Macauley Island

Macauley Island is an uninhabited volcanic island in New Zealand’s Kermadec Islands group in the South Pacific. It is notable for its volcanic geology and as a breeding site for seabirds and marine life.

The island has no visitor facilities and is visited mainly by scientists and licensed eco-tours when permitted. There are seabird colonies and surrounding productive marine waters, but access is restricted to protect wildlife and habitat.

Macauley Island formed by volcanic activity and is managed under New Zealand conservation regulations that apply to the Kermadec Islands. The island is part of New Zealand’s outlying island territories and is treated primarily as a nature reserve.

Geographically it lies in the Kermadec island chain in the South Pacific, roughly on the order of 1,000 km northeast of New Zealand’s North Island, well offshore and remote from major settlements.

• Access restrictions: Landing and visits are tightly controlled because the island is part of New Zealand's outlying Kermadec Islands and is managed for conservation; permits are required for most visits.
• Conservation importance: The island is an uninhabited volcanic island important for seabird colonies and marine life rather than visitor facilities, so any visit is for wildlife observation or scientific purposes.