

  • Endemic Bird Species
    Definition of species/sub species in flux - c14 including species of Shag, Penguin, Parakeet, Snipe, Teal, Albatross, Rail, Oystercatcher, Fernbird
Damaged
World Heritage Process
Human Activity
  • Seal Hunting
    Campbell Island (1810-1840s); island was discovered in 1810 by Captain Frederick Hasselborough of the sealing brig Perseverance
  • Slavery
    The Auckland islands were briefly settled by Maoris from Chatham Island. They brought with them Moriori slaves. The Moriori had been the indigenous people of the Chathams who were enslaved by Maoris. "Sheep farming became popular and profitable and some Maori diversified into that. In 1842 one chief took nearly 30 slaves with him and his people and went to the Auckland Islands to live. The conditions were too harsh and the settlement was abandoned in 1854."
WHS on Other Lists
  • Biodiversity hotspot
    New Zealand
  • Centres of Plant Diversity
    Au17 Subantarctic Islands - "As a group they are distinct from all other island groups, having the highest diversity of indigenous plants and birds. The “megaherbs’ are unique to the NZSAI and Macquarie Island."
Timeline
  • Miocene
    The Auckland, Campbell and Antipodes islands are primarily of recent volcanic origin. The first two are eroded volcanic domes created 10-15 million years ago. The western sides of all three groups have been eroded significantly, creating steep cliffs, while on the eastern sides lava flows and glaciers from the Pleistocene era (about 2 million years ago) have formed U-shaped valleys, fiords and harbours. The Antipodes volcano is the youngest and least eroded.

    See www.teara.govt.nz

Visiting conditions
18
News
npr.org 03/22/2018
New Zealand Eradicates Invasive Mi…

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