Ross Sea Antarctic Cruising: In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton 10 Jan 2020

Day 1: 11th January
Invercargill

Passengers and staff gathered in Invercargill this afternoon at the Kelvin Hotel. This evening they met for a welcome group dinner and a briefing on the adventure they were about to begin.

Day 2: 12th January
Invercargill / Bluff (46⁰ S)

Following the welcome dinner the previous evening at the Kelvin Hotel the passengers assembled in the lobby for the morning activities. One could feel the excitement in the air as the voyage would soon begin.

Once everyone’s bags had passed inspection they were taken to the ship and placed in the specified cabins. The passengers then decided to either wander into town or visit the city Museum as it would be a couple of hours until lunchtime when we would gather back at the hotel. We were met at the Invercargill Museum by Lindsay, the curator of the Tuatara programme. He presented a very interesting film on the Tuatara, New Zealand’s most remarkable living creature. The film, together with Lindsay’s excellent commentary, explained the breeding program that has brought the dragon-like species back from the brink of extinction. Lindsay then brought us into the Tuatara living quarters and introduced us to ‘Henry’ and ‘Mildred’, youngsters at 117 and 86 years of age!  He was most pleased to announce that after several decades of ‘courtship’ they now formed a happy couple. We then toured the Museum at leisure enjoying the various displays focusing on early life in New Zealand’s South Island.   

We then returned to the hotel to enjoy our last meal on land for the next 30 days before being shuttled to the ship awaiting us at the port of Bluff. One final step was the verification of passports on board ship by the Customs Officer.

We departed Bluff at 6:00PM on Thursday. Weather was fine but a strong Westerly breeze brought on 3-4 metre swells. We experienced the strength of the Southern Ocean as we made our way to Stewart Island where a wonderful dinner would be served, The Spirit of Enderby continued to her evening destination, a quieter spot in the lee of Stewart Island, where we could enjoy the first of many superb dinners, tonight either salmon or lamb – Yum! After dinner we socialised in the bar with the Russian beer ‘Baltica’ a particular favourite. Gear was then stowed away and cabins organised for maximum efficiency. It had been a busy day and everyone was ready for a good night’s rest. Falling asleep to the steady sound of the ship’s generators we all looked forward to tomorrow’s visit to The Snares.

Day 3: 13th January
The Snares (48⁰ S)

The Spirit of Enderby travelled all night rolling in harmony with the strong seas. Many of us enjoyed being on the bridge and watching the ship make her way. By morning we could claim to have survived our first Southern Ocean experience. We woke to a fine day and within a couple of hours sailing made landfall at The Snares. This would be our first Zodiac experience. A briefing was held to describe the techniques for getting in and out of the Zodiacs. The use of special life jackets was explained and a drill was held for us to put on life jackets and climb into one of the lifeboats – the closest thing to the real thing in case of emergency. Later in the morning, in two separate shifts, the Zodiacs were deployed for a ‘cruise’ and we visited The Snares. The weather was beautiful, the seas were calm, and the unique Snares Crested Penguins were in fine form. Cameras were taking it all in. It was a wonderful start to our voyage and was a highlight of the day. In mid-afternoon our Expedition Leader, Rodney Russ gave a presentation on the Auckland Islands to prepare us for our next destination. Staff member Lisle, our bird expert, took us through the ‘quarantine’ process to ensure that no unwanted pests or seeds get a free ride to another island. This included a visit to the boot wash station and vacuuming any unwanted seeds, dirt etc. from our jackets and backpacks.

In the evening Lisle introduced us to his Birding Sessions where we identify as many different species that we have seen as possible. This included both birds and mammals. This will make us pay attention to our feathered friends and sea mammals as we visit the different islands and look on from the ship’s decks. In our first meeting we ticked 33 species off the list. It will get harder as time goes on. Sea birds are especially difficult to distinguish.

Our dinner tonight was a choice of Stewart Island blue cod or Enderby coq au vin. A tough decision but both were delicious. We were also lucky to be able to celebrate Sharon’s birthday. Ed and Max made her a scrumptious chocolate cake which served as dessert. All in all, it was another day in paradise.


Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Day 4: 14th January
Auckland Islands – Enderby Island (50⁰ S)

The Spirit of Enderby travelled steadily all night and by 5:00AM we had reached our next destination, Port Ross, a beautiful harbour of the Auckland Islands near Enderby Island. This safe harbour was discovered by James Clark Ross during his voyages to Antarctica in 1841-43. We realised something was different when we awoke. The ship was quiet and hardly moving. The 6:45AM wake-up call from Cruise Director, Faye reminded us that we had a big day ahead. This time the weather had taken a mild turn and there was some doubt as to what we could accomplish. After careful thought Rodney decided to give it a go and the Zodiacs were mustered for a trip to Sandy Bay on Enderby Island. Rodney gave a briefing on how best to enjoy the features of Enderby Island including the need to avoid Young Adult Male Sea Lions lest one be mistaken for a potential mate. With that caution in mind we all dressed for wet weather and soon we set foot on Enderby Island. Two groups were formed, one, to complete a circuit of the island and another, less demanding, to stay on the boardwalk and do a crossing of the island. Both walks were most interesting and conditions allowed everyone to feel better for the exercise and bracing fresh air. Different plants and Subantarctic flowers, including the beautiful red Rata were identified with the sighting of several White-capped Albatross either resting or on their nest. On our return to Sandy Bay we had ample opportunity to observe the many families of Hooker’s Sea Lion that had colonised the kilometre-long sandy beach. The fearsome huge bulls were carefully guarding their harem, sometimes numbering as many as a dozen females along with as many pups. Many of the younger ‘teenagers’ could be seen frolicking in the shallow offshore waters. It was a most unique experience to observe the social activity of these mammals in their natural habitat.


Photo credit: G. Tsidulko


Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Day 5: 15th January
Port Ross / Auckland Islands (50⁰ S)

We left the calm of Port Ross in the early morning at 3:00AM and soon were exposed to the larger ocean. Most of us slept very well as we adapted to the movement of the ship. At 6:30AM we received word that we would soon be passing through the spectacular entrance to historic Carnley Harbour. Many of us gathered on the bridge in order to get a better view. The sunrise to the east (out the stern of the ship) was beautiful with slivers of rain sparkling when transfixed by the sun’s rays.

The many seabirds gave us a display of their flying prowess and cameras were deployed to catch some of the amazing swooping and diving as they made maximum use of the breeze. We were then surprised by the sight of two yachts in the distance at the entrance to the North Arm of the bay. They had taken refuge and would be staying put for the day. The shore and general outline of the main island of the Auckland Islands framed the scene perfectly in all directions. Unfortunately our intention to make a landing was thwarted by the weather conditions. As a result we decided to make our way immediately towards Macquarie Island, about 500 miles south. Lisle gave an exciting and very instructive lecture at 9:15AM on seabird identification. This was very useful since the subtle differences between species, especially of albatross, are difficult to detect. By 2:30PM we were on our southerly course sailing through the ‘furious fifties’. Many stood swaying on the bridge to enjoy the full experience of the Southern Ocean. In mid-afternoon Lisle appeared with a Common Diving-Petrel that had unfortunately collided with the ship during the night. We all spent time examining this little member of the petrel family from a rare vantage point.

Day 6: 16th January
At sea and Carnley Harbour, Auckland Islands (51⁰ S)

We were awakened at 6:45AM by Faye. During the night the Spirit of Enderby, also known as the Professor Khromov (named after a prominent Russian meteorologist) had made progress towards Macquarie Island but we still had several hundred miles ahead of us. The seas were a bit heavy with up to 8 metre swells and 35 knot winds slowing us down somewhat. It was a good day to catch up on some rest or to perhaps make use of the extensive library on board. Our EL, Rodney Russ, advised that conditions would improve as we got closer to Macquarie Island possibly by tomorrow morning. In the meantime the afternoon also provided an opportunity to edit and organise our photos. The Chefs and Natalia’s kitchen staff again did a magnificent job and we enjoyed an Italian dish of spaghetti bolognaise for dinner.


Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Day 7: 17th January
At sea, 35 miles from Macquarie Island (54⁰ S)

We awoke to calmer waters this morning which had given everyone a good night’s sleep. We were now only 35 nautical miles from Macquarie Island and estimated our arrival at about 12:30PM New Zealand time, which is 10:30AM local time since Macquarie is Australian territory. After checking with the Australian base manager our EL, Rodney decided to have a go at landing on the west side of the island on Hasselbrough Bay rather than the more normal eastern side at Buckles Bay. It was an exciting ride but the Zodiac drivers showed their expertise and with on-shore assistance all went smoothly as the passengers were transported from the ship. The rewards of Macquarie Island soon became obvious. Cameras were immediately in evidence as we were surrounded by Gentoo Penguins and elephant seals and seabirds of every description. Chris, the Tasmanian Park Ranger met us with his three assistants, and gave a brief explanation on the operation of the Base. We then broke into three groups and began a leisurely walk along the beach. Soon we spied groups of King Penguins and then Rockhopper Penguins were seen in the distance. Scavenging Brown Skua gulls walked amidst the Gentoos looking for a quick meal but the penguins always managed to fend them off. Southern Giant Petrels were observed cavorting nearby while groups of elephant seals were eyeing us, their curiosity aroused. We gave them a wide berth as they yawned and snorted warnings not to get too close. Our guides took us through the isthmus and on up the boardwalk steps to the lookout above the base. This gave a fabulous view of the entire western beach with its numerous penguin colonies, probably Royals. In the southerly direction was the Base, and the hills on the other side of the isthmus. The base offered us wonderful hospitality in the form of tea and scones which was most welcome after our bracing walk amongst the amazing wildlife. There would certainly be much photographic organising to do later in the evening. After changing into more comfortable clothing, and joined by our Australian friends, Chris, Murray and Rowena, we sat down to an excellent dinner of blue cod or sirloin beef prepared by our wonderful Chefs, Ed and Max. After dinner Lisle called a meeting of the Birding Group where several more species were ticked off the list including the Black-Browed Albatross, the Gentoo Penguin and Wilson’s Storm-Petrel. An early night was then in order as we would continue our visit to this wonderful island in the morning.


Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Day 8: 18th January
Macquarie Island / Sandy Bay (54⁰ S)

How does one begin to describe the marvellous day we had at Sandy Bay on Macquarie Island’s east coast. We were awakened with the good news that the weather had turned in our favour and that landings would be possible at our chosen site. In addition the day would be calm, dry and the sun would shine. We were up at 6:45AM to make the most of it. A good omen was the sighting of some orcas from the bridge before breakfast. Our practice on the Zodiacs yesterday helped make us experts at Zodiac entrance and exit today. The calmer seas also helped and the expert driving of Rodney and Lisle enabled us all to start out on a good note. The scene we encountered on landing took our breath away. Such an assembly of Subantarctic wildlife was more than we could have ever imagined. There were penguins of every description, in groups of two or three or more strolling on the sand and carefully avoiding the elephant seals scattered along the beach. There were groups of ten or twenty having an impromptu conference, and masses of tens of thousands in the nearby rookery. Royal and King Penguins were present in great numbers but the Rockhopper and Gentoo species were also spotted. The frolicking of groups of Royal Penguins in the surf brought laughter and delight to all at the enjoyment they were having. Many of us chose to sit quietly and allow the animals to come to us as their curiosity was aroused. Elephant seals were plentiful and the mock aggression acted out by the young bulls was a subject of much attention as they reared their massive bodies and snorted and barked out their serious playful show of strength. Amongst all this were hundreds of petrels and skuas, terns, gulls and prions. We were able to wander at leisure and had several hours in which to soak in this magnificent spectacle of nature. The Aussie rangers from the base, Chris, Murray and Rowena, had joined us for the morning and were patient in answering our many questions. Their input added greatly to the value and enjoyment of our Macquarie Island experience. Alas, after four hours in this very special part of the Subantarctic we had to bid adieu as it was time to resume our journey south. Soon the Zodiacs had transported everyone back to the ship where a warm lunch was awaiting our whetted appetites.

Our EL then announced a special treat in that we would be sailing along the rarely seen western side of Macquarie Island on our continued voyage to the Antarctic. Many of us visited the bridge to view this side of the island, cameras to the ready. The clear skies and excellent visibility made it an experience to be savoured. The sighting from the bridge of a school of Pilot Whales drew a large crowd and set the tone for the next stage of our trip as we entered into the regions inhabited by many different whale species. We would have to process our already voluminous collection of photographs to make room for the equally exciting days ahead. Our journey to Cape Adare would cover another 1240 nautical miles of the Southern Ocean and our excitement about visiting the Antarctic became almost visible.


Photo credit: Y Mischina

Day 9: 19th January
At sea (56⁰ S) heading for Cape Adare

After a restful night we awoke to the sound of our ship’s engines powering our way south. After breakfast Rodney gave us a re-cap lecture on Macquarie Island. Together with the film describing the multi-year Pest Eradication Programme, these nicely completed our wonderful two day visit to this nature sanctuary. It was a great way to end the first stage of our tour of the Subantarctic Islands.

Today, and for the next three days, we will be making for Cape Adare in Antarctica. We have travelled a long way already but there is still much to be excited about during the weeks ahead. Cape Adare is where Carsten Borchgrevink’s ‘Southern Cross’ party spent the first winter on the Antarctic continent in 1899-1900. It is also host to the world’s largest colony of Adelie Penguins. We have not yet seen any of those cute ittle creatures and we are very much looking forward to our first sighting. This afternoon Rodney gave an introductory talk on Antarctica and the Ross Sea area. We were not far from the Antarctic Convergence where the cold Antarctic current meets the warmer water of the northern ocean. The air temperature will drop and everyone will have to change to cold weather clothing. Soon our breath will be visible. By tomorrow morning the difference will be noticeable. Lisle is eager to begin sighting the Antarctic bird and mammal species as are the many keen birders on board. Stephen is also about to begin his history lectures which will no doubt stir vigorous debate and prepare all aboard for their visits to the various historic sites within the Ross Sea region. With luck ice conditions will be kind and will allow access to many of them. Once again we have had a great day. There is so much more to come.

Day 10: 20th January
At sea (60⁰ S) heading for Cape Adare

As the ship ventured south through the night everyone enjoyed a good night of rest. The ‘furious fifties’ had given us a respite which was much appreciated. However we were aware that we would soon enter the ‘screaming sixties’, an infamous 600 mile band of the Southern Ocean. Today, January 20, 2017 is doubly important in Antarctic history. It is the centenary of Shackleton’s final rescue of his ‘Endurance’ expedition. One hundred years ago on January 20, 1917 the ‘Aurora’ party sailed from the Ross Sea, with Shackleton and the remaining members of his Ross Sea Support Party, north for New Zealand. The ship was under the command of Master John King Davis, perhaps the most capable of all Antarctic ship’s captains. The date also marks the 60th Anniversary of the opening of New Zealand’s Scott Base. The base was constructed to house Sir Edmund Hillary’s party of 23 men in support of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by British geologist Dr Vivian Fuchs. As we were in the ‘dead zone’ where no land is sighted for four days our activities were focused on our photo collections and observation from the bridge. Added to this of course were various lectures and films. The morning saw Stephen give his first lecture on ‘The Unveiling of Antarctica’. This lecture covered the early history of Antarctic exploration from the time of ‘terra Australis incognita’ to explorers Captain Cook, James Clark Ross and Wilkes, and Dumont d’Urville of France; finishing with the Challenger expedition of 1872-75.

Lunch today was a delicious seafood chowder served with fresh bread and a dessert of banana bread with caramel sauce – Scrumptious!

After lunch the passengers were issued their cold weather parkas as temperatures are due to begin dropping noticeably. We will be crossing the Antarctic convergence in a few hours which will have a significant effect on air temperatures. The afternoon activities consisted of Episode 1 of the film ‘The Last Place on Earth’ based on Roland Huntford’s book ‘Amundsen and Scott’. The day was capped off by an excellent lecture on ‘Expedition Photography’ by our resident photography guru, Lisle. He will be very busy sorting out photography issues before we arrive in the Antarctic and our souvenir photos will benefit greatly as a result. Our Chefs then worked their magic once more and we all enjoyed a fabulous dinner of lamb or turkey.

Day 11: 21st January
At sea (63⁰ S) heading toward Cape Adare

Temperatures were dropping steadily now as the ship made her way south battling a strong headwind. This slowed her forward speed to less than ten knots. However, we still expected to reach Cape Adare in good time. The wind was forecast to shift in our favour early tomorrow morning and the way was reasonably clear of ice. As we are still at sea today will be occupied with activities aboard ship. These included a stirring lecture by our historian Stephen Hicks on ‘The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration’. Midway through the lecture an exciting announcement was made that our first iceberg had been sighted. It was still a couple of hours in the distance, about 18 miles, so we were able to finish the lecture. Immediately afterward the bridge was awash with passengers and cameras straining their eyes into the misty horizon for a glimpse of the icy giant. Eventually a form could be made out as the berg came into full view and passed quietly by a few kilometres on our port (left) side. It was a potent reminder of the environment that lay ahead. Needless to say many photographs were taken and a buzz of anticipation filled the air. The Iceberg Contest and prize was won by Sharon who not only predicted the time and date of its appearance but also sighted it before anyone else!

After lunch many of us viewed Episode 2 of The Last Place on Earth. This series is gaining interest as Scott completes the selection of men for his party and the ‘Terra Nova’ sets sail for the Antarctic. The remaining 4 episodes will be filled with drama no doubt and will fuel much debate on the merits of both Scott and Amundsen. After a rest and for some, a cup of tea, Grigory our mammal expert, gave a most informative talk on his favourite topic, Caetaceans (Whales & Dolphins). Everyone gained much knowledge about these amazing lords of the sea. With luck we would encounter a few of these species during the coming days of our journey, possibly ‘Killer’ Whales (Orcas) and perhaps Humpback Whales and Minke Whales. If Grigory gets his wish we might even sight a Blue Whale, the largest creature to ever inhabit our planet. To finish off this busy day Yulia, our Assistant Cruise Director, gave a lecture on Russian 101. Many of us yearn to communicate with members of our crew and housekeeping staff. Now that we know the basic greetings and courtesy phrases, this will become possible – with practice of course.

One of the last events of the day was the placing of scientific buoys on the Southern Ocean. These will transmit environmental data for research studies from various points as they drift over their lifetimes.

The day’s formal activity having ended many retired to read up on the history of the Ross Sea or to ascend to the bridge to implement the photography tips from Lisle’s lecture. There are beautiful, effortless bird-ballet movements outside the bridge that would make striking photographic subjects – now, if we can only catch them in motion, swooping and diving as they do!

Day 12: 22nd January
At sea (66⁰ S) bound for Cape Adare
Temp -1⁰ C – Seas calm

This morning we awoke to an amazing sight as icebergs could be seen in every direction, of all shapes and sizes. At 8:33AM an event of great significance occurred when the Spirit of Enderby crossed the Antarctic Circle at 66⁰ 34”. A rousing cheer was raised on the bridge and several hardy souls were poised forward on the bow in order to gain priority. The Antarctic Circle defines the northern limit of the sun’s ability to shine for twenty-four hours. This will now be our situation and we must remember to go to bed even though we may be tempted to go on for a few more hours! We then gathered in the bar to enjoy a cup of mulled wine while our Expedition Leader took everyone through the traditional ceremony of the Antarctic Circle Pledge. This is our personal commitment that we will advocate for the protection of the precious natural environment of the Antarctic in our lives now and following this expedition. We were then invested with the ‘Mark of the Penguin’ on our foreheads as a symbol of our new status.

Shortly afterward an advisory was called out over the ship’s radio “Whales have been sighted from the bridge!” Two different whale sightings occurred, one a Humpback Whale and the other, a Minke Whale. The excitement rose and cameras were deployed along the ship’s starboard side. This unforgettable event was then followed by a more relaxing hour as Stephen presented his third lecture on the history of Antarctic exploration – a presentation on Robert Falcon Scott’s first expedition on the ship ‘Discovery’. Each of his lectures builds on the preceding one while the series will cover expeditions up to and including the Crossing of Antarctica in 1955-58. Many icebergs floated past as our ship progressed on its journey south, with Captain Dimitri skilfully guiding the ship safely through the spectacular scenery. At 1:30PM we had 280 nautical miles left to reach Cape Adare and our arrival time on the Antarctic continent was estimated at approximately noon tomorrow if the favourable weather conditions continue to hold.

Our afternoon activities began with the chance to get some ‘shopping therapy’. The ship ‘shop’ opened for a couple of hours where passengers could purchase a wide variety of souvenirs of their journey. These included fine merino wool shirts, a wonderful collection of Antarctic and wildlife based books, and postcards, maps and posters. There will be many lucky recipients of gifts from Heritage Expeditions’ Spirit of Enderby once our passengers have returned to their home base. We then retired to the lecture room and enjoyed Episode three of the film based on Huntford’s book, Scott and Amundsen. Opinions are starting to be cast in stone as to which leader was the most capable or was Scott simply ‘unlucky’?

We finished the day with a ‘quarantine’ check as we are entering the Antarctic Treaty region and plan to land on the continent tomorrow. It is important that exotic flora or fauna do not get inadvertently transported into the Antarctic from external sources. All in all, it was another very full and worthwhile day of sailing through the ‘dead zone’ of the ‘screaming sixties’. We look forward tomorrow to entering the ‘silent seventies’ while tonight there will certainly be photographers up on the bridge taking advantage of the long days.


Photo credit: G. Tsidulko

Day 13: 23rd January
At sea (72⁰ S) 58 miles out from Cape Adare

The day rose clear and cold. Antarctic Snow Petrels were swooping and diving, skimming the ocean swell about the ship. Seas were moderate and it had been a night of smooth sailing. The plan for today is to land on Ridley Beach at Cape Adare, weather and ice permitting. Mother Nature always has the final call in these endeavours. We will see the state of local conditions as we approach the beach before we know if a landing will be possible. This will be at about 11:30AM. Many passengers spent time on the bridge and up higher on the ‘monkey deck’ taking in the full view as the continent began to reveal itself through the mist. A spectacular vision awaited. The horizon was a solid mass of high peaked snow-covered mountains framed by the blue sky above and the frothy white-capped Southern Ocean below – Magnificent! Mt Sabine and Mt Minto were particularly outstanding with their 3700 metre plus height. We were now less than 20 miles from Cape Adare. A pod of Beaked Whales appeared on our port bow near the ship but disappeared quickly. We were treated to a beautiful blue-sky day with sunlight that brought out the best of the incredible scenery. As we made our way to Cape Adare we gazed in wonder at the ice floes that surrounded our ship and then at the massive ‘bergs’ of Iceberg Alley seemingly in repose against the skyline of Cape Adare and the mountains of the continental interior behind. Many braved the bitter wind standing at the bow or on the top deck to get the best vantage point. With 24 hour daylight there will be much opportunity for outstanding and unique photography. While on the bridge we observed Adelie Penguins passing by on their icy platforms or even leaping out of the water as they swam by. Minke Whales made several appearances and a variety of petrels and other Antarctic species flew about the ship. There were two sightings of seals basking in the sun’s rays as they lay each on their private floating bed of brash ice. Alas, a landing at Cape Adare was not possible due to the accumulation of ice around the landing site of Ridley Beach.

However, as we will be returning via this route in a few days another opportunity may present itself. Our alternate plan will be to continue into the Ross Sea to examine the Possession Islands for a possible landing. These were first discovered by James Clark Ross in 1842 and are a site of considerable historic interest. There is also a large colony of Adelie Penguins on the main island. They are approximately four hours away and it may be necessary for us to utilise the perpetual daylight to effect a landing and we were advised to be prepared should that be the case. Before that we enjoyed a hearty dinner to prime us with some energy.

Conditions were near perfect for a Zodiac cruise. The islands and icebergs around us were stunning in the twilight. The peaks of the Admiralty Range of the Trans-Antarctic Mountains were visible in the distance. At 8:30PM the first group of passengers was taken out for an hour’s cruise around the shores of Possession Island. The scene was magical as masses of Adelie Penguins socialised on the shores and up into the furthest heights hundreds of feet up the cliff-tops! Their comrades gave us a continual display of their swimming prowess and antics, ‘porpoising’ all around us and making a mockery of our attempts to photograph them in the air. It seemed too soon that we were heading back to the ship not realising that it was getting near 10:00PM as the 24 hour daylight regime had arrived. That would take some getting used to! The outing was a wonderful ending to a day of amazing vistas as each new view seemed to surpass the last and our voyage was not yet at its mid-point!


Photo credit: L. Gwynn


Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Day 14: 24th January
Ross Sea, Cape Hallett (73⁰ S)

We awoke (if we hadn’t spent the night admiring the scenery from the bridge) at 6:30AM to an announcement by our EL that it was a glorious morning and that we were now entering Edisto Bay and heading for Cape Hallett. Soon many of us were out on deck enjoying bright sunshine and perfectly clear air. In a few moments the ship was gliding through the ice floes, gently pushing them aside. Patterns of fresh new ice that had formed overnight decorated the clear cold water. Majestic Mt Herschel glinted on the shoreline with a glacier leading to the Polar Plateau nearby. It was an excellent start to our day and we had not even eaten breakfast! On closer inspection the ice around Cape Hallett prevented a landing at the site of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) joint New Zealand/USA base of 1956-1973 but the stunning views more than satisfied our interest. On exiting the bay we again headed south and made for Coulman Island about five hours away. Our ship’s Captain Dimitri and the Expedition Leader then decided to take a route that had never been open previously. This was to sail through the passage between Coulman Island and the continent rather than pass by the island’s eastern side. We spent the day admiring the placid waters reflecting the island’s cliff-face, strewn with ice in all shapes and sizes. Some of the floes carried lone Adelie Penguins. In one case a Leopard Seal was spotted having a lounge in the sun. The ship pushed them aside as we stood outside on the decks and at the bow. One hardy fellow, young Matt, our Heritage Expeditions’ Enderby Trust scholarship winner, wore shorts and jandals until he went back to his cabin only to re-emerge having put on a pair of socks! It was a stunning day of sunshine and calm waters that turned the Ross Sea into an Antarctic wonderland. We also learned that in the Antarctic, distances are much further than they seem. The scale of the continent is such that the experience of our warmer climes makes us ill-suited to judge distances as it seemed to take forever to reach and pass Coulman Island. On the west coast we could see the opening to the mighty Tucker Glacier that leads up onto the Polar Plateau at 10,000 ft. of elevation. Two other glaciers fed their ice to the sea further south, the Mariner Glacier and the Borchgrevink Glacier that fittingly exited into Lady Newnes Bay named after the patron and sponsor of the first party to winter over on the continent at Cape Adare.  Eventually, we were back into the ice pack which took another hour to traverse before we were back in open water.

Just after dinner an announcement was made that a rare Emperor Penguin had been sighted on a passing floe. We quickly gathered our cameras and were out on deck recording this rare opportunity to see one of nature’s most fascinating creatures.

Our target destination is Terra Nova Bay, about 150 miles distant, where we hope to make a landing tomorrow. We expect to arrive at about mid-day. This bay is the site of three Antarctic research bases, those of South Korea, Italy and Germany (Gondwana). Having had a big day from our early morning start at Cape Hallett we were ready for a good night’s rest, looking forward to what tomorrow would bring.


Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Day 15: 25th January
Terra Nova Bay / Inexpressible Island (75⁰ S)

The day dawned clear, bright and crisp but soon the sun would warm the air. The announcement came that conditions were ideal for a landing at the island made famous by Robert Falcon Scott’s ‘Northern Party’. The party, led by Captain Victor Campbell, was initially Scott’s Eastern Party and was sent to explore the area around the Bay of Whales and King Edward VII Land. However, on arrival they found that Norwegian, Roald Amundsen, had already placed his base ‘Framheim’ at that location. Although Amundsen invited Campbell to join him there, Campbell felt uncomfortable and declined. On returning to Cape Evans and reporting this turn of events to Scott he was given a new assignment to explore the areas further north on the western side of the Ross Sea near Cape Adare. His party became stranded when the relief ship Terra Nova was unable to reach them and they had to spend another winter in an ice cave on Inexpressible Island (re-named after their ordeal) surviving on the seals and penguins that they could kill. On emerging from the cave in November 1912, and in very poor health, they then walked over 200 miles from Inexpressible Island to Cape Evans. It was a miracle that any of them survived. The site of the ice cave is now marked by a humble plaque commemorating their incredible experience. On arrival Rodney led us to the site of the original ice cave. The island is composed mainly of granite with boulders of all shapes and sizes strewn across the landscape. There is a large Adelie Penguin rookery nearby and the antics of the penguins provided entertainment for all. One had to beware of the nests of the skua gulls as they are very protective and more than once they let us know if we were getting too close. There were also several Weddell Seals ashore lounging on the rocks. They seem not to mind sleeping on the hard rocky shore and patiently allowed us to take copious photographs. One of the day’s highlights came during the second visit in the afternoon with the discovery of two Emperor Penguins holding court far above the water line. Many spent over an hour admiring their calm demeanor as they stood calmly for our close inspection. The hills of Inexpressible Island provided ample terrain for those with a tramping inclination. Both the morning and afternoon groups gave it their best and covered many kilometres at various altitudes on the island. The view of the Priestley and Reeves Glacier’s exit to the Ross Sea was spectacular and will be a fond memory etched into the minds of those who ventured to climb the ridge.

