I'm here by following a story about the great Wall of Australia , a fence that runs 5612 km long and it is prohibited to go beyond. They say it was put up to keep the rabbits and dingos out. I think they are hiding something.
I'm an old timer whose days of travel and adventure are past. One cherished window to the world I've had is a collection of National Geographic Magazines from 1920 through 2000. Never did I dream that in my old age I would be able to explore the world with Google Earth and watch UA-cam videos of any remote locations I could find ...Thank you for your very interesting and educational video.
@@hippy_chat Heard Island is covered in glaciers, bare rocks, rock sediment (sand, gravel, boulders), and watedr (lagoons/lakes/streams). A few areas are covered by plants such as Kerguelen cabbage (individual plants look like cabbage) and Azorella (a moss-like cover).
I was surfing through google maps and found this place , I wanted to know more about this and decided to look it up on UA-cam and truly this place is so wonderful thanks for making this video Robert ❤, Greetings from India.
Is saw a documentary about the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, after I started looking at google maps of the indian ocean and found Heard Island. Glad to see your video that satisfies my curiosity of what it is like there. The remoteness of this island is jarring.
Thank you so much for your comment. I have done two expeditions to Heard Island, and it always feels far away, even when we are getting ready to leave. If you are interested, I have recently published a big book about the island. Sorry, it's nearly 900 pages and $279.99 on Amazon.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I have been fascinated with this island for many years but had no idea that you had posted this video. I had even read about this expedition before you left! Remote barley touched places on this wonderful earth are truly special, let’s hope we can keep some this way.
So glad you found it. In spite of the serious purposes of the expeditions to Heard Island, yes, it's very cool being there (both literally and figuratively)!
Many thanks for posting this excellent video. I, like many other viewers, am disabled and will never have the opportunity to visit places like Heard Island. Posting this video is the next best thing. Cheers from Canada.
Man I would love to visit a place as herd island! I was on Google earth messing around and seen it. It caught my attention and came to UA-cam to see if anyone had ever been to this place. This is so great! God bless!
Neat and High Quality Production, enjoyed a lot and felt the whole trip and experience, brilliant, thank you so much for sharing. No Idea how I ended up here btw, thanks!
I didn’t even know these islands existed until I came across your video & I’m fascinated, but I’m even more fascinated at how you guys got that ATV on that tiny boat in the middle of the ocean. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
You're welcome. There was a lot of planning and logistics to carry out the expedition. The ATV was acquired in Cape Town, South Africa, and was put on the landing boat and lifted onto the island. We took it with us when we left, and it was sold upon return to the U.S.
I was on Google Maps looking around and saw this lonely island in the southern waters. I put the name into the UA-cam search, and your video came up! I watched it all, it was splendid. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication in exploring and documenting this very special place. God bless you from Western Pennsylvania. :-)
You're welcome. Of course, we didn't win a lottery to visit--we had a serious scientific purpose, and we had been there before (in 1997). I am sure they trusted us to be good citizens on the island, based on our record, and we were.
Thank you very much! There are also several other documentary videos about Heard Island expeditions, including both of mine (1997, 2016). Search on UA-cam.
Great video. Looks a lot more sophisticated, and less "stressful" than VK0IR. A different experience...., it's real privilege to be able to travel to such wonderful locations!
Thank you so much. In fact, VK0IR was the more stressful. The vessel we reserved took our $100k down payment and didn't deliver the vessel and didn't refund our money. VK0EK was a 3-year planning cycle, but more complicated for permits, insurance, etc. But both expeditions were successful. VK0IR set a world record for expedition radio contacts and was voted best radio expedition in the past 30 years. VK0EK was successful for radio but also was a scientific expedition, resulting in an 900-page book about change on Heard Island.
Hi Paul - Yes, that was my first expedition to Heard Island. The callsign was VKØIR. We set a world record for the number of QSOs on a DXpedition. Congratulations to you for working us!
@@rwschmieder hello Robert that was a huge opportunity for me, and for you. Went looking and I couldn't find your QSL card couldn't find my log book for that time. Had tobe on a computer at that time. Just wondering when you going to do it again. 73 go dx KQ4CD
It's possible, but it is expensive. There are tour vessels that make Antarctica (and other islands) visits, but you'll have to save up for one of those trips. Most people visit the extreme southern latitudes by being involved in some kind of scientific work. If you're really motivated, you might be able to become part of a project, but you would have to be professional level. And your goal should be to do some important work, not just to visit the islands. Good luck!
I can't imagine how beautiful the night sky looks from here with the naked eye. I've never been to the southern hemisphere in my entire life, so much of the sky has been blocked by the earth. This would be an unforgettable experience
Being in the Southern Hemisphere is a weird experience for us Northerners, but then, lots of people live there, and they do fine. Here's a puzzle for you: In the Northern Hemisphere, the half-moon is oriented one way, but in the Southern Hemisphere it appears reversed. How does this happen? Thanks for your comment!
this footage is like its an island from another planet with how few humans have even seen it, let alone "heard" about it. pun intended. beautiful and terrifying.
Thank you for your perceptive words. You will certainly enjoy the prize-winning essay by Erica Nathan "Heard Island is a Place" which you can find at www.natureaustralia.org.au/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/australia/Heard-Island-is-a-Place-by-Erica-Nathan.pdf. Here is a tiny excerpt: "For all the words written about rough landings, climatic brutality, avian squawking, it is the years of voice-less quiet in this place, muffled by ice floes, that, with advanced tuning, can be heard the world around." --Erica Nathan Another author is Arthur Scholes (Fourteen Men): "On the whole, the island was a depressing place. There was little beauty in the gaunt grey rocks, the barren flat and grim precipitous coastline. In the days to come the island’s air of sullen harshness was to become all too familiar. But, despite all that, there was something of almost indefinable loveliness about it."
@@rwschmieder thank you, Robert. Ill certainly give it a read. I can only imagine what those authors felt. I would love to organize an expedition from Perth to go once in my lifetime. cheers.
