Where is Macquarie Island?

The island is a mere dot in the Southern Ocean, lying almost mid way between Tasmania, New Zealand and Antarctica. At latitude 54 degrees 37 minutes S and longitude 158 degrees 54 minutes E, its nearest neighbours are the Auckland Islands, 600 kilometres to the north-west. For 5,000 kilometres east and west of Macquarie Island, there is no land ... only a vast expanse of ocean. Click here to see a map of the island.

What is Macquarie Island?

The island is a piece of the sea bed that has been thrust up from the depths of the Southern Ocean. It is a high plateau, rising steeply from an underwater platform. Macquarie Island is 34 kilometres long and 5.5 kilometres at its widest and 433 metres at its highest point.

Who Owns Macquarie Island?

Sealing Captain, Frederick Hasselburgh discovered Macquarie Island one stormy, winter day in 1810, on a sealing expedition from the New South Wales Colony. Macquarie Island became a dependency of Tasmania in 1825 and was proclaimed a National Park in 1972. It was recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1977 and listed under the World Heritage Scheme in 1997.

What's it like down there?

70 mm. of rain on 25 days of every month with a daily temperature range of 2 degrees C - 8 degrees C; add to that average wind speeds of 30 km/hr resulting in gales on 7 days every month, Macquarie Island certainly has a memorable climate! Click here to see more information on the weather on Macquarie Island.