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Most interesting

attractions and landmarks in

Auckland Islands

Gatis Pvils, 8 January 2011

No.20. http://www.wondermondo.com/Auckland.htmImage: Landscape in the western part of Auckland Island. Lawrie

Mead & T. Nicklin, Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

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The remote Auckland Islands are seldom visited by tourists tourist trips here are very expensive,islands are comparatively little known. Number of visitors is restricted by the nature conservation rules and

most visitors see just Enderby Island.

Landscape in the western part of Auckland Island. Lawrie Mead & T. Nicklin, Wikimedia Commons. Public

domain.

Auckland Islands are characterised by dramatic scenery high cliffs, rough sea, rough weather. Lush, unique

vegetation of these Sub-antarctic islands comes as a pleasant suprise to visitors, not less interesting are thenumerous curious, fearless birds.

Here are located some of the southernmost forests in this region of globe mostly consisting ofsouthern

rataMetrosideros umbellata trees flowering with beautiful red flowers. Forests are up to 9 m high and inside

the fiords the foliage of trees often reaches sea level thus resembling the scenery of tropical islands.

These comparatively small islands have four endemic

bird species:

Auckland Shag (Phalacrocorax colensoi) roughly

1,000

2,500 birds.

Auckland Snipe (Coenocorypha aucklandica

aucklandica) living on smaller islands around the

larger Auckland Island. Population estimate 20,000

birds.

Auckland Islands Teal (Anas aucklandica) a duck,

extinct now on the larger Auckland Island and living on

smaller islands around it. Around 1,000 birds remaining.

Auckland Rail (Lewinia muelleri) nearly flightless

bird, living on two islands Adams Island and

Disappointment Island. For a while it was considered tobe extinct but was rediscovered in 1966.

On Disappointment Island are nesting almost all White-capped Albatroses (Thalassarche steadi) of the

world some 65,000 pairs. Wingspan of these birds reaches 2.6 m.

Auckland Islands have the highest diversity of invertebrates in sub-Antarctica with more than 200 species of

insects, 24 species of spiders and many more invertebrates. Exotic local insect is cave weta Dendroplectron

aucklandense. There is found also a unique species of land snail Palliopodex verrucosus.

Plant life is surprisingly diverse, with well visible altitudinal zones: seaside meadows, up to 9 m tall forests,

sub-albine shrubland and alpine meadows. 196 native plant species, including the beautiful, endemic gentians

Gentiana concinna and G. cerina.

Wondermondo is unique project: it aims to describe the most interesting man made and natural attractions /

landmarks in the whole world.

Author of website www.wondermondo.com and each article in it is Gatis Pvils. Visit the site to find a lot more

information!

The endemic Gentiana concinna, Enderby Island.Twiddleblat, Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

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The most pristine island Adams Island is protected since 1910, other islands are nature conservation areas

as well.

Some of the numerous interesting features of AucklandIslands are:

Auckland Island and Adams Island have morethan 365 m tall vertical basaltic cliffs, mostly on

western coast. For most part the weather here is rainy

and as a result there form waterfalls falling over these

cliffs. Strong winds often divert the falls back, upwards.

Along the sea coast can be found numerouscaves and grottoes. Interesting cave is located in

Carnley Harbour it is told to have a phosphorescent

glow on the walls.

Monument of tragical historical events isenormous grotto in the western coast of Auckland Island

where in 1866 sinked ship General Grant. Ship was

drifted some 75 m inside an enormous grotto. As the

water level rose, mast hit the ceiling of cave and forced a

hole through the hull. 26 people drowned here. Wreck had a cargo with gold reportedly no gold is found

thus far.

Southern tip of Enderby island is surrounded by steep cliffs formed bybasaltic columns. Here haveformed especially interesting caves.

Impressive natural arch

Giant's Archway

has formed in the central part of Auckland Island, 460 mabove the sea level.

Among notable waterfalls can be mentionedwaterfall in Waterfall inlet, Auckland Island. This is goodsource of drinking water for the teams of small vessels. Waterfall inlet is adorned with dense rata forest

with foiliage up to the sea level.

Megaherb meadows of southern Enderby Island during the bloom represent a stunning sight.Meadows with countless Ross lilies (Bulbinella rossii) seem to stretch up to the horizon. Not less

impressive are the wast forests rata trees during the bloom when looking from above the whole forest is

bright red.

The only true archaeological monument of sub-Antarctic islands is Polynesian settlement in SandyBay, Enderby Island. Here was found Polynesian earth oven with bones of sea lions, birds. Nearby werefound flakes of chert and basalt. Polynesians settled here around 1350 AD and lived for at least one year

here but possibly for a longer time period.

Wreck of ship General Grant, May 14, 1866.Harper's Weekly, artist unknown.