I came here from google earth, to have a look at these islands in greater detail. The satelite view makes it look like these islands are mountain tips of a massive submerged island. Would be interesting to see what this place would have looked like in times of lower sea levels Thanks for the video!
The volcano on Heard Island requires great experience, skill, and preparation, so it is well beyond most people. But you can find volcanoes you can climb in many places. Here is a good link to find them: www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/adventure-travel/active-volcanoes-you-can-hike-around-the-world. Good luck!
Dreams can be as real as life. If my video has helped you have a feeling for what it would be like to go to Heard Island, then my time is well spent. Glad you were glad to seeit!
Thanks so much for this comment. You can't go to Heard Island, but I can tell you about several places I have visited in the past 5 years. You can go there, and your visit will be very memorable. The places are: Pitcairn Island, St. Paul Island (in the Pribiloff Islands), and the Azores. My next expedition will be to the Canary Islands. Good luck, and good travelling!
I came from a video about surfers finding remote waves, from Google Earth it looks like Heard island has some great setups for surfing, very unlikely that anyone will ever actually surf there though!
Ironically, for a while during preparation for the 2016 expedition, we had a surfing group on the team. Unfortunately, we had to change vessels and the surfing group was eliminated.
My home of Indiana was once a tropical sea and once a frozen tundra with wooly mammoth. It is no crisis that these climates changed and no "ideal" climate. It is nothing that these glaciers are melting and I hope you don't get too excited about it.
You betray an appalling voluntary ignorance. You need to read the scientific news. I can recommend Science News, Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine, etc. Trust me, if we don't do something about it, in 50 years much of the Earth we currently live in will be uninhabital.
We did not know about the log in 1997, and I certainly didn't know about its whereabouts. During our visit in 2016 it was in the emergency shelter at Atlas Cove, and I not only signed it for our 2016 visit, but I also created an entry for 1997.
Sorry--wrong idea. Heard Island is a sanctuary, protected in many ways. You can't even land there without a permit, nor can you take anything away without a collecting permit. You shouldn't feel sad that this is the case; rather, you should feel glad that there are some places in the world that are protected from uncontrolled damage. Just think about this: You can't go into the Smithsonian Institution and just collect things you might want or that you think are cool. Think about Heard Island (and many other similar places) as you would about a museum. We keep museums secure so that the public and people in the future can experience and enjoy them. I think you would be rather upset if you went to the Smithsonian and found that the Hope diamond had been taken by someone who thought it is cool. I'd like to believe you agree with this, and I hope my comment here has helped you to understand why you can't do what you suggested. Thanks for writing your comment... ---Bob
Yes. In fact, I have used the metaphor of "a visit to another planet" to frame the visit to Heard Island. It really is a strange and alien world. Thank you for your comment.
Very good video report. I remember I had a window of opportunity of about 30-60min to contact the team on 10MHz around 00:00 UTC. One of the last days of the expedition, I was very fortunate to hear VK0EK's signals peaking out of the noise and could log a nice QSO! 73's de Patrick ON4KNP / OT5Q
Hi my name is Ali. I'm from Pakistan. If my wife will bear me a son on the Heard island will he become an Australian? Thanks very appreciate your expedition! Please let me kno
We were able to use these tents courtesy of the manufacturer. They are truly fantastic--roomy, strong, with an optional hard door rather than a zipper. The packaged tent came with an air compressor. Once placed on the site, one person could unfold it, put in the corner anchor stakes, and turn on the compressor. Fifteen minute later, the tent is fully inflated. Closing the valve holds the tent up, with no need to even top off for weeks. I believe you could buy one; they are priced around $20k.
Very kind of you to comment, and thanks for the good luck! You might be interested in my upcoming book about Heard Island, to be published by Springer. Since Heard Island, I have done expeditions to Pitcairn Island, St . Paul (Pribiloffs), and the Azores. I am now planning the next one (tba).
What a privilege to visit this island. Thank you for sharing the experience Robert. Are there any resources available on the fauna research for this trip?
Hello Jed. I'm not sure what you mean by this question. Are you asking whether there was any research on the fauna during this trip? If so, the answer is yes, but only indirectly. We were the first persons to enter a big lagoon created by a melted glacier, and we documented various aspects of the environment there, including the plants, animals, glacier termini, and shoreline rocks. But there was no specific program such as counting the number of cormorants.
@@rwschmieder Hello Robert. Was there any bird research done on the island? Since the island is so isolated it no doubt could be a refuge for endangered species. Thanks again, Jed.
@@Jedidiahguitar You are quite right. The most interesting bird is the Heard Island cormorant, which is endemic to the island. On my first trip there in 1997, there were only about 100 breeding pairs. On my 2016 trip, there were about 1000. There are also many seabirds of various kinds, and of course hundreds of thousands of penguins, mostly King Penguins. The principal expert on this is Eric Woehler in Tasmania. You can search on his name and find some of his extensive publications. In 2003 he co-authored a book (_Heard Island_) which contains a detailed description of the birds on the island. My book (_Heard Island: Two Centuries of Change, and More Coming_, Springer 2022) has one chapter devoted to the birds.
Hello Robert how is possible reach the Island? i have basic information but problem is ship probably i need join to some reasearch group? I have been in South Georgia last year but Heard Island is my dream Island. Do you know maybe about some expedition ship for future? thanks Martin
Hello Martin, and thank you for your inquiry. Access to Heard Island is controlled (tightly!) by the Australian government, so a permit is required for a visit. Generally, to get a permit you need to be part of a recognized group with a legitimate project (science, environmental, etc.). And generally, this is a matter of a lifetime of involvement in such projects, (a career). If you can't do that, the best you can do is experience it through videos (like this one), books (like my book "Heard Island: Two Centuries of Change, and more coming", Springer, 900 pgs, available on Amazon), and websites you can find by searching. Good luck and I hope you are rewarded for your interest.