We then returned to the ship having had a great day of exercise and enjoyed a well-earned meal of rib-eye steak or monkfish. With appetites satisfied and muscles spent, a sound sleep was now the priority. The ship was anchored in the bay for the night and tomorrow would find us ready to continue our voyage in the majesty of Antarctica.


Photo credit: G. Tsidulko

Day 16: 26th January
Terra Nova Bay / Gerlache Inlet (75⁰ S)

Once again we awoke to a clear calm blue-bird day. Some of us felt the effects of yesterday’s exhilarating walks on Inexpressible Island but no doubt we will find new energy and be keen for today’s activities. There are two bases at this location, the Korean base, and the nearby German summer base, Gondwana, while the Italian base is a short way to the southern end of the bay.

We were called to the starboard gangplank at 9:30AM and the Zodiacs were ready to ferry us to our landing spot on the beach at Gerlache Inlet. Sea conditions were benign and everyone made an easy landing which, for most of us, also meant setting foot for the first time on the Antarctic continent! This was one of the most significant moments of our voyage. It was a warm day by Antarctic standards and we broke into two main groups, one a smaller party that went for an extended walk up a distant hill while the remainder were encouraged to go for a free-spirited wander. The highlights other than the striking natural scenery included the tidy German Antarctic base and, just over the rise to the north, the much larger Korean base. One had to be careful not to approach too closely to any of the numerous skua nesting sites as mom and dad skua were keeping a close watch for intruders and would swoop menacingly with a sharp ‘squawk’ at anyone who got too close. We quickly learned to identify their warning signs, a wing display and then the shrieking calls. We enjoyed the almost balmy morning weather but the Zodiacs were due at 12:30PM since there was a possibility of visiting the Italian base in the afternoon. This was confirmed as we ate lunch and excitement was again in the air.

At 2:45 and 3:15PM two groups would be taken to the base named ‘Mario Zucchelli’ after the foremost Italian Antarctic scientist and first Director of the base when it was established in 1986. It lies at 74⁰ 41” S. We were met by three base personnel, Marco, a twenty year veteran and the base Director, Matthew, the base medical officer, and Paolo, the IT Manager. They showed us the hospitality for which they are famous and guided us on a very interesting walk throughout the base premises. Afterwards we were served coffee and biscuits and had the chance to chat with the base scientists and staff. Italy also joint operates an inland base. We then posed for photographs with our hosts which will be a reminder of their warm welcome.

Finally we returned to the ship and retired to the bar before enjoying a delicious dinner prepared by our Chefs Ed and Max. A special treat this evening was the celebration of Elizabeth’s birthday with a song led by the HE staff in fine voice. It also meant that we all shared in a delicious birthday cake. Yum!

The ship then departed southward immediately for our next destination, Franklin Island. Another highlight awaited as we soon passed, on our starboard side, a famous geographical feature, the Drygalski Ice Tongue. This massive tongue of ice extends 70km into the Ross Sea and is 40km wide – what a fitting way to top off another superb day in the Antarctic!

Day 17: 27th January
Ross Sea / Franklin Island (76⁰)

The ship dropped anchor at Franklin Island in the early morning hours after a smooth journey south. The island takes its name from Sir John Franklin, governor of Tasmania who was a friend of James Clark Ross, who discovered the Ross Sea in 1842. The conditions were ideal for a landing and our EL, Rodney declared it a go with an early 6:00AM wake-up call. After a briefing on the site features the excitement mounted quickly for our visit. There is a huge Adelie Penguin colony on the island which will be the main subject of interest. We were advised to be especially careful not to disturb the birds as they are in the midst of raising and feeding their chicks. The Zodiacs leave at 8:00AM. Dress warmly!

After landing with waterproof boots and pants as suggested we made our way around the shore to the beach and bins where we deposited our life jackets. Then it was time to get out the cameras and go for a wander into the most amazing penguin colony. As far as the eye could see there were Adelie Penguins in all stages of development but mostly in the ‘raising a family’ stage. The fluffy little creatures with ravenous appetites were either sleeping contentedly or chasing their mothers (or any adult penguin who would listen) for a feed. Everyone took their own approach to explore this amazing gathering of life in the wild. We spent several hours in a relaxed and close-up examination of the behavioural traits of these wonderful creatures.

There were several Weddell seals resting among the throng as if nothing else mattered. They posed patiently for photographs. Skua gulls flew continuously over the throng looking for any opportunities for a feed. It was nature at its purest and was a lot to take in. But after returning to the ship a few hours later we all realised what a privilege it had been to live such an exhilarating experience. We were ready for lunch and a restful afternoon ourselves. Episode 4 of The Last Place on Earth took us a bit further with the story of the Scott-Amundsen 1911-12 race to the pole. Meanwhile the ship was heading still further south towards Ross Island.

Later in the evening we arrived within sight of the southern sentinels of the continent, Mt Erebus and Mt Terror, so named by Ross after his two sturdy ships. Very soon we could make out Cape Crozier, named after the commander of the HMS Terror, and the impenetrable ice ‘Barrier’ that blocked Ross from continuing further south, as it did us today. It was an awesome sight to watch the turbulent Ross Sea beating up against the mighty Ross Ice Shelf as it has done for centuries with none the victor. Since it was getting late despite the bright sky many decided to catch up on sleep and prepare for what the next day would bring. It had been full-on since 6:00AM and it was a most rewarding day indeed.


Photo credit: G. Tsidulko

Day 18: 28th January
The Barrier (77⁰ 30’ S)

Our journey south ended at 77⁰ 30’ S. thwarted by the sea ice that had refused to leave McMurdo Sound. This was a very unusual ice condition for this time of year confirming yet again that Mother Nature will have her way. We then turned and began heading north for Cape Adare where we hoped to make a landing, ice and surf permitting, sometime over the next 48 hours. The swell was a bit heavy today so lectures were postponed in the interest of safety and comfort. These would be delivered once the swell abates.

Today was spent catching up on our rest, our reading, our diaries, or organizing our many photos. Of course it was always possible to climb the decks to possibly get that one special picture of Antarctica or its wildlife. There was even an intensive game of 3D-scrabble underway in the bar. Other games and challenging puzzles were also occupying the passengers. Here’s to good conditions as we expect to reach Cape Adare tomorrow afternoon.


Photo credit: Y. Mischina


Photo credit: G. Tsidulko

Day 19: 29th January
At sea and heading for Cape Adare (75⁰ S)

We had a good night’s rest and continued to make our way north. The seas were calm and today’s programme included two lectures and Episode 5 of the film ‘The Last Place on Earth’ based on Roland Huntford’s book ‘Scott and Amundsen’. In the morning Rodney gave a most interesting talk on the Antarctic Treaty System as it relates to tourism in the Antarctic. He described the 12 articles that make up the treaty and then outlined how these help (or not) with the regulation of Antarctic tourism. He also gave us his view of what the future may hold in this growing activity. Many questions and much discussion ensued. This was followed by our polar historian Stephen’s fourth lecture in his history of Antarctic exploration series and covered Ernest Shackleton’s ‘Nimrod’ expedition of 1907-09 which earned Shackleton a knighthood as well as the Royal Geographic Society’s special Gold Medal. Our visit to within a stone’s throw of Mt Erebus, our sighting of the Drygalski Ice Tongue and the ‘Barrier’ itself all resonated with the expedition’s major accomplishments. During the afternoon we viewed Episode 5 of The Last Place on Earth as Scott and Amundsen make their way onto the polar plateau. The excitement builds as the drama unfolds! Our day was far from over however.

After dinner our EL announced that we were approaching Cape Adare and we would examine it to see if a landing would be possible. When we went up to the bridge it was a scene from nature at its most primitive and powerful. We had returned to Antarctica’s ‘Iceberg Alley’. The ship was carefully threading its way through a maze of massive icebergs which were slowly receding into the mist behind us. The winds were blowing at 30-40 knots. Gazing into the ocean mist ahead we could see more icebergs floating in the storm tossed sea. It was a scene from some primeval era of the planet. With great caution born of his many years of experience the captain steered the ship around the headland and soon we found ourselves in relatively calm waters, free of ice, and out of the severe winds. We had entered Robertson Bay. After a few minutes we came into view of historic Ridley beach where Carsten Borchgrevink and his party spent the first Antarctic winter night. The bridge was packed with onlookers, cameras and binoculars close at hand. Soon the little wooden hut became visible to the naked eye dwarfed by the mountainous background. A major objective of our journey had been achieved. It now remained for our expedition team to determine if a landing was possible. Our EL decided that as the daylight was beginning to wane it would be best to wait until morning before making a final call as to what it would be possible to do safely and with most benefit to our passengers. With that we retired to our cabins for a good night’s rest within the more quiet and placid confines of Robertson Bay.

Day 20: 30th January
Robertson Bay and Cape Adare (71⁰ S)

Our wake-up call came early as the EL advised of sunshine and a possible landing on Ridley Beach. The one obstacle was a new Antarctic phenomenon for us to experience – a fierce katabatic wind that was blowing down off the mountainous terrain of Cape Adare. As we struggled our way around the outer deck we felt a definite rise in the air temperature from yesterday evening bringing with it the more familiar aroma being swept off the huge Adelie Penguin colony residing on the beach. This is the largest colony of its kind with a population estimated at over 1,000,000 residents. There in the middle of it all was Borchgrevink’s hut of 1899, shrunk to a tiny edifice amidst the grandeur of the Cape Adare geography. The abatement of the katabatic wind which we were awaiting was not to be but the magnificent scenery of the Cape, the hut and the great mountains such as Mt Minto and Mt Adam to the west, both well over 10,000 ft., was more than sufficient compensation.

With that, the Spirit of Enderby set her course to the north-west making for the Balleny Islands one of the most remote areas on the planet. These promise to offer a variety of wildlife such as Chinstrap Penguins, whales and seals in addition to re-introducing us to the albatross family. We expect to arrive there by noon tomorrow. In the meantime, Stephen gave us his history lecture #5 ‘Scott and Amundsen - The Race to the Pole’. This lecture, coming in conjunction with the film ‘The Last Place on Earth’  which relates the same expedition, gave added grist to the mill for debating the merits of the two very different strategies taken by the leaders as they sought polar glory.

In the afternoon we learned all about the newly agreed Marine Protected Area (MPA) for the Ross Sea. Grigory was closely involved with this successful effort to declare over 1.2m sq. km. as subject to regulation under the CCAMLR convention. We can only hope that species such as the Antarctic Tooth-fish and krill, and indirectly whales, will benefit from this and similar agreements.

Towards the end of the afternoon we had reached latitude 71⁰ S. as we headed north to the Balleny Islands. Our visit there tomorrow holds much promise as the islands are a source of extraordinary bio-diversity.

Day 21: 31st January
At sea making for the Balleny Islands (69⁰ S)

Last night and this morning we continued making our way toward the Balleny Islands, a series of islands inside the Antarctic Treaty region. Before noon we were in sight of Sturge Island, the first of the islands, at 66⁰ S. We had re-entered the ‘screaming sixties’ and the seas and ice confirmed we were indeed in the Antarctic. But once we were protected from the easterly winds the sea calmed and amazingly the low cloud lifted and we were treated to magnificent views of the island’s ice protected shoreline, interrupted by impressive glaciers, piedmonts and ice tongues. The entire length of the island was covered by a white blanket of wispy cloud with azure blue patches decorating the sky overhead only just hiding the peak of Mt Russell, its highest point. As we left the island behind Lisle spotted two Humpback Whales on the port side. Many of us quickly ascended to the bridge and outer decks where we were able to photograph the whales blowing and cavorting in the ocean waters below. The afternoon also saw the concluding episode of ‘The Last Place on Earth’. The finale, despite being well known, left many feeling sympathy not only for Scott but also for Amundsen. Did Scott, by his death, come out as the winner in this tragic contest of the heroic age?

Towards the latter part of the afternoon we came upon three unique islands of the Balleny group. These were Buckles, Sabrina and Chin-Strap islands. Beautiful rock formations and brilliant icebergs with the sunshine highlighting the scene captured everyone’s attention with the monkey deck a favourite vantage point. A Zodiac cruise will require the seas and wind to relent somewhat so the EL made the decision to stand by and see what the morning would bring. An evening within sight of these islands will top off what has been a wonderful day which included several whale sightings and the return of the albatross. We would sleep well tonight.


Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Day 22: 1st February
Balleny Islands – Sabrina, Buckles and Chinstrap (67⁰)

We slept well in the lee of Buckle Island and awoke to the first day of February. Our hopes to launch a Zodiac cruise were set aside as, to coin a phrase, it was a ‘swelly’ morning, making it too risky to use them to gain the shore. We trained our eyes and binoculars on Sabrina Island and could clearly see the large penguin colony that inhabited even the highest ridges. The ability of penguins to climb steep slopes is amazing. We concluded it must be because of the outstanding views these sites provide the residents. Chances were very good that Chinstrap as well as Adelie Penguins co-exist in this colony. We had much to look forward to this morning as our route northward took us past Borradaile Island and along the coast of Young Island. This had given us an excellent look at the entire Balleny group together with our magnificent views the previous evening of Buckle, Sabrina (an SPA – Specially Protected Area under the Antarctic Treaty) and Chinstrap Islands. As we were reminded, more people have climbed Mt Everest than have visited the Balleny Islands. Our course today will take us out past the Antarctic Circle (66⁰ 34’ S) and on toward our next destination, New Zealand’s beautiful Campbell Island. The bird life and especially the return of the albatrosses will be an exciting highlight of this leg of our journey with Campbell Island being the major site of the nesting grounds for the Southern Royal Albatross.

Excitement reigned in the bridge after breakfast as pods of the ocean’s major predator were sighted near the ship. Orcas of the Type ‘C’ species, in groups of three or four were sighted at various distances from the ship. The estimate was that 15-20 were in our midst including young and mature whales. It was cameras to the ready as we flocked to the decks to observe their incredible swimming power as they outdistanced the ship with ease. It was another highlight to our trip and capped off our visit to Antarctica, this most remote part of our planet.

After lunch and as we left Young Island, the last of the Balleny’s, we enjoyed and learned from the special documentary ‘The Last Ocean’. This and a history lecture by Stephen on Shackleton’s ‘Endurance’ expedition completed the day’s scheduled programme. It was of special interest to learn that one of our passengers has a special connection with this storied expedition. Doug Graham’s great-aunt, living in England as a girl, used to play on and around the original James Caird before it was restored and placed in its present location at Dulwich College.

A special ‘formal’ dinner was held this evening to mark the crossing of the Antarctic Circle and the success of our journey to the Antarctic. A jovial time was had by all as we celebrated the occasion and looked forward to our next stop, historic Campbell Island. The Birding Club has so far had an outstanding voyage with almost a 100% rate on eyeing targeted species, both birds and mammals. This, while we still have the species rich Campbell Island to explore!


Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Day 23: 2nd February
At sea making for Campbell Island (64⁰ S)

Rougher seas overnight and early this morning but we have adapted to shipboard conditions and we are sleeping well. We have now left the unique polar region of 24 hour daylight. We are now at 64⁰ S and steadily making our way due north. At a rate of 10mph and the distance to Campbell being 800 miles we should arrive in late afternoon on February 4, winds and weather permitting.

The day was focused on learning with two lectures and the film ‘Longitude’ on the agenda. Grigory gave a fascinating talk on one of his favourite topics ‘Sub-Glacial Lakes of Antarctica’. This opened our eyes in terms of the large number of these lakes and the fact that many of them are inter-connected. He explained the key research projects underway to better understand their characteristics and impact on the surrounding ice environment. In the afternoon Stephen gave a most interesting lecture on the Fuchs-Hillary ‘Crossing of Antarctica 1955-58’. This expedition finally completed the ‘last great journey’ and generated significant publicity and controversy which continues to occupy historians 60 years later. It also marked the end of the large privately funded expedition style of the ‘heroic age’.

During the evening those of us who were out on the bridge before turning in were witness to a most spectacular sunset from 10:00PM to 10:30PM. Hopefully, everyone will experience at least one of these magical moments before we arrive in Bluff.

Day 24: 3rd February
At sea (57⁰ S) Making for Campbell Island

We awoke to find the ship making good progress north and a temperature of +7⁰ C. which means we must have crossed the Antarctic Convergence, the wavy line where the warmer waters of the northern ocean meet the cooler water from Antarctica. We would spend another day at sea and expect to arrive at Campbell Island tomorrow night about 10:00PM. The seas and winds are normal and quieter than might be expected in the ‘furious fifties’. People are getting their photographs organised and preparing for the many opportunities we will encounter at Campbell Island. We all made a good start by attending Lisle’s excellent and most amusing presentation ‘Birding 101’. After being introduced to Lisle’s childhood he showed us why he is so passionate about the avian family. His goal of turning us all into either ‘birders’ or perhaps ‘twitchers’ shows great promise of being realised. We will all look at birds differently after this trip. We also have finally learned how to shop for a good pair of binoculars!

Later in the morning Rodney introduced us to Campbell Island, a place that he knows very well having personally participated in the revival of its natural environment. Rodney outlined the history of the island, its pastoral leases and the effects of visitors who brought cats and rats and sheep which particularly damaged the beautiful floral paradise that Sir Joseph Hooker (of James Clark Ross’ expedition) had described in 1841. In more recent times New Zealand operated a meteorological station which has now been fully automated. Fortunately a major multi-year effort was undertaken in 2001 to remove the rats, the sheep and cats having been removed earlier. This was successful and the island is now free of introduced pests and animals. Everyone on board eagerly anticipated encounters with several unique yet abundant species of flora and fauna. These include various megaherbs and sub-alpine plants including the beautiful Pleurophyllum speciosum and tussock grass Poa foliosa. There are 6 species of albatross that nest on the island including the beautiful Southern Royal and the endemic Campbell Albatross. With their return from near-extinction the New Zealand Pipit and Campbell Island Flightless Teal can be seen as well as Rockhopper and Yellow-eyed Penguins. Eager birders should achieve many new ‘ticks’.

The afternoon agenda was also kept busy with another ‘ship-shop’ and a historic documentary film ‘Foothold on Antarctica’ that described the Advance Party Expedition of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (CTAE) into the Weddell Sea which established Vivian Fuchs’ base ‘Shackleton’ on the coast at Vahsel Bay in February 1956. The day was topped off with The Antarctic Quiz organised and developed by Will and Emily. Sixty tough questions including one based on recognizing 10 different National anthems and one based on ten different animal sounds narrated by David Attenborough made it a difficult challenge indeed. Great fun was had by all even though a few protests were lodged. In the end Team Krohmoff won with 41 pts out of a possible 60 on a closely fought contest. Their team took their name from the Russian name of our ship “Professor Khromov”. We have one more night and day at sea and look to sleep in the sheltered confines of Perseverance Harbour tomorrow night.

Day 25: 4th February
At sea (54⁰ S) making for Campbell Island, 155 miles away

It’s 1:00 AM and the call came out from Lisle at the bridge. The Aurora Australis had made an appearance in the now darkened night sky! Awake - all those who want to observe one of the planet’s most beautiful phenomena! Many of us spent hours on deck staring in awe at the illuminated sky while sheets of green danced across the sky. Our journey had given us yet another opportunity to count our blessings at the marvels we have experienced.

Faye, our Cruise Director, gently woke us in the morning since many had only had a few hours sleep after enjoying the night’s light show. This morning our EL advised us the day’s programme would be on hold and to be “rigidly flexible” since the seas were hitting us on the beam due to our course for Campbell Island. We will arrive at about 11:00PM based on current conditions. Due to the heavy swell our lectures were put on hold today. This left time to add some pictures of albatross to our collection. The conditions were ideal and the birds did not disappoint. The lords of the air gave us a magnificent display of their aeronautic prowess. It was wonderful to watch as they flew in pairs or solo down until their wing-tip would brush the sea only to then glide effortlessly through the trough of the wave and then they would circle and repeat the manoeuvre. Many of us attempted to capture them on our cameras as they sailed past. It became a game but eventually with patience and practice we became more proficient and most will return home with good albatross photos. Sharon was undoubtedly our champion having taken many stunning photographs.

The sun shone all day and the Southern Ocean was at its ‘furious fifties’ best. We will all remember this day on the sea which the gallant Spirit of Enderby shrugged off as ‘just another day in the office’. Tomorrow we will awake in the calm of Perseverance Harbour at Campbell Island.

Day 26: 5th February
Campbell Island (52⁰ S)

Last night we slept like baby seals in the arms of Perseverance Harbour. The morning was a bit drizzly and there was some breeze but the front would move through during the day. We had one more ‘quarantine’ to perform as Campbell Island is ‘pest-free’, one of the largest such areas in the world. Breakfast was at 7:30AM since we had a very busy day ahead. After breakfast we gathered for a briefing where our EL explained the plan for the day. There were several options including a ‘long’ walk (12km), a Zodiac cruise through the island’s bays and historic sights, and an afternoon walk to the nesting sites of the Southern Royal Albatross or a combination of these. The weather forecast from our experienced EL was for improvement so it was all go.

Those with energy to spare chose the long walk while others chose to do the Zodiac cruise in the morning and the albatross walk in the afternoon. It all worked out perfectly with the sky clearing and the winds abating. The cruise around the bays revealed birds such as Antarctic terns, several species of gulls, and Northern Giant Petrels. The sea lions were especially welcoming as they frolicked around the Zodiacs and kept our cameras clicking with their ever-changing poses. The long-walkers were not disappointed, returning with some hints of well used muscles but were well rewarded with sightings of sea-lions and rare crested penguins. The board-walkers also had a great afternoon topped off with their visit to the largest nesting colony of Royal Albatross on the planet. There were multiple sightings of the rare Campbell Island Snipe. Sharon brought back excellent photos of the small long-beaked bird. The beautiful megaherb Pleurophyllum speciosum was in flower and its purple carpet formed the backdrop for many photographs. It was a true feast from Mother Nature which we were very fortunate to enjoy in such benign conditions.

Our evening dinner was made complete with a dessert of fine cheeses and crackers complemented with good wines and juices from the bar. It was a wonderful way to stretch our legs as our journey exited the furious fifties with its days at sea, and entered its final week. The good news is that we have another day tomorrow to more fully enjoy this special island and the natural wonders it has to offer. With all the fresh air we inhaled during the day we will certainly sleep well tonight.


Photo credit: L. Gwynn


Photo credit: L. Gwynn

Day 27: 6th February
Campbell Island Perseverance Harbour (52⁰ S)

The morning call from Faye came at 7:15AM and our second day on this beautiful island had begun. The programme was similar to yesterday with minor variations as the numbers would be different on the different activities. The wind had died down and the bay was calm. Many chose the option of a day on Col Lyall with its boardwalk access to the fabulous Southern Royal Albatross nesting sites. They were not disappointed.

There was also an in-depth Zodiac cruise of the bays and this time there was success in the sighting of the elusive Campbell Island Flightless Teal (called a duck by some). Several sightings and photographs were reported of the Campbell Island Snipe, also an endangered species and fortunately on the rebound. There were eight passengers plus two staff who opted for the ascent of Mt Honey. A reasonably benign climb in good conditions, it became somewhat trickier in the deepening mist and continuing drizzle that set in after a brilliant start. After being given an enthusiastic send-off by a pair of energetic sea lions we marched with our leader, Grigory, onward and upward. There is no strong track to follow once one has navigated the more trodden mud-bowls and crossed the many streams up to the tussock area. Route finding then became more important and our leader, taking dead aim, enabled us all to ‘summit’, applying the philosophy of ‘leading from behind’ due to the eagerness of some in the group to snag a Campbell Island ‘first’. Grigory did a great job to ensure that we kept together so no one would lose their way – not an impossibility in the conditions. Many of the group then transferred at the wharf and immediately took on the Col Lyall boardwalk one more time. Others chose to return later after drying out. The weather favoured those who went early in the afternoon and who doubled their enjoyment of that spectacular walk. Dinner was set back an hour to allow maximum enjoyment of the day and frequent Zodiac shuttles were run from the ship to the island wharf. We were all grateful to our EL for this excellent ferry service that allowed everyone to enjoy the final day of at Campbell Island to the utmost.

Tonight at 11:00PM we set our course for Stewart Island with an estimated travel time of 36 hours. We will savour our final days at sea.

Day 28: 7th February
At sea (50⁰ S) heading for Stewart Island

We awoke after a restless night at sea. The Southern Ocean had decided to give us a farewell experience of its ‘rocking and rolling’ nature. This continued throughout the day which gave us all an excuse for an afternoon nap. Reading and photo organising were the order of the day. Things eased during the afternoon and the bright sunshine coaxed several hardy passengers on deck for some fresh air and a final chance to photograph the beautiful albatross.

By tomorrow morning we will have anchored in the lee of Stewart Island where we must prepare for the end of our journey – and what an amazing journey it has been.

Day 29: 8th February
Stewart Island (48⁰ S)

Everyone enjoyed much calmer seas overnight since the EL and captain agreed to modify our course slightly. Although adding a bit more distance it eased the passage considerably. By morning we were in the lee of Stewart Island and its out islands. This was our last complete day at sea and the weather turned out fine with high temperatures of 10⁰ C., little wind, and clear blue skies.

There were administrative tasks to attend to such as returning our borrowed gum-boots and our life-jackets. Three more events completed the morning activity. First off was a very interesting documentary film of the project to rid Campbell Island of its introduced rat population. This multi-year effort was completed in 2003 and involved a complex process of bait trials, geographic selection, and logistical challenges over the island’s often difficult terrain and weather conditions. Its great success will encourage similar projects on even larger islands and possibly in worldwide locations. The film was followed with a presentation by Rodney on ‘Heritage Expeditions – Behind the Scenes’. We were all interested to learn how the ship is maintained in prime running condition with both annual check-ups and a major inspection every five years. Our Russian crew are also very experienced and some have been with Heritage Expeditions for over a decade. The presentation included an entertaining video made on-board by Sherry of the techniques employed by the Chefs in the galley when seas are high. Ed and Max, together with Natalia and Olga, have not missed a beat in providing us with tasty meals, three times daily, despite sometimes very difficult conditions. Ed and Max joined us to field many questions and provide insight on how they make it all happen. All the passengers greatly appreciated their efforts behind the scenes. The morning was rounded out by our medic Dr Roger who presented on his research into the differences experienced between men and women following surgery for tonsillectomy. ‘Gender Wars – An Inflammatory Situation’ brought forth several conclusions. The most startling was the difference between genders of their sensibilities to certain types of pain. Needless to say, Roger’s talk did raise a few questions!

The afternoon hours gave an opportunity to settle our accounts and to admire the outstanding views of the east side of Stewart Island. We then gathered for a wrap-up of our adventure into the Ross Sea over the Southern Ocean with a briefing on the final day’s departure programme and acknowledgements to the excellent contributions to our trip from Captain Dimitri and his crew. We then enjoyed a beautifully prepared photographic record of our voyage prepared by Yulia and Lisle. This was based on photographs taken by them, with contributions from passengers, over the past 30 days. The video quickly reminded us of the special journey we had just completed. Copies were then made available to everyone. This will be followed by a copy of the Expedition Log post voyage that Stephen compiled daily as the trip progressed from our departure from Bluff, thirty days ago, on January 12.
 
A special celebration dinner was held on our last night together aboard the Spirit of Enderby and Ed and Max did themselves proud. A tasty soup puree followed by Rack of Lamb or Braised Salmon were on the menu. These were topped off by a beautiful dessert and cheese plate in the bar. Apparently the socialising went on for some time thereafter. It would be an early wake-up call of 6:45AM the next morning since everyone would be heading outward from the ship to various points north from Bluff onwards.

Day 30: 9th February
Bluff, Southland New Zealand (47⁰ S)

Our ship, the ‘Spirit of Enderby – Professor Khromov’, our home and safe haven for the past thirty days, sailed smoothly into Bluff harbour on a calm and beautiful morning shortly after 6:00AM, slightly ahead of schedule. The sea was like a pane of glass, a mirror reflecting the clear bright sunrise while the pilot boat quietly guided her to her berth. It was an early start to the day for everyone since all bags needed to be tagged red, green or white depending on destination and placed in the corridors for loading and transport. A final group photograph was taken before boarding the coach for a ride either to the airport, the hotel, or other location in Invercargill. It was fond farewells all around and the new friendships we had made were evident in the many smiles and best wishes and hugs. Staff stood at the entrance to the bus and waved one more time as the bus drove from the wharf leaving the ship and crew to prepare for her next voyage. A tear or two might have been shed for the wonderful month we had experienced together, almost as a family.  
 
