I am recently back from an expedition to three of New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands (Snares, Auckland Islands and Campbell Island) with the task of now working through 12 000 images. It was a fantastic trip to some unique habitats with some rare endemic species and I am looking forward to sharing the adventure and photos. Obviously a big attraction for me was the chance to see and photograph some new species of albatross and penguin but as usual some of the unexpected attractions ended up being highlights too. The dramatic geology of the Snares and the sea level alpine botany of Campbell Island were very impressive. Campbell Island qualifies as the wildest place I have ever visited, living as it does in the Furious Fifites and being even more remote from other humans than we were during our trip to Antarctica. On our first day we had wind so severe that I had to lie down on the boardwalk to avoid being blown over, at which stage it began to hail on me. All this in an environment that looks like a manicured botanical garden lush with Dracophyllum, tussock and flamboyantly flowering megaherbs all pruned into perfection by the howling winds and seasoned with a generous sprinkling of magnificent Southern Royal Albatrosses. The following few images are just a taste of more to follow.

Edin was with me on this trip but was also on the prior expedition which included Macquarie Island. See her blog at www.edinz.com for her trip report and photos. She was awarded an Enderby Trust Scholarship to join these expeditions and I was given a very generous deal by Heritage Expeditions that enabled me to accompany her on the second trip. I can recommend them first hand as a top expedition company and the best option to explore these remote slices of paradise.