Brilliant thanks!!! I will follow your links having worked NZs Sub Antarctic Islands … Azorella Peninsular great name and genus . I have the mega Herb Azorella robusta growing on my own front property on far SW corner of NZ
Came here bc I saw this on TikTok. Some idiot said it’s forbidden to travel here by the Australian government, clearly you just have to be a scientist to go 🤷🏽♂️
It's not "forbidden" per se. It requires a visitor's permit issued by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) of the Australian government. Scientists with a purpose can seek a permit, but it requires a huge amount of paperwork, insurance, etc. The island is a sanctuary for the protection of elephant seals, leopard seals, penguins, various seabirds, and a variety of plants. The reason for the restriction is to keep from importing alien species that would potentially destroy the native species.
Neat video of the expedition, some good footage , and editing , to give an idea of being there. Thanks. During your stay there, did anyone go up to the 9,000 ft summit of the volcano? Or too many constraints against such an attempt? Cheers
Summiting Big Ben is a serious climbing task, requiring extensive support of various kinds. We had potential participants who expressed interest in doing it, including Peter Hilary, but we were unable to secure a vessel to carry a sufficiently large team to support the climbers. The leader of the first summiting (Grahame Budd, 1965), is a good friend and supporter of our expedition. In my recent book "Heard Island: Two Centuries of Change, and more coming," (Springer 2022), I quote from various sources about the experience of that first climb. Not for amateurs or the weak of heart!
@@rwschmieder thanks kindly for your reply. I've ascended a number of mountains and volcanoes of 9-10,000ft, from their bases, and would be tempted by Big Ben, but appreciate the latitude, hence temperature, would make it a serious undertaking. I'll seek out your book for further info, cheers.
so interesting, thank you for that. and a beautiful choice of music. how ridiculous permit decisions and regulations can be compared to what is actually permitted.
Thank you for your kind comment. Visitors to the island are strictly controlled to prevent accidental introduction of alien species. In almost 70 years, there is only tentative evidence for the introduction of one (only) alien species. This author strongly supports the limitations and protection.
Thanks. The credits for the music are given at the end of the video. Sorry, I don't have the exact tracks in front of me, but if you follow up on the composers and their published albums, you'll find a large amount of similar music, which is simply wonderful, I know you agree.
@@TegarPandu No. The mammals that are there (seals) are marine. Of course, they spend a large fraction of their time lying on the land. But no mice, cats, wild pigs, antelope, or elephants!
Thank you very much for this wonderful video and for putting on the air Heard island, I got my DXCC Honor Roll with it. I hope to catch you from another most wanted (Kure, for example, hi hi) . Best 73s de IW0HEX Pasquale.
Congratulations, Pasquale! It would be great to do Kure again, but I'm pessimistic about that since the entire Hawaiian chain has been put into a marine sanctuary status. 73 and GL w/DX. Bob KK6EK
@@rwschmieder Tnx Robert !!! You are one of the few in the world who can put Kure on the air. I remember K7C in 2005 but in that time I had no skill , no CW, I was a little gun station and it was impossible to do a QSO. I know about sanctuary status but at September there will be an attempt to do Midway, so it's hard but no impossible. Cross fingers :-) Thanks for you all effort Robert, best 73s Pasquale IW0HEX
I am glad you are intrigued by Heard Island. Sorry, it takes a major project and a permit to go there. But there are various videos about it, and I hope you will enjoy those.
Visitors have to have permits, which are issued only to qualified researchers. To be qualified, you have to have a record of serious activity in such environments, a serious purpose for the visit, and fulfill other rules (plan, insurance, post-expedition report. Generally this is only available to professionals working in appropriate fields 9glaciolofgy, geology, meteorology, etc.).
Hi Bob, exceptionally well done documentary. 👏👏 👏 I'm assuming this Heard Island is relatively young but by chace did you happen upon any ice caves? I'm looking on Google earth, directly south of the peak and slightly east, on the coast, there is a drainage to the ocean, follow that drainage up (its darker, not green) to the start of it and it almost looks like there are mouths of 2 large openings. Did you and your team happen to explore this area much that I am describing? Thanks so much for your commitment to show us all what most will never experience!
Hi jduke- Thanks for your note. I looked at the GE images (for various years) but to be honest I couldn't identify the particular sites you are seeing. If you give me the coordinates (lower right corner of your window) I'll have a look. We did not explore in that area, but I have friends who did. We did see a small number of caves (the ends of lava tubes), but they were on the northern side of HI (the Azorella Peninsula). These were filled with ice, but the walls were frozen lava, not ice. Heard Island itself is only about 1 million years old.
@@rwschmieder Of all the birds ...they seem the most human ...or rather we anthropomorphize them in our mind ....because they are so comical ...and they walk upright!
Like many other commenters here, I stumbled upon your documentary after exploring Heard Islands on Google Earth (I learned of the place while navigating different time-zones online). I must say, a highly succinct log that is educational and exhilarating in equal measure. Hope you were able to accomplish everything you set out to achieve with the expedition. I was wondering, however, how much has Mawson Peak been explored in the past? I understand that it wasn't the focal point of your expedition, but it would be great to know more about the peak.
Thank you so much! Yes, we accomplished what we set out to do. I have just completed a book (850 pages) about Heard Island. Will be published later this year by Springer.
😆🐧🐧🐧 ...they weren't lost ...they were checking out the uncommon sight of men near their territory ...It's really quite charming their curiosity and lack of fear!
There are numerous publications on the wingless fly Anatalanta aptera; just do a Google search. There are actually several species of wingless flies on Heard Island and other subantarctic islands. Thanks for asking!
@@rwschmieder Well not really. Due to this specific conditions maybe they developed some other system. Like there are flying spiders using ballooning technique, flying squirrels, frogs, and so on. There are even organisms who are so light that they fly using kind of hand-flippers, using air like we use a water to swim (unfortunately I dont remember the name). They don't need wings. No one knows what kind of flying mechanism evolution can bring. That's why I asked.
@@PinkeySuavo Sensible point, but, no, Anatalanta aptera do not fly. They walk around looking for all the work like an ant. That's how we saw one in 2016, and collected it for ID.
@Robert Schmieder Great video! Just learned about Heard Island, and your documentary gave me a lot. I also liker your choice of music. What is the opening track in the video called? Again, thanks!