Once on terra firma and on the way to Invercargill there are two strange sensations that we all might have felt. First was the sight of farms, fences, roads, trucks and especially trees. Where had all this been for thirty days? We had literally been taken out of the ‘real world’ and it was a bit of a shock to suddenly see it all again. The second experience was the sensation that the ground was swaying, or was it us? Our bodies still thought we were at sea! Perhaps we had become sailors after all. We had learned much during our time in the Antarctic. The voyage is now over but will always be with us. We inhabit a wonderful world. We must take care of it!   

The ‘Best Journey in the World’ had come to an end. 

Click here for the Species List

In the Wake of Scott and Shackleton

Voyage #1472

Akademic Shokalsky

17 January – 15 February 2014

Captain

Igor Kiselev

Staff

Nathan Russ Expedition Leader

Helen Ahern Hotel Manager

Catherine Bone Naturalist and zodiac driver

Nigel Brothers Lecturer, Naturalist and zodiac driver

Lloyd Spencer Davis Historian and Naturalist

Scott Davis Photographer

Selva Dhanabalan Doctor

Ray Smith Chef

Nick Bruerton Chef

John Barkla government observer / DOC

Expedition Log written by Lloyd Spencer Davis with assistance from Catherine Bone

Day 1. Friday 17 January 2014

Against all the odds it seemed, here we all were in Invercargill, New Zealand, with our ship – the Akademic Shokalsky – tied up at the nearby port of Bluff.

The Shokalsky had become stuck in ice in Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica, on Christmas Day. An attempt by a Chinese ice breaker to rescue it had only made a bad situation worse, with the Chinese ship also becoming trapped in the pack ice. As the last of 2013 ticked by, the Akademic Shokalsky remained firmly mired in the thick ice and hopes of it reaching New Zealand on schedule for our expedition began to dwindle. An attempt to get to our ship by the Australian ice breaker, Aurora Australis, succeeded only in retrieving the passengers: the little ship sat stubbornly in its icy cocoon.

By the end of the first week of the new year, our prospects of going to Antarctica had looked pretty dismal. Then, miraculously, Antarctica had loosened its grip on our ship: cracks appeared in the ice and the Shokalsky picked its way to freedom, eventually arriving in Bluff on Tuesday 13 January, some eight days behind schedule.

We assembled at the Kelvin Hotel for dinner and a briefing by Nathan Russ, the expedition leader. It was as convivial a gathering of passengers as could be imagined: some old friends were reunited, many more new ones were in the process of being made. We were relaxed, we were excited. We were, without exception it seemed, in good humour.

Day 2. Saturday 18 January 2014

The morning began with checking in our bags, followed by a walk to the Southland Museum to get a foretaste of the Subantarctic islands and to learn about New Zealand’s ‘living dinosaur’, the Tuatara. There was time for some last-minute shopping for those who wanted it and time for a last latte for those who needed it. After lunch back at the hotel, we boarded a bus for the twenty-five minute drive to Bluff and our hastily prepared ship.

To be honest, the ship looked like it had seen better days. It seemed positively miniature compared to the luxury cruise ships that ply New Zealand’s coasts exuding expense with their spotless and chic all-white appearance. The Shokalsky, by contrast, wore its colours with a sort of gulag pride: a mixture of blue, white and rust. Yet, it would prove to be a comfortable ship that we would come to treat more as our home than a ship for the next month. Nathan had also been at pains to stress that the ship had undergone a rigorous inspection upon its arrival in Bluff and that it had come through its ordeal in Commonwealth Bay unscathed – which seemed a much more reassuring testimonial than having a white hull might have been.

We set sail at 4pm, right on schedule (a remarkable achievement given the circumstances and thanks to the sterling work of the crew of the Shokalsky, Heritage Expeditions and Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris). It was a glorious afternoon, full of sunshine and blue skies: many of us stood on the upper and outer decks as the ship cleared the heads at Bluff shadowed by the pilot’s vessel. As if on cue, an albatross flew close by. Foveaux Strait, a notoriously rough piece of water at the best of times and prone to even rougher fits in the worst of times, looked uncharacteristically calm. After the uncertainties of the preceding couple of weeks and the rain and cold of the preceding few days, the omens seemed especially good for the voyage that lay ahead of us.

The calm would prove short-lived. We travelled down the eastern side of Stewart Island so as to get some shelter from the winds that were building from the west. Time enough for dinner and for Nathan to announce that we would abandon plans to stop at the Snares Islands: the conditions would not permit the intended Zodiac cruise. We would try the Snares again upon the return leg. For now instead, we would batten down the hatches and make our way to the Auckland Islands: preferably in bed, he advised.

Day 3. Sunday 19 January 2014

Sea travel can get much worse than we experienced that night (think A Perfect Storm) – but it was bad enough for most of us. The wind climbed to over 30 knots and the sea conditions were very rough. We were literally tossed from one end of our bunks to the other, often being thrown against the bulkhead with force. In the morning there were the walking wounded and the non-walking wounded. Kurt had smashed his head in several places and required stitches. Jerome had dislocated his shoulder and was left wearing a sling and a grimace that only suffering through extraordinary pain can bring. Richard, our onboard QC, sported a black eye, as if one of his clients had turned on him and that client happened to be called Mike Tyson. Many of the rest of us lay confined to our bunks feeling none too well, a groan being just about all we could offer by way of conversation whether there was anyone there to listen or not. The Shokalsky was like a ghost ship with hardly anyone up as we continued on our way to the Auckland Islands.

For those capable of venturing out, Cape Petrels and various species of albatross had been pretty much our constant companions, while a pod of Hourglass Dolphins delighted for a short while as they surfed upon our bow wave. It was with much relief for pretty much everyone when we entered the calmer waters to the south of Enderby Island and eventually anchored at Port Ross Harbour at 7pm. The low lying islands that surrounded us were covered with the red of flowering Rata trees, a glorious sight, although, the way some of us felt at the time, they could have been covered in nothing but mud and they would still have been a welcome sight.

Photo: H.Ahern

Day 4. Monday 20th January 2014

Blue skies greeted us in the morning and the mood on board was very buoyant. While we had slept, the Shokalsky had weighed anchor and travelled down to Erebus Cove where we would make our first landing at the site of the failed settlement of Harwicke. The Zodiacs ferried us across to a small bay with a rocky beach. From there we trooped up through the Rata forest to the small graveyard, where a white picket fence surrounded a small collection of half a dozen crosses and gravestones. The most poignant was for a child who had died on 22 November 1850, aged just three months. Her father had manufactured the gravestone from a wheel intended to sharpen his implements.

We retraced our footsteps before following another path, this time one that hugged the shoreline to the east. Brilliant green moss carpeted the boughs of the Rata trees and a kaleidoscope of fallen leaves in greens, browns, reds, yellows and golds made up the ground cover between the trunks of the trees. We seemed to be walking through a magical forest that could have been conceived by Disney. Our path ended at the twisted stump of a tree that had been felled one and a half centuries earlier. Known as the Victoria Tree, it was engraved with the words, ‘H.M.C.S. VICTORIA, Norman, In Search of Shipwrecked People, October 13, 1865’. It was essentially graffiti left by the men of the Victoria, under the command of W.H. Norman, when it had gone to the New Zealand Subantarctic islands to search for castaways from shipwrecks and to release such animals as pigs, goats, rabbits, geese, and guinea fowl to hopefully establish breeding populations that could provide sustenance in the event of any future shipwrecks. It is probably true to say that some of us felt a deal of sympathy for Norman and his men – despite not normally sanctioning either graffiti or the introduction of foreign species to such a precious environment. Our passage to the Auckland Islands had taught us that Norman had been right about at least one thing: shipwrecks in the Subantarctic islands were not so much a possibility as they were a certainty.

Back on the beach, many of us took photographs of the curve of the bay capped with the colourful Rata trees as we waited for the Zodiacs to take us back to the ship. It may have been a tough place to eke out a living in the 1850s, but as we stood there in 2014 with the sunlight warming us and the views enchanting us, it felt more like a Sunday picnic. However, as if to underline just how far we were from civilization – even in 2014 – and just how quickly lives could be put at risk, Wynona fell ill. We were pretty much at the outer limit for getting a medical evacuation to New Zealand via helicopter and the decision was taken to evacuate Wynona and her husband, Vernon, while we could.

That afternoon the ship moved around to Ranui Cove and while most of us went ashore, Wynona and Vernon were transported to Enderby Island to meet up with two helicopters that had been despatched from New Zealand. The waters of Ranui Cove were tranquil, save for the presence of a somewhat curious and bellicose sub-adult male Hooker’s Sea Lion. There we were able to see the living quarters and observation post that had been established in the Second World War with the intended purpose of keeping an eye out for German raiders and any other potential enemies that might seek safe harbour in the Auckland Islands. The living quarters were somewhat dilapidated but, even so, they seemed more like an idyllic tramping hut, as far removed as it was possible to be from the trenches and beaches of a war being fought elsewhere. And it pretty much was, as no enemy vessels were ever sighted from the observation hut that sat just below the highest point at Ranui, offering unsurpassed views of the entrance to Port Ross that we had travelled through the night before.

The track to the top of the hill followed a wire that was used for communication between the observation hut and the living quarters. The views from the top of the hill afforded a 360° panorama of the Auckland Islands. If the Subantarctic islands have a centre or heart, then surely we needed no other evidence that we were standing upon it than to look around. We made our way back to the cove, with tomtits flitting through the trees. John Bakla, the Department of Conservation observer on our voyage, pointed out an ancient little plant that was thought to be millions of years old, quite possible considering these volcanic islands were formed about 12 million years ago but rest on older granites and sedimentary rocks, some dating back about 100 million years. At the cove, Tui gathered in the trees, their calls as musical as any in the animal kingdom. Back aboard the Shokalsky, we moved over to anchor near Enderby Island’s Sandy Bay in preparation for the next day’s activities.

Photo: C.Bone

Day 5. Tuesday 21st January 2014

The day that greeted us was perhaps more typical of the Subantarctic islands than the previous one had been: drizzle, mist and howling wind. We landed on a kelp-covered rock platform at the southern end of Sandy Bay. Yellow-eyed Penguins congregated in small groups of one, twos and threes at this end of the beach – with some venturing into the surf and some trekking inland. They appeared unperturbed by the multi-coloured herd of photographers that stood on the banks of the bay, their motor drives going off like a battalion of Gattling guns that had somehow snuck into the Auckland Islands undetected by the lookouts at Ranui Cove. Further up the beach we saw fawn-coloured female Hooker’s Sea Lions and their pups which had formed into groups overseen by big dark brown bull Sea Lions.

We followed a boardwalk over to the other side of the island. It passed over and through low-lying shrubs that covered the hillside with a palette of autumnal colours – reds, golds, browns and greens – like some sort of tapestry. The vibrance of the ground cover was enhanced by the disparity with washed out skies and mist inhibited views. At a certain point we had to step off the boardwalk to go around a Southern Royal Albatross that was sitting on a nest within pecking distance of the wooden walkway. If the penguins were sanguine about our proximity and the sound of a thousand shutter actuations, this albatross seemed positively disinterested in our presence. The contrast between its white feathers and the dark background made for great portraits, encouraging even more clicks of the shutters.

On the western side of Enderby, the wind didn’t just batter us, it blew some of us off the path and even blew one or two of us over. We sat for a time taking in the wild vista as best we could. Waves crashed into the rocky platforms below while wind and rain lashed at us atop the steep cliffs. Following the path a little northwards, we stopped on a flat area that afforded a view of Light-mantled Sooty Albatross hunkered down on their nests on a narrow ledge.

At this point the party split, with some of us returning down the boardwalk to observe the Sea Lions and penguins at Sandy Bay, while the rest of us opted for a longer walk around the circumference of Enderby Island. Initially the path took us through fields of megaherbs looking like something out of Jurassic Park. Once we entered the tussock, the going became considerably harder. But we were rewarded with fine encounters with Sea Lions, penguins and Auckland Island Shags. After a brief stop for lunch, the weather improved and the sun made an appearance for the first time that day. More Yellow-eyed Penguins and Hooker’s Sea Lions provided excellent photographic opportunities, but we also encountered many of the brilliantly coloured Auckland Island Parakeets looking like they would be more at home in Australia than a windswept Subantarctic island. We saw Brown Skuas feeding their young and a Giant Petrel seemingly pretending to nest under a Rata tree. Auckland Island Teal sat beside what appeared to be a small creek, and some of us were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Auckland Island Snipe as they scurried out of our way. The Pipits on the other hand, seemed attracted to us, seeking us and then darting about. The walk ended on the northern edge of Sandy Bay where we had to negotiate our way through large slumbering male Sea Lions. Many of us spent the next hour or so simply sitting on the dunes watching the soap opera unfold in front of us as Sea Lion mothers, pups and bulls went about their business, which invariably entailed growling at or biting one another.

Once back on board the Shokalsky, we headed down the eastern side of the Auckland Islands and rounded the immense cliffs of Adams Island. Wandering and Light-mantled Sooty Albatross were among the many big-winged birds that tailed us out to sea. Ahead of us lay the open ocean and, further ahead still, Macquarie Island.

Photo: H.Ahern

Day 6. Wednesday 22nd January 2014

Rare and favourable conditions (a following sea) pushed us rapidly towards Macquarie Island. Many stayed out on the decks, cameras at the ready, observing the albatross and petrels that accompanied us for parts of the journey. The first serious session of lectures occurred on this leg, with Nigel giving a beginner’s guide to the identification of all those birds flying about the ship and an introduction to Macquarie Island, a place he and Catherine had lived on for long periods of time. John told us about the botany of the Subantarctic islands and Felicity gave a rundown of the geology of Macquarie Island. To make sure the ‘at sea’ days were even more memorable, the chefs, Nick and Ray, kept a constant stream of beautifully prepared and presented meals coming out of the galley, including a delicious cake to celebrate Joan’s birthday.

Day 7. Thursday 23rd January 2014

We arrived at the northern end of Macquarie Island in the early morning and anchored in Buckles Bay. The sea was a glassy calm. Deep blue, it contrasted perfectly with the lighter blue of the sky, with just the odd little cloud to disturb what otherwise would be a perfectly colour-coded vista. The long swathe of green that was Macquarie Island stretched from left to right like some sort of irregular racing stripe. Most noticeable was the bump of Wireless Hill which sat at the far northern end and looked for all the world like some sort of green-clad version of Ayers Rock poking up from the sea, as if to emphasize that Macquarie Island really should belong to Australia. Despite this, Felicity’s lecture of the day before had clearly demonstrated that from a geological point of view it was more Kiwi than Kangaroo. At its base sat the Macquarie Island Station buildings that housed the staff that live on the island.

Despite the apparent calm, the swell was deemed too great to land passengers safely so Nigel went and picked up four Macquarie Island field staff, who joined us on the Shokalsky as we headed down the length of the island to Lusitania Bay. There we launched all five Zodiacs and cruised close inshore to the King Penguin colony, which contained an astonishing number of birds. Literally hundreds of thousands of King Penguins were seemingly packed cheek-by-bill onto the beach and up a cleft in the valley. In the midst of them sat three large rusting metal cylinders: the digesters used by Joseph Hatch’s men from a time when it was deemed not only profitable but also ethically permissible to boil penguins to extract their oil. They sat there like a scar on the landscape – a monument of Man’s inhumanity to other creatures and disregard for the environment. A small group of Rockhopper Penguins was visible standing on the rocks at one end of the beach. Giant Petrels – of both the dark and white colour morphs – paddled lazily out of the paths of the Zodiacs, but by no more than was necessary. Meanwhile all about us, King Penguins, the odd Royal and Rockhopper Penguin, and cormorants swam by as unconcerned by our presence as it was possible to be.

If the wildlife extravaganza that was Lusitania Bay was impressive, we were about to be treated to more. After returning to the Shokalsky, we headed north for a landing at Sandy Bay. For some this would be the highlight of the whole trip. It was a wildlife lover’s Mecca, a photographer’s paradise. Elephant Seals arranged themselves along the stony beach like small groups of logs discarded by the tide – but logs that seemed to find it necessary to belch and snort and argue with their neighbour at every opportunity. White-faced Royal Penguins, with their crazy bright yellow hairdos, and the more regal orange-accented King Penguins tramped past the seals, turning the beach into a penguin highway. It was impossible to stay 5 metres from the animals as the guidelines suggested. If one sat down, they literally walked right up to you. It was not uncommon to look about and see a penguin investigating another passenger closely, then to look down and realise that a King Penguin was pecking at your boots.

Up a walkway, there was a dense colony of Royal Penguins where, from a lookout, we had an excellent view of their behaviour, which often seemed to mimic that of the Elephant Seals in the way they treated their neighbours and fellow penguins. At the northern end of the beach there was a small colony of King Penguins – well, small by Lusitania standards anyway – where some penguins could be glimpsed with eggs. It is doubtful there was a single person who wanted to leave when ‘time’ was eventually called and we were shuttled reluctantly back to the ship.

Photo: H.Ahern

Day 8. Friday 24rd January 2014

We left our anchorage off Sandy Bay to return to Buckles Bay by 7.30am. Fortunately the conditions were now favourable for a landing and two hours later most off us were ashore and being given a guided tour by the station staff. Green tussock adjoined the stony shore and one had to be careful where one walked because Elephant Seals enjoyed lying in the vegetation and surprisingly, given their size and penchant for making disgusting noises backed by even more disgusting breath, they were not always easy to notice. We climbed a walkway that afforded excellent views over the northern parts of Macquarie Island. Then it was down to Hasselborough Bay on the western side of the island where we got to spend time with a group of Gentoo Penguins, a few moulting King Penguins, the odd tern and some boisterous Elephant Seals.

Afterwards, we were invited into the mess room of the station where we were treated to some of the best scones you’ll ever find south of the Subtropical Convergence and north of it too! A photo of a hirsute Nigel, taken in 1976, looked down at us from the mess wall. On our way back to the Zodiacs we walked past the remains of more of Hatch’s digesters. These were a timely reminder, if any of us needed it, that places like Macquarie are best left to the animals and plants that belong there and that we humans, should we live there at all, are best to concentrate on cooking scones rather than penguins.

We bade farewell to Macquarie Island at 1.30pm and pointed the bow of the Shokalsky south towards the Ross Sea and Antarctica. An hour later and Macquarie had completely disappeared into the mist on our stern. Lloyd gave a lecture on how crested penguins are bizarre enigmas of the biological world, something most had already figured out from their experiences of Royal Penguins on Macquarie Island.

Day 9. Saturday 25th January 2014

For those of us with sensitive stomachs, the mere thought of spending the next four days or so at sea in the notoriously inclement Southern Ocean on a small ship – which if it had any stabilizers at all were apparently missing in action – had been a daunting prospect. We needn’t have worried. The weather gods were kind to us and once again we had a following wind. The tail wind of 25-35 knots helped the ship make good time and, even if rolling about a bit, the journey was more comfortable than we really had a right to expect. Joan gave a lecture on the history of Macquarie Island while Nigel talked about the effects of human impacts on the island. This was followed by a film about the eradication of introduced pests from Macquarie, particularly the cats and rabbits. Later Scott gave a lecture on digital photography and JJ started a ‘community collage’ on the wall of the bar using the printed outputs from our own efforts at digital photography.

Day 10. Sunday 26th January 2014

In a move that received universal approval, the cooks opted to forgo breakfast and have instead a Sunday brunch at 10.30am when they produced a memorable meal of pancakes and eggs benedict. Again it was a day of lectures to fill the spaces between looking at the waves (since leaving Macquarie, there had been just the odd Black-browed Albatross, petrel, prion and Cape Petrel accompanying us). Joan talked about the early discovery of the Ross Sea and Cape Adare. Felicity followed up with the geology of Antarctica. Geir gave an insightful lecture that provided a lot of detail about Amundsen’s successful attempt to reach the South Pole, and Nigel followed up by demonstrating the importance of zooplankton, such as krill, to Antarctic ecology. As if to underline Nigel’s message that the big creatures of Antarctic waters can only exist because of the bounty provided by the small creatures, a krill-eating Fin Whale came right alongside the port side of the ship about 6pm. This was one of the few whale sightings so far.

Day 11. Monday 27th January 2014

At 5am the first iceberg was sighted, with Grace winning the competition to guess when that would occur. Two hours later and we were at 66°S and encountering scattered bergs, big and small, and even the occasional snow squall. The Antarctic Continent felt palpably nearer.

Wiebke gave a lecture about whales – interrupted when Nathan announced our crossing of the Antarctic Circle. Afterwards, Lloyd gave a lecture about the Northern Party, Cape Adare and the first ever detailed study of penguins by Murray Levick. Levick went on to found the Public Schools Exploring Society, which aimed to “provide young people with an intense and lasting experience of self-discovery in wilderness environments”. During this talk Tony (one of our passengers) was invited by Lloyd to share his experiences as the first non-public school boy to go on one of its expeditions.

In the afternoon, Nathan gave a compulsory briefing about environmental guidelines and regulations for visiting the historic huts in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica. This was followed by a lecture from Nigel on the wildlife to be seen at the ice edge. A lone Chinstrap Penguin was sighted on a small berg. While Chinstrap Penguins do not breed in the Ross Sea as such, this one had probably travelled from the not so distant Balleny Islands to our west. Speaking of intrepid travelers, Joan gave a lecture on Scott’s Discovery expedition that demonstrated the bravery of the men involved and just how remarkable were their achievements.

Although satellite imagery showed that the Ross Sea was clearer of pack ice than anytime Nathan had known over the previous 20 years, at this stage the Shokalsky was pushing its way through a light band of sea ice. On the ice could be seen the occasional Crab-eater Seal, while Colgate-white Snow Petrels and Antarctic Fulmars welcomed the ship as it made its way into the Ross Sea. That evening we were entertained in the bar by Wiebke (stage name: Vebka) as she played guitar and sang a suite of her original songs that had just been released on CD. Felicity joined Wiebke for a ‘sing-along’ as they sang some old favourites in remarkably good voices while the rest of us joined in to varying degrees with voices that were sometimes not as musical. It may have been a consequence of the G&Ts, but by then it did not matter and a fun evening was had by all who attended.

Day 12. Tuesday 28th January 2014

We had been heading for Cape Adare in moderate seas, with 15-20 knots of wind coming from the south and a dull, completely overcast sky. The prevailing conditions and all the data the Captain and Nathan had available suggested that a landing there would not be possible and that we would be best to try further down the coast so we changed course and headed instead for Cape Hallett.

We settled into another informative lecture from Joan – this one on Shackleton’s Nimrod expedition and later watched a film about Amundsen and the Fram which was provided by Geir.

This part of the Ross Sea was remarkably clear of ice and only one or two small bergs were sighted during the day. At 5.45pm we passed to the east of Possession Islands – spectacular pinnacles and towers of rock. This may have been near the ends of the Earth, but it looked like some computer-generated imagery from Middle Earth. At 11pm we got close to Cape Hallett, but it turned out to be as close as we would get as ice had been pushed into the cove, blocking our access. However, nights do not come much more beautiful than this one. There was an eerie stillness to the ice-encrusted water and the sun – more glow than bright light – highlighted its gently undulating surface. Behind, the cliffs and massively pointed peaks that surround Cape Hallet provided us with a wonderful first-glimpse of the Antarctic Continent as we eased our way further south.

Photo: H.Ahern

Day 13. Wednesday 29th January 2014

By now we were almost at 76°S with a brisk southerly wind and complete cloud cover. Nigel noted what might be the most southern record for an albatross when a Light-mantled Sooty Albatross cruised by unexpectedly. Scott imparted his tips on how to improve wildlife photography, while Lloyd gave an account of The Worst Journey in the World using the words of Apsley Cherry-Garrard to underscore just how tame was our journey in Antarctica compared to the deprivations suffered by Cherry-Garrard, Wilson and Bowers. It was enough to almost put some of us off our dessert at lunchtime.

After lunch, Joan regaled us with tales of Shackleton’s Ross Sea Party and Felicity, in anticipation of our seeing Mount Erebus, talked about volcanoes associated with the Antarctic. If we needed even more to get us in the mood, after dinner there was a screening of an episode from the BBC’s Frozen Planet. As we continued our way south towards Cape Royds, we encountered the Antarctic Bee, a converted tugboat, heading north.

Day 14. Thursday 30th January 2014

At 3am, the Shokalsky arrived at Cape Royds but the winds were too strong to contemplate a landing so we proceeded onwards to Cape Evans, where we anchored half an hour later. By 5am we were ashore for our first Antarctic landing and what a place to begin! A cold 20 knot southerly wind could not deter the sense of wonderment to be standing before the very hut used by Robert Falcon Scott and his men when they had marched to the South Pole just over a century beforehand. Behind sat the smoking cone of Mount Erebus, the one constant in this area of shifting ice and snow, and humans that come and go. The sea lapped much closer to the hut than one might have expected from photos, because this was such an unusual season in which all the sea ice had broken out, leaving a small stretch of black sand beach a few metres wide being all that stood between the hut and the Ross Sea. This was waterfront property in a way that perhaps its original inhabitants had not experienced.

The hut itself had recently been carefully restored by a team from the Antarctic Heritage Trust and it looked pretty much as solid and as secure as when it had been built. We were allowed in only a few at a time and only after our boots had been given a thorough clean to remove dirt, stones and penguin guano (while Adelie Penguins do not breed that far south, a few were hanging out on the beach where we landed). Inside it is as if time has stood still. If Scott himself had walked through the door, it seemed like we should only have been surprised by his survival, not by his being there. It seemed like he and his men had just left; that we were the ones who had gone back in time. The sense of being in some kind of church or hallowed place was accentuated by the natural light filtering through the windows. There were no artificial lights nor anything to say we were in the 21st Century save for ourselves. Everyone spoke in whispers.

Attached to the main part of the hut were the stables where Oates, especially, had looked after the ponies. At the far end of the stables, a skeleton of one of the dogs lay still chained up, parts of its skin preserved in the dry cold, as if it had continued to wait for Oates even though he’d said he’d be some time. In that sense, Cape Evans was more abandoned graveyard than church as the spectre of death hung over it. It wasn’t just the dead dog. It was there in the emptiness of the stables and the beds, it was there in Scott’s sleeping bag that lay turned back still awaiting his return, It was also there in the cross that sat upon the nearby hill in memory of two members of Shackleton’s Ross Sea Party who had lost their lives when attempting to get from Hut Point to Cape Evans and one who had died even earlier on the way to Hut Point. And another five Antarctic explorers – it hardly needed repeating – had never made it to the Cape Evans hut either. Somewhat incongruously – because it is essentially a creature of the snow and ice – an Emperor Penguin wandered over the black lava headland behind the cross to Mackintosh, Hayward and Spencer-Smith as if to highlight what it took to live in this environment. Many of us sat there photographing it, aware that it belonged there and we did not. The Antarctic is no place for the unadapted or the ill-prepared, we now knew that with certainty.

By 8.30am we were back onboard and steaming out to sea. A landing at Cape Royds was still not possible so we headed to the ice edge in search of wildlife. McMurdo Sound was so clear of ice that we were able to travel further south than would be normal be possible and at 4.45pm, we arrived at the ice shelf and our maximum southerly position for the whole trip of 77.54°S. At the ice edge we saw Adelie Penguins and Weddell Seals, and the Captain brought the ship up close to three obliging Emperor Penguins that were quite happy to pose for photographs even with the Shokalsky looming over them. They were less sanguine about a Leopard Seal that popped its head out of the water to investigate them however. Minke Whales and a couple of Killer Whales were also seen before we travelled across to anchor offshore from McMurdo Station at 8pm.

Photo: H.Ahern

Day 15. Friday 31st January 2014

McMurdo Station is the support base for the American Antarctic programme in the Ross Sea. It was established and essentially maintained by the US military (Navy), so it was especially appropriate that we went ashore in four groups in an operation controlled with military precision. Exactly fifteen minutes apart, our groups were guided through the town-like McMurdo to the science hub, the church, the air traffic control, the store, and the coffee shop: the latter for a welcome coffee and freshly-made cookie.

Initially it had been planned that we would travel by vehicle to nearby Scott Base, the headquarters of the New Zealand Antarctic programme, but after returning to the Shokalsky for lunch, it was announced that the ice in front of Scott Base had just that morning broken out sufficiently to allow for a Zodiac landing there – a rare event indeed. The Captain parked the Shokalsky against the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf a few hundred metres opposite the green buildings of Scott Base. Emperor Penguins and Minke Whales were feeding under the ice and coming up nearby to catch their breaths before going back in search of whatever was there.

