Hi! I’m Kate, that’s me in the red.
Forgotten Latitudes is a photoblog showcasing some of my favourite images from the 2009 Department of Conservation/Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust research expedition to New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands.
I am a graduate of the zoology and wildlife management programmes at the University of Otago. During the final semester of my studies I was invited to take part in the first-ever comprehensive distribution survey of Yellow-eyed penguins in the Auckland Islands group. While the species had been well studied on Enderby Island, little was known about where else in the island group the birds could be found.
On November 7, 2009 we set off to find out more about these elusive creatures. Our journey lasted a full month aboard a 15m yacht; the weather was fierce and we were at the mercy of the elements. The experience was life-changing.
I refer to the islands as the ‘forgotten latitudes’ because they are one of the least known and least visited parts of New Zealand. To go there is almost like taking a journey back in time. Breath-taking landscapes mix with an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, both marine and terrestrial. Historic relics from the Second World War and the shipwreck era of the 1800s give nod to human habitation that has only ever been transitory. This is the realm of the albatross, after all.
So come, join me on a visual exploration one of the last truly wild places on earth, a few small specks of land in the vast ocean between New Zealand and Antarctica.
Click here to get started.
~ Kate aka lonealbatross
Team photo courtesy of Rebecca Hiscock, DOC Southland. All other photographs remain property of the author, unless otherwise stated.
Forgotten Latitudes 
Thank you for the excellent photo blog. I recently finished “Island of the Lost” and your photos and commentary brought the entire region to life for me, half a world away. Stunning places, equally breathtaking photos. All the best to you !
Thanks Jim, I too devoured Island of the Lost before the expedition. To visit the wreck of the Grafton and see the remains of their hut was incredibly sobering. The men were certainly made of stern stuff in those days! And what a fabulously told true story. I have been meaning to read more of Joan Druett’s work since then, I hear her latest Tupaia is very good also.
Thanks again for your kind comment regarding my photos, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! KB
Found your blog after finishing “Island of the Lost”. Your photos really helped the rest of the book come alive. Thank you for sharing. I’m so glad these islands are now protected.
Thanks so much for your comment Adriane. It’s really nice to hear when people find my photos useful. I still have such fond memories of this trip to the Auckland Islands – and it’s wonderful to know these places exist, even if few people can go there. I’m glad I could help bring them alive for you! All the best, Kate