It was truly alien. In my book about the first expedition to Heard Island (1997) I wrote the following: "We might as well have been stepping onto another planet. The four of us exited the helo onto a landscape that was so utterly foreign we wondered if we had the wrong island. A slight drizzle misted our glasses, making the scene appear fuzzy and indistinct. In the failing light, the jet-black volcanic rocks were wet and shiny, like metallic coal. We were vaguely aware of the mountains around us, but they were lost in the slowly drifting elevated fog. To the North, huge hummocks of moss were outlined by dark brown gutters of slippery mud. To the East a low ridge lay covered in glistening black mounds, erratically strewn with jagged boulders. To the South, a wide and low sandy plain was almost completely flooded from the ephemeral creek. Beyond the creek, to the West, Iay the ghostly ruins of an outpost from long ago, its metal buildings slowly disintegrating into shards and rust. There was no color; only black and less black. Even the disappearing light seemed to have a spooky blackness. The island stretched away to awesome distances, a phantasmic spectacle of hugeness. For a few frozen moments, we gazed in awe at the grand bleakness around us. It was pointless to speak. Anyway, there wasn't time."
Anyone else here because they saw an interesting island on Google Earth?
Yep definitely
YEAH! Someone need to do more of these expeditions to the remotest islands in the world! I like hunting for these on Google Earth
lollllll
نعم انا انا من ليبيا Libya
I'm here by following a story about the great Wall of Australia , a fence that runs 5612 km long and it is prohibited to go beyond. They say it was put up to keep the rabbits and dingos out. I think they are hiding something.
I'm an old timer whose days of travel and adventure are past. One cherished window to the world I've had is a collection of National Geographic Magazines from 1920 through 2000. Never did I dream that in my old age I would be able to explore the world with Google Earth and watch UA-cam videos of any remote locations I could find ...Thank you for your very interesting and educational video.
THank you Mark--I'm glad you got some pleasure from it...--Bob
Just imagine laying under that night sky with the stars etc and just imagine how fresh the air there is
Yes, except that there was a bit of stench from the wildlife, but we didn't mind that a bit.
It's also called guano
@@rwschmiederis the island covered in moss or mainly grasses?
@@hippy_chat Heard Island is covered in glaciers, bare rocks, rock sediment (sand, gravel, boulders), and watedr (lagoons/lakes/streams). A few areas are covered by plants such as Kerguelen cabbage (individual plants look like cabbage) and Azorella (a moss-like cover).
I was surfing through google maps and found this place , I wanted to know more about this and decided to look it up on UA-cam and truly this place is so wonderful thanks for making this video Robert ❤, Greetings from India.
So good of you to write this. Thank you!
Same here
Is saw a documentary about the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, after I started looking at google maps of the indian ocean and found Heard Island. Glad to see your video that satisfies my curiosity of what it is like there. The remoteness of this island is jarring.
Thank you so much for your comment. I have done two expeditions to Heard Island, and it always feels far away, even when we are getting ready to leave. If you are interested, I have recently published a big book about the island. Sorry, it's nearly 900 pages and $279.99 on Amazon.
Book name?@@rwschmieder
Heard Island: Two Centuries of Change, and more coming. @@nourmasri2274
@@rwschmieder thanks will look into it!
Same randomly scrolling google maps and came across these islands so that brought me here . Great documentary thanks for this
Thank you!
Glad I'm not the only one who does that :)! Thanks for posting this lovely documentary!
haha my fellow google map browser. Easily one of the best things the internet has given us
i was on google maps and thought, maybe someone was there,...very nice!!
Thank you!
bro x2
Yeahh, I think that was my exact same situation lol
bro SAMEEEEE
Same
This is so entertaining, I just find these remote places endlessly interesting! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your note!
Thank you for uploading 😁
I lived on very remote lighthouse stations as a child and this brought back so many memories of those times 😁
Must be good memories. No lighthouse on Heard Island! Thanks!
That sounds scary
This is fantastic, thanks so much for making it available.
Thank you Matt for your nice comment...
Thank you so much for sharing this. I have been fascinated with this island for many years but had no idea that you had posted this video. I had even read about this expedition before you left! Remote barley touched places on this wonderful earth are truly special, let’s hope we can keep some this way.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Really cool! I was looking around on google earth then I found this island and searched this video up. Surely this is cool.
So glad you found it. In spite of the serious purposes of the expeditions to Heard Island, yes, it's very cool being there (both literally and figuratively)!
Many thanks for posting this excellent video. I, like many other viewers, am disabled and will never have the opportunity to visit places like Heard Island. Posting this video is the next best thing. Cheers from Canada.
I am very pleased that this can provide you with a virtual visit to Heard Island. Thank you so much for your nice comment!
Fantastic, thank you for sharing. Just learnt about this place a few hours ago. And with this video, I feel like I am there!
One question I have is, why are there many people using radios in the island? I don't know much about radios. Are they investigating something?
I'm very pleased that it is meaningful to you. It's an incredible place; I have done two expeditions there.
Man I would love to visit a place as herd island! I was on Google earth messing around and seen it. It caught my attention and came to UA-cam to see if anyone had ever been to this place. This is so great! God bless!
Thank you so much.
from Syria, thank you for sharing this. it is like an amazing adventure
Thanks for the comment!
Thumbs up if the infographics show bought you here
Yup
Yup went straight to do research about it lol
Yep! Me too
Google maps did
This is amazing!! Thank you guys for doing this amazing job and give us the opportunity to learn about this commonly unknown places around the world 🎉
A pleasure. There are also other videos about Heard Island.
It's almost like you took us there. Great work!
Thank you so much.
Great video. A former work colleague visited there as a geologist on an expedition in the 1980s. Said it was magical.
I would be very interested to know who your former colleague is. Perhaps I know him/her!
Neat and High Quality Production, enjoyed a lot and felt the whole trip and experience, brilliant, thank you so much for sharing. No Idea how I ended up here btw, thanks!
Thank you so much!