Once ferried across to Scott Base in the Zodiacs, we were again divided into groups for guided tours, albeit this time with more casualness as personnel with names like ‘Grumpy’ took us to the store, the hut used by Sir Edmund Hillary, and finally to a luxurious mess, with scones to rival those from Macquarie and an expresso machine. Heaven for some. We were no sooner back aboard the Shokalsky than a pod of Killer Whales came swimming up the lead of open water, right in front of Scott Base. Disappointingly for some, we were unable to go over to them as we had an appointment with those Antarctic Heritage Trust members who were now in the process of restoring Scott’s Hut Point hut as they had at Cape Evans. As it turned out, our insistence of keeping to the schedule was thwarted by the controllers at McMurdo who insisted that we move away from the area while the supply ship, The Green Wave, berthed.

Eventually we were allowed to anchor on the northwestern side of Hut Point and visited Scott’s Discovery Hut at 8pm. The hut was largely bare of its original contents as they had been removed by the Antarctic Heritage Trust workers so that they could be properly catalogued and conserved over the coming winter at Scott Base. In the meantime, two workers from the Trust were repairing the structural aspects of the hut. They pointed out the ‘kit-set’ nature of the way the hut had been designed. Joan gave a potted history of the comings and goings in the hut: for although it was used mainly for storage by Scott during his initial expedition (when the men had lived on the Discovery moored alongside the hut) it was used for shelter at significant times by some members of all the expeditions that were to follow during the Heroic Age. A cross was erected by Scott’s men in 1902 at the very end of the point to honour George Vince, who became disorientated in a blizzard when returning to the ship, slipped down the cliff and drowned. 

Late that evening a large party of us went back onshore at McMurdo to climb to the top of Observation Hill. The views over Scott Base, White and Black Islands, Mount Discovery, the Royal Society Mountain Range, McMurdo Sound and McMurdo itself were breathtaking in every sense of the word. Some of us had expended so much oxygen on the way up that it really was a case of needing to suck in air. Perhaps ‘inspiring’ views would be a better word?! We celebrated midnight up there beside the memorial cross erected to commemorate the deaths of Scott, Wilson, Bowers, Oates and Evans. Carved into it were the words from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem Ulysses, “To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.” It seemed as fitting a eulogy as could be imagined under the circumstances. As we made our way back to the Zodiacs on the landing beach at McMurdo, an Emperor Penguin padded its way down a gravel road. If the Emperor at Cape Evans had made us look out of place in that environment, here it was the Emperor Penguin itself that looked out of place: a beautiful creature seemingly somewhat bemused and befuddled before a backdrop of machinery, buildings and disturbances to the landscape that we humans have a knack for creating. This was not so much March of the Penguins as it was evidence of the march of so-called ‘civilization’.

As we climbed the steps up the gangway of the Shokalsky for a well earned rest, some of us could be forgiven for wondering whether there was no place on the planet not touched by the hand of Homo sapiens. Whether you thought that was a good thing or not probably depended upon whether you preferred the penguin at Cape Evans or the one at McMurdo.

Photo: H.Ahern

Day 16. Saturday 1st February 2014

We left McMurdo in the early hours of the morning and steamed up to Cape Royds, arriving there at 3.15am, to find that the conditions were worse than those we had encountered two days earlier with the wind blowing at 35-40 knots. The Captain took us out to sea again and we waited. By 7.30am a dramatic change occurred and with the wind down to a paltry 5 knots, we anchored gratefully on the south side of Cape Royds. Even then, the amount of ice in the bay posed some problems for a landing. However, the ice also offered an unexpected bonus: two Leopard Seals were hauled out, side by side, on the largest of the ice floes, while a third was cruising the shoreline looking for penguins. It had snowed overnight and the normally dark lava rocks of Cape Royds were partially covered with a white coating that made the outlook especially picturesque. It was a winter wonderland, except that this was summer. No matter, we traipsed through the snow to Shackleton’s Hut with a spring in our steps.

Once more there were the obligatory line-ups as only eight persons could be in the hut at any one time. Many chose to sit and watch the Adelie Penguins in the nearby colony before coming to the hut. Although it was overcast, it was bright and clear with visibility easily extending across the sound to the base of huge mountains. It was immediately apparent that Shackleton had a good deal of taste when it came to selecting real estate. The setting for the hut was as picturesque as any could be in Antarctica or, for that matter, anywhere. It was nestled beside a small frozen lake with the penguins breeding beyond and further out across the open water of McMurdo Sound could be viewed the regal and hence aptly named, Royal Society Mountain Range.

The inside of the hut itself was more homely than Scott’s had been. Socks hung from a line drying. Leather and canvas boots sat beside the stove. Light from the windows streamed onto the beds. A framed pair of photographs of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra looked down from one wall. In the shelves there were Sunlight Soap, Colman’s Corn-flour and tins of roasted mutton and Irish stew. While Scott’s hut at Evans had seemed dark and cavernous and sprinkled with death, this one seemed cosy. If given a choice there’d be no choice: this would be the hut nearly everyone would pick to stay in. We left the hut with a good deal more reluctance than even the degree of anticipation with which we had arrived. One of the Leopard Seals was still stretched out on the floes when we returned to the landing spot, so Nigel and Catherine took the Zodiacs in for some close-up views of the innocent looking killer. 

Photo: M.Holland

We departed Cape Royds at 2pm and arrived at Cape Bird three hours later. The light was gorgeous – dark and ethereal. To the left were the sheer ice cliffs of the Mount Bird Ice-cap and the land here too, had received a dusting of snow. Only in the penguin colony itself was the snow mostly gone, so that it showed up as a dark brown swatch of colour in what was otherwise a largely whitish landscape. There was open water right up to the penguin colony and the push-ice had largely gone from the beach, but the steepness of the beach, the 1.5 metre surf break and the scattered lumps of ice along the beach made for a tricky landing. The Northern Colony at Cape Bird is home to some 60,000 pairs of breeding penguins and it seemed like just about every one of them was walking along a pathway near the beach – a sort of penguin highway and with much more traffic than the one we had encountered on Macquarie. It was impossible not to be enthralled by these iconic creatures of the Antarctic. As well as the black and white adults, there were a lot of large chicks near to fledging, many sporting a top-knot of down. We set about either photographing the penguins to our hearts’ content or simply observing them. Further down the beach towards the ice cliffs, a Weddell Seal lay hauled out trying to sleep, its head within hearing distance if not pecking distance of the cacophonous penguins. If their noise bothered the seal, it did not show any signs of that. It seemed as uninterested in its surroundings as we were interested.

We would have gladly stayed there for hours more but suddenly we were called back sooner than expected. The swell had increased and we needed to evacuate the beach while we still could. The Zodiac drivers did a sterling job getting us back to the ship in a heaving sea without getting too many of us wet or too much of us wet. Nevertheless, as we set sail at 8.30pm, many of us were very sad to go. It is hard to pick favourites in an expedition full of delights but, if forced to, Cape Bird would be high up on just about everybody’s lists.

Photo: N.Brothers

Day 17. Sunday 2nd February 2014

We arose at 3am for a cruise along the face of the Ross Ice Shelf. The Adelie Penguin colonies on the eastern end of Ross Island, at Cape Crozier, were clearly visible in the background, backlit by the sun. The irregular cliffs of the Ross Ice Shelf with their regular, straight-as-a-die flat tops were relentless and it seemed, never ending. We cruised along them for one-and-a-half hours and they still stretched as far as the eye could see and truth be told, much, much further than that too. It is a journey that names like Scott and Shackleton, Amundsen and Pennell have made, but very few Antarctic travellers of the modern era get that opportunity, be they scientists or tourists. We passed by a small piece of ice covered with penguins and then, as if to emphasize that this untouched and seldom travelled part of Antarctica belonged exclusively to the penguins and whales, a group of three Minke Whales surfaced briefly between us and the ice shelf. We left it to them and headed north: destination Franklin Island.

We passed by the western shores of Franklin Island at 11am. The blue skies and fluffy white clouds made it all look rather benign, but even from one kilometre away we could see from the heavy surf break onto the black sand beaches that conditions for landing were unsuitable. Much of the island is covered in a large ice cap that ends in steep cliffs, but at the south-western end the exposed volcanic cliffs revealed a large colony of Adelie Penguins breeding at their base. We headed on towards the Drygalski Ice Tongue until our progress was slowed somewhat at 4pm at 75.41°S, 165.55°E when we encountered pack ice. This eventually halted us altogether an hour-and-a-half later when we were not far from the southern side of the Drygalski Ice Tongue. At this point we were treated to an impressive hunting display by a group of Killer Whales which spy hopped from one ice floe to another in search of prey.

Lloyd had given a lecture on penguins and Wiebke gave one on filmmaking but this was interrupted, first by power failures and then by the excitement evinced by the Killer Whales. Undaunted by our failure to reach the Drygalski on its southern side, we retreated to the east to get to more ice-free conditions, intent on taking the Shokalsky to the northern side of the ice tongue and on to Terra Nova Bay. Ray and Nick had prepared a Sunday roast of lamb and chicken followed by banoffee pie – a delicious way to end the day.

Photo: H.Ahern

Day 18. Monday 3rd February 2014

We were woken at 7am to check out the Drygalski Ice Tongue as we sailed by its indented edge. Its cliffs of ice were more gnarled and tortured looking, with less regular geometric shapes than those of the Ross Ice shelf had been. Bergs that had been carved off the glacier floated nearby. After breakfast we headed over to a blue berg with four Adelie Penguins resting on its rounded and irregular curves. We circumnavigated the berg twice for the sake of the photographers onboard and then at 9.45am we began our journey towards Inexpressible Island.

Unfortunately the closer we got to the island the rougher the sea conditions became and it was clear the area was being subjected to katabatic winds exceeding 50 knots. The wind chill was exceedingly cold even though the temperature was a relatively mild -8°C – or at least it would have been mild without the wind. From the warm confines of the ship’s interior it seemed hard to fathom how the members of the Northern Party could have possibly coped with spending a winter there in a snow cave with few provisions. As a consequence of the wind, we continued on to the unoccupied German station of Gondwana at the base of Terra Nova Bay.

At 2.30pm we landed on a small sandy beach amongst 10 nonchalant Weddell Seals. We were free to wander over the moonscape-like rocks where to the left sat the neat orange buildings of the German base. A moulting Emperor Penguin and a recently fledged Adelie Penguin sat as awkwardly as each other on the rocks of a nearby headland. Skuas swooped and dive-bombed those intent on walking over the ridge to the right to get a view of the Korean base that is being constructed – a scar on the landscape in front of the symmetrical and perfectly formed Mount Melbourne. We left the beach three hours later and took a Zodiac cruise along the nearby Campbell Glacier. An Emperor Penguin on a small iceberg posed for more photographs than most of us will ever have taken of ourselves during our lifetimes. The light, the penguin, the setting: it was all perfect. If a picture can tell a thousand words, then that penguin had just produced the avian equivalent of War and Peace.

We motored back to the region of Inexpressible Island to find that the katabatic winds still persisted. During the night we would take our little ship backwards and forwards as we waited and hoped for the winds to drop.

Photo: N.Brothers

Day 19. Tuesday 4th February 2014

By 8am, the call was made by Nathan that we could wait for the winds to abate no longer. Sadly, we left the unvisited Inexpressible Island on the horizon as we turned for Cape Hallett. We encountered a 40 knot southerly and rough seas, but as the day wore on the wind dropped, the seas calmed and conditions became merely foggy. We settled into our ‘at sea routine’ with lectures from Nigel on seabird by-catch, and Joan on Scott’s race to the pole, to complement the one Geir had given earlier about Amundsen. That evening Wiebke and Felicity entertained us again with their singing in the bar, with Wiebke performing memorable covers of songs by Janis Ian and Ed Sheeran as well as her own songs.

Day 20. Wednesday 5th February 2014

By 6am we were a little over a nautical mile from Cape Hallett, but the ice that had prevented us from landing there on the way down was even more impenetrable. We opted instead for a bitterly cold Zodiac cruise along the pack ice edge in winds that had increased to 25 knots by the time it was over at 9.30am. We did see the odd Adelie Penguin resting on the ice and for those in Nigel’s Zodiac there was a slightly tense moment when we became completely hemmed in by the pack ice and the thought of doing a ‘mini Shokalsky’ entered our heads. However, Nigel deftly manoeuvred the craft and we pushed our way to freedom and the very welcome hot showers aboard the real Shokalsky. Actually, that is something that deserves recording somewhere, and here is as probably as good as anywhere. The showers on the Shokalsky were excellent with plenty of really hot water and enough pressure to take your skin off if you weren’t careful.

The decision was taken to press on to the Possession Islands but unfortunately, the landing conditions there were also unworkable. There was nothing else for it but to continue on to Cape Adare with the slightly uncomfortable feeling in our stomachs that the Antarctic Continent was simply not going to let us get close to it again. We rounded the spectacularly severe Downshire Cliffs about 5pm and were blown away (literally and figuratively) by the truly magnificent sight of Cape Adare. It had what Leon Uris might have called a ‘terrible beauty’. It was windswept, cold and barren and – save for a small spit of flat ground (Ridley Beach) that jutted into Robertson Bay – it was a place of verticals. Stretching from the point we had just come around was a large 180° arc of sheer cliffs, mountains and glaciers. The winds were coming down from those mountains and glaciers at between 30 and 40 knots. It was easy to appreciate why Scott’s Northern Party had effectively been marooned here on Ridley Beach: there was really nowhere else one could go.

Cape Adare is the site of the largest Adelie Penguin colony in the world and while many of them it seemed had crammed into every spare space on Ridley Beach, it was amazing to see just how far some of them were prepared to climb up the cliffs and mountainside in order to breed. The huts of Carston Borchgrevink (whose expedition was the first to overwinter in the Antarctic), with the dilapidated remains of the Northern Party’s hut nearby, were clearly visible on the far side of the spit of beach, completely surrounded by penguins. We anchored on the eastern side of Ridley Beach and there was much excitement amongst the passengers in anticipation of our landing at such an historically significant site. Unbeknownst to most of us, a Zodiac bearing Nathan, Scott (the photographer) and John (the DOC observer) landed them on the beach and they got to see the huts and photograph them. However, upon their return, Nathan deemed the swell on the beach to be too dangerous and he took the decision to cancel the proposed landings for others.

At nearly midnight when conditions had improved, we were woken and offered the consolation of a Zodiac cruise along the ice-encrusted shore of Ridley Beach. Virtually every vantage point was packed with fledgling penguins seemingly building up the courage for their first swim. Flocks of adult penguins porpoised to and from the beach, with one or two jumping into the Zodiacs – perhaps in the mistaken belief that we represented some hitherto unseen black ice berg or, better still, dry land. The chicks that did venture into the sea, flapped their flippers frantically, sitting high in the water, not yet used to their new environment. That was Ridley Beach really: the sheer number of penguins onshore, the frantic nature of those in the water, the smashing surf, and the shifting ice. It was chaos, but from our perspective, an enjoyable chaos to behold. On the way back to the ship we circled an ice berg shaped like Old Mother Hubbard’s shoe with a group of Adelies and one out-of-place Emperor Penguin nestled into what would have been the tongue of the shoe.

Photo: N.Brothers

Day 21. Thursday 6th February 2014

The day dawned reasonably fine but still the conditions were deemed not suitable for a landing. At 11.45am we took to the Zodiacs and had a memorable cruise that took in large ice bergs, Killer Whales and most spectacularly of all, a Leopard Seal leaping onto an ice floe and catching a terrified and slow-moving fledgling Adelie Penguin chick. The seal then proceeded to slap its unfortunate victim from side to side and as far as we could tell, devour most of it.

Although we theoretically had the whole day up our sleeves to wait for a landing (the Captain wanted to depart by midnight), Nathan took the decision that the deep and persistent southerly swell was not likely to allow conditions to improve sufficiently in that time and that we had better set sail for Campbell Island – over 1,100 nautical miles away – and have more time to play with in the Subantarctic islands. At 2.30pm we set off, leaving the Antarctic in our wake with just its Snow Petrels to accompany us. By 5pm we had reached 70.53°S and encountered our first albatross: one of the Light-mantled Sooty kind.

Photo: L.Davis

Day 22. Friday 7th February 2014

Our way was largely clear, except for a band of ice we encountered for some 15 minutes or so at 9am when at 67.57°S 169.57°E. Seven-and-a half hours later we crossed the Antarctic Circle. We began to see our first Cape Petrel – after many days absence – and other more northern seabird species such as Sooty Shearwaters, White-headed Petrels, Mottled Petrels and Antarctic Prions.

In the morning, Lloyd gave a lecture about seals that featured his son Eligh as a Weddell Seal pup, and Joan gave a lecture that featured much of what the Americans had done in the Ross Sea following the Heroic Age. In the afternoon it was Nigel and JJ’s turns to inform, with the former explaining why population monitoring was important and how to do it, and the latter telling and showing us about her project on faces of the Southern Ocean. The day was finished off with a screening of Ponting's film The Great White Silence, which was filmed during the Terra Nova Expedition and originally released in 1924, before being restored and re-released three years ago by the British Film Institute.

Day 23. Saturday 8th February 2014

This turned out to be a day given almost completely to the Southern Ocean. By 7am we were already at 64.40°S and making good time as we headed more or less due north in 25-30 knot westerly winds. The sea was rough, the sky dull and overcast.

The rough conditions meant that the morning’s lectures needed to be postponed and most took to their bunks or the library. In the afternoon Bob Mossel entertained us with stories of his travels through Papua New Guinea and his epic walk (Bob was the first person to walk across Australia). By 6pm the seas and winds had moderated slightly. The evening film was an episode (summer) from the Frozen Planet.

Day 24. Sunday 9th February 2014

The rough conditions persisted, but we were making good time and averaging about 11 knots. By 7am we were at 59.11°S and still on a trajectory close to due north. Over the course of the day, the 15 knot westerly increased to 40 knots. Again we missed out on the sun with complete cloud cover present for the whole day. By 7pm we had moved a whole two degrees further north, despite the turbulent seas. Nigel had been able to deliver his lecture on the life histories of albatross and petrels in the morning, but the worsening state of the sea in the afternoon had caused the cancellation of Felicity’s lecture. Once more an episode of the Frozen Planet occupied the evening film slot.

Day 25. Monday 10th February 2014

We were greeted by the same dull cloud cover when we got up in the morning. Now at 54.45°S, however, it was joined by misty rain. We had been seeing seabirds consistently but in relatively small numbers. That all changed at 4.45pm when we encountered a vast flock of feeding seabirds at 52.30°S. It contained thousands upon thousands of Sooty Shearwaters, at least five species of albatross and Cape Petrels. The photographers amongst us had a field day and the ship circled the area several times to allow us to take it all in, whether we were using a camera or not.

A film about the rat eradication programme on Campbell Island – the largest undertaken anywhere in the world – had been screening when we came across the feathered feeding frenzy. It was not long before we got to see the real thing. At 5.10pm we had our first glimpse of Campbell Island and a bit over a couple of hours later we had entered Perseverance Harbour, with excellent views of the island and its wildlife on both sides of the ship, as we travelled to our anchorage. Some commented that the rugged hills covered with stunted vegetation reminded them of Scotland. By 8pm we had come to rest and soon after that we were celebrating Curtis’ birthday with a cake made for the photographic enthusiast by Ray and Nick in the shape of a camera.

Day 26. Tuesday 11th February 2014

After a briefing, we ventured ashore at 9.45am, landing at Beeman Cove amongst a cluster of disused buildings that had once been used primarily for the meteorological station that had been maintained there since 1958. Nathan led a group of 14 on a hike to Northwest Bay (the ‘long walk’) while the majority of us ascended a boardwalk that took us some way up Mount Lyall to a group of breeding Southern Royal Albatross (the ‘short walk’, albeit, some commented it was longer than they imagined a short walk to be). The ‘long walkers’ had a magnificent day, also encountering many albatross, but seeing the Campbell Island Teal and the Campbell Island Snipe as well. The highlight for some, however, was the group of big adult male Elephant Seals they came across on the beach.

The rest of us had a more relaxed day, observing the Australasian Pipits and the albatross. To be sure it was windy and misty but that somehow added to the atmosphere – this was the Subantarctic after all. An albatross sitting on a young chick received the most attention, with many sitting and waiting patiently for an hour or more just to get a glimpse of the fluffy white bundle and the opportunity to see it being fed by its parent. Higher up the boardwalk were large tracts of the purple-flowered Pleurophyllum speciosum or Campbell Island Daisy as it is often called, a megaherb native to Campbell Island and the Auckland Islands. They looked both incongruous and stunning in the mist, as if some gardener had planted a field of these flowers in the most unlikely of places. Unfortunately the mist and cloud prevented views down onto the beaches on the western side of the island, but many of us sat for a while at the top of the cliffs just to experience the full force of the wind on our faces. This was the Subantarctic after all!

The ‘long walkers’ ended their journey at 5pm when they were picked up from Tucker Cove. This was about the same time that those ‘short walkers’ who had remained up on the boardwalk were treated to displays between the albatross that involved much clacking of bills and head bobbing. A group of Hooker’s Sea Lions entertained us as we boarded the Zodiacs at Beeman Cove and by 7.15pm we were all back aboard the Shokalsky. After a hot shower we adjourned to the bar, where an auction was held of items brought by the passengers. This was to raise funds for the Last Ocean – a coalition of organizations battling to have the Ross Sea made into a marine protected area. Considering where we’d been, it seemed like an especially appropriate cause and with Lloyd acting as auctioneer, we managed to raise over $3,000 USD and have the odd laugh along the way even though the objective of the auction remained a very serious matter.

Photo: H.Ahern

Day 27. Wednesday 12th February 2014

Three of us were scheduled for a hike up Mount Honey departing at 6am, but a quick look out the porthole revealed a dense low fog and total cloud cover. The hike was cancelled but at 9.30am we all boarded the Zodiacs and cruised the shores of Tucker Cove and Camp Cove. This afforded us excellent views of cormorants, teals and a Giant Petrel eating greedily from a dead Sea Lion. A bunch of Sea Lions that were very much alive seemed to enjoy tailing the Zodiacs and leaping from the water acrobatically. Mike, Ray and Wiebke did their best to capture the underwater action with Go-pros, while those of us with more conventional cameras concentrated on the above water images.

We had a brief landing to inspect what is known as the Loneliest Tree in the World. The Sitka Spruce is the only tree on Campbell Island (the island is otherwise covered in low-lying shrubs and bushes). For many years it was used as the source of Christmas trees for those living at the nearby meteorological station. It is thought that the tree was planted by Lord Ranfurly, the onetime Governor General of New Zealand, when on an expedition to the island in 1907. An inquisitive (and some might say aggressive) Sea Lion initially blocked our return to the Zodiacs but we were soon back aboard the Shokalsky for lunch.

After lunch many of us jumped at the chance to go back up the boardwalk to see the albatross. It was even mistier than the previous day but the albatross were more active too, with some walking right up to us as we stood or sat on the boardwalk. It is only when they are literally within spitting distance that one can truly appreciate their enormous size. It is a wonder they can fly. But fly they can and the albatross put on an aerial display for us to rival that of any air show. Further down the boardwalk a few of us were lucky enough to see and even photograph the elusive Campbell Island Snipe and a Yellow-eyed Penguin with a chick. At 11pm the Captain ordered the anchor to be raised and we began our journey to the Snares Islands, the place that had been the first of this voyage’s proposed destinations, but which had to be abandoned because of the foul weather soon after we had left Bluff nearly a month earlier.

Photo: N.Brothers

Day 28. Thursday 13th February 2014

The conditions approaching the Snares this time could not have been more different. We were travelling comfortably northwards in a light southerly breeze with a moderate southeasterly swell. By 7am our position was 51.25°S 168.36°E. Nigel gave a lecture about the Sooty Shearwaters on the Snares and one on ways of mitigating seabird by-catch in fisheries. Nathan gave a lecture introducing the Snares Islands and Scott completed the series by giving a workshop on how to use Photoshop and the like to enhance digital images.

At 7pm a pod of Killer Whales tracked us for 30 minutes (or was it us tracking them?), streaking towards the ship through the waves before coming right alongside. Oftentimes they could be seen quite clearly under the water, swimming close to the hull of the Shokalsky and looking up at us. With Lois and John both having birthdays, there were plenty of celebrations in the bar that evening and cheese platters all round before dinner.

Day 29. Friday 14th February 2014

Daylight at around 6.30am revealed that we were within striking distance of the Snares Islands, with the silhouette of Broughton Island nearby. The skies were filled with massive numbers of Sooty Shearwaters and petrels as they made their morning exits from their burrows onshore.

Despite extremely gusty winds, the sea conditions allowed us to undertake a Zodiac cruise up the eastern coast of Snares Island. We were able to get in really close to the rocky shore, drifting in the still waters of inlets where we got terrific views of New Zealand Fur Seals, Hooker’s Sea Lions, and Snares Penguins. We were even able to see some of the small land birds, such as Fernbirds and the beautiful black Snares Tomtit. We also saw one lone and presumably quite lost Fiordland Penguin. Where the sea met the rocks, attractive gold-coloured kelp swayed gently in the currents. The only place it did not was at the so-called ‘penguin slide’, where the comings and goings of thousands of penguins keep the rocks free of kelp as they somehow managed to scramble up an astoundingly steep slab of rock en route to their nests. From their own pedestal-like nests perched on the sides of the cliffs, Buller’s Albatross looked down at us. Of all the places we’d been on our remarkable voyage, the Snares Islands seemed the most pristine. The islands positively dripped with wildlife. It was a delightful way to end the voyage. We left the Snares at 10.30am and by 2pm, with Stewart Island in sight and sunshine all around, we assembled on the bow of the Shokalsky for a group photo.

Nestled in the lee of Stewart Island, we gathered eagerly in the lecture room as Scott played a short film of the journey made by Wiebke, then a long slide show of his stunning photos, followed with a marvellous collection of photographs taken by the passengers. Every one of them had captured beautiful, beautiful memories: moments to treasure from a journey that we’d all taken together and which had, in virtually every way, exceeded our expectations. The chefs had prepared a delicious roast as a farewell dinner and it was washed down with wine and cheers and a lot of good spirits of the non-alcoholic kind.

Day 30. Saturday 15th February 2014

In the early hours of the morning, the Shokalsky had been met by the pilot at the entrance to Bluff Harbour and escorted to its berth on the high tide – so that when we awoke, we found we were tied up exactly in the same place we had departed from on the 18th of January.

It proved to be a quick and orderly disembarkation. A final breakfast with bags packed and left outside cabins so that they could picked up and transported where they needed to go. A customs and immigration check. Then it was time to say goodbyes to all the newly made friends, crew and passengers alike, before boarding the bus for the city and lives that would be hard pressed to seem as exciting as the previous 30 days.

11 January - 8 February 2014

Day 1-2. Saturday 11; Sunday 12 January – Invercargill, Bluff and at sea 

Noon position: Latitude 46^o36’South; Longitude 168^o.31’East

Positions and other data are taken from the Deck Log Book.

Air temperature: 14^oC. Intermittent sunshine and light rain during day.

Over two days we arrived in New Zealand’s southern most city, Invercargill. Having settled in at the Kelvin Hotel, we enjoyed our last dinner ashore for some time and the opportunity to meet fellow expeditioners. Heritage Expeditions Operation Manager Nathan Russ welcomed us and gave a brief outline for activities next day.

In the morning David, Marcus and Max met us at the hotel where our luggage was checked, cabin numbers noted on labels and the luggage was loaded on a truck for transport to the Spirit of Enderby. David then took us to the Southland Museum and Art Gallery, although a few of us had visited here yesterday. Tuatara reptile curator Lindsay Hazley, who had a 23 year old male tuatara named Gunther resting on one arm, provided a very interesting explanation related to the biology of the animal. Henry the oldest Tuatara is estimated to be over 110 years of age and has a vicious bite that could take off a finger. Lindsay informed us that the earliest Tuatara in Invercargill was in the Athenaeum during the 1870’s. The creature was kept in a shower and was found by the cleaning lady who was bitten. This unfortunate creature was then killed and preserved in a glass jar. Working with the Department of Conservation (DoC), Lindsay’s goal is to see the animals released on islands on Fouveaux Strait, but only once the islands are rat-free. Some of us touched Gunther and were surprised how soft the leathery looking skin and spines along the top of his back felt. Most of us then enjoyed a look at the outstanding Roaring Forties exhibit on New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands. The film was excellent and interesting artefacts associated with the shipwreck and castaway era, farming and World War 2, provided a perfect introduction to some localities we hope to visit.

Back at the hotel we enjoyed an excellent lunch and then boarded a coach for Bluff and the Spirit of Enderby. Our documents were inspected by a security officer who boarded the coach and at the ship, Agnes and other staff showed us to our cabins where we were reunited with our luggage and familiarised ourselves with the ship. At 3.30 we assembled in the lecture room where Rodney welcomed us and introduced staff. Agnes then provided a very useful introduction to various aspects concerning the ship. Rodney followed with a white board demonstration on the two ship alarms (General Emergency and Abandon Ship) along with life jacket use. We left on schedule at 4.30. It was interesting to see the Bosun (Yuri) and crew working at the bow including putting in a case, the ship’s bell. Preparations were now made for the two Pilots to leave the ship. With little effort they boarded the Takitimu 11 which at times as it approached our ship, was surfing on big waves.

