Things to do in Heard Island and McDonald Islands

25 things to do in Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Climb Mawson Peak, the active volcano summit

  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.

  Heard Island

• Observe the king penguin colony at Atlas Cove

  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.

  Atlas Cove, Heard Island

• Witness southern elephant seal wallows at Spit Bay

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

  Spit Bay, Heard Island

• Kayak among icebergs in Winston Lagoon

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

  Winston Lagoon, Heard Island

• Helicopter tour over the McDonald Islands

  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.

  McDonald Islands

• Photograph the calving face of Gotley Glacier

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

  Gotley Glacier, Heard Island

• Visit the abandoned ANARE research station at Atlas Cove

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

  Atlas Cove, Heard Island

• Camp on the moraine fields beneath Big Ben

  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.

  Big Ben, Heard Island

• Scuba dive at the submerged McDonald Island crater

  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.

  McDonald Islands

• Snowshoe across the upper Gotley Glacier plateau

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

  Gotley Glacier, Heard Island

• Spot wandering albatrosses soaring off Cape Pillar

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

  Cape Pillar, Heard Island

• Zodiac cruise to see macaroni penguins at Cape Pillar

  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.

  Cape Pillar, Heard Island

• Seek volcanic hot springs on McDonald Island

  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.

  McDonald Island

• Climb Mount Andrée on McDonald Island

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

  McDonald Island

• Watch for an incandescent lava lake inside Mawson Peak crater

  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.

  Mawson Peak, Heard Island

• Photograph the black volcanic sand beach at South West Bay

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

  South West Bay, Heard Island

• Assist in satellite tagging of southern elephant seals

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

  Spit Bay, Heard Island

• Ice climbing on the terminal face of Stephenson Glacier

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

  Stephenson Glacier, Heard Island

• Multi-day trek around the base of Big Ben

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

  Heard Island

• Count fur seal pups at Fairchild Beach

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

  Fairchild Beach, Heard Island

• Watch for spectacled porpoises around the islands

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

  Offshore Heard Island

• Kayak to the cathedral-like icebergs in Corinthian Bay

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

  Corinthian Bay, Heard Island

• Join a permitted scientific expedition to Heard Island

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

  Heard Island

• Fly a drone over the dramatic coast of Laurens Peninsula

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

  Laurens Peninsula, Heard Island

• Witness the king penguin moult at Scout Lake

  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.

  Scout Lake, Heard Island