15 Jan 2019

Back to Nature In Carnley Harbour

Day 5 of our 'Ross Sea: In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton' voyage saw us enter the calm of Carnley Harbour in the early hours for a great landing at Tagua Bay after breakfast. The morning's activities saw us walking through the twisted trunks of windswept Rata forest accompanied by the soundtrack of birdsong and wind bothered leaves all the way up to the Coastwatchers Hut, once the lonely outpost of the Cape Expedition sent here to look for enemy ships during the Second World War, now returned to nature.

During lunch we cruised up to North Arm, enjoying our final landing for the day at Epigwaitt, site of the wreck of the Grafton in January 1864. Part of the decomposing wreck is still visible on the rocky beach and makes for some striking photos, as is the hut built in the forest by its five surviving crew. As we set our course for Macquarie Island, many of us took advantage of the continuing good weather and headed out on deck to indulge in a very pleasant navigation of passing landscapes and excellent birding under the sun's slow descent.