I didn’t even know these islands existed until I came across your video & I’m fascinated, but I’m even more fascinated at how you guys got that ATV on that tiny boat in the middle of the ocean. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
You're welcome. There was a lot of planning and logistics to carry out the expedition. The ATV was acquired in Cape Town, South Africa, and was put on the landing boat and lifted onto the island. We took it with us when we left, and it was sold upon return to the U.S.
I was on Google Maps looking around and saw this lonely island in the southern waters.
I put the name into the UA-cam search, and your video came up!
I watched it all, it was splendid. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication in exploring and documenting this very special place.
God bless you from Western Pennsylvania. :-)
Thats amazing you guys were so lucky to visit such a beautiful place thank you for this great content
You're welcome. Of course, we didn't win a lottery to visit--we had a serious scientific purpose, and we had been there before (in 1997). I am sure they trusted us to be good citizens on the island, based on our record, and we were.
Thank you so much for sharing this! It was amazing seeing this, loved it!
😊
Love your comment--thanks!
@@rwschmieder also thanks for still replying to an old video 🙂
Great doco mate..
Great comment mate!
Great documentary! Thank you so much for sharing this experience
Thank you very much! There are also several other documentary videos about Heard Island expeditions, including both of mine (1997, 2016). Search on UA-cam.
Great video. Looks a lot more sophisticated, and less "stressful" than VK0IR. A different experience...., it's real privilege to be able to travel to such wonderful locations!
Thank you so much. In fact, VK0IR was the more stressful. The vessel we reserved took our $100k down payment and didn't deliver the vessel and didn't refund our money. VK0EK was a 3-year planning cycle, but more complicated for permits, insurance, etc. But both expeditions were successful. VK0IR set a world record for expedition radio contacts and was voted best radio expedition in the past 30 years. VK0EK was successful for radio but also was a scientific expedition, resulting in an 900-page book about change on Heard Island.
Thank you, Robert. This is a great video and I appreciate that you shared it. You're a great person.
And thanks to you...
2 times in my log with QRP here (30 & 40m). Thank´s a lot for the work that made it possible.
Congratulations to you. It took a lot of work and smart operating.
Thanks for sharing
An expedition somewhere in
90's I worked a station from there.
Hi Paul - Yes, that was my first expedition to Heard Island. The callsign was VKØIR. We set a world record for the number of QSOs on a DXpedition. Congratulations to you for working us!
@@rwschmieder hello Robert that was a huge opportunity for me, and for you. Went looking and I couldn't find your QSL card couldn't find my log book for that time. Had tobe on a computer at that time. Just wondering when you going to do it again. 73 go dx KQ4CD
thank you for such a precious video. greeting from S.korea.
I'm glad you liked it. In some ways, Heard Island resembles Mt. Fuji, which I visited in 2016. Both mountains are stunningly beautiful.
@@rwschmieder By the way. Mt. FUJI is located in Japan. But im a korean but thanks anyway.
I was randomly on apple maps and looking near Antarctica and saw this island. Was curious and came here.
Happy that you have interest in such exotic places!
Me too lol, I started in Kolkata and ended up here 😂
@@Sparky19124 great minds think alike :)
Greetings from Brazil. Wonderful place.
Thank you very much!
Absolutely wonderful, thank you!
Thank you for saying so!
One of the most amazing islands I ever saw ,would really like to visit these cold regions if I ever got the chance
It's possible, but it is expensive. There are tour vessels that make Antarctica (and other islands) visits, but you'll have to save up for one of those trips. Most people visit the extreme southern latitudes by being involved in some kind of scientific work. If you're really motivated, you might be able to become part of a project, but you would have to be professional level. And your goal should be to do some important work, not just to visit the islands. Good luck!
Such an enchanted and amazing place.
Yes. Almost everyone who has gone there has developed an obsession for the island. Thank you!
Amazing documentary. Thank you Robert!
Thank you!
I can't imagine how beautiful the night sky looks from here with the naked eye. I've never been to the southern hemisphere in my entire life, so much of the sky has been blocked by the earth. This would be an unforgettable experience
Being in the Southern Hemisphere is a weird experience for us Northerners, but then, lots of people live there, and they do fine. Here's a puzzle for you: In the Northern Hemisphere, the half-moon is oriented one way, but in the Southern Hemisphere it appears reversed. How does this happen? Thanks for your comment!
this footage is like its an island from another planet with how few humans have even seen it, let alone "heard" about it. pun intended. beautiful and terrifying.
Thank you for your perceptive words. You will certainly enjoy the prize-winning essay by Erica Nathan "Heard Island is a Place" which you can find at www.natureaustralia.org.au/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/australia/Heard-Island-is-a-Place-by-Erica-Nathan.pdf. Here is a tiny excerpt:
"For all the words written about rough landings, climatic brutality, avian squawking, it is the years of voice-less quiet in this place, muffled by ice floes, that, with advanced tuning, can be heard the world around." --Erica Nathan
Another author is Arthur Scholes (Fourteen Men):
"On the whole, the island was a depressing place. There was little beauty in the gaunt grey rocks, the barren flat and grim precipitous coastline. In the days to come the island’s air of sullen harshness was to become all too familiar. But, despite all that, there was something of almost indefinable loveliness about it."
@@rwschmieder thank you, Robert. Ill certainly give it a read. I can only imagine what those authors felt. I would love to organize an expedition from Perth to go once in my lifetime. cheers.
I came here from google earth, to have a look at these islands in greater detail. The satelite view makes it look like these islands are mountain tips of a massive submerged island. Would be interesting to see what this place would have looked like in times of lower sea levels
Thanks for the video!
It's definitely a "hidden" submerged continent. Image all the lands we'll never know about
Thank you for you note!
great work i just exploring remote islands of the world i loved it this video
Very kind of you to say so!
Great video. The adventurer in me would have loved to climb the volcano.
The volcano on Heard Island requires great experience, skill, and preparation, so it is well beyond most people. But you can find volcanoes you can climb in many places. Here is a good link to find them: www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/adventure-travel/active-volcanoes-you-can-hike-around-the-world. Good luck!
You my friend have made a trip of a lifetime I could only dream of going
Dreams can be as real as life. If my video has helped you have a feeling for what it would be like to go to Heard Island, then my time is well spent. Glad you were glad to seeit!
