Cruises from Auckland Islands
The Auckland Islands, or Motu Maha, form an archipelago of the Antipodes Subantarctic Islands tundra ecoregion, and they lie 465 km from the South Island port of Bluff. From the early 19th C whalers and sealers set up temporary bases there, and explorers included Dumont D’Urville (giving name to a future Ponant Yacht Cruises explorer vessel) and James Ross. Intermittent efforts were made to permanently settle the islands.
Read moreToday they have no permanent human inhabitants, though scientists visit regularly, and limited tourism on Enderby and Auckland Islands is allowed. They were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.
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