These desolate islands are scattered off the south coast of New Zealand, in the southern Pacific Ocean. Scouring westerly winds sweep across the islands unremittingly, and sunlight is extremely variable. Due to the islands’ latitudes, days are shorter in winter and longer in summer. But in any season, sunlight rarely penetrates the thick cloud cover. Vegetation ranges from the sheltered dwarf forests on Campbell Island to the near-barren Bounty Islands, which are little more than lichen-encrusted rocks. These bleak islands have been divided between New Zealand (Auckland, Bounty, Antipodes, and Campbell Islands) and Australia (Macquarie Island), although there are no human inhabitants on any of them, other than the occasional meteorologist.
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