New Zealand Subantarctic Islands Expedition

Heritage Expeditions is Australasia's most experienced subantarctic expedition cruise operator, running dedicated birding voyages to New Zealand's remote southern island groups from Lyttelton aboard the ice-strengthened expedition vessel Heritage Adventurer for more than 35 years. Two signature itineraries serve seabird enthusiasts: the 12-day Beyond Fiordland voyage, visiting Fiordland, Stewart Island, Snares Islands, and Auckland Islands; and the 17-day Birding Down Under voyage, extending further to Campbell Island, Macquarie Island, and the Chatham Islands. These subantarctic waters host unrivalled concentrations of breeding albatrosses — Southern and Northern Royal, Wandering, Campbell, Grey-headed, Black-browed, Antipodean, and Buller's Mollymawks — alongside endemic Snares, Campbell, and Erect-crested Penguins, Giant Petrels, and dozens of petrel and shearwater species found nowhere else on Earth. Zodiac landings on DOC-permitted island reserves place passengers among some of the planet's most concentrated and rarely visited seabird colonies. Expert ornithologists including Birdquest guides accompany all birding-focused departures.