Heard Island

Heard Island is an Australian volcano in the Southern Ocean, some four thousand kilometres southwest of Perth, and with the nearby McDonald Islands a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Big Ben fills most of the island, and its summit, Mawson Peak, is an active volcano and the highest mountain on Australian territory outside Antarctica. Glaciers run from the ice cap down to black beaches crowded with king and macaroni penguins, elephant seals and fur seals. No one lives here, and the ruins of the old research station at Atlas Cove are the only buildings. Landing needs a permit, the voyage takes about ten days each way, and a tourist ship calls only rarely.