Things to do in Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Ascend the icy, wind-scoured slopes of Mawson Peak, Australia's highest mountain, with steaming vents and dramatic views over the vast Big Ben glacier.

Stand quietly among thousands of king penguins on the cobble beach at Atlas Cove as they court, incubate eggs, and feed their fluffy brown chicks.

Watch colossal bull elephant seals bellow and clash on the dark sand of Spit Bay while cows nurse sleek pups beside glacial runoff streams.

Paddle through a surreal maze of electric-blue icebergs calved from the glaciers, with the ice-scraped cone of Big Ben looming overhead.

Hover above the twin volcanic cones of McDonald Island and spot steaming craters, recent lava flows, and raucous penguin rookeries on the black basalt shore.

From a safe zodiac, frame the sheer 30-metre blue cliffs of Gotley Glacier as house-sized seracs crash into the Southern Ocean.

Explore the weather-beaten wooden huts and rusting machinery of the old Australian research station, now slowly being reclaimed by tussock grass.

Pitch a tent on the boulder-strewn debris slopes and fall asleep to the rumble of volcanic activity under a sky streaked with auroral light.

Descend into the blue-black waters of the flooded volcanic vent to see hydrothermal mineral towers and hardy benthic life in a stark subantarctic seascape.

Strap on snowshoes and traverse the vast icefield, crunching over crevasses and feeling the raw expanse of the uninhabited island.

Binoculars reveal the immense wingspan of the wandering albatross as they ride the fierce westerlies past the spectacular basalt sea cliffs.

Bobbing in an inflatable boat at the base of the cliffs, you’ll be surrounded by frantic macaroni penguins darting in and out of the surf.

Hike across the black lava fields, feeling warmth beneath your boots, until you find a steaming geothermal pool bubbling to the surface by the sea.

Scale the steep, ash-covered cone of this newly emerged volcanic peak, breathing sulphur-tinged air and gazing down upon the twin island group.

After a gruelling climb, peer into the summit crater at night to glimpse the eerie red-orange glow of liquid lava churning in the darkness.

The jet-black beach, framed by towering icebergs and verdant tussock, creates an otherworldly contrast perfect for moody coastal photography.

Join a permitted research team to briefly restrain a seal, attach a small transmitter, and contribute to tracking the ocean’s deepest divers.

Crampon up vertical blue ice walls that groan and crackle, with loose chunks splashing into the sea just metres away.

Complete a full circumnavigation of the massive volcano on foot, fording meltwater streams and camping beside raucous penguin colonies.

Wade carefully through the boisterous colony of Antarctic fur seals to census the newest pups on a rocky shoreline thrumming with territorial bulls.

Scan the frigid seas for the rare, black-and-white spectacled porpoise arcing through the waves near Heard Island’s glacier-carved fjords.

Weave through towering, sculpted icebergs that echo the groans of shifting ice, with seals popping up to inspect your silent craft.

Once-in-a-lifetime chance to assist biologists with penguin surveys, glacial mapping, or volcanology—living in a remote hut for weeks.

Capture aerial footage of sheer cliffs, angry surf, and immense penguin colonies that stretch for kilometres along the barren peninsula.

At this freshwater lake near the coast, stand amidst thousands of ragged, moulting kings as they shed their old feathers in a remarkable annual spectacle.