Heard and McDonald Islands
Heard Island and McDonald Islands are located in the Southern Ocean, approximately 1,700 km from the Antarctic continent and 4,100 km south-west of Perth. As the only volcanically active subantarctic islands they โ€˜open a window into the earthโ€™, thus providing the opportunity to observe ongoing geomorphic processes and glacial dynamics. The distinctive conservation value of Heard and McDonald โ€“ one of the worldโ€™s rare pristine island ecosystems โ€“ lies in the complete absence of alien plants and animals, as well as human impact.