Because the sea was a little rough and to make life easier for the chefs, Natalia and her staff, the ship was put in a ‘holding pattern’ by the Shelter Islands off Port Adventure. The practical life boat drill, which by international law must be held within 24 hours, took place at 6.30. We then enjoyed a convivial hour in the Globe Bar and Library followed by a superb dinner, with baked salmon or venison stew, roast vegetables or salad served at 7.30. Course was set at 9pm for the Snares Islands where we hoped to arrive about 7am. To Starboard the coast of Stewart Island was visible through mist and steady rain. This evening some New Zealand Fur Seals were seen and bird life included Cape Petrels; Stewart Island Shags; Sooty Shearwaters and a Royal Albatross. With sea conditions expected to be a little rough, we were advised to retire early in preparation for an interesting morning.

Day 3. Monday 13 January – Snares Islands

Noon position: Latitude 48^o20.41’South; Longitude 166^o34.30’East

Air temperature: 10.4^oC. 

The ship rolled and pitched during the night, however most of us managed a few hours sleep. In the morning we woke to a busy sea with white horses and those on the 300 level, being close to the waterline had a good view of the sea and passing sea birds. By 8a.m we were nearing the Snares Islands with Broughton to port and North East Island and its Dampion Rocks to starboard. Through the gap between the two main islands, we could see in the distance the Western Chain consisting of five islands. Steep cliffs were topped by a dense vegetation of Olearia Lyallii or ‘white tree daisy’ and Brachyglottis stewartiae or ‘yellow tree daisy’ with a few patches of grasses. Large numbers of sea birds were wielding around the ship including Sooty Shearwaters, Diving and Cape Petrels, a Giant Petrel, Fairy or Fulmar Prions and Snares Crested Penguins. By now it was clear we would be unable to do a Zodiac cruise and this will be considered on the homeward leg. The Captain again placed the ship in a ‘holding pattern’ which enabled us to enjoy breakfast and rearrange our cabins.

Rodney provided an excellent commentary from the bridge. The Snares Islands were discovered in 1792 by Lieutenant Broughton (who had previously sailed with Captain James Cook). He later went on to discover the Chatham Islands. Sealing took place from around 1700-1800 with this activity decimating the population. Fortunately no rodents or other species established themselves. Today the Sooty Shearwater population is now estimated to be up to six million birds; more than all the sea birds combined around the British Isles coast. The birds live in burrows beneath the forest cover with the honeycombed ground hindering foot travel. We had a good view of ‘Penguin Slope’ which has been used by commuting Snares Crested penguins; perhaps for centuries. With the islands predator free, no one is able to land without a permit. There is just a castaway hut and a former Canterbury University hut (now used by DoC) on the Snares. At 10am we rounded Dampion Rocks and set a course of 140 nautical miles for Enderby Island. Sea conditions were then predicted to worsen along with reduced visibility.

After lunch, swells were getting up to around three meters and we had 13 hours to run until Enderby Island. By early afternoon, we were doing 8.8-9 knots and the swell had risen to 5m+ with wind gusting to 60 knots. Many of us lay down as it was becoming difficult to move around the ship. By the end of the afternoon, there was some superficial damage and the bar did not open as usual. Chefs Bruce and Michael did a superb job to ensure we had an evening meal. With the ship rolling and pitching it was far from an easy job, although was helped by a course change for 40 minutes. Margrit was fascinated with the view from the bridge saying the sea had ‘fifty shades of blue and green – I don’t have words to describe it.’ When the ship resumed course towards Enderby Island most of us retreated to our cabins.

Photo credit: A.Breniere

Day 4. Tuesday 14 January – Off Enderby Island

Noon position: Latitude 50^o.32.5’South; Longitude 166^o13.5’East

Air temperature: 10^oC

Water temperature: 12^oC

We reached our waypoint at Port Ross around 7am. A 10.4 knot wind was blowing and the sea had a generous coating of white. In places waves were shooting up the cliffs. As the sun came out the dense Southern Rata (Metrosideros umbellata) forest with some trees in flower and Dracophyllum scopoarium (Turpentine tree) looked beautiful in the early morning light. We assembled in the lecture room at 9am for a pre-landing briefing. This covered a number of important topics, all applicable to our landings. Rodney who has been venturing south since 1972, said the voyage from Bluff to the Auckland Islands, was one of the more difficult he had experienced. He then discussed the life jacket to be used for all landings, the tag board system, Zodiac embarking and disembarking procedure (there are five on board) and finally, the all-important quarantine measures. The landing on Enderby Island was postponed until the next day when more favourable winds of around 20-25 knots were forecast. Later in the morning Rodney gave a fascinating insight into the history of the Auckland Islands, as preparation for a visit to the site of Charles Enderby’s Hardwick Settlement (1849-1852) and nearby Terror Cove which was linked to the unsuccessful German Expedition (1874) to observe the Transit of Venus.

Lunch with a fine ravioli and parmesan dish was followed by Zodiac operations, with shuttles to Erebus Cove and Terror Cove. We alighted on a beach with basalt boulders, various species of seaweed, remains of large crabs with carapaces about 7cm across and numerous friendly sand flies. A stream flowing from beneath the Rata forest was stained black from trickling through peat and Samuel and some passengers obtained good photographs. The remains of a stores hut and a more recent boat shed stood nearby. From here we hiked up a board walk through Rata and Dracophyllum, to the lonely cemetery with poignant memorials such as those marking graves for Isabella Younger (died 1850) when just three months old; of Janet Stove (died 1851) when four weeks old, along with John Mahoney(died 1864)from starvation. The small cemetery has a nice picket fence and is surrounded by Dracophyllum and Rata with many trees in flower attracting Bellbirds. One pondered over whether any relatives were alive and knew of the lonely resting place. Returning to the shore, we then walked along the site of the Hardwick settlement road passing a quantity of bricks, perhaps indicating the site of a building or chimney, to inspect the Victoria Tree. The ancient Rata stump still has some of the original inscription carved in 1863. In due course the inscription will be lost and given the condition of the wood, probably little can be done to ensure its survival unless it is removed. It is perhaps better left.

Operating a shuttle system, from here we took a short trip to nearby Terror Cove and alighted on a similar boulder beach with wave-cut notch in the cliff of conglomerate. On a low terrace was the original instrument plinth of brick that once supported scientific instruments used by the German expedition in 1874, along with brick bases for other equipment on a low terrace beside the beach. While there many of us heard a Yellow-eyed Penguin calling. Soon after 5pm we were back aboard the Spirit of Enderby enjoying a convivial hour in the Globe Bar. Our chefs produced an exceptional meal with roast venison or John Dory fish, followed by pavolva with summer berry compote and Chantilly cream. The forecast for the following day was good so we hoped to have a full day on Enderby Island before moving south to Carnley Harbour on Auckland Island.

Photo credit: A.Breniere

Day 5. Wednesday 15 January – Enderby Island

Noon position: Latitude 50^o30.46’South; Longitude 166⁰16.85’East

Air temperature: 11^oC

Water temperature: 12^oC

We had an early start today which began with a wake-up call from Agnes at 6.15. This was followed by breakfast at 6.30, a briefing at 7.30, then lunch making with an excellent selection of fillings at 8.15. The weather did not look promising as we started our day in a persistent drizzle along with a light westerly. However by 9am the landing operation began and as waves broke on the beach at Sandy Bay, we were put ashore. Two huts used by parties which annually record the New Zealand (Hookers) Sea Lion population were on high ground nearby. Rodney outlined the way we would spend the day. The focus was on two walks – one across the island; the other that would take the more agile of us around the end of the island and back to Sandy Bay. We could expect to see perhaps 15 species of birds during our time here.

Simon Childerhouse of Blue Planet Marine, the organisation contracted by DoC, told us what his team would be doing over the next few weeks. About 270 pups have been born here this season to 250 females. This is the lowest tally since the 1980’s with a 50% reduction over the last two years. Males totalled 140-180 with the large dominant ‘beach-masters’ around 12-15 years old.

Participants on the long walk left before us, while the remainder had a leisurely walk along the high ground behind the Sea Lions and viewed their antics. Pups were often congregated in crèches with one gathering estimated to have 50-60 animals. Near the start of the excellent board walk across the island, was a magnificent Southern Rata covered in crimson flowers. Cassinia bushes were also in flower with the leaves emitting a distinctive aroma. About midway along the board walk, a male Southern Royal Albatross was sitting on its nest, a raised mound of soil with vegetation. Ron made it possible for Christine along with her determination, to see the nesting Albatross. Bones of two Albatrosses along with Auckland Islands Shag were also of interest. Rodney told us that there are 60 pairs of Southern Royal Albatross on Enderby Island. Those of us on the island crossing party only were taken for a short walk across the hummocky surface of grass and mega herbs. By walking in a line, an Auckland Island Snipe was flushed by David from grass along with a tame Pipit. By now the yellow Bulbinella rossi had finished flowering but we were treated to a large area of purple Anisotome antipoda. At one stage Rodney said, only two plants remained on the island but since eradication of cattle and rabbits, the mega herbs have rejuvenated. We then waked back to Sandy Bay where time was spent enjoying the Sea Lions.

Those who had walked around the end of the island were treated with some wonderful bird life. Red-crowned Parakeets were seen along with two having yellow in the head plumage, although these were likely to be hybrids. Other species seen included Yellow-eyed Penguins, a juvenile Brown Skua, Light-Mantled Sooty Albatross, Teal, Dotterels, Snipe, Tui in the Rata forest, Tom Tits, Bellbird and Auckland Island Shags. Near Teal Lake, the remains of a number of Prions probably represented a ‘Skua larder’. On the rocks near Derry Castle Reef 20-30 New Zealand Fur Seals were seen. The plant life was also of great interest. Jane identified four flowering ground orchids which included Thelymitra; Chiloglottis and Pasophyllum, along with a Gentian Centiana Iiilum from a summary of plant life compiled by noted botanist, the late Dr David Given. Unfortunately three non-endemic Milk Thistles were recognised. As with those on the shorter walk, the New Zealand Sea Lions were of interest with Brown Skuas (‘angels of death’) hovering as they waited for a young pup to stray from the crèche. Many of us saw the Derry Castle plaque. The original wooden plaque now displayed in the Southland Museum, was replaced by a photometric plaque placed in 1973 and later souvenired. The present plaque made by a monumental mason, was carried to the site a few years ago by Eric Roy (Member of Parliament for Awarua) and placed by Rodney.

All agreed that the day had been a most rewarding experience. When it came time to leave however the timing for boarding the rear of the Zodiacs had to be carefully judged. Although a few gumboots were filled, this did not match Rodney who although encapsulated in his wet/dry immersion suit, was often up to his shoulders as he steadied the Zodiac bow. Later drums of helicopter fuel were taken ashore by Zodiac and with assistance of the shore party were rolled up the beach. The chefs produced another excellent meal and at 9pm Katya began the interesting daily discussion as a list of bird species seen during the voyage was compiled.

Photo credit: S.Blanc

Day 6. Thursday 16 January – Auckland Island

Noon position: Latitude 50^o48.80’South; Longitude 160^o04’East

Air temperature: 12.1^oC

Water temperature: 11^oC

About 3am the Spirit of Enderby left Port Ross and by 7 am we were entering Carnley Harbour, which is the caldera of the ancient Carnley volcano. The westerly wind made the sea choppy and we were treated to seeing large numbers of Shearwaters. Although partially cloudy, by 7.30 the sun had lit up the hillsides and vegetation with Rata on the lower slopes turning olive green leading to the yellow-brown of the grasses above. Bands of volcanic rock stood out and one could imagine some of these perhaps with icefalls, during the last glaciation around 10,000 years ago, although there were multiple glaciations prior to this. As we proceeded at eight knots up the harbour toward Tagua Bay, the Captain had his radar going, along with an echo sounder which registered nearly 80 meters of water below and in places a rocky bottom. We then anchored in Tagua Bay off Musgrave Peninsula (the centre of the volcano), opposite Adams Island and the Bosun raised a black ball on the foremast, signifying the vessel was stationary.

From the human history perspective, this is an interesting locality. Historic sites include the remains of the Grafton (1864) along with remains of the rock-walled hut (Epigwaitt the ‘house by the sea’); near the southern end of Coleridge Bay, the site of a castaway hut linked to the Anjou (1905); finger posts for directions to castaway depots; at the head of North Arm, the ‘Erlangen clearing’ where Rata was felled for fuel by crew of the Erlangen (1939) and coast-watcher huts from the Cape Expedition (World War 2).

Rodney called us together in the lecture room at 9am when the plan for the day was outlined. We were fortunate to have good weather as poorer conditions were expected on the 360 nautical mile voyage to Macquarie Island. According to the forecast, winds of about 35 knots from the south-west could be expected. However having a day at Auckland Island meant with favourable conditions, landings at Macquarie Island were more likely.

Two parties went ashore today. Twenty two led by Rodney prepared to bush-bash and wade through tussock and fell fields to the summit of Hill 360(m). This was the first group to depart and left at 10am. The hill was surveyed by coast watchers during World War 2 and Rodney mentioned that some years ago, he had found the original chain. The other group took the less strenuous option, by hiking from the landing place to visit the remains of the coast-watchers No.2 station; the first of three to be abandoned, then to continue to the restored look-out a short distance higher up. From here is a commanding view to the entrance of Carnley Harbour.

About noon the weather deteriorated with wind gusting to 15-20 knots (later 30 knots) along with rain and spells of light hail. Those who visited the coast watcher huts arrived back at 1pm having enjoyed their time ashore and settled into excellent salad and nachos for lunch. The huts they found very interesting along with sightings of Yellow-crowned Parakeets, Bell birds, also a green-flowering orchid Thelymitra longifolia and a club moss Lycopodium varium. No sightings were made of introduced pests such as mice, cats or pigs.

The hill climbing party also had a rewarding trip. It took around four hours to reach their objective with five nesting Gibson’s Wandering Albatross seen at the top. On the initial climb through bush and without a track, they were rewarded with sightings of Yellow-crowned Parakeets. One participant reported that on this part of the climb “one had to be a contortionist, as you clambered over and under bush”. However on reaching the tussock the going was no easier with Stephen saying “because of the peat beneath the tussock, it was a challenge to find suitable foot placement”. Once past the tussock, low scrub was encountered and on arrival at the top, the excellent views included the site where the Erlangen crew cleared Rata forest. In addition to encountering nesting albatross this group also saw Yellow-crowned Parakeets and experienced excellent botany with plants including the following also identified by Jane - Damnamenia; Helichrysum bellidioides; Bulbinnela rossi; Astelia subulata along with orchids Lyperanthus antarcticus, Aporostylis bifola and Corybas spec. It only took two hours to descend and all were back on the ship by 4pm.

This evening our chefs provided a superb meal starting with an entreè of antipasto which included fresh salmon, mussels, prawns, cheese, olives and sundried tomato. For the main course we had the choice of pork belly or lamb rack both of which were superb. The desert was a coconut pancetta with fruit compote. Katya held the species list meeting then everyone retired to prepare themselves for possibly two days of rough seas.


Photo credit: K.Ovsyanikova

Day 7.  Friday 17 January – en-route to Macquarie Island

Noon position: Latitude 51^o13.226 South; Longitude 165^o49.090 East           

Air temperature: 8^oC

Water temperature: 11^oC

When Agnes gave us a wake-up call at 6.15am most of us had enjoyed a good rest. We arose to a bleak day with rain and the sun trying valiantly to shine through. The anchor was lifted at 7 and by 8am with breakfast over we were heading away from Carnley Harbour. Once we had left the shelter of Adams Island the sea became very rough and as Rodney predicted, this worsened as we made our way towards Macquarie, a journey of 360 nautical miles. By mid-morning we were experiencing 7-8m high waves which often broke over the bow and bridge windows. The horizon came and went as the Spirit of Enderby handled the viridian coloured sea at 7 knots in a 20-35 knot south-westerly. It was worth being on the bridge to see the magnificent albatrosses, one of which a large Wanderer which stayed around the ship, as it took advantage of the air currents to glide with its wing tips gently brushing the surface. The galley provided a fine butter chicken on rice dish along with excellent fresh salad for lunch which was a great feat under the circumstances. Although many preferred to stay in the cabins, others spent some time on the bridge and about 1pm a pod of dolphins was sighted. By 7p.m we were over 4000m of water. The evening meal at 7.30 featured diced beef cooked with a splash of Moa Noir (a dark beer) along with a good serving of fresh broccoli, baby carrots and peas, rounding off the day perfectly. In his evening announcement, Rodney said he expected the wind to turn to the south about midnight, die down and then turn to a north or nor-west blowing 20 knots.

Day 8. Saturday 18 January – en-route to Macquarie Island

Natalia’s birthday.

Noon position: Latitude 53^o 13.207 South; Longitude 161^o 29.9 East           

Air temperature: 9^oC

Water temperature: 10^oC. Fog, with occasional light rain.

We had a good rest and in the morning arose to a moderately calm sea below a blanket of cloud with a lone Wanderer keeping us company. With better conditions the ship was doing 11.2 knots. At 8am we were over the Emerald Basin with a water depth of 3700-4000 meters. Our position was Latitude 53^o03.857’S Longitude 162^o 17.969’E. The origin of the name is a little obscure. A ship named the Emerald reported what may have been a green iceberg in 1821 and the ‘island’ was so-named. The present name Emerald Basin probably followed although who named the locality has not been established. We had 146 nautical miles to go and Rodney announced, we should reach Macquarie Island at 9 pm (7pm local ie Australian time) and that the latest ice map indicated clear water which should benefit our entry to the Ross Sea and McMurdo Sound. Another vessel, Kerry Packer’s Arctic P from Hobart had just left Macquarie and would be ahead of us. That vessel carries 12 passengers and has a crew of 25.

There was not a lot of bird life around, apart from the Wandering Albatross which was still with us. Other bird life up until that point had included (in addition to several species of albatross), Northern Giant, Cape (Pintado), White-headed, White-chinned and Mottled Petrels. Some Hourglass Dolphins were also seen off the bow. We were still over the Emerald Plateau with water about 4000 m deep and the ship rolling to 10 degrees. At noon we had 104.4 miles to go. After some of Bruce’s excellent bacon and egg pie for lunch, the afternoon was passed quietly. A few albatrosses and petrels were about and about five more Hourglass Dolphins were sighted. At 4.30 Rodney gave an excellent lecture on Macquarie Island. This introduction covered the history, geology (the island sits on the Australian/Pacific plate boundary), wildlife, pest eradication and the landings we hoped to do over the next few days. Fortunate to have Jane with us, we received further information on the origin of the iron and magnesium rich (ultramafic) rocks that had formed about six kilometres under the Earth’s mantle and have been pushed up.

Given the forecast, it was predicted that the wind on arrival should be from the west and 30-35 knots. The Spirit of Enderby would be on the east side of the north-south orientated island and we should stand a good chance of having perhaps two landings at the isthmus where the Australian station is located and further south at Sandy Bay. After a convivial gathering in the bar/library we sat down to an excellent meal after which we joined Katya for discussion of bird and mammal sightings today.


Photo credit: K.Ovsyanikova

Day 9. Sunday 19 January – Macquarie Island

Noon position: Latitude 54^o33.97’South; Longitude 158^o55.72 East

Air temperature: 7^oC

Water temperature: 8^oC

The ship arrived off Australia’s Macquarie Island at 30 minutes after midnight and at 8am we were positioned roughly mid-way down the island and opposite Mt. Law, one of several high points on the Macquarie Island Plateau. The westerly blowing as predicted, was whipping over the top and from around the southern end of the island, creating a choppy sea with white caps. A beautiful Light-mantled Sooty albatross was cruising around the ship. The vessel now moved back to Buckles Bay. By 10am there were spells of rain, the sea was still rough and in places spray was shooting up rock faces. We assembled in the lecture room for a briefing and met four staff who had been brought to the ship from the ANARE Station. They were Chris Howard a Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service ranger; Vicki Heinrich from the Bureau of Meteorology in Melbourne; Josh Tomasetti the station plumber and John Hodgson the station electrician.

By 11am and in better sea conditions, the first Zodiac was heading for Sandy Bay. This was a wet landing and Rodney again stood waist high as he helped the driver manoeuvre the Zodiac for stern disembarking. For three hours we enjoyed the groups of Elephant Seals with many sparring and attempting to bite, while others were content to lie on the beach and put up with others sprawled on top of them. There were the usual ‘trouble makers’ initiating sparring matches. We all enjoyed the experience of viewing the large Royal Penguin colony with 11-14,000 breeding pairs. Some of the birds had young chicks and the noise and smell was extraordinary, as birds entered the territory of others during their commuting to or back from the narrow stream that took them to the beach. The other large colony further north along the beach, was inhabited by many King Penguins. Not a lot of ground space here either and they too were maintaining a continual noise. A few chicks were visible with others or under the brood flap of vascularised tissue that folded down and over the young or un-hatched eggs. The birds did not take too kindly to an Elephant Seal moving through the colony to the water’s edge as we watched. A hut once used for field work with its roof covered in grass, appeared to be built from an early aircraft crate.

Back on board, Bruce and Michael had a wonderful selection of pizzas ready for our lunch. This set us right for the next part of our visit at Macquarie Island. At 3.30 we had a briefing in readiness for our landing at Buckles Bay. Again it was a wet landing requiring sliding over the rear of the Zodiac tubes and onto submerged, smooth rocks. The Macquarie staff met us at the landing place and kindly gave up a few more hours on their day off. In two groups we were taken for a walk along the western shore of the isthmus, where we saw Gentoo penguins, nesting Cormorants and Antarctic terns. Elephant Seals slumbering in clumps of tussock took exception to the intruders, snorting or grunting as we walked past. Many of us now know what an Elephant seal’s breath is like! We very much enjoyed our visit to the station and the hospitality extended to us. We were treated to scones with cream and jam, along with a cup of tea or coffee. Most of us had our passports stamped and the postmaster took delivery of our post cards. On the way back to the landing there was an opportunity to see some of Joseph Hatch’s steam digesters with excellent photographic displays mounted around the viewing platform.

When we reluctantly began our departure for the ship the wind had fortunately turned to the north and the sea was much calmer. Back on board we enjoyed a hot shower and a superb dinner with a choice of fish or rump of lamb. By 9pm we were passing the large King Penguin colony at Lusitania Bay where two steam digesters could be seen in the middle of the colony. As Rodney said in his lecture, the digesters were set up to process the penguins for their oil, however the day will come when they have corroded away and the penguins will again be in charge. By 10pm we were passing Hurd Point and on the next stage of our expedition that would see us traverse the Southern Ocean to the Ross Sea. As we left Macquarie Island, a pair of Orca was sighted along with a large number (perhaps 100+) of Antarctic Prions. Conditions now became a little rough again and following the daily discussion on bird sightings, most of us decided to have an early night to dwell on our marvellous time on Macquarie Island. 

Photo credit: K.Ovsyanikova

Day 10. Monday 20 January – the Southern Ocean en-route to the Ross Sea. 

New Zealand’s Scott Base 56 years old today

Noon position: Latitude 56^o48.38’South; Longitude 161^o39.121’East           

Air temperature: 11^oC

Water temperature: 5^oC

The ship rolled occasionally during the night and in the morning we got up to a nice sunny day with scattered cloud. We were now on the Southern Ocean, en-route to the Ross Sea and Antarctica.

During the morning we made steady progress at 11.5 knots over water nearly 3700m deep. By noon we were in the region of the Antarctic Convergence (a temperature and salinity boundary of the Southern Ocean) about 90 nautical miles south of Macquarie. As the sea temperature falls 4-6^oC (winter 1-3^oC) to 2-3^oC we expected to observe more oceanic birds owing to the upwelling of nutrients, then as we moved further south new species would appear. Before lunch we were shown a video relating to the pest eradication programme on Macquarie Island. This was an excellent production and complimentary copies were made available. Later Samuel delivered a lecture entitled ‘Seabirds of the Southern Ocean’. The well-structured pesentation was excellent and as a result we felt better informed about the various species of albatrosses, petrels, prions and other birds that we had already encountered, or would become familiar with during the expedition.

During the afternoon we enjoyed another excellent lecture in natural history with Katya’s introduction to ‘Cetaceans of the Southern Ocean’. This began with the origin of whales from land animals, followed by the various groups and different species. It was surprising to see what a wide variety we were likely to encounter. This lecture was followed thirty minutes later by the first of David’s lectures on the exploration of Antarctica. This focused on Sir Douglas Mawson and his first expedition to the establishment of ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition) including the founding on the continent of Mawson Station, later followed by Davis and Casey. Australia now claims 47% of the Antarctic continent. The sea was fairly calm with just an occasional roll. Of interest was the sighting of several King and Royal Penguins at Latitude 57^o41’S 162^o53.64E; a long way from home although Katya said this is not unusual for these penguins. After the excellent evening meal, the bird sightings were discussed and most people had an early night.

Day 11. Tuesday 21 January – the Southern Ocean. 

Crossed 60^o South and entered region of the Antarctic Treaty

Noon position: Latitude 60^o22.943’South; Longitude 166^o46.905’ East

Air temperature: 6^oC

Water temperature: 5^oC

We had a relatively calm sea during the night as we crossed the Antarctic Convergence, still evident in the morning with a little fog indicating the change in water temperature. At 8am we were at 59^o 47.513S and 165^o53.608E, and the fog was beginning to lift. A 25 knot south-easterly was blowing and the temperature outside was 2.8^oC. Inside the ship we had a comfortable 22-23^oC. There was not much colour to the sea today, which was a pale grey and only a Campbell Island Albatross along with a few Prions were about. At 8.28am we crossed our waypoint Latitude 60^oS, a significant point as we were then in the region of the Antarctic Treaty. We were however still over deep water of about 4600m and during the day expected to pass over seamounts (mountains on the sea floor) with some rising to 201m, 264m etc below sea level. 

To the south at Latitude 66^o55’South Longitude 163^o20’ East are the five Balleny Islands. Of volcanic origin and glaciated, these islands are north-north-west of Cape Adare. They were discovered in February 1839 by John Balleny commander of the vessel Eliza Scott and named in his honour by Captain Beaufort, Hydrographer to the Admiralty. With the most recent ice map (19 January) indicating little or no ice in the Ross Sea, Rodney planned to turn south at 165^o East then continue southward at 175^o with about 300 nautical miles to run before we reached McMurdo Sound.

Before lunch Part One of ‘The Last Place on Earth’, a film based on Roland Huntford’s book, also entitled ‘Scott and Amundsen’, was screened. From the bridge several albatrosses including Campbells, Grey-headed and Southern Royal were seen along with Shearwaters, Mottled and Black petrels. The best sightings of the day were three pods of 20-30 black and white Southern Right Whale Dolphins. These animals are distinguished by having no dorsal fin, a streamlined body and short beak. A pod of ten Pilot whales were also seen to starboard. During the afternoon our fine new blue Antarctic jackets were issued and these will no doubt feature in many photographs.

In the early evening Katya gave a further informative lecture on marine mammals. On this occasion the subject was the Pinnipeds (Seals) when the members of the three families were described - True Seals or Phocids; Eared Seals or Otariids and the Walruses. The Weddell, Crab eater and Leopard Seals were thought likely to make an appearance on our voyage and if we were lucky we could also see the Ross Seal. With the sea getting up from various directions, the captain turned the ship a few degrees to port to enable us to enjoy our evening meal of rib-eye steak or seared peppered fillet of salmon. At 9pm the ship moved back 10^o to starboard. With a low pressure system hovering above the Southern Ocean, we took the hint from Rodney to make sure all was secured in the cabin and as usual, to have ‘one hand for the ship and one for your-self’. After a relaxing and interesting day we retired for the night.

Day 12.  Wedesday 22 January – First icebergs and ice floes; 

Denise’s birthday celebrated

Noon position: Latitude 63^o 49’South; Longitude 172^o 05’ East           

Air temperature: 5^oC

Water temperature: 2.5^oC

We had a very comfortable night and arose to a calm sea, with a patch of sunlight emerging from cloud to shimmer on the Southern Ocean. We had been crossing the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge with shallower water depths, including the sea-mounts mentioned yesterday. At 5.20 am Valeriy the Officer on Watch, picked up an iceberg on the radar. This was soon visible as two towers and a beautiful deep blue band above the water-line, eight nautical miles to starboard. The first passenger to see the berg was Tim and Margrit, who was also on the bridge, was able to obtain a nice photograph. Last year, the first iceberg was sighted on 17 January at Latitude 62⁰34.35’E Longitude 172^o41.2’ E. On the second voyage the first iceberg was sighted on 16 February at Latitude 62^o 41.2’ South and 169^o 29.05’East. At 8am we were over 1370m of water and at Latitude 63^o09.036’S Longitude 171^o15.989’E. A number of Shearwaters and a Light-mantled Sooty Albatross were seen. This morning our day began with Bruce’s excellent pancakes, then Part 2 of the ‘Last Place on Earth’ was screened. By 11 am further icebergs were visible from the bridge and a pod of 10-12 blowing Orca were also sighted off the stern.

