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Best time to visit Macquarie Island
Throw out all notions of barren land blanketed by snow and ice, Macquarie is lush, green and peppered with brightly coloured megaherbs.![]()
Macquarie is one of six Antipodean Subantarctic Islands – some of the world’s most remote and tiny specks of land, about 1,300km north of Antarctica. Unsurprisingly, the expedition season is short: early Dec-March is not only the best time to visit Macquarie Island, it is the only time to visit; outside of these months it’s bitingly cold and the area inaccessible. In Dec-Jan, you’re looking at a relatively balmy 2-7oC, perfect conditions for seal pups and penguin chicks, while Feb-March see clifftops come alive with activity as chicks take flight for the first time.
Macquarie island Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
3
5
67
FEB
4
6
75
MAR
3
5
88
APR
2
4
79
MAY
1
4
86
JUN
0
3
70
JUL
0
2
62
AUG
0
3
70
SEP
0
3
74
OCT
0
3
74
NOV
1
3
63
DEC
2
4
66
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Our top trip
New Zealands Subantarctic Islands cruise
Wildlife voyage to the Subantarctic inc Macquarie Island
From
US $9250 to US $10725
12 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2023: 30 Dec
2024: 22 Nov, 18 Dec
2023: 30 Dec
2024: 22 Nov, 18 Dec
Travel Team
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Macquarie Island travel advice
Royal penguins
Royal penguins
Cassia Jackson, from our supplier, Heritage Expeditions, shares some interesting Macquarie Island wildlife facts:
“Royal penguins breed only on Macquarie Island and, like other penguins, spend much of their time at sea. The breeding season begins in September with laying starting in October. It builds its nest by making a shallow hole in the sand or in a weeded area and putting plants and stones inside the nest. Two eggs are most often laid, however only one survives. The egg is kept warm by both parents for 35 days, which is done by rotating 12 day shifts. After hatching, the male watches out for the chick for 10 to 20 days and the female brings food for both of them. At around 20 days, the chick will form a home for warmth and safety and the parents continue to feed it two to three times a day, but when the chick is about 65 days old it will have its adult feathers and goes off on its own.”
“Royal penguins breed only on Macquarie Island and, like other penguins, spend much of their time at sea. The breeding season begins in September with laying starting in October. It builds its nest by making a shallow hole in the sand or in a weeded area and putting plants and stones inside the nest. Two eggs are most often laid, however only one survives. The egg is kept warm by both parents for 35 days, which is done by rotating 12 day shifts. After hatching, the male watches out for the chick for 10 to 20 days and the female brings food for both of them. At around 20 days, the chick will form a home for warmth and safety and the parents continue to feed it two to three times a day, but when the chick is about 65 days old it will have its adult feathers and goes off on its own.”
Leopard seals
Leopard seals
“The leopard seal is the second- largest species of seal in the Antarctic, after the southern elephant seal, and is near the top of the Antarctic food chain. Large and muscular, with a dark grey back and light grey on its stomach, the leopard seal’s throat is whitish with black spots that give it its common name. The females are generally larger than the males and leopard seals are highly evolved – although it is a true seal and swims with its hind limbs, it has powerful and highly developed forelimbs similar to those of sea lions, giving it a similar manoeuvrability – a classic example of convergent evolution.”
Elephant seals
Elephant seals
“One of two species of elephant seal, there are significant numbers of the southern elephant seal on Macquarie Island. It is not only the most massive pinniped, but also the largest member of the order Carnivora to ever have lived. The seal gets its name from its great size and the large proboscis of the adult males, which is used to make extraordinarily loud roaring noises, especially during the mating season. The males are much larger than the females, with females averaging about 680kg and 3m in length and bulls growing to around 3,600kg and 7m long.”
More Macquarie Island articles
Birdlife, life onboard your boat, and what to expect when you finally get to this tiny, remote island.
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