Voyage of Discovery

Wellington science historian and writer Rebecca Priestley is blogging about her trip to the Kermadec Islands on the HNZMS Canterbury for the Scientific American. “We’re sailing north along a chain of underwater volcanoes to Raoul Island, about two days sailing from Auckland,” Priestley writes at the start of her 11-day journey. “Like all the Kermadec Islands, the waters up to 12 nautical miles around the island are a no-take marine reserve, part of a stunning and pristine marine environment with a unique mix of tropical, sub-tropical and temperate species of fish. On the island, New Zealand’s northernmost scientific field base is managed by a small group of Department of Conservation staff and volunteers, and that’s partly what this voyage is about.” Priestley is currently writing a book about New Zealand’s nuclear and radiation history and an anthology of Antarctic science.