CAMPBELL ISLAND

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 58, Issue 4169, 5 August 1949, Page 7

CAMPBELL ISLAND

LIFE IN FAR SOUTH LETTER FROM PAEROA MAN NO COLDER THAN WELLINGTON “ I don’t think it feels any colder here than it does in Wellington,” writes Rex Pearson from Campbell Island. “ Although the air temperature here i-s probably lower than in New Zealand, the high humidity prevents one from feeling the cold.” Rex Pearson is a son of Mr and Mrs W. Pearson of Paeroa and he is a member of the staff of the Ministry of Works, Wellington, and at present is with the party on Campbell Island in the Antarctic .Ocean. In a letter to his uncle, Mr T. Henderson, of Paeroa, Rex stated that most people had the idea that Campbell Island was at the South Pole and was covered in snow all the year round, but up to the time of his writing his letter (written in May, 1949), though there had ibeen snow on the mountains, only on one occasion had he seen snow lying on the ground at station level. A fine day was a rare occasion as it was seldom not raining. The most annoying factor was the wind.

In describing the island the writer said that it comprised about 44 square miles of hills, the highest being about 1000 feet. The valleys were more or less swamps. The growth consisted of a sort of scrub like our tea-tree which grew to a height of about 15 feet. A summer green perennial he*b (bulbinella) had leaves somewhat after the manner of a garden hyacinth and out of the centre of it grew a stalk about two feet in height. There was also a tussock growing on the island. There were supposed to be about 3000 sheep on the island but in the writer’s estimation there would be only about half of that number and they were well spread over the countryside. Although there were wild cattle so far he had not seen any, but he had come across their tracks. “ Rats run around the place like bees round a hive and give us plenty of shooting sport, there being no closed season,” continues the letter. Of the seals the sea elephants were the type most common to the island. They were huge clumsy mammals up to 18 feet in length. The sea lions were very inquisitive and ferocious. When disturbed they roar and bark and rush at humans.

Mr Pearson wrote that there were a great variety of birds on Campbell Island, the most common being the royal albatross. These birds in order to take off had to run into the wind and if there was no wind or, if there was too much tussock on the runway, then sometimes they have difficulty in getting into the air.

The most impudent birds were the skuas which were very like a hawk with a larger body. They will take food from the hand and will dodge a stone but do not retreat or fly away. In addition to the sea birds there were on the island quite a number of birds common to New Zealand, such as fantails, white-eyes, finches and sparrows.