Thanks for this great document ... Found your Book :)
Super. Thanks for your note!
This video makes me want to travel with you to these places
Thanks so much for this comment. You can't go to Heard Island, but I can tell you about several places I have visited in the past 5 years. You can go there, and your visit will be very memorable. The places are: Pitcairn Island, St. Paul Island (in the Pribiloff Islands), and the Azores. My next expedition will be to the Canary Islands. Good luck, and good travelling!
I came from a video about surfers finding remote waves, from Google Earth it looks like Heard island has some great setups for surfing, very unlikely that anyone will ever actually surf there though!
Ironically, for a while during preparation for the 2016 expedition, we had a surfing group on the team. Unfortunately, we had to change vessels and the surfing group was eliminated.
Thank You Bob. This is awesome
Thank you, Mark!
My home of Indiana was once a tropical sea and once a frozen tundra with wooly mammoth. It is no crisis that these climates changed and no "ideal" climate. It is nothing that these glaciers are melting and I hope you don't get too excited about it.
You betray an appalling voluntary ignorance. You need to read the scientific news. I can recommend Science News, Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine, etc. Trust me, if we don't do something about it, in 50 years much of the Earth we currently live in will be uninhabital.
I wish you had recorded other pages of the visitor log. I cannot recall signing it when I was there in 97.
We did not know about the log in 1997, and I certainly didn't know about its whereabouts. During our visit in 2016 it was in the emergency shelter at Atlas Cove, and I not only signed it for our 2016 visit, but I also created an entry for 1997.
Thank you sir.
I will be there one day. Very good video, much love and greetings from Brazil.
Thank you so much...
@@rwschmieder You are welcome, Sir.
From the south side of Chicago lol thanks for sharing this.
Thanks!
I would love to be there for awhile, I would definitely spend so much time trying to find cool stuff to take home
Sorry--wrong idea. Heard Island is a sanctuary, protected in many ways. You can't even land there without a permit, nor can you take anything away without a collecting permit. You shouldn't feel sad that this is the case; rather, you should feel glad that there are some places in the world that are protected from uncontrolled damage. Just think about this: You can't go into the Smithsonian Institution and just collect things you might want or that you think are cool. Think about Heard Island (and many other similar places) as you would about a museum. We keep museums secure so that the public and people in the future can experience and enjoy them. I think you would be rather upset if you went to the Smithsonian and found that the Hope diamond had been taken by someone who thought it is cool. I'd like to believe you agree with this, and I hope my comment here has helped you to understand why you can't do what you suggested. Thanks for writing your comment...
---Bob
It is like walking on another planet...so cool.
Yes. In fact, I have used the metaphor of "a visit to another planet" to frame the visit to Heard Island. It really is a strange and alien world. Thank you for your comment.
Very good video report. I remember I had a window of opportunity of about 30-60min to contact the team on 10MHz around 00:00 UTC. One of the last days of the expedition, I was very fortunate to hear VK0EK's signals peaking out of the noise and could log a nice QSO!
73's de Patrick ON4KNP / OT5Q
Congratulations!
Wow google algorithm recommended your channel 👏 never heard about this island hope to hear more in the future expeditions,best of luck😊.
Thank you so much, and thanks, Google!
Hi my name is Ali. I'm from Pakistan. If my wife will bear me a son on the Heard island will he become an Australian? Thanks very appreciate your expedition! Please let me kno
LMAO
umm what? do you realize how expensive it would be to set up some sort of weird birthing tent on this island?
Well, I don't know about your question, but Heard Island is legally part of Australia.
@@ct1762 Never mind being very uncomfortable for his wife ...it's difficult enough in normal circumstances!
That's a military-grade tent/encampment! Quite impressive. Wish they sold these to the public, but granted you also need a whole crew to set it up.
We were able to use these tents courtesy of the manufacturer. They are truly fantastic--roomy, strong, with an optional hard door rather than a zipper. The packaged tent came with an air compressor. Once placed on the site, one person could unfold it, put in the corner anchor stakes, and turn on the compressor. Fifteen minute later, the tent is fully inflated. Closing the valve holds the tent up, with no need to even top off for weeks. I believe you could buy one; they are priced around $20k.
awesome video man, wish you the best of luck on your expeditions.
Very kind of you to comment, and thanks for the good luck! You might be interested in my upcoming book about Heard Island, to be published by Springer. Since Heard Island, I have done expeditions to Pitcairn Island, St . Paul (Pribiloffs), and the Azores. I am now planning the next one (tba).
What a privilege to visit this island. Thank you for sharing the experience Robert. Are there any resources available on the fauna research for this trip?
Hello Jed. I'm not sure what you mean by this question. Are you asking whether there was any research on the fauna during this trip? If so, the answer is yes, but only indirectly. We were the first persons to enter a big lagoon created by a melted glacier, and we documented various aspects of the environment there, including the plants, animals, glacier termini, and shoreline rocks. But there was no specific program such as counting the number of cormorants.
@@rwschmieder Hello Robert. Was there any bird research done on the island? Since the island is so isolated it no doubt could be a refuge for endangered species. Thanks again, Jed.
@@Jedidiahguitar You are quite right. The most interesting bird is the Heard Island cormorant, which is endemic to the island. On my first trip there in 1997, there were only about 100 breeding pairs. On my 2016 trip, there were about 1000. There are also many seabirds of various kinds, and of course hundreds of thousands of penguins, mostly King Penguins. The principal expert on this is Eric Woehler in Tasmania. You can search on his name and find some of his extensive publications. In 2003 he co-authored a book (_Heard Island_) which contains a detailed description of the birds on the island. My book (_Heard Island: Two Centuries of Change, and More Coming_, Springer 2022) has one chapter devoted to the birds.
@@rwschmieder thanks for sharing.
@@Jedidiahguitar Our pleasure!
Amazing Documentary
Thank you so much! It is an amazing place...