Samuel started the lectures for the day, telling us all about Sir James Clark Ross. This was a very appropriate topic, since we would soon be entering the Ross Sea first navigated by Ross in 1841. We received an excellent background to Ross’s Antarctic expedition by way of his early Arctic journeys and finally after Antarctica, participation in the search for Sir John Franklin. Ross’s two 32m naval ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror used by Franklin have never been found, although remains of his men along with equipment were.

By noon some of the crew reported seeing more Orca as we sailed under sunny skies. At 1.30 two icebergs were still visible at a distance and for those with good lenses, they provided an opportunity for further photography. The afternoon programme included a lecture and briefing by Rodney. This focused on the present ice situation and our route south; the Antarctic Treaty System and its governance; IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tourism Operators) obligations; along with what he hoped to achieve during our visit to the Ross Sea region. This was followed by the excellent documentary ‘The Last Ocean’ on the tooth fishing industry and the need for a marine reserve to be established.

During the afternoon three large Rorquals and ten Orca were seen and later a large male Sperm Whale accompanied by two other whales, was blowing as it moved along the surface. By late afternoon the weather was still fine with a little scattered cloud over the calm blue sea and we had good views of a few ice floes along with three large tabular icebergs. We passed a large berg to port, with a cave which had the most beautiful deep Prussian blue colour. The bar opened later than usual as the iceberg had precedence, and at dinner we celebrated Denise’s birthday, followed by the regular species list discussion which covered the last two days. By 11pm a superb sunset unfolded and together with a bright half- moon off the end of an iceberg, this presented a magnificent sight for the few people up and about.

Photo credit: S.Blanc

Day 13. Thursday 23 January - Antarctic Circle 66^o33’ S 

Noon position: Latitude 68^o02.514 South; Longitude 175^o50.695’East

Air temperature: 5^oC

Water temperature: 0^oC

At 3am the crew sighted 10 Orcas and we crossed the Antarctic Circle at 03.43. It was appropriate that last evening the first Snow Petrels were sighted along with three Minke Whales. The temperature fell to -1⁰C over night and in the morning the bright half-moon was high in the sky. This was a classic beautiful still Antarctic morning, with the sun out and a gentle swell perhaps due to a depression further south. The swell caused scattered ice floes and bergy bits, to rise and fall as if to music from an unseen orchestra. Ahead was a large ice berg tilted as if on the verge of capsizing.

Part 3 of ‘The Last Place on Earth’ was screened and then we headed outside to view another large tabular berg with its upper surface harbouring numerous snow-filled crevasses to port. By now the floes had left us although we still had Snow Petrels along with the occasional Antarctic Petrel about the ship. Rodney advised that we hoped to be off Cape Adare at 8am in the morning. At 11.30 and in our newly issued jackets, we assembled on the bow for a special ceremony to commemorate crossing the Antarctic Circle. There was even a ‘hybrid Emperor Penguin’ present, although while the head was obscured, the body profile tended to give it away! Rodney dispensed a mug of mulled wine for each of us then read the following.

“By anyone’s standards this event is an auspicious occasion-very few people have crossed the Antarctic Circle by ship. So on this occasion we want to both celebrate the occasion and acknowledge its importance.

Today each one of us joins a unique group of explorers that have gone before us, not only showing us the way, but giving us courage to follow and to make our own destiny. We follow explorers such as James Clark Ross, Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen, Sir Douglas Mawson, Richard Byrd, Sir Edmund Hillary and others, who pioneered new routes south of the Circle. Today we acknowledge them and their efforts.

Crossing the Circle also carries with it responsibility - a responsibility that those explorers who went before us took seriously which is part of the reason that we are here today. They advocated for the protection of these lands and wildlife that inhabited them, ensuring that future generations would have them to enjoy.

So today as we cross the Circle, I would like each of you to take this vow and receive the Mark of the Penguin - as evidence that you have crossed the Antarctic Circle and have taken the pledge which I am going to ask you to say after me.

Having endured the privations of the Roaring Forties, the rigours of the Furious Fifties and the ice-strewn waters of the Screaming Sixties to cross the Antarctic Circle, pay homage to those early explorers who have not only shown the way, but have demonstrated what it means to advocate for the continued protection of Antarctica and its wildlife and history. I [own name] hereby pledge that in accepting the Mark of the Penguin will, until I take my last expedition, advocate to everybody, even those who will not listen, the importance of the Antarctic and its wildlife and history.

Would you please step forward and receive the Mark of the Penguin.”

The Mark of the Penguin was then bestowed by Agnes. Ron then gave a moving tribute to his wife Christine who five years ago suffered an accident when scuba diving and against the odds, has proved she had the courage to bounce back and achieve a life-long dream of visiting Antarctica. The ceremony now over, some of us lingered on deck to enjoy the freshness of the weather with a 10 knot south-east blowing, before retreating inside. We then continued on our southerly course.

At 3pm David presented his lecture on the Southern Cross Expedition (1899-1900). This was the first expedition to winter-over on the Antarctic continent. Although a complex character, Borchgrevink had a team of competent scientists that left a remarkable record of observations. That ‘First Antarctic Winter’ the beautifully presented diary of Louis Bernacchi was available from the Sea Shop on board and makes compelling reading. The lecture was followed by the excellent documentary on the Adelie Penguin entitled ‘Icebird’ and a further two Minke Whales were seen at 3.45 pm. The bar opened earlier than usual and the evening meal with an entree of excellent prawns, a main of roast beef or Gurnard fish followed by a delightful desert was enjoyed by all. The bird list only contained a few species after which we prepared for a possible landing in the morning.

Day 14. Friday 24 January - Cape Adare, Robertson Bay, Possession Island

119 years ago today a landing was made on Ridley Beach (24 Jan.1895) from the ship Antarctic, during Henryk Bull’s whaling expedition

Noon position: Latitude 71^o15.632’South; Longitude 170^o17.427’East           

Air temperature: 8^oC

Water temperature: 0^oC

We made an early start this morning in anticipation of a landing on Ridley Beach at Cape Adare. Cape Adare on the northern tip of the Adare Peninsula was named by Sir James Clark Ross for his friend Viscount Adare MP for Glamorganshire, Wales. We awoke to a slightly rough sea from a stiff westerly and were soon passing through scattered areas of brash ice, bergy-bits and floes with occasional Adelie Penguins. By 6.30 am the sun was breaking through and the supply vessel Italica en-route to Italy’s Mario Zuchelli Station was briefly sighted. An hour later peaks of the Transantarctic Mountains were sighted with between peaks, great glaciers descending below cloud. As we neared the Adare Peninsula we could see it was capped by a ‘whale-back’ cumulus cloud and Rodney drew our attention to many prominent landmarks beginning with Cape McCormick in the south along with the Downshire Cliffs of reddish brown volcanic rock. We also had an excellent view of dramatic Mt. Herschel(3335m) near the Hallett Peninsula, first climbed by the late Sir Edmund Hillary’s expedition on 27 October 1967. The mountain was named by Ross after John F W Herschel the noted English astronomer. 

Soon after rounding Cape Adare, we entered Robertson Bay in 40-50m water. It was a beautiful sunny morning, the westerly had dropped and around us were nearly 50 icebergs of various sizes, many of which were along the coast and further north. On floes Adelie Penguins were also enjoying the outstanding Antarctic morning. As one floe passed and the obligatory penguin photo was taken, a passenger announced “Put there by the tourism board”. Great photographs were also captured of a hovering South Polar Skua. As the cloud base lifted great peaks on the Admiralty Range manifested themselves in all their glory. Mt Minto (4165m) named by Ross after Earl Minto First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, and with Mt Adam (4009) named after a senior Naval Lord to the right, both peaks were prominent against the pale blue sky. Mt Minto was first climbed by an Australian expedition led by mountaineer/geologist and prominent Antarctic personality, Greg Mortimer on 18 February 1988. Other peaks of interest included Mt Sabine (3718m). Unfortunately ice had built up from the westerly along the north and south shores of Ridley Beach, preventing a Zodiac landing. However Rodney was able to point out to us the historic huts on the edge of the large Adelie Penguin colony, along with the location of Nicolai Hanson’s grave which he and David had visited on various occasions. Sarah, Samuel, Dr Eric and others were able to obtain excellent photographs of the huts, which we hoped to be able to visit on our return north.

Many on deck were interested in the blue ice within small caves of a berg. The reason for the colour can be explained as follows. Firstly, snow appears white because air trapped between ice crystals making up the snow scatters, reflecting all wave lengths of sunlight back into our eyes. This is seen by us as white however, compacted glacial ice from which many icebergs are derived, retaining small ice bubbles which scatter light allowing the penetration of sunlight in particular, deep into the ice. Ice crystals absorb six times as much light as the red end of the spectrum as at the blue end. Since the ice absorbs most of the red light, only the blue end of the spectrum is reflected back at us to see. The best viewing is normally very old multi-year ice, although under certain conditions including with no sunlight present, the observer can be rewarded.

We left Robertson Bay and rounded Cape Adare at 11.40 and continued southwards off the Adare Peninsula, towards the Possession Islands where a message post was placed by Henryk Bull’s expedition 24 January 1895. As we progressed a belt of pack ice could be seen to the west. Late in the afternoon Rodney called us together for a briefing when he discussed the possibility of making a landing on historic Possession Island with its large colony of Adelie Penguins. There is some doubt as to which is Possession Island and which is Foyn; as charts vary. By 6pm two Zodiacs driven by Samuel and Katya, were shuttling us to a boulder beach on Possession Island. We had an interesting wet landing on the rounded shingle cobbles that rolled beneath our feet and on departure one of us had a rather unusual way of boarding the Zodiac. This was a most interesting landing and gave an opportunity to observe and photograph penguins along with their chicks at various stages of development and to enjoy the interesting volcanic islands and landscape. Cast high up on a beach ridge of the spit, was a wrecked wooden US landing craft still with its engine. This was lost from USS Edisto during a storm in the 1960’s and was rediscovered by Rodney in 1995.

Back on board we had a most convivial time in the Globe Bar, before enjoying a sumptuous dinner. The chefs really did us proud at a later hour, with seafood chowder, venison on rice/pork belly followed by a gorgeous desert with Black Doris plums, crumble and ice cream. The reading of the bird list was postponed, however there was some discussion over dinner at the non-appearance of the Southern Fulmar. Very few were seen last season. Late in the evening HMNZS Otago on fishery patrol was sighted. Although the early hours of the morning were particularly beautiful, most of us having enjoyed a special day turned straight after dinner.


Photo credit: S.Blanc

Day 15. Saturday 25 January - Ross Sea – Terra Nova Bay – Inexpressible Island

Noon position: Latitude 74^o06’ South; Longitude 169^o 01’ East           

Air temperature: 0^oC

Water temperature: 0^oC

Before breakfast (with eggs benedict made by Trudy) the Spirit of Enderby was passing volcanic Coulman Island. This large island was named by Ross in 1841, for his father-in-law Thomas Coulman. In 1902 Scott at the beginning of his National Antarctic (Discovery) Expedition, left a message post for the relief ships the following summer. The ice-capped island is three miles (4.8km) long and the highest point is 1998m (6555ft) while at the northern end is a point at 640m. A beautiful icefall was seen near Cape Anne at the southern end and talus cones had formed below steep couloirs. A large tabular berg perhaps 30 metres high, gave an approximation for the height of the island above.

We were passing over water 340 metres deep, the sea was very calm and two Minke Whales were seen. There was extensive brash ice with patches of water having an oily appearance in some places. To the west in Wood Bay lay extensive pack ice. We had some 120 nautical miles to run before we entered Terra Nova Bay later in the day. At 10am Part 5 of ‘The Last Place on Earth’ was screened and Samuel followed this with a lecture entitled ‘Sea Ice – the eighth continent’. The lecture was well illustrated with easy to follow explanations which in addition to the present situation in both the Arctic and Antarctic, also covered such aspects as the importance of sea ice to indigenous peoples and wild life. By 2pm we were moving over a calm sea, a pale grey colour with reflection from the overlying cloud layer. To the west the coast and mountains were very bright and we could make out the beautiful volcanic cone of Mt Melbourne (2733m) named by Ross after the British Prime Minister Lord Melbourne. The volcano is not active though there are areas of warm ground along with fumeroles (chimneys of ice) near the summit. A long tongue of land extending to the entrance of Wood Bay terminates at Cape Washington.

During the afternoon many of us worked on our photographic collections or read in the excellent library. By 2pm Mt Melbourne (2733m) named by Ross for then British Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, became more prominent along with Cape Washington(275m)named for Captain Washington R.N., Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society (1836-1840). Weddell, Crabeater and Leopard seals were also spotted. At 4.30 David gave the first of his two lectures on Scott’s expeditions. Today’s lecture focused on the National Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904 with the ship SY Discovery, led by Commander R.F.Scott RN. The lecture emphasised the extent of science and geographical discovery achieved, including discovery of the Polar Plateau; the first Dry Valley, the Emperor Penguin colony at Cape Crozier and the farthest south journey at the time, to Latitude 82^o11’South.

The weather outside was beautiful when Rodney called us for a briefing in preparation for a landing at Inexpressible Island in Terra Nova Bay. The anchors were lowered and our position was latitude 74^o90.759’ South Longitude 163^o45.8’ East. The landing got underway at 9.30pm and was a dry landing from the Zodiac in a small cove with large granite boulders we could step directly onto. From here we had about an 800m walk to the site of one of the most historic locations associated with Scott’s British Antarctic Expedition (1910-1913) indeed part of the ‘heroic-era’ of Antarctic exploration(1998-1917). Here following the winter spent at Cape Adare in 1911, the six-man Northern Party led by Lieutenant Victor Campbell RN, was forced in 1912 to excavate a cave in the ice as an emergency shelter when the Terra Nova was unable to collect them because of pack ice. After negotiating a way through granite erratic boulders left by retreating ice, we walked along the edge of an inlet where Adelie Penguins and Weddell Seals were seen. The rocks were of great interest and soon we arrived at the site of the ice cave which ablated away a few years ago. At least ten seal skeletons with skulls cracked where they were killed, an Emperor Penguin with parts of skin and some plumage and a rusty provision tin (perhaps Hunter’s oatmeal) were poignant reminders of some of the privations the Northern Party suffered when incarcerated for nearly 200 days. In the spring the men then sledged down the coast and arrived at Cape Evans. Before the end of summer two members of the party took part in the second ascent of Mt. Erebus. To cap the evening off, many of our party returned via the hill nearby from which a great view was enjoyed of the Priestley Glacier named for Sir Raymond Priestley geologist with Shackleton’s 1907-1909 expedition and of the Northern Party. Many had photographs taken with the midnight sun. Although it was a very late night, we all thoroughly enjoyed the rare opportunity to visit the historic site.

Day 16. Sunday 26 January - Australia Day

Terra Nova Bay – Gondwana Station; Ross Sea – Drygalski Ice Tongue

En-route to McMurdo Sound

Noon position: Latitude 74^o42.415’ South; Longitude 164^o 20.69’ East

Air temperature: 0^oC

Water temperature: 2.4^oC

During the night the Spirit of Enderby relocated to Gerlache Inlet. The day began with a 7.30 am breakfast where Eleanor and Robyn proudly displayed a tee-shirt with Australia’s flag, along with another on a stick in a glass, as they enjoyed vegemite (from a tube) on toast. Later several of us sang Waltzing Matilda. Breakfast was followed by a briefing for a landing in Terra Nova Bay. By 9am we were ready to begin our next outing which would also see us make a landing on the Antarctic continent. Nearby was the Korean supply ship BBC Danube and along the side BBC Chartering. The ship registered in St. John had a Russian crew.

We were soon enjoying the chance to photograph several Weddell Seals beside the beach and many of us walked up the hill to view Germanys summer only Gondwana Station. This was a tidy complex first established in the 1970’s with the initial hut on metal poles and beside the hut, containers and the main station building. A meteorological screen was nearby. An easy walk over gently elevated ground of granite and gneiss rocks and finer material, all products of freeze thaw weathering processes, provided an opportunity to photograph two Emperor Penguins. Although not with the bright colouration about the head, they were nevertheless still attractive and kindly posed for the many photographers – what would we do without digital cameras? We continued to the top and over a ridge from which nesting Skuas showed us their resentment at our intrusion. We then had an excellent albeit slightly distant view, of South Korea’s fine new Jang Bo Jo Station. This was a large complex and this year will have a winter-over party of 40. Sadly the quiet we had been enjoying was shattered when a Korean helicopter flew overhead to the ship. There was certainly much to see, including a rich array of plant life with red, yellow and grey lichens, mosses and algae requiring careful walking to avoid damaging the plants. 

By 11am it was time to depart and after photographing a second Emperor Penguin, we made our way to the landing place. On the ride back to the Spirit of Enderby, a lone Adelie Penguin was seen sitting midway up the steep side of an iceberg. Some of the bergs were the most beautiful light turquoise, with one near the Italian Station, a deep ultramarine indicating that is was comprised of very old ice.The landing was certainly a highlight on our expedition as there was something of interest for everyone. It was also good to have a chance for a walk over the interesting natural landscape. Christine too was able to land and enjoy seeing the Weddell Seals, the nearby German station, the interesting geology and numerous icebergs from her wheelchair. As it was Australia Day, Richard who viewed from a distance in a look-a-like 1920’s balaclava pretended to be Mawson raised their National Flag and proclaimed:

‘I hereby proclaim Buxton Land. All land one kilometre north and south of 74 degrees 42.8 minutes South Latitude, of Terra Nova Bay, together with the Low Water Mark, to Longitude 163 degrees 54 minutes East, is hereby proclaimed Buxton land, this land being ideally suited for a retirement village in 2064, when the mean average water temperature is predicted to rise to 20 degrees Celsius and the air temperature to 25 degrees Celsius owing to Global Warming. God Save the Queen!’

The Captain had us moving southward while we enjoyed a lunch of hot chicken curry with coleslaw and cinnamon doughnuts. We then took an opportunity to have a rest and enjoy our photographs. After lunch we watched episodes 5 and 6 of ‘The Last Place on Earth’. By early afternoon we were well off the coast however looking at the landscape it made one think of the Northern Party and their long sledging trip back to Cape Evans, only to learn of the loss of the Polar party. Because of heavy pack ice built up against the south side of the Drygalski Ice Tongue and a light fall of snow, we only had a partial viewing of this vast floating glacier. The Drygalski Ice Tongue which is nourished by the David Glacier (after Prof. Edgeworth David), features in the South Magnetic Pole journey made during Shackleton’s expedition in 1908-09. After the evening meal when Australia Day was again marked with the National Flag on display, toasts and an excellent bottle of Main Divide pinot noir, the day ended quietly with the bird and mammal list discussion and preparation for our next landings.

Day 17. Monday 27 January – Ross Island – Cape Bird; Cape Royds; Cape Evans

Noon position: Latitude 77^o33.586’South; Longitude 166^o11.584’East

Air temperature: 7^oC

Water temperature: 2^oC

We arrived in Backdoor Bay on another fine morning with Mt Erebus standing majestically to port. The summit had a cap of cloud which gradually dispersed during the day. Other peaks, including Mt Discovery to the south, were concealed by cloud although the Western Mountains were clear, with viewings of the Ferrar Glacier, the entrance to the Taylor and Wright Dry Valleys along with Marble Point clearly visible. After a briefing the landing began at eight o’clock with us being dropped on the ice-foot at the head of the bay, where Rodney had previously broken off over-hanging ice with a spade. Here we saw four Weddell Seals including a pup from the latest breeding season and a number of Adelie Penguins from the Cape Royds colony; the most southern in Antarctica for this species. We had an enjoyable 25 minute walk over fresh snow and the dark scoria to Antarctica New Zealand’s green field wannigan (hut) where David had spent many enjoyable nights and devoured two Christmas dinners. We assembled at the edge of the ASPA (Antarctic Specially protected Area) and then 40 of us (the maximum allowed in the area at any one time) walked 100 metres down to Shackleton’s hut.

The hut was erected in 1908 and after brushing out feet, seven of us were able to enter the historic hut at a time. Inside David answered our many questions and provided interesting anecdotes acquired during the course of his research. Of particular interest was Shackleton’s signature on a label attached to a crate used as the head board on an improvised bed once occupied by Frank Wild in the area where the book Aurora Australis was printed. A total of 15 men spent the winter here. It was fantastic that Christine was able to visit the hut and by 10.30 having completed our visit including a walk around the edge of the ASPA and the Adelie colony, we were on our way back to the landing place. Of interest here was a young well-developed Weddell Seal born perhaps last October, that was using its teeth in addition to its flippers to enable it to reach the top of the ice where our group was assembled. Michael took a video and one could hear the rasping noise of the seal’s teeth on the ice.

While we were having lunch the captain repositioned the ship eight miles south, passing the Barne Glacier. A further briefing was held followed by our next landing at Scott’s Terra Nova expedition hut at Cape Evans, named for Lieutenant Edward Evans, second in command. The term ‘hut’ is a perhaps not appropriate for the prefabricated building erected in 1911. To enter this hallowed place from which Captain Scott left for the South Pole destined to never return, was a real privilege. The darkened interior had a unique ambience and unnerving tranquillity. We quietly conducted our own exploration of the many areas linked to Scott and other famous names who occupied the Wardroom, along with his men from the lower ranks who lived on the Mess Deck. Glenda found the place ‘sad but inspiring’; Tony was taken by the ‘magnificent conservation’ while Sherrel considered the hut ‘thought provoking’. Again David answered questions and we found the plan of the interior showing where the 15 officers (including scientists) and 9 men (including two Russians) spent the winter of 1911. For the second winter over, some staff left and new people arrived. Many artefacts such as two anchors from the Ross Sea Party ship Aurora, left on the beach in 1915 and the memorial cross on Wind Vane Hill to Mackintosh, Hayward and Spencer-Smith of the Ross Sea Party were seen and photographed. All too soon it was time to leave. Anchors were raised and we departed on the next stage of our expedition.

Photo credit: S.Blanc

Day 18. Tuesday 28 January – Ross Ice Shelf; Ross Island – Cape Bird; McMurdo Sound ice edge. Chef Bruce’s birthday

Noon position: Latitude 77^o13.004’South; Longitude 166^o24.780’East

Air temperature: 7^oC

Water temperature: 2.6^oC

At 1.30am Rodney made an announcement that we were approaching the Ross Ice Shelf. The sun low in the sky was very bright however, as we neared Cape Crozier and the vast ice cliff, it was less of an influence and by 2am we were busy taking photographs. The rugged landscape of windswept Cape Crozier was interesting. We glimpsed the location near The Knoll, where Dr Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers and Apsley Cherry- Garrard, built their ‘rock igloo’ during the famous ‘worst journey in the world’ in July 1911. The large Adelie Penguin colony still has a message post from Scott’s Discovery expedition (1901-1904). The vast floating Ross Ice Shelf discovered by Ross in 1841 which is the area of France certainly attracted our attention. At 2am we were positioned at 77^o25’S 169^o33’E. In winter a series of ‘ice canyons’ provide comparative shelter for Emperor Penguins breeding here on the sea ice. The face of the ice shelf appeared to have been sculpted by a giant artist’s pallet knife while below the 50m high face, wave cut ice was a beautiful turquoise colour. With wave action a sucking and crashing sound could be heard from beneath the over-hanging ice. The average thickness of the ice is 330m or 1100ft - to 700m or 2300ft with about 1/7th below the surface. 

By the time we woke for breakfast at 9am the next morning the Spirit of Enderby had moved to Cape Bird and we were positioned just off the research station of Antarctica New Zealand; the second hut on the site. The morning was beautiful when we landed on the beach below the field station. Here two enjoyable hours were spent viewing and photographing Adelie Penguins and seals. Some of us walked up the well-constructed steps to the terrace where we saw the two field huts which sat below an automatic meteorological station with solar panels. We did not enter the ASPA which is an area with significant vegetation. Unfortunately the swell meant the ‘Polar Plunge’ had to be cancelled and in the afternoon the ship departed for the west side of McMurdo Sound. By 3pm we were crossing McMurdo Sound and making our way towards the ice edge. The ice breaker USCGC Polar Star could be seen amidst a cluster of icebergs. An Emperor Penguin was sighted amongst the delicately coloured blue ice floes where the snow had been washed off, while the sea was a deep aquamarine. It was still sunny but the moderate breeze had a bite to it. We really enjoyed our views from the bridge and bow. Beyond the ice floes the Western Mountains, glaciers and Dry Valleys were clearly visible. Jane was very helpful with identification of landforms, familiar from her own geological research in the region. The afternoon passed quickly and we had an excellent meal with baked salmon or Coq au Vin (chicken) as main choices. It was Chef Bruce’s birthday so we made certain he enjoyed it. Michael made a cake decorated with a few candles and ‘Happy Birthday’ was sung in the galley. The ship moved to a new position from which we had a clear view of Observation Hill and the three Meridian wind turbines. At 10 pm we were positioned at 77⁰ 48.894’S 165^o 28.422E. The meeting to discuss bird and mammal species seen was held, then with a long day expected tomorrow, the evening drew to a close.

Day 19. Wednesday 29 January – Ross Island – Furthest South for Spirit of Enderby

McMurdo Station, Scott Base, Observation Hill, Hut Point – Discovery Hut

Noon position: Latitude 77^o 51.145’South; Longitude 166^o38.527’East

Air temperature: -5^oC

Water temperature: 0^oC

As we neared Winter Quarters Bay in McMurdo Sound at 5.30am, many landmarks that feature in Antarctic history came into view. Mt Erebus was largely obscured, however visible in a clockwise direction were:Turtle Rock along with on the Hut Point Peninsula, Danger Slopes, Arrival Heights, Castle Rock, The Gap, Observation Hill and Cape Armitage followed by the McMurdo Ice Shelf which links into the Ross Ice Shelf, White Island, Black Island and Mt Discovery (2680m). Further to the west the low morning sun lit up the snow and the pale brown slopes at the entrance to the Taylor Dry Valley. In the foreground we were confronted with the massive infrastructure comprising the US McMurdo Station established here as AIROPFAC (Air Operating Facility) in 1955 for the USN Operation Deep Freeze One. To port was Hut Point with Scott’s Discovery Hut (1902) and on a nearby promontory Vince’s Cross; both almost lost and dwarfed by the fuel tanker Maersk Peary at the artificial ice pier. This had carried super refined diesel fuel all the way from Greece. On Crater Hill above ‘The Gap’ which leads to New Zealand’s Scott Base, sat the three wind turbines which have contributed to a substantial energy cost saving for the NZ and US programmes.

We anchored in Winter Quarters Bay at 6am in 63 metres of water and prepared for what would be a busy day. Rodney had gone to a considerable effort making arrangements with the cooperation of both McMurdo Station and Scott Base in order that we could visit the bases. The timing was excellent as the fuel tanker had discharged and a container ship was still two days away. We also hoped to climb Observation Hill and visit Discovery Hut. It was a cool -5^oC and a brisk wind was ruffling the sea. Following an early breakfast we set off in Zodiacs in small groups 20 minutes apart. The sea ice had gone out and to land we nosed into a bank below the US station, with the permafrost clearly visible at around 30cms depth. Then it was a simple matter to carefully step from the bow onto land. There we were met by Kimbly, an IT specialist, who led us on a walking tour. Our first stop was at the Crary Laboratory (Albert P. Crary 1911-1987) and Eklund Biological Centre (Carl Eklund 1909-1912) opened 4 November 1991. The tour of this impressive building began in the marine science lab where live fish are usually held in the large tanks. Beverly explained the research being undertaken on tooth fish and invertebrates. Various informative posters were viewed along with glass display cabinets housing seal skulls, marine invertebrates and assorted artefacts including a ship’s kerosene lantern ca.1930-1950 found in 15 metres off Hut Point.

Liz then met us at the NSF (National Science Foundation Division Programs) Chalet where we viewed the Felix de Weldon bronze bust of Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, beside which were plaques commemorating the US Navy and 50^th Anniversary of Operation Deep Freeze. The next stop was Building 155. This contained the Mess hall, some accommodation, offices and ship’s store or PX where a few souvenirs could be obtained. Other accommodation was in three large three-storey blocks with such names as Mammoth Mountain Inn and Hotel California. A short walk led us to the Chapel of the Snows. A peaceful building with beautiful stained glass window and outlook across the Sound, it had the altar allegedly from the former St. Saviours Church at Lyttelton, where Scott had worshiped. In a cabinet was the Erebus chalice thought to be linked (by the Hallmarks) to Scott’s last expedition. This is stored in Christchurch Cathedral each winter then handed over at the start of the new Antarctic season. At one stage David, a friend of the donor Miss Betty Bird of Auckland, had the silver-gilt chalice in his possession. Summer Chaplin Mike Beyer of the Air National Guard, provided a commentary on the use of the Chapel; the most southern in Antarctica.

