Campbell Island: Hiking up the 500ft Summit

Campbell Island is remote and visited by a handful of expedition ships per year. But there is a permanent ranger and research station and a 3km boardwalk that takes you up to the high mountain ridges with grasslands and albatross colonies on top. It’s an absolutely stunning and surreal hike. Campbell sees only 27 rain-free days per year so the soil is marshy and vegetation is profuse and unusual, it’s like hiking on some subantarctic Avatar. At lower part of the trail – there are sea lions and rata forest. Further up – it’s tussock grass and amazing endemic flora (more on that later), and the holy grail on the Royal Albatross colony on top (next post)