Hello Robert how is possible reach the Island? i have basic information but problem is ship probably i need join to some reasearch group? I have been in South Georgia last year but Heard Island is my dream Island. Do you know maybe about some expedition ship for future? thanks Martin
Hello Martin, and thank you for your inquiry. Access to Heard Island is controlled (tightly!) by the Australian government, so a permit is required for a visit. Generally, to get a permit you need to be part of a recognized group with a legitimate project (science, environmental, etc.). And generally, this is a matter of a lifetime of involvement in such projects, (a career). If you can't do that, the best you can do is experience it through videos (like this one), books (like my book "Heard Island: Two Centuries of Change, and more coming", Springer, 900 pgs, available on Amazon), and websites you can find by searching. Good luck and I hope you are rewarded for your interest.
@Robert Schmieder hey would there be potential to join an expedition, as a documentary filmmaker??
nice Video! many Informations about Heard Island
Or you just can try to sneak there some type of way
Brilliant thanks!!! I will follow your links having worked NZs Sub Antarctic Islands … Azorella Peninsular great name and genus . I have the mega Herb Azorella robusta growing on my own front property on far SW corner of NZ
Interesting! Thanks for the note!
Came here bc I saw this on TikTok. Some idiot said it’s forbidden to travel here by the Australian government, clearly you just have to be a scientist to go 🤷🏽♂️
It's not "forbidden" per se. It requires a visitor's permit issued by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) of the Australian government. Scientists with a purpose can seek a permit, but it requires a huge amount of paperwork, insurance, etc. The island is a sanctuary for the protection of elephant seals, leopard seals, penguins, various seabirds, and a variety of plants. The reason for the restriction is to keep from importing alien species that would potentially destroy the native species.
Hows the night life over there? Looking for a cool vacation spot
Night life? I think New Zealand is a cool vacation spot. How about the Faial Island in the Azores, or La Palma in the Canary Islands.
Neat video of the expedition, some good footage , and editing , to give an idea of being there. Thanks.
During your stay there, did anyone go up to the 9,000 ft summit of the volcano?
Or too many constraints against such an attempt?
Cheers
Summiting Big Ben is a serious climbing task, requiring extensive support of various kinds. We had potential participants who expressed interest in doing it, including Peter Hilary, but we were unable to secure a vessel to carry a sufficiently large team to support the climbers. The leader of the first summiting (Grahame Budd, 1965), is a good friend and supporter of our expedition. In my recent book "Heard Island: Two Centuries of Change, and more coming," (Springer 2022), I quote from various sources about the experience of that first climb. Not for amateurs or the weak of heart!
@@rwschmieder thanks kindly for your reply. I've ascended a number of mountains and volcanoes of 9-10,000ft, from their bases, and would be tempted by Big Ben, but appreciate the latitude, hence temperature, would make it a serious undertaking.
I'll seek out your book for further info, cheers.
so interesting, thank you for that. and a beautiful choice of music. how ridiculous permit decisions and regulations can be compared to what is actually permitted.
Thank you for your kind comment. Visitors to the island are strictly controlled to prevent accidental introduction of alien species. In almost 70 years, there is only tentative evidence for the introduction of one (only) alien species. This author strongly supports the limitations and protection.
This is so amazing 🤩 I wanna go there and explore some beautiful places
Sorry--you'll have to do it virtually--landing permits are not easy to get. I hope you can get a feeling of Heard Island from the various videos.
Simply beautiful
Yes, thank you for appreciating the beauty and majesty of Heard Island.
@@rwschmieder amazing experiences Robert. Amazing place also.
Please can you tell me which music did you used here. The music made the video so beautiful.
Thanks. The credits for the music are given at the end of the video. Sorry, I don't have the exact tracks in front of me, but if you follow up on the composers and their published albums, you'll find a large amount of similar music, which is simply wonderful, I know you agree.
are there any mammals there?
land mammals
@@TegarPandu No. The mammals that are there (seals) are marine. Of course, they spend a large fraction of their time lying on the land. But no mice, cats, wild pigs, antelope, or elephants!
What music is playing playing at 18:00 I don't think it's listed ? Tangerine dream ?
Yes. Tangerine Dream - Legend. Credits are at the end of the video.
you have done many other expeditions I presume, which is your personal favourite from your career
By far, my favorite is Heard Island.
Thank you very much for this wonderful video and for putting on the air Heard island, I got my DXCC Honor Roll with it. I hope to catch you from another most wanted (Kure, for example, hi hi) . Best 73s de IW0HEX Pasquale.
Congratulations, Pasquale! It would be great to do Kure again, but I'm pessimistic about that since the entire Hawaiian chain has been put into a marine sanctuary status. 73 and GL w/DX. Bob KK6EK
@@rwschmieder Tnx Robert !!! You are one of the few in the world who can put Kure on the air. I remember K7C in 2005 but in that time I had no skill , no CW, I was a little gun station and it was impossible to do a QSO. I know about sanctuary status but at September there will be an attempt to do Midway, so it's hard but no impossible. Cross fingers :-) Thanks for you all effort Robert, best 73s Pasquale IW0HEX
Adoro conhecer esses lugares mais remotos do mundo
Yes, I do too. Thank you for your comment, and I am glad you found Heard Island interesting.
I really like the intro music
Can you please tell me what it's name & where can I find the music
To found ; You can use shazam in phone or as google chrome expiration in PC.
@@langstonhanibal9997 I did that already....still can't find
Credits for the music are at the end of the video.
Also the penguins thinking the sand bags are other penguins is awesome 😂
Yes, we were very impressed, and amused.
Have you also visited Kerguelen
Yes, after our 1997 expedition to Heard Island. It had many of the facilities you might hope for, including food, post office, and a landing strip.
Awesome video thanks
Thank you!
What a remote island
Very good Documentary. Any pests on the island such as rats, mice or such, or absolutely nothing?
Absolutely no pests. The cold makes it almost impossible to survive. Also, the flies have no wings because of the wind. Thanks for asking!
@@rwschmieder Interesting and happy there are no pest. Thanks very much for answerering. Hope it will continue for ever without pests.