The final places visited were Mac Ops where Shelley discussed pre-field trip communications; Mac Centre (air traffic control and not a job for everyone), where JT (Jerry) said three flights were due from Christchurch, five were being flown to the South Pole today and ‘texting’ can even be done from the aircraft. At present the Pegasus blue ice runway for wheeled aircraft had over a meter of water on it; hence the use of ski-equipped LC130 Hercules, one of which we saw from Cape Evans and now using the snow ski-way at Williams Field. We also met Sandy the Helo Ops Controller, then moved on to Mac Weather where Arthur with computer screens, carefully explained climate modelling and problems with forecasting in Antarctica. We had a coffee and cookies (it was ‘Mexican Day’) in the coffee shop/wine bar with movie theatre that occupies the oldest building on the station. Finally after a photo shoot at the McMurdo Station sign we said goodbye to the very friendly and hospitable staff. They had given up their time to assist us and extend our knowledge of the United States Antarctic program (USAP). We then returned to the ship for lunch.

During the afternoon our time was largely taken up with a visit to New Zealand’s Scott Base – our furthest south. The same landing was used and here we were taken in two vehicles over the hill to the station three kilometres away. From The Gap we could see the sea ice had largely broken out. A science team was busy observing whales of which pods of to 30 Minkes have been reported and Rodney said a helicopter had observed 100 Orcas. At Scott Base we were welcomed by Julie Patterson, Antarctica New Zealand’s HR officer. Staff then took us on our tour of the complex. This began at the TAE/IGY Hut which for David’s group was led by Anna Ryder one of the base Domestics. The prefabricated building was the first erected at Scott Base and was opened in January 1957. Hut A as it was then known, then contained the mess/lounge, galley, radio-room and the late Sir Edmund Hillary’s bunk (which he had built himself) and office. Later the hut was used for additional accommodation. David who allegedly said “Well it’s great to be home”, briefly explained to his group the history of the building. This is about to be taken over by the Antarctic Heritage Trust and a new Conservation Plan, edited by Conservation Architect Chris Cochran was recently compiled. The base staff, who are expecting supplies from the cargo ship made us very welcome. We enjoyed seeing the gallery of winter-over photographs then, in the salubrious new dining room, we enjoyed afternoon tea cookies baked by Bobby’s, who is the winter-over chef and a former Spirit of Enderby chef. Off this area is the Tatty Flag Bar along with a comfortable lower-level lounge area. Our tour of Scott Base concluded with a visit to the retail shop operated by the Armed Forces Canteen Council Burnham Military Camp, then a photo shoot beside the “pou” (Maori carving) and sign in front of the base.

On leaving the base we were taken up a side road that once led to the former US nuclear power station and from here, were able to join the walking track up the 230m Observation Hill, named during the Discovery Expedition (1901-1904). While here the USCGC icebreaker Polar Star WAGB10 after escorting the tanker out, pulled up by the ice pier. We then returned to the ship which required an interesting boarding of the Zodiacs as the tide had lowered the sea level. At 7pm some of us were able to visit Hut Point. This visit was courtesy of Al (‘Fast Owl’) Fastier from Glenorchy, iconic Programme Manager for Antarctic Heritage Trust’s Ross Sea Conservation Project. Only the hut is within the SPA. Although many artefacts have been packed away to enable essential carpentry to be done, sufficient remained for us to appreciate the history of this historic Australian building. Inside David explained that each of the huts we have seen is quite different. This hut in particular has ‘layers of history with the main focus the Ross Sea Party 1914-1917 and the privations of the men who lived here in the dark days of early winter 1916, including the loss of Mackintosh and Hayward who had been saved and then needlessly gave their lives away. The three post-Discovery expeditions all used the hut as a staging post before heading south.

The bar was a focus for many of us after such an interesting, albeit long day for which we were grateful to Rodney for making it so special. It was fitting that our capable chefs should provide a sumptuous meal of Monkfish or Southland tender rack of lamb. What a day! Christine had not only visited McMurdo Station but also joined us on our visit to Scott Base. An early to bed night followed.

Photo credit: S.Blanc

Day 20. Thursday 30 January – Ross Sea

Noon position: Latitude 75^o40.129’South; Longitude 167^o57.93’East

Air temperature: -1^oC

Water temperature: 2^oC

A light fall of snow occurred during the night and in the morning we woke to a gentle rolling of the ship caused by a south-east wind. No birds were about. At 8am we were at 76^o17’South 187^o84’E. The temperature was -3^oC and water at +1^oC. To starboard although not visible, was Franklin Island named for Sir John Franklin Governor of Tasmania while to port was the Mawson Glacier leading into the Nordenskjold Ice Tongue that feeds to Oates Piedmont Glacier. Our next rendezvous was Cape Ann at the end of Coulman Island and there a decision would be made on our future movements. During the morning we watched the final episode of ‘The Last Place on Earth’ and then Samuel gave us a lecture about Penguins. This well-illustrated, well-presented presentation gave us a further insight into these birds which have adapted from land animals millions of years ago to a life in the sea. They only live south of the Equator and Samuel presented an insight into the biology of these special birds. By early afternoon it was snowing steadily. 

At 3pm David presented his lecture ‘A Charismatic Hero’ which focused on Ernest Shackleton’s second expedition to Antarctica. The achievements were considerable with the first discovery of the South Magnetic Pole and the furthest south yet achieved for the South Geographic Pole. This lecture was followed by a very useful lecture from Katya regarding the ‘World of Contrasts’ which looked at the differences between the Antarctic and the Arctic, supported by excellent illustrations. The bar was rather quiet in the evening and after an excellent dinner, with no bird or mammal discussion following (only a Giant Petrel, a Snow Petrel and some unidentified whales seen) we called it a day. Rodney advised we had 135 miles to go to reach Possession Island which would take about 12 hours and because of ice build-up, it would not be possible to visit Cape Hallett. A decision would be made in the morning about our future plans.

Day 21. Friday 31 January – Ross Sea; Southern Ocean 

Philippa announces her engagement

Noon position: Latitude 71^o 16.18’South; Longitude 172^o02.8’East

Air temperature: 2^oC

Water temperature: 0^oC

Last evening all the ice went out from in front of Scott Base so Rodney announced that the passengers from the Akademik Shokalskiy following a week behind us would be landing from the Zodiac in front of the base. We had a relatively calm night but in the morning woke to a fairly rough sea with thin layers of foaming white and white horses on the larger waves. A 35 knot southerly was pushing us along and we were doing nearly 11 knots. Below a layer of grey cloud, we had a good view of the two island groups making up the Possession Islands; including the beach we landed on below the Adelie Penguin colony. More seabirds were seen than yesterday, mostly giant petrels including a White Morph, several Antarctic Petrels and a Wilson’s Storm Petrel. Doing 10.6 knots, we followed the Downshire Cliffs that were away to port and Rodney advised the ice was moving west and that by necessity we had to continue north. Still we were very grateful for a visit to Robertson Bay from which we viewed Borchgrevink’s huts (1899) along with remnants of the Northern Party Hut (1911) with information supplemented by David’s lectures. We must also not forget that we have already landed on the Antarctic Continent.

At 10am David gave his lecture entitled ‘Triumph and Tragedy – Scott’s ill-fated expedition 1910-1913’. This was a very complex expedition with various field parties, the Northern Party that wintered as well as at Cape Adare, on Inexpressible Island along with reference made to Roald Amundsen’s Norwegian Expedition and Nobu Shirase’s second Japanese Antarctic Expediton. Having visited Cape Evans hut the lecture reminded us of what we had seen along with further information. The next gathering in the lecture room was to view a documentary called ‘Blackfish’. This focused on the Orca and the how corporate business has been reaping rich financial rewards at the expense of keeping and breeding the whale species in a captive situation. In the meantime lives have been lost and it was admitted that little is still known about the biology and other aspects concerning these magnificent creatures. One must ask how many have seen the Orca in the natural habitat.

By this time we were heading for Campbell Island and were looking forward to the natural history of this amazing place, which had already been introduced by Rodney’s lecture. The sea was beautiful when seen in sunbursts which made it look like burnished metal as we made 12.3 knots across the Southern Ocean. Lunch today was in the form of a buffet where we made our own sandwiches while Philippa announced her engagement. At 3pm Jane gave a lecture regarding ‘Antarctic Geology – Field Mapping in South Victoria Land’. In this excellent lecture Jane began with a description of the five main rock units for the region – Basement of metamorphosed sediments (480-650 m.yrs); Beacon sedimentary rocks 200-420 m.yrs); Ferrar Dolerite sills (180 m.yrs); McMurdo volcanics (0-20 m.yrs)and the ‘Cover’ or ‘Drift’ consisting of glacial, freshwater and marine deposits  (also 0-20 m.yrs). This was supplemented by wonderful photographs and a description of life in the field.

The final lecture of the day was provided by New Zealand Government Representative Trudie Baker. She gave a good overview of Antarctica New Zealand, its structure and functions along with reference to international collaboration in logistic support and science. To conclude the presentation she showed James Blake’s (son of the late Sir Peter Blake) wonderful videos with time-lapse photography done at Cape Evans and other localities along with a tour of Scott Base which we had enjoyed in person just a few days ago. After a superb dinner Rodney indicated that we had 1034 nautical miles to go before Campbell Island. At a speed of 11.5 knots an ETA was expected on 4 February. During the evening the wind was expected to ease and we hoped it would remain benign for the last few days of our expedition, which was rapidly coming to a close.

Day 22. Saturday 1 February – Southern Ocean – last iceberg

Noon position: Latitude 66^o 33.3’South; Longitude 172^o37.3’East

Air temperature: 0^oC

Water temperature: 1^oC

Today the supply vessel for McMurdo Station and Scott Base was scheduled to arrive at the Winter Quarters Bay ice pier.

We enjoyed a comfortable rest during the night and by 8am were well past Cape Adare and at 67^o28.209’S 172^o35.163’E. 

It was a fine day with a small amount of cloud and a few more birds were beginning to appear. This included a large number of Snow Petrels, Campbell Island Albatross, Light-Mantled Sooty Albatross, a few Antarctic Petrels and the first Southern Fulmar although this was debated amongst the group. To port was a large iceberg and several fragments of ice were scattered over the ocean. Mid-morning, Karen managed to capture a photograph of a large gathering of birds on an iceberg. It was decided that these were probably Antarctic Petrels due to the overall brownish colour. There seemed to be thousands of them. This morning David gave his last lecture on the ‘heroic-era’ of exploration. This was one was called ‘Fortunes and Misfortunes’ and focused on the generally little known Ross Sea Party of Shackleton’s Imperial Transantarctic Expedition (1914-1916) with most people familiar with the saga of the Endurance. David was co-author of the book Polar Castaways (taken from a BBC Interview with expedition member Alexander Stevens) which was compiled over 30 years. He had the great joy of knowing several expedition members including Richard Richards who became a close friend.

The second lecture before lunch was an outstanding presentation by Samuel regarding his 2005 winter-over at the French Station Dumont d’Urville in Terre Adelie, East Antarctica. Samuel described the long history of France’s involvement in Antarctica, the station and its composition along with the environment. His own work as a naturalist focused on ornithology and the Weddell Seal. He told us about his work environment, special celebrations including France’s National Day, Midwinter Day and of course the long travel including the one week sea voyage from Hobart on L’Astrolabe (nicknamed L’Gastrolabe). The day continued to be beautiful with the deep Prussian blue sea and more birds about, whale sightings and a large number of ice bergs. The latter included a tabular berg calculated to be three and a half to four nautical miles long.

Our blue Antarctic jackets were handed in after lunch following which we viewed part one of the documentary ‘Longitude’. This film focused on John Harrison’s obsession to construct the first chronometer to aid mariners and after 40 years earning him a prize, with Harrison dying soon afterwards. In the early evening Rodney presented a most interesting lecture which he called ‘Pelagic whaling in the Ross Sea 1923/24-1932/33; A decade of shame or ignorance’. This very appropriate lecture began with a biography of the pioneer of whaling, the Norwegian C.A. Larsen. From his research including interviews completed with whaling men while undertaking university study, Rodney gave us a good insight into the overall origins of whaling in Antarctica, but more so that in the Ross Sea. Along with the whaling were political aspects which also involved New Zealand, the setting up of a New Zealand company, the station set up at Kaipipi on Stewart Island and statistics concerning whales taken. The latter included for the Ross Sea a total of 10,487 whales processed by the James Clark Ross and C.A. Larsen in the 1923-33 decade, with perhaps 9161 whales taken by other companies.

By 9pm we were under the influence of an easterly and beginning to roll a little. Our speed was still 11.5 knots with 750 nautical miles to go to Campbell Island. The weather forecast looked good for the next two days although was expected to swing to the west. We had an interesting bird and mammal meeting - two Fin Whales and three Minke were seen today. To finish, the following quotation was found in The Last Explorer, an excellent biography of the great Australian Sir Hubert Wilkins by Simon Nash (Page 314). It is attributed to Apsley Cherry-Garrard of Scott’s last expedition.

‘Exploration is but the physical expression of the intellectual passion”.

Day 23. Sunday 2 February – Southern Ocean – Antarctic Convergence

Bosun Yuri’s birthday

Noon position: Latitude 62^o14.485’South; Longitude 171^o18.621’East           

Air temperature: 4^oC

Water temperature: 3^oC

We had a comfortable night with the ship rolling a little and got up to a calm sea and 8/8ths of light grey cloud; a spell of light rain; fog coming and going and air temperature at 3^oC. We were doing 11.9 knots and at 8am were at 62^o57.963S and on our course of 171^o28.974E. A few birds seen included numerous Sooty Shearwaters, a Grey-headed Albatross and a prion.

At 10am David gave a lecture entitled ‘Icons of Exploration’. The main focus was the run-up to the formation of the Antarctic Heritage Trust previously discussed by Trudie; work achieved; conservation problems along with the work by Australia’s Mawson’s Huts Foundation and other work by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust; Chile; Argentina and the United States at other sites. By 11am the fog had become quite thick and the sun was trying to break through but not doing very well. At 11.30 the film ‘With Byrd to the Pole’ was screened and focused on the first flight made to the vicinity of the Geographic South Pole by Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd during his United States Antarctic Expedition 1928-1930. The Sea Shop opened at 2.30 then the final episode of ‘Longitude’ was screened. This film was very enjoyable with excellent acting by Jeremy Irons and others. We assembled in the Globe Bar at 6pm for Rodney to hold his Antarctica quiz. This was a lot of fun and was won by a group scoring 29 our of a possible32. A great achievement which netted them two bottles of wine. There was no team leader and as Andrew said “we were very egalitarian - it was all for one and everyone to himself”! Following dinner and the bird and mammal discussion most retired early as Rodney predicted the ship may roll in the night.

Day 24. Monday 3 February – Southern Ocean 

Noon position: Latitude 57^o48’South; Longitude170^o16’East

Air temperature: 8^oC

Water temperature: 7^oC

Very few of us had a comfortable night. With a westerly air flow, the ship rolled, pitched and we surfaced to a grey morning on a rough sea. Some of us braved breakfast, however most then retired to the bunk and then resurfaced for a light lunch. By early afternoon the sea had begun to calm, although this did not necessarily mean we had a good afternoon. Many of us continued to catch up with sleep, looked at our photographs and read or played cards in the library. The calmer sea provided an opportunity to sort luggage in preparation for our landing on Campbell Island and disembarkation on Saturday. Time had moved quickly and it did not seem like nearly a month since we departed Bluff. We were however making good progress at just over 11 knots and passing over the South-west Pacific Basin with water depths approaching 5304 metres. The day passed quietly and at 8.45pm we had a mere 216 nautical miles to go before our arrival at Campbell Island. By now the wind had picked up from the north although Rodney expected it to swing to the west. The final gathering of the day was to discuss the species sightings where Katya refused to accept a change of name from Grey-headed Albatross to Pensioner Albatross and similarly to accept a new species named after its finder Albert Ross. We then prepared for a restless night at sea.

Day 25. Tuesday 4 February – Southern Ocean – Campbell Island

Noon position: Latitude 53^o’50.897’South; Longitude 169^o30.280’East

Air temperature: 10^oC

Water temperature: 8^oC

Occasional light rain earlier

Many of us had an uncomfortable night and at 7.40am the Spirit of Enderby was at 54^o28’ south 169^o37’E with our expected arrival at Campbell Island around 7.30 in the evening. A small pod of perhaps three Long-finned Pilot Whales was seen by David, Andrew and crew, off the starboard bow as an occasional light rain was falling. This morning the ship occasionally rolled as by now we were encountering waves from the north-west so we looked forward to finding calmer waters once we arrived in Perseverance Harbour. Some of us had already been to Campbell Island, including Bob who made frequent visits with the New Zealand Meteorological Service and was on occasions taken there by Rodney. The volcanic island has a magnificent natural history along with a rich human history. With the sea becoming rough, only a few observers were on the bridge this morning. Bird species were increasing including six species of albatrosses (White-capped or Shy; Campbell (a mollymawk); Black-browed; Southern Royal; Wandering and Grey-headed. All of these species, plus the Antipodean Albatross (not seen today) breed on Campbell Island and some of the smaller outlying islands. Petrels included White-chinned, Cape and White-headed. A few shearwaters were also seen. Chris was a great help with identifying the species observed. It was a great pleasure to watch these magnificent birds as they soared at times with a wing-tip just a few centimetres above the water surface, then rising with the occasional wing flutter, before swooping, rising, changing direction and gaining height, as they picked up speed to soar on air currents about the ship.

With the sea getting rather choppy with scattered white caps due to the westerly conditions, many of us rested after lunch. Our speed at noon had slowed to 8.5 knots over water around 470m deep. The occasional wave broke over the bow. Just before 6pm Rodney announced we had 21.7 nautical miles to reach our way-point at the entrance to Perseverance Harbour, followed by 40 minutes to the anchorage. We had been doing 9.8-9.8 knots and the wind had been dropping. We had the first visual sighting of the main island as it loomed in the mist, at around 6.15pm when Mt. Honey the highest point (558m) was seen with Mt Dumas (500m) beyond. On the bridge Andrew asked Rodney “Are there any teal here?” As Rodney replied “Yes!” some teal took flight right in front of us so there were laughs all round. At 7pm we had an interesting view of a Sea Lion just below the surface with something in its mouth. By now on a heading of 346.8^o, we were at the harbour entrance at a speed of 11.7 knots. On the bow the Bosun was preparing the anchors and used a hand crank to release the ‘Devil’s claws’ which hold back the anchor chains. We were escorted into Perseverance Harbour by a pair of Southern Royal Albatross along with numerous Giant and Cape Petrels. We turned into the harbour with Erebus Point to starboard and South Point to port with good views of vegetated lava flows, old glacial terraces, ice sculptured landforms and olive-green scrub reaching up from the water’s edge and merging with tussock higher up. Rodney pointed out a ‘haul out’ area to starboard, on which were three Sea Lions lounged. The anchors went down in 22 metres of water and dinner began with a vegetable and meat Borsch (soup), followed by a main with fillet steak or chicken, then a desert of Tiramisu (Greek/Italian), a cake soaked in coffee and Kahlua.

There is very little on this island that Rodney is not familiar with. He has spent a lot of time here over many years. In 1975 with New Zealand’s former Wildlife Service, he re-discovered the Campbell Island Flightless Teal on 26 hectare La Dent Island on his first visit there. This small bird was at the time thought to be extinct. Campbell Island is important for the breeding or presence of several species of albatross, the endemic Campbell Island Shag and very important species of ‘mega-herbs’ that have flourished since the pest eradication programme. The human history has included early scientific Antarctic and Subantarctic expeditions, whaling, farming (initially 2000 Leicester-Merino sheep, 8 cattle and 2 horses), the World War 2 Cape Expedition, former manned meteorological station (closed 1995 then replaced with an automated system) and pest eradication since 1990. It was good to be on calm waters again and following the compilation of the species list, we retired and prepared for a 6.30 am wake-up call.

Day 26. Wednesday 5 February – Campbell Island 

Noon position: Latitude 52^o32.991’South; Longitude 169^o09.577’East

Air temperature: 9^oC

Water temperature: 9.8^oC

Most of us had an excellent sleep on calmer waters. It had rained a little in the night and we got up to a generally fine day, with scattered cloud and the sun appearing from time to time. A good breakfast set us right for the exertions of the day. At 7.15 am we assembled in the lecture room for the first time for a few days. Rodney gave a superb, well-illustrated introduction to Campbell Island and before setting out for our landing we were instructed to adhere to quarantine requirements with special emphasis on clothing including footwear and back packs. The day’s activities were then discussed. A total of 14 opted to do the ‘Samuel Safari’- a 14km all-day walk from Camp Cove, with an ascent of 200m taking us across the island to Capstan Cove, followed by the inevitable 200m descent and return to the ship. The remainder of us chose the interesting Zodiac cruise to Tucker and Camp Cove. This focused on the history with a return although no landing, via Garden and Venus Coves. After lunch, those of us who did the latter, then selected the shorter boardwalk journey to view nesting Southern Royal Albatrosses and mega herbs at Col Lyall (named after Lyall on Ross’s expedition) with a view down to Northwest Bay, the site of early whaling.

Passengers on the long walk were the first away and reported seeing five Campbell Island Snipe, two Antipodean Albatross with low flights of about 300m, an amazing field of purple Pleurophyllum speciosum along with other vegetation on the glaciated landscape. Those in the Zodiacs enjoyed calling at Camp Cove and Tucker Cove, with the rusting Shacklock Orion stove the only visible remnant from the farm homestead, attracting most attention. Birds seen included a Giant Petrel, Campbell Island Shag and gulls. The visit to Tucker Cove was significant as it was near here that flightless Campbell Island Teal were seen. The hike up the board walk from the former meteorological station began with us being confronted by an arrogant bull Sea Lion who was jealously guarding his harem of three cows. Bob then explained what the various buildings had been used for. After passing through flowering dwarf Dracophyllum scoparium scrub in the Sub-alpine Vegetation Zone below Beeman Hill (187m), we entered the Lower Alpine Zone with interesting ground cover. From Col Lyall we looked across to Northeast Bay and back to Perseverance Harbour. The highlights were nesting Southern Royal Albatross including some paired birds among the tussocks, flowering Pleurophyllum and for those who briefly battled the gusting nor-west wind, a view to Northwest Bay. It had been a great day and after a convivial hour, we enjoyed as always a wonderful meal from Bruce, Michael, Natalya and Zoya, followed by an often humorous discussion on the bird and mammal sightings.

Photo credit: K.Ovsyanikova

Day 27. Thursday 6 February – Campbell Island - en-route to Bluff

Waitangi Day in New Zealand

Noon position: Latitude 52^o33.072’South; Longitude 169^o09.617’East

Air temperature: 10.8^oC

Water temperature: 9.8^oC

Heavy rain and fog prevented a climb of Mt. Honey today. Instead after breakfast we gathered in the lecture room to consider options for morning activity. These included a further trip to Col Lyall; a muddy walk to the old Coastwatchers’ huts; Zodiac cruise in the outer harbour and tours of the galley and engine room. By late morning the sun endeavoured to brighten the day and Bill was delighted to find his wedding ring; on the cabin floor under a suit case. Those in the Zodiacs had a very interesting trip. Emma very much enjoyed viewing a Rockhopper Penguin, along with the other species that included three Yellow-eyed Penguins, two Light-Mantled Sooty Albatross chicks on nests and two New Zealand Fur Seals. Old lava had flowed over sedimentary rock and volcanic basalt columns, some vertical and some curved. They were coloured yellow, white, black and brown. A dyke was examined with caves at the base. The party which visited the remains of the Coastwatchers’ hut and a red-painted meteorological hut followed a muddy track through Dracophyllum scrub and Bracken. The met hut was in good repair and had furniture along with beer signs on the walls. An unusual stove or boiler was marked ‘UNIQUE’. A stop was made at the memorial to the three who died (Capt. Hasselburgh, a young woman and a sailor) and an aggressive male Sea Lion was carefully avoided on the way back to the ship.

Samuel’s party trekked up to Col Lyall. It was very foggy, blowing hard and a few Antarctic Terns were sighted. Because of the time of the day, the albatross were less active compared to yesterday, although there was still much to enjoy. Mike for example considered the hike to the top of the board walk enabled one to gain “a good cross section of Campbell Island from bottom to top, including the landscape and vegetation”. On board Bruce provided an interesting tour of the galley including storage areas, food preparation and cooking appliances. Rodney showed two groups through the immaculate engine room with green painted floor and the two bright yellow, six cylinder 1400 hp locomotive engines. Every five years the engines which are each connected to a ‘Ka me wa’ (now part of Rolls Royce) gear box, are stripped down. There are three generators.

The chefs produced a variety of excellent pizzas for lunch after which we prepared for a quiet afternoon with cabin effects secured. At 1.10 pm we departed for Bluff with 360 nautical miles to go and wind expected from the west, likely to cause a roll on the beam. Unfortunately it would be not possible to do a Zodiac cruise at the Snares Islands. It took little time to leave the harbour and we were soon beginning to roll. Many still found the library a good place to sort photographs and to catch up on the last month. Following the usual excellent evening meal, the bird list, a rather varied one for today, was compiled. At 9pm we were maintaining a good speed and were at Latitude 51^o24.316’ South Longitude 169^o967’ East. The sea was still lumpy, however Rodney suggested conditions may improve by tomorrow.

Photo credit: S.Blanc

Day 28. Friday 7 February - en-route to Bluff.

The Penultimate day of our expedition. Stephen’s birthday.

Noon position: Latitude 48^o52’ South; Longitude 168^o38’ East

Air temperature: 15^oC

Water temperature: 12^oC

After a comfortable night with pale grey sea now calming, we rose to a cloudy day with a pale sun. Of interest this morning was a dead seal being eaten by numerous birds. At 10am two excellent documentaries on Campbell Island were screened by Dr Eric. With 42 species of New Zealand birds now extinct and many on the endangered list, ‘The Battle for Campbell Island’ focused on the eradication programme of an estimated 50,000+ Norway rats in the winter of 2001. Rats had been released by sealers and soon became a natural history problem. The second documentary entitled ‘The Impossible Dream – the Campbell Island Teal’ with the rediscovery in 1975, led to a subsequent successful release by the Department of Conservation in 2004. Progeny of ‘Daisy’ a female captured on La Dent in 1984 (she died in 2002) re-appeared at Beeman Station the following year. These programmes were followed with an excellent presentation by Katya about ‘The Russian Far East – The Wild Frontier’ and focused on the human and natural history, from the Kuril Islands in the south to Wrangel Island in the far north. This is another fascinating and beautiful area, where Heritage Expeditions operates a range of itineraries. The pictures of indigenous peoples, villages, wild life, botany and landscapes, were outstanding with many photographs taken by Katya herself who spent a lot of time with her parents on Wrangel Island, a World Heritage area with Arctic diversity.

By afternoon the sea was very calm with some dolphins sighted and bird life including a Back Bellied Petrel feeding on the surface. We enjoyed a quiet day which included packing and a passenger de-brief, with crew and staff already preparing for the next voyage. This evening as we passed Stewart Island to port, Bruce and Michael provided a sumptuous farewell dinner. This included a ravioli entrée, main course with hot ham and roast beef carvery, chicken fricassee, roast potatoes and assorted vegetables, a seafood selection with salmon, prawns and salads and deserts including lemon curd and chocolate cheese cakes, mini-Pavlovas and a cheese board. After travelling 4675 nautical miles (8658 kms) the final de-brief was held in the lecture room when Rodney and staff farewelled the group and thanked them for contributing to what has been a highly successful expedition. Samuel then screened his superb 22 minute slide show and made copies available to all who wanted them. We then retired with just a few hours remaining on board before departure in the morning.

Day 29. Saturday 8 February – Bluff and departure

Latitude 46^o35.630’South; Longitude 168^o20.35’East

The pilot boarded at 6.30am and our time aboard the Spirit of Enderby was fast drawing to a close. We breakfasted together for the last time and New Zealand Customs and MAF Quarantine officers boarded at 7.45am. After a group photograph was taken to record this momentous journey, we said final farewells. This expedition may have ended but we will take with us enduring memories of so many wonderful experiences in both natural and human history, relating to our extraordinary time on the Subantarctic Islands and in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica. As compiler of this Log, the author very much appreciated receiving pictures for his personal archive following the loss of his camera while swimming at Macquarie Island and for what he has learned. Best wishes to everyone for happy travels in the years ahead. Who knows, some of us may meet again some time, somewhere in the future. Thank you.

