Glories of Nature

The whole island, apart from the rocky outcrops near peaks, is covered with a blanket of peat. This is in places deeper than 20 feet and generally must be from 10ft. to 15ft. deep. For the first week, slopping through this in heavy boots, took a lot out of us, and we would stagger in late at night, have a hurried bite to eat and perhaps one, or preferably two or more, rums to "warm up" before climbing into the sleeping bag. Owing to the cold days, the rum stocks dropped alarmingly.

The General Picture of Campbell Island is a Drab One. There are Few Contrasts, and it is not Until One Looks at Individual Plants that One Realises that there are Some Very Beautiful, Species Present.

Pleurophyllum speciosium, a large showy purple flowered plant;, with P. cruciferum, P. hookeri, and two hybrids of these, are perhaps the most outstanding. There are, of course, many other surprisingly attractive plants, akin to some of our alpine vegetation.

Another unique feature is the bird life. It has been estimated that there are about 4,500 breeding pairs of Royal Albatrosses nesting there, and apart from a few nests on Auckland Island this is the only place in the world where the birds breed.