I would like to visit this place and the French Southern and Antartic Lands
I am glad you are intrigued by Heard Island. Sorry, it takes a major project and a permit to go there. But there are various videos about it, and I hope you will enjoy those.
How could i visit this do i need a education in science amazing stuff mate thank you for the footage
Visitors have to have permits, which are issued only to qualified researchers. To be qualified, you have to have a record of serious activity in such environments, a serious purpose for the visit, and fulfill other rules (plan, insurance, post-expedition report. Generally this is only available to professionals working in appropriate fields 9glaciolofgy, geology, meteorology, etc.).
Nice documentary
Nice comment!
nice
Turn on the captions.
There are no captions in the film. Sorry.
@@rwschmieder try repost the video
Hi Bob, exceptionally well done documentary. 👏👏 👏
I'm assuming this Heard Island is relatively young but by chace did you happen upon any ice caves? I'm looking on Google earth, directly south of the peak and slightly east, on the coast, there is a drainage to the ocean, follow that drainage up (its darker, not green) to the start of it and it almost looks like there are mouths of 2 large openings.
Did you and your team happen to explore this area much that I am describing?
Thanks so much for your commitment to show us all what most will never experience!
Hi jduke-
Thanks for your note. I looked at the GE images (for various years) but to be honest I couldn't identify the particular sites you are seeing. If you give me the coordinates (lower right corner of your window) I'll have a look. We did not explore in that area, but I have friends who did. We did see a small number of caves (the ends of lava tubes), but they were on the northern side of HI (the Azorella Peninsula). These were filled with ice, but the walls were frozen lava, not ice. Heard Island itself is only about 1 million years old.
In a cute way, the penguins shuffle along as if they're trying to pass a sobriety test.
The most appealing aspects of the penguins is their lack of fear and their curiosity. And the way they walk. And the sound they make. And their eyes.
@@rwschmieder Of all the birds ...they seem the most human ...or rather we anthropomorphize them in our mind ....because they are so comical ...and they walk upright!
Like many other commenters here, I stumbled upon your documentary after exploring Heard Islands on Google Earth (I learned of the place while navigating different time-zones online). I must say, a highly succinct log that is educational and exhilarating in equal measure. Hope you were able to accomplish everything you set out to achieve with the expedition.
I was wondering, however, how much has Mawson Peak been explored in the past? I understand that it wasn't the focal point of your expedition, but it would be great to know more about the peak.
Thank you so much! Yes, we accomplished what we set out to do. I have just completed a book (850 pages) about Heard Island. Will be published later this year by Springer.
Thank you 🙏 science for the internet
You're very welcome. Thanks for your note.
Why do all penguins look like they’re lost?
They most certainly aren't lost--they return to their young in the middle of a colony of thousands of penguins.
😆🐧🐧🐧 ...they weren't lost ...they were checking out the uncommon sight of men near their territory ...It's really quite charming their curiosity and lack of fear!
It must be amazing to be on Island where like literally maybe few people were. Btw, are there any documentations of Anatalanta Aptera?
There are numerous publications on the wingless fly Anatalanta aptera; just do a Google search. There are actually several species of wingless flies on Heard Island and other subantarctic islands. Thanks for asking!
@@rwschmieder Thanks for response! I will look for it later, just a quick question - do they fly though? :D
@@PinkeySuavo "Wingless" should give you a clue...
@@rwschmieder Well not really. Due to this specific conditions maybe they developed some other system. Like there are flying spiders using ballooning technique, flying squirrels, frogs, and so on. There are even organisms who are so light that they fly using kind of hand-flippers, using air like we use a water to swim (unfortunately I dont remember the name). They don't need wings. No one knows what kind of flying mechanism evolution can bring. That's why I asked.
@@PinkeySuavo Sensible point, but, no, Anatalanta aptera do not fly. They walk around looking for all the work like an ant. That's how we saw one in 2016, and collected it for ID.
@Robert Schmieder Great video! Just learned about Heard Island, and your documentary gave me a lot. I also liker your choice of music. What is the opening track in the video called? Again, thanks!
Thanks! It's Antarctica, by Josh Wynter.
Is there any way to get here with a tour
Sorry, no, although VERY rarely, there is a voyage to Heard Island that might have permission to land (briefly). The last one I know of was in 2012.
Hi Robert, thanks a ton for uploading this documentary. It was fascinating to watch. May I ask what you do for a living?
Thank you for your note. I am a physicist and explorer. I do research in physics and research expeditions to remote sites such as Heard Island.
@@rwschmieder that’s awesome, you’re living the dream!
So beautiful I wish to build a remote cabin here
It would be an uncomfortable place to have a cabin. Gales, snow, etc. It takes a lot of support to stay alive!
can i open/build a resort or my house or something here ?
no its an international heritage site
Okay no issues will find somewhere else
No, sorry. It's a sanctuary. Only seals and birds livethere...
This island looks so alien.
It was truly alien. In my book about the first expedition to Heard Island (1997) I wrote the following:
"We might as well have been stepping onto another planet. The four of us exited
the helo onto a landscape that was so utterly foreign we wondered if we had
the wrong island. A slight drizzle misted our glasses, making the scene appear
fuzzy and indistinct. In the failing light, the jet-black volcanic rocks were wet and
shiny, like metallic coal. We were vaguely aware of the mountains around us, but
they were lost in the slowly drifting elevated fog. To the North, huge hummocks
of moss were outlined by dark brown gutters of slippery mud. To the East a low
ridge lay covered in glistening black mounds, erratically strewn with jagged boulders.
To the South, a wide and low sandy plain was almost completely flooded
from the ephemeral creek. Beyond the creek, to the West, Iay the ghostly ruins of
an outpost from long ago, its metal buildings slowly disintegrating into shards
and rust. There was no color; only black and less black. Even the disappearing
light seemed to have a spooky blackness. The island stretched away to awesome
distances, a phantasmic spectacle of hugeness. For a few frozen moments, we gazed
in awe at the grand bleakness around us. It was pointless to speak. Anyway, there
wasn't time."
What was the animal on the separate island blue eyed what ?
Blue-eyed cormorant
Came here from infographics
Me too