Macquarie Island is a small land area of 128 square meters. km It is located between Australia and Antarctica in the southwestern Pacific. The local territory is a surface ridge of the same name volcanic ridge.
The highest points of the relief are the heights of Hamilton and Fletcher (about 410 meters above sea level). The island is 34 km long from north to south, 5 km wide, and its geological features are due to the fact that a small part of the oceanic crust literally extruded upward from the seabed at the site of the collision of tectonic plates. It so happened that the island is formed mainly by basalt and andesitic lavas, as well as by the products of their destruction as a result of erosion.
Seismic activity in this area is still very high. That is why for tourist purposes it is forbidden to visit the island of Macquarie. How to get to this part of the land? Well, of course, across the ocean, breaking more than 1.5 thousand km from the island of Tasmania. The exact coordinates of Macquarie: 54 ° 37 ′ S. w. and 158 ° 51 ′ in. d.
A bit of history
There is an assumption of visits to this place by Polynesians in the 13-14 centuries for temporary settlements, however, no conclusive evidence has been found to this date.
Officially, the island was discovered in 1810. The Australian ship with captain F. Hasselboro was engaged in whaling. During one of the voyages in the south-west of the Pacific Ocean, part of the land was discovered, which was later called Macquarie. The island bears the name of the then Governor General of New South Wales, Laclan Macquarie.
Currently, this territory is under the jurisdiction of Australia, being its southernmost point outside the mainland, administratively included in the state of Tasmania. However, there was a time when Russia claimed it. This happened after visiting the island in 1820 with the first Russian Antarctic expedition led by F. Bellingshausen.
In 1948, a meteorological station appeared here . It was created by the Australians. The main goal of the station is to study the mainland of Antarctica. Since 1978, Macquarie has been an island officially recognized as a state reserve. And after about 20 years, since 1997, UNESCO has taken this territory under its protection. This is due to the fact that the island has many unique geological and natural features.
Climate
It is very difficult to call the island a resort, because the local weather conditions are, to say the least, uncomfortable. Constant rains, strong winds, low temperatures - this is what awaits people who have visited Macquarie Island. The climate here is dominated by humid, subantarctic. What does this mean? First of all, sharp air masses, and quite cold. As a rule, the wind practically does not stop throughout the year. The average annual air temperature is about +5 ° (without extreme drops in summer and winter).
The annual rainfall is usually around 1000 mm. They fall in the form of drizzles all year round. Often fogs appear over the island, and sunlight is a rare guest here.
Vegetable world
Macquarie is an island with virtually no vegetation. You should not expect diversity, since only a few species of herbs grow here: mainly sedge, as well as Macquarie endemic cabbage. Brown algae is common in coastal waters.
Who lives on and near the island?
The fauna of the island is more diverse than the plant. The most massive colonies here are penguins, which are represented by 4 main species: royal, donkey, papuan and endemic. Their total number is approaching 4 million, and the size of a single community ranges from 500 thousand individuals to 200 pairs. Penguin Macquarie (Schlegel) breeds only on this island, although adult individuals spend a lot of time far in the ocean, eating small fish, krill and zooplankton. Elephant seals, seals, and seals settled on the coast. For breeding, these places were chosen by albatrosses, petrels, cormorants, skuas and Antarctic terns. Macquarie is an island whose coastal zone is frequented by whales, mainly in winter. In those places where there is a lot of algae, you can find non-commercial species of fish that gather here in large schools.
The island's discoverers once brought cats and rabbits here, which had negative consequences for the local nature. By 1890, a rare species of Macquarie jumping parrot, living only here, had completely disappeared. Nesting birds and plants were threatened. Only in the 21st century did wildlife defenders manage to free the island from aliens alien to it, and now there are no cats or rabbits left here.
Population
Of the people in this area, only scientists are constantly in the amount of 25-40 people. They work at the Macquarie Island weather station on a shift basis. This building is located in the north of the island. Residential buildings and complexes have been built for employees here. Officially, the island is closed to tourists.