Sunday morning and we’ve just circumnavigated Macauley Island in the hope we might be able to dive by Haszard Island on the eastern side. But no such luck – the seas are too big and the wind too strong for safe diving, and there is no shelter for the Braveheart. So it’s back to our anchorage on the western side.
Macauley Island was once home to hundreds of goats – I remember seeing an aerial photo of the island taken in the 1970s, I think, and the goats were all visible, as there was no vegetation to hide them. Even today the island still looks a bit like a farm. Here is a view of the island from the north-east.
Macauley Island, photographed from the north-east
Like the rest of the Kermadecs Macauley is an old volcano – much of the island is made of thick ash layers (the pale material you can see) but here a dark lava flow has flowed down to the sea.
A dark lava flow on the volcanic Macauley Island
While we were at sea Gary, maestro chef and keen bird man, liberated this shearwater that had land on the boat last night, attracted by the lights. We’re pleased to say it flew away strongly.
Gary setting our shearwater free
