Auckland Islands
Discovered by Abraham Bristow in 1806, these hilly and mountainous volcanic islands are uninhabited, and remain a significant nature reserve, providing homes for large colonies of albatrosses, sea lions and other wild animals.
Located 362 miles directly south of New Zealand, all attempts to cultivate the land and to colonize the islands have failed, primarily due to the harsh weather conditions and the low-quality soil.
Fast Facts
- Name: Auckland Islands (a territory of New Zealand)
- Capital City: n/a
- Population: Uninhabited
- World Populations (all countries)
- Currency: n/a
(conversion rates)
Flags
As a territory of New Zealand, the Auckland Islands use their national flag.
The current flag of New Zealand was officially adopted on June 12, 1902. It includes the British Blue Ensign (upper left), and a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, one that uses only four stars.
Geo. Statistics
- Coastline: unknown
- Land Area:
(land) 234 sq mi (606 sq km)
water) 0 sq mi (0 sq km)
(TOTAL) 234 sq mi (606 sq km)To convert sq km (kilometers) to sq mi (miles)
use our converter - Land Area: (all countries)
- Latitude & Longitude:
Auckland Islands: 50° 46' S, 166° 7' E - Horizontal Width: unknown
- Vertical Length: unknown
Note: Lengths and widths are point-to-point, straight-line measurements from a Mercator map projection, and will vary some using other map projections
- Geographic Center: unknown
- Highest Point: Mount Dick 2,170 ft (660 m)
- Lowest Point: Pacific Ocean (0m)
Geography
Composed of the remains of two ancient volcanoes, the Auckland Islands are subantarctic islands, and have a rugged and mountainous landscape, with steep cliffs bordering the shoreline and deep valleys in between.
Inlets carve out the islands on all sides, with the most notable being Port Ross on the northern end of the main island of Auckland. The southern end of the island holds the narrow Carnley Harbour, which separates the main island from Adams Island. This channel is the crater remains of an extinct volcano with Adams Island making up the crater rim.
Mount Dick is the highest point, at 2,313 ft. (705 m).
Maps
Travel Info.
ATTRACTIONS: (a few major)A journey to the Auckland Islands will have you hiking up and over coastal cliffs, and through windswept forests.
These so-called "forgotten islands" of the South Pacific hold a rigid tourism schedule only allowing for a certain number of persons to visit each year, with most, if not all, arriving via scheduled cruise ships. Their strict rules are put in place to help conserve the island's unique ecosystem.
Weather
The subantarctic Auckland Islands are host to a bombardment of weather fronts coming in from the west, and as a result, a typical day on the Auckland Islands is wet, cold, and windy.
Frequent rainfall occurs year-round, typically 300 days of the year, with the annual amount around 535 inches (1,360mm).
The temperatures of the Auckland Islands have very little annual or daily variation, due to their sitting between the Antarctic and subtropical oceanic convergence, and range from 44°F - 51°F (7°C - 11°C).
