King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) on Macquarie Island in Antarctic waters.

This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

Macquarie Island is just 34km long and up to 5km wide. The steep and slender island broke the ocean’s surface sea some 600,000 or more years ago

This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

A young elephant seal opens up wide to bare its pink mouth.


This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

It’s hard to believe, but this aerial image is of thousands of king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) crowding a beach on Macquarie Island. They come here to breed and rear their young.


This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

A king penguin keeps its chick warm from the brutal elements. The second largest of all the penguin species, king penguins can dive deeper than 300m in search of food and they share the parenting.


This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

Giant kelp piles up on Macquarie Island in the sub-Antarctic. The kelp is a vital part of the ecosytem, providing nutrients to the soil when it decays and providing maggots for birds to feast on.


This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

A panoramic photo reveals the expanse of Macquarie Island, a World Heritage-listed area.


This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

A sea bird takes a dive off dramatic cliffs on Macquarie Island. With its World Heritage listing, its status as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and its immediate waters forming a large Marine Protected Area, it is one of the most special conservation areas in the world.


This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

Penguins form a silhoutted against the sunset on Macquarie Island in the sub-Antarctic. Many penguin species and other seals and sea birds come here to breed.


This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

Rockhopper penguins get their name for their ability to negotiate rocky terrain like this on Macquarie Island.


This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

A rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) on Macquarie Island, where there are thought to be 100,000 to 500,000 individuals.

This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

Some unique vegetaion of Macquarie Island. Here, as nowhere else on Earth, perfectly preserved rocks from up to 6km below the ocean floor are exposed above sea level, enabling geologists to study oceanic crust formations that are usually well beyond the reach of drilling technology.

This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

The wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) has the largest wingspan of any bird in the world, at about 2.5-3.5m. The species are often seen on Macquarie Island.

This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

Rockhopper penguins on Macquarie Island in the sub-Antarctic.


This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

Vegetation is lush on Macquarie Island. Rain falls on most days of the year. When snow falls—and sometimes it falls as low as the island’s beaches—it is quick to melt away even from the highest peaks.

Mt Martin, on Macquarie Island, rises above one of the many plateau lakes.

This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

Macquarie Island was—and still is—pushed upwards by the collision of the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates.

This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

A fur seal on Macquarie Island. Unlike any other place, Macquarie Island is home to three species of fur seal: Antarctic (Arctocephalus gazella), sub-Antarctic (A. tropicalis), and New Zealand fur seals (A. forsteri).

This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

An island born unto itself alone, Macquarie Island has never, in its geologically short history, touched another landmass.

This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

Bull kelp on Macquarie Island. They are the largest of all marine plants, sometimes growing up to 20m long.


This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

The World Heritage committee said Macquarie Island is “an outstanding example representing major stages of the Earth’s history” and a place of “outstanding natural beauty and aesthetic importance”.

This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

A rockhopper penguin on Macquarie Island. They are the smallest of the penguin species that have crests. They lay two eggs, but only the biggest, strongest one goes on to produce a chick.

This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.

An elephant seal mixes with the rockhopper penguins on Macquarie Island.

This is an edited extract from the new book by Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood, A Hostile Beauty.