South to Antarctica Jan-Feb 2012

Thursday 12^th January 2012: Invercargill

Expeditioners from various points of the globe converged on Invercargill to begin a journey south to Antarctica in the footsteps of the great explorers, Sir Douglas Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton. The travelling companions met over dinner in an Invercargill Hotel, all in excited anticipation of their four weeks together. Meanwhile at the Port of Bluff, the expedition ship the Spirit of Enderby was being bunkered and provisioned with supplies for the 4,000km return trip to the Ross Sea. Eighty people eat a lot in 30 days, so it was all hands on deck to move the mountain of supplies on board and safely stow them in the deep holds of the ship.

Friday 13^th January 2012: Bluff

After breakfast our bags were security checked and loaded onto a truck to be taken to the ship. To wet the appetite for the southern adventure, we made our way to the Southland Museum and enjoyed the informative Roaring 40's display on New Zealand's Subantarctic islands. Lunch was enjoyed at the hotel before we boarded the coach for the trip to the Port of Bluff. Upon arrival we boarded the Spirit of Enderby, and were directed to our cabins to be reunited with our luggage. After meeting the remaining Heritage staff who would be joining us on the trip south, we enjoyed an afternoon settling in and exploring the ship. During the afternoon we received introductory briefings on ship safety and zodiac travel. These were followed by an emergency muster drill where we donned life vests and spent a short time in one of the ships lifeboats. Late in the afternoon we congregated in the Globe Bar for pre dinner drinks and a chat before sitting down to a delicious first meal aboard. A sign of the good things to come! From the weather forecast, conditions in Foveaux Strait looked pretty rough due to a strong easterly, so we waited at the dock for it to ease slightly before setting off. The ship slipped out with the tide after midnight when most were tucked up asleep. Sailing south past Stewart Island gave some protection from the wind and swell but the rocking was soon to build.

Saturday 14^th January 2013: At Sea

The wind continued to strengthen overnight and given its southerly origin it was unlikely that we would be able to zodiac cruise at the Snares Islands. Our Expedition Leader made the decision to bypass the Snares on the southbound journey in the hope that the weather would be kinder on the way home. The ship's course was duly changed and we headed for the Auckland Islands. The dedicated birders were up on the bridge from the early hours spotting numerous seabirds as the wind and swell picked up. Royal, White-capped and Salvin's Albatross soared around the ship untroubled by the wind that was causing us so much discomfort. Sooty Shearwaters, Diving Petrels, White-chinned Petrels and Fairly Prions were just some of the species spotted from the ship as we travelled south. The Southern Ocean gave us a taste of what she is capable of with the swell reaching 6 metres with 40 knots of wind. Many on board took this time to get familiar with their bunks while waiting for their sea legs to catch up with them. The doctor diligently undertook house calls to relieve much of the suffering from the dreaded "mal de mer" and reminded us of other great seamen, such as Lord Nelson and Sir Peter Blake who suffered similarly. A reasonable gathering of sturdy sailors enjoyed a lovely meal produced by the chefs in somewhat challenging conditions.

Sunday 15^th January 2012: Enderby Island

We awoke early and found ourselves in the sheltered waters of Port Ross at the northern end of the Auckland Island group. Despite disrupted sleep there were many bright faces at breakfast eagerly anticipating a day on Enderby Island. After breakfast, a briefing about the day further heightened the excitement of visiting the island's natural wonders including flowering mega herbs and rare wildlife. Wet weather gear was donned, lunches packed and boots washed before boarding the zodiacs for the short ride ashore.

Once all in the group had been safely delivered to the research station, we set off along the boardwalk towards the western cliffs accompanied by Auckland Island Tomtits and Pipits. Nesting Southern Royal albatross gazed at us as we gradually made our way across the centre of the island. The fields of Bulbinella Rossii stalks on the western side of the island indicated how impressive the landscape would have been earlier in the season when the plants were in full bloom. Purple balls of flowers were still found on some of the Anisotome Latifolia bushes and the pink and white flowers of the Gentians were bright spots of colour amongst the lush ground cover.

Along the western cliffs we admired the nesting Light-mantled Sooty albatross amongst the Auckland Island shags. One group went down to enjoy the delights of Sandy Bay where they spent some quality time with the Hooker's Sea Lions and Yellow-eyed penguins. Those who were keen to stretch their legs and explore more of the island continued north following the coast around the perimeter of the island. Nathan, our fearless Expedition Leader took the lead as he scouted ahead for any troublesome Sea Lions, while the rest of the party followed in loose groupings. Along the way we stopped to enjoy the cliff top views and take photographs making the most of the wonderful light when the sun came out in between a few rain squalls.

The terrain varied from easy on the grassy sward to challenging through the tussock grasses. We meandered past a small group of Northern Giant Petrel chicks who were starting to lose their down in preparation for fledging. Many heard or caught sight of Red-crowned Parakeets and Banded Plovers, but only a few got a glimpse of the elusive Subantarctic Snipe as it darted amongst the foliage. Some time was spent surprising and dodging feisty sub adult Sea Lions who were a little too interested in what we were doing. Many Yellow-eyed Penguins were spotted around the coast nervously travelling to and from nesting areas or just hanging out with other teenagers near the sea edge. The scenery was ever changing and dramatic. The southern Rata in full bloom gave an intense contrast between the redness of its flower and the grey and squally skies. Some people took time out from the coast to explore the interior of the amazing Rata forest which provided a peaceful refuge from the wild world outside. Upon our return to Sandy Bay, time was spent watching life within the Sea Lion harem. Young pups could be seen grouping together as their mothers went out to sea foraging. Males were continually sparing around the edges and recent mothers stood protective guard over their new offspring.

Finally it was time to return to the ship having had a sublime day ashore experiencing blue skies and sunshine as well as some rain and cloud. Back on board, the bar was lively and full of chatter as we swapped stories of the day. After another delicious dinner and we all faded fairly early as a result of all that fresh air and exercise.

Monday 16^th January 2012: Enderby Island

We stayed at anchor overnight in the sheltered waters of Port Ross, and awoke to a calm and quiet ship. After breakfast we were told that one of the Expedition Staff had to leave the ship due to a medical problem, so the Spirit of Enderby remained in Port Ross while the logistics of a medical evacuation were finalised.

We made the most of this opportunity to land at Erebus Cove and see the remains of Hardwick Settlement. Originally established as a whaling settlement in 1849 by the Enderby Brothers whaling firm, ships arrived from England with skilled tradesmen and their families with the intention of establishing a settlement that would service the whaling industry as well as farm the surrounding lands. The enterprise ended in failure within three years due to the scarcity of whales in the area, poor farming conditions and alleged mismanagement of the settlement by Charles Enderby the Lieutenant Governor of the Islands. Towards what was the main part of the settlement we found the "Victoria Tree", which had the name of the ship Victoria and its captain inscribed in the trunk. The Victoria was a supply ship that visited the area a number of years after the settlement was abandoned, to search for ship wreck survivors who may have ended up on the island. Today all that remains of the settlement are some remnants of buildings and a small graveyard amongst the Rata forest.

Late in the afternoon a long range helicopter from Invercargill swooped in with a replacement team member and took the ailing staff member back to New Zealand. The Spirit of Enderby weighed anchor and we set off towards Macquarie Island.

Tuesday 17^th January 2012: At Sea

Today is the centenary of Scott's arrival at the South Pole, so this was uppermost in our minds as we gathered for breakfast. After a recap of our visit to the Auckland Islands, newly arrived expedition staff member and company founder, Rodney Russ, gave a talk on the history of the area including its phases of discovery, exploitation, settlement, shipwreck and restoration. We then reviewed the wildlife seen during our visit. Although the ride was a little bumpy, the ship was still travelling at eleven knots and many had started to get their sea legs. The birders kept us abreast of the variety of birds visiting the ship throughout the day which included the Southern Royal, Gibson's Wandering, White-capped, Salvin's and Buller's albatross as well as an assortment of petrels including the White-chinned and Cape Petrels, Grey- backed Storm Petrels and many prions.

Helen, the team member who gave the introduction to Macquarie Island was well qualified for the task. She spent five years living and working there as a field researcher and ranger. Her introduction to this incredible little island in the middle of the Southern Ocean covered natural and historical features and prepared us well for the landing tomorrow. Arrival at the island presents the opportunity for sending mail to the folks back home, so the bar did a brisk trade in postcards. These kept many people entertained for the rest of the afternoon and for those that didn't get enough of the Sea Lions on Enderby Island, a screening of 'Sealion Summer' was arranged.

Later in the evening the bar opened and we enjoyed a few drinks before another delicious dinner. Many retired early to their bunks to be rocked to sleep on the southern seas, dreaming of our arrival at Macquarie Island.

Wednesday 18^th January 2012: Macquarie Island

It was a leisurely start to the day due to the different time zone of Macquarie Island. We ate breakfast in the lea of the Island while zodiacs were launched to pick up our five ranger guides from the station at Buckles Bay. Once aboard, they gave a briefing prior to our first landing as the ship sailed south the short distance to Sandy Bay. Although nice and calm on shore, the swell out at the ship made for a challenging disembarkation into the zodiacs. Once ashore everyone soon forgot the challenges of the gangway as they were soon surrounded by the local inhabitants of Sandy Bay.

A welcoming committee of King Penguins stood on the beach to greet us as we stepped ashore. Bree, one of the ranger staff, gave a few final instructions and then we were free to wander among the groups of curious King and Royal Penguins and the few less welcoming, moulting Elephant Seals. Soon everyone was widely dispersed across the beach where we spent several hours experiencing what we were told was typical Macca weather -a bit of rain and wind.

Due to their vast size, the Elephant Seals were the most obvious residents on the beach. The young males were packed into tight moulting groups - hard to believe that these are only small seals compared to the fully grown adult males! By sitting quietly most people had some great close-up encounters with the King Penguins who often came up for a peck of our boots. They seemed as fascinated by our presence as we were by theirs. The King Penguin breeding colony at the northern end of the beach was jam packed with breeding birds incubating eggs. They cradle their eggs on their feet against the skin of their brood patch for eight weeks. The other penguin inhabitants of Sandy Bay were the Royal Penguins. These penguins are endemic to Macquarie Island as this is the only place they breed. Adult birds travelled up and down from the beach along a creek line to their inland colony. For us it was a less challenging walk along a boardwalk which went up the bank and along a ridgeline to the colony, passing some severely rabbit-damaged patches of Pleurophyllum hookeri and tussock along the way. The penguin colony itself was busy with adult birds and creching chicks mixed in together. It's a very noisy place, but well worth the visit to see the antics of this energetic penguin. Brown Skuas put on a good aerial display above the colony making the most of any opportunity to get a meal. All too soon it was time for everyone to head back to the ship for a warming late lunch.

The Ranger staff came aboard and joined us for dinner where they particularly enjoyed the fresh vegies and fruit they said they really missed whilst living on the island. A pod of Orcas delighted us as they appeared a number of times during the afternoon and evening while the ship was stationed off shore. Claudia, a budding documentary maker on the island, entertained us with a world premiere of her documentary on the Macquarie Island Pest Species Eradication Program (MIPEP) which documents the work undertaken over the last two years on the island.

Thursday 19^th January 2012: Macquarie Island

We awoke on the Eastern side of the isthmus of Macquarie Island in Buckles Bay. The wind was blowing from the west but the conditions were looking very good for another landing. Following breakfast and a briefing we prepared for a visit to the Australian Antarctic Division Research station.

Shore conditions were quite good for our arrival at the beach where we split into groups of ten and were taken on a tour around the isthmus and station by one of the ranger staff. A hot cup of tea and a chat to one of the locals in the station mess gave us a bit of insight into station life. Along the beaches we got to see more of the local wildlife. Today we added Gentoo and Rockhopper Penguins to our list as well as the Macquarie Island Shag and many more King Penguins. We were lucky with the weather yesterday, but today it was brilliant, with lots of blue sky, light wind and no rain. As we walked around the island we had to watch out for Elephant Seals that lay half concealed in the tussock. It is hard to imagine that it could be difficult to miss two tonnes of flesh lying there, but you can easily step a little too close to them, creating an uproar of growling, belching and snorting.

We spent a pleasant few hours walking the coastline, learning about the history of the island and present day life. It was an incredible and rare experience that we will not forget. Fulfilled with our morning's activities we jumped back into the zodiacs and returned to the ship for some lunch before starting to cruise down the island. In the afternoon we were treated to the exceptional sight of Lusitania Bay, the nesting and living quarters for some 250,000 King Penguins. From 2kms out at sea it looks rather like a boulder beach, but close up it is wall to wall birds. Ever curious, many of them came out to meet the zodiacs as we made our way towards the colony. Ironically, the digesters that were once used to render oil from their ancestors in the 19^th century still stand in the middle of the colony. It's a sobering reminder of the exploitive mind-set that operated in the past on many of these Subantarctic outposts. We spent an hour cruising close to the colony watching all the action in the water and on land. Back on the Spirit of Enderby after a well-earned drink and a delightful dinner, the evening was spent sharing stories and downloading photos. It had been a memorable day thanks to the fantastic rangers and inhabitants of Macquarie Island.

Friday 20^th January 2012: At Sea

Calm seas resulting in a good night's sleep saw most people up and about for breakfast. There was little wind and a following sea which pushed us along at a rapid twelve knots. The day's activities started with a recap of our visit to Macquarie Island where we reflected on the island's history and amazing animals. Then we all became focussed on the adventures ahead. It was time to make our bids in the iceberg tipping contest. The rules were set - the first 'berg must be seen with the naked eye and it must be larger than a London double decker bus as it passed abeam of the ship. With a flurry of anticipation everyone chose their preferred date and time. All picks had to be in by dinner time so there was little time for deliberation! Down in the lecture theatre we viewed a film based on the book by Tim Bowden, 'Silence Calling', which documents the first 50 years of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition. This provided us with an interesting insight into how things were done in Antarctica's most recent history.

After lunch we were given an opportunity to contemplate an amazing feat of survival as we watched a documentary featuring modern day explorer Tim Jarvis. In this expedition Jarvis attempted to replicate the physical exertion and conditions experienced by Australian explorer Douglas Mawson during the tragic sledging trip undertaken into Eastern Antarctic in 1912.

Continuing with the Antarctic theme, Rodney gave us a lesson on 'Ice', preparing us for what was to come. We learnt much about the terminology used to describe ice formations on land and at sea. He also gave us an overview of the ice conditions that commonly occur in the Ross Sea and presented a current ice map for the area. Following this talk many adjourned to the bridge to keep our eyes peeled for the first bit of white stuff on the horizon. Everyone was keen to start using their new found knowledge with some even requesting 'bergy bits' in their Gin and Tonics! We retired replete after another great dinner served by the tireless galley crew.

Saturday 21^st January 2012: At Sea

Again we were grateful to awake to a calm sea. The day kicked off with the first episode of 'The Last Place on Earth', a re-enactment of the race to the South Pole between Scott and Amundsen, the very expedition we are retracing. Later in the morning we learnt the important points on "How to identify a whale" as conditions for perfect for whale spotting.

The ice map was studied much more intently and with more understanding thanks to Rodney's excellent lecture yesterday. The bridge became a popular hang-out throughout the day as the earlier lecture seemed to have motivated a few whales to put in a brief appearance. Minkie's ahoy! Light snow started falling which provided the material for the construction of a small snowman out on deck, causing quite a bit of excitement for those unused to such a thing. Outside temperatures began to drop a few extra layers were needed for those adventurous enough to take a turn around the deck.

After lunch there was a flurry of shopping in the port side mess when the sea shop opened. Books, cards and souvenirs were snapped up as people underwent a bit of retail therapy. Rodney then gave a lecture entitled 'The ships they sailed to the Ross Sea 1773 - 1917'. In this talk he provided a good comparison between the vessel that is transporting us south to those that went before.

The first ice berg had still not been seen, and the stakes were getting higher for those with time slots coming up overnight. In the bar before dinner the idea was hatched for the first ever 'Enderby Choir'. Members discussed song selection and practices were scheduled for the days ahead.

Sunday 22^nd January 2012: At Sea

We were awoken at 4:15 this morning to the announcement of the arrival of the first iceberg. A few keen folk leapt out of bed and ran out on deck in their pyjamas as others struggled in their cabins to don suitable attire for the occasion. Seasoned campaigners and others who preferred to pretend this was all part of their dreams, rolled over and went back to sleep, safe in the knowledge that there were likely to be a few more bergs where we were going. The winner of the competition to guess the time of arrival of this first berg was later awarded a bottle of 'Oyster Bay' chardonnay.

After our early wakeup call, we were rewarded with a sleep-in, followed by a leisurely brunch complete with Eggs Benedict, muffins, French toast and all the usual goodies which kept us going throughout the day. Polar travel certainly does give one an appetite!

Late in the morning we continued on with another episode of the Scott - Amundsen race. Attendance was low today as people found it hard to tear themselves away from the bridge and the unfolding iceberg spectacular. Following lunch, Nathan gave some good tips to the budding photographers on board. The timing for this lesson couldn't have been better as the newly schooled pupils came out of class and got straight to work. Helen's talk on the seals of the region attracted a lot of interest as people wanted to be able to distinguish between the different species we now began to see in greater numbers.

After dinner we assembled on the foredeck just before 10pm to mark the crossing of the Antarctic Circle at latitude 66.34 degrees. Wearing our newly issued super warm Antarctic jackets and with cups of mulled wine in hand we were inducted into the special fraternity of travellers who have crossed the Antarctic Circle by sea. We took this moment to remember those early explorers such as Sir James Clark Ross, Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen, Sir Douglas Mawson, Richard Byrd, Sir Edmund Hilary and others that pioneered new routes south of the circle. In line with their aspirations for the protection of these lands and the wildlife that inhabited them, we pledged an oath that we would all do that within our power to protect and conserve this incredible part of our planet for the enjoyment of future generations. We were then duly stamped on the forehead with the Mark of the Penguin signifying our membership of this elite club. Afterwards, all eyes looked south towards the Ross Sea, and the excitement continued to build.

Monday 23^rd January 2012: At Sea and into the Pack Ice

We woke to yet another calm day. At this point we were beginning to wonder about the Southern Ocean's dreaded reputation, but none spoke of it, thinking it best not to tempt fate. Breakfast was followed by another gripping instalment in the 'Race to the Pole'. As we entered the much awaited pack ice, all eyes were peeled for the seals, whales, penguins and other bird life that we have waited so long to see. Later in the morning Rodney raised some interesting questions regarding the Antarctic Treaty System which focuses on Tourism and the future use of Antarctic. The first Emperor Penguin was spotted early in the day from the bridge, causing great excitement among the group. Many Adelie Penguins and Crab-eater Seals were seen on the ice as we delicately wove our way through some massive ice flows. Numerous sightings of Minkie whales rewarded the dedicated fauna watchers out on deck.

After lunch Nathan briefed us on the IATO code for visiting this part of the world including our responsibilities during shore visits. 'Life in the Freezer' was then screened providing some great images of this last great wilderness on earth. This film invoked some sobering thoughts as we returned to the bridge after dinner to look out for wildlife and contemplate the scenery.

Tuesday 24^th January 2012: At Sea

We continued to travel through the pack ice overnight and experienced a bit of rocking as the ship navigated between the flows. Those who were up early were rewarded with the sight of a couple of Pilot Whales playing around the bow of the ship. On deck, gloves and beanie had become necessary as the icy winds were quick to draw away body heat. The ship continued picking her route south, looking for the open water that lay beyond the line of ice.

The day started with another fix of the 'Race to the Pole' followed by a lecture on the world of penguins. Who would have thought there were so many species of these intriguing birds? After lunch Rodney presented a lecture on the 'The Unknown South Land' which detailed the very early discoveries and exploration that contributed significantly to the world's understanding of Antarctica and set the stage for later exploration.

Antarctic and Snow Petrels now escorted us south, constantly playing in the winds created by the ship as they cruised past the windows. These two beautiful bird species make the continent their home. In the late afternoon we gradually escaped the clutches of the pack ice and marvelled at the skill of the crew in picking our way through the veritable maze of ice. As we enjoyed a pre dinner drink the swell started to pick up as we headed deeper into the clear water. Dinner became a lively affair as we hung onto plates as the ship started to rock. The Captain now set a course straight for Cape Adare, where we hoped to land in the morning.

Wednesday 25^th January 2012: Cape Adare

A magnificent sight greeted us as we struggled up the stairs after an early wakeup call at 6am. The sun was shining in a bright blue sky as we gazed across at Cape Adare and the Downshire Cliffs. Mt Minto, a 5,100m colossus to the south, was capped with wispy cloud but the rest of the cliffs were clear. Massive tabular icebergs were strewn along the lands edge with many grounded on a shallow bank to the north. The pack ice looked thick and forbidding - an impressive first view of the Antarctic continent.

The wind had now picked up to around 50 knots and the spray from the swell whipped up to the bridge windows. The ship's captain and his crew stayed very focused as they carefully navigated us north, looking for an opening that would allow a landing at Borchgrevink's hut. Alas the ice was too dense so we made our way north west, skirting around the ice edge before continuing south. Cape Adare is the site where the first buildings were erected in Antarctica and where the first team of polar explorers wintered over on the continent. It is also the home to the largest Adelie Penguin rookery in Antarctica

Another episode of the 'Great Race' was featured before a lively lunch which saw everyone holding on to the water jugs. With lectures cancelled for the afternoon, it was time for most to enjoy a siesta in their cabins. Some hardy sailors still made it to pre-dinner drinks before heading down to dinner prepared under trying circumstances by our fantastic chefs.

Thursday 26^th January 2012: Ross Sea

Conditions remained rough as we awoke on Australia Day. However, there was a good turnout at breakfast as most had well and truly got their sea legs. Still a bit too rough for lectures, so most took refuge back in their bunks, while others spent the morning up on the bridge watching the spray from the bow fly up over the windows. The ice had been building up on deck as the temperature dropped down to minus 8 degrees outside. Some of the crew had to head outside to remove as much ice as they could to trim the boat back down to its normal size.

After lunch the Italian resupply ship 'Italica" was spotted on the horizon, heading north from Terra Nova station. The captains exchanged pleasantries over the radio as the large orange and white ship slipped past. During the afternoon sea conditions improved, so Rodney continued his account of Antarctic history with descriptions of the events leading up to the Scott-Amundsen era. Tomorrow we would arrive in McMurdo Sound and all looked forward to experiencing this historic region.

Friday 27^th January 2012: Cape Evans

A wake up call at 3:15 am roused a few who were treated to the sight of Orcas around the ship in the beauty of an Antarctic morning. We steamed past Franklin Island with its beautiful ice cap and several piedmont glaciers cascading down its cliffs. We slowly sailed on down the west side of Ross Island and had our first clear sight of Mt Erebus. Erebus stayed with us all day as we waited for the winds to die down so we could land at Cape Evans and take our first steps on the continent.

As is often the case in Antarctica in the summer, the winds dropped off in the early evening, finally giving us the opportunity we had been waiting for. At 8pm in calm sunny conditions reminiscent of a lazy Sunday afternoon, we boarded the zodiacs and landed near the doorstep of Scott's Terra Nova Hut. It was a very humbling experience to step onto the Antarctic continent for the first time and this feeling only increased as we visited the hut from which Scott's team made their attempt on the pole. It was to be an attempt from which five would never return.

While ashore we met a team of carpenters and metals conservators lead by New Zealander, Al Fastier, who have been working over this and previous summers on restoration of both Shackleton's and now Scott's huts. These projects, funded by the Antarctic Heritage Trust, aim to protect and conserve both the huts and their contents for the benefit of future visitors. The team was very generous with their time and were happy to discuss their work and show us around the hut. We also had the good fortune to meet Scott's grandson, Falcon Scott, who is working as part of the restoration team. The workmanship and dedication of these people is amazing and is clearly evident in the results they have achieved. A restoration expert in metal from Australia proudly told us how they recreated the complicated flues throughout the hut with only the remaining pieces and the old photos to guide their work. A furniture maker from Wellington NZ told us how they fixed the famous ward room table celebrated in Ponting's photo of Scott's 43^rd birthday. The kitchen was a treasure trove of old tins and packets whose faded labels gave us a glimpse of the culinary possibilities of the time. Who could forget the aromas of seal blubber, hay and pony poo detected as we went through the stables to see where the expedition's ponies were housed? One stable still contained dried out Emperor Penguins and a crate of eggs. Another had a bicycle mounted on the wall and a Husky skeleton still chained to a post. There was much here to fuel our imagination about the life of an early Antarctic explorer. We reluctantly returned to the ship after an extremely pleasant evening ashore.

Saturday 28^th January 2012: Fast Ice and Polar Plunge

Cape Royds was in sight as we awoke this morning. We had hoped for another landing, but the wind just wouldn't play the game as it kept up a steady pace all night. Instead we cruised further south to the ice edge where a channel was being cut by a Russian icebreaker that the Americans have in service. It was cutting out a channel in the fast ice to allow the refuelling tanker clear access to the base. It was intended to stay in action to keep the channel open so that the resupply ship, which was running a few weeks late, could get in when it arrived. We were entertained by lots of wildlife as we cruised down this channel. Many Orca were spotted frolicking in the leads left by the ice breaker and the ever present Adelies could be seen in good numbers along the ice.

After testing the edge of the fast ice with the bow of the ship, it appeared to be capable of holding 50 pedestrians for an afternoon walk. So with the bow of the ship firmly nosed into the fast ice we were transferred across to stretch our legs. The ice surface was surprisingly dry and covered with fine powdered snow. A few Adelie Penguins walked up to the crowd trying to work out what species we were. As we returned to the ship an Emperor penguin popped out on the ice right next to us, giving everyone a great view.

After our break on the ice it was time for the annual meet of the Spirit of Enderby Swim Club. Eight brave souls leapt into the minus 8 degree water from the gangway while the doctor stood by with the defibrillator, which fortunately wasn't needed. They didn't spend a lot of time splashing about and some nearly walked on water!

Later that day an attempt was made at landing on Cape Royds but the sea conditions made this too dangerous to proceed and we sailed on.

Sunday 29^th January 2012: Cape Royds and Cape Byrd

A beautiful sunny morning greeted us as we stepped out on to the bridge after breakfast. Mt Erebus had again escaped from its shroud of cloud and the surrounding snow covered slopes are gleaming. The strong winds which prevented us from landing at Cape Royds however, were still with us. We adjourned in a sombre mood to the lecture theatre for the final episode of the 'Great Race' knowing that there wasn't going to be a happy ending.

By the afternoon the wind had dropped and permission was granted for us to make a landing on a beach to the north of Shackleton's hut. With great excitement we boarded the zodiacs and we were soon stepping ashore again. To reach the hut we headed south along a series of ridges covered in loose black scoria and rocky outcrops of volcanic origin. It was a pleasant way to reach Shackleton's Hut nestled down in a valley out of the wind. This hut was erected during the Nimrod expedition in 1907. From this location Shackleton's team achieved the furthest distance south at the time, were the first to reach the Magnetic South Pole and undertook the first ascent of Mt Erebus. This is a much smaller hut than the Terra Nova hut at Cape Evans, but similarly full of original artefacts, painstakingly restored by the team working for the Antarctic Heritage Trust. We returned to the ship for lunch and headed towards Cape Bird to investigate whether the landing was now clear of sea ice.

As we approached Cape Bird the wind dropped off almost completely and the water took on a glassy shine as we were treated to clear blue skies and sunshine. Some Orca were spotted off the bow making the picture even more perfect. The ice had cleared out allowing us to go ashore and visit the 27,000 nesting pairs of Adelie Penguins. Conditions were ideal for capturing their antics on our flash cards as we lounged around in the evening sunshine. This species is clearly thriving despite the attention of murderous Skuas and the recent colder conditions. Scattered throughout the colony were sunbathing Weddell Seals, untroubled by the mass of birdlife around them. All too soon it was time to return to the ship and relax at the end of yet another perfect day.

Monday 30^th January 2012: En Route to Terra Nova Bay

Everyone slept very well after the busy day yesterday, despite our overnight voyage turning into a tortuous exercise in ice evasion for the Captain and crew. It became evident that continuing to head towards the ice shelf would start eating into the precious time left for exploring other locations in the Ross Sea. The decision was therefore made to change course and head North for Terra Nova Bay.

After breakfast a documentary on Mt Erebus was screened in the lecture theatre. 'Solid Water and Liquid Rock' explored the underwater marvels below the ice shelf at the foot of the mountain, and then showed the attempts to sample gas from the lava lake in the crater of the volcano above.

As we travelled north we watched 'With Byrd at the South Pole' which documents Byrd's expedition to Antarctic where he undertakes the first flight to the South Pole in 1930. In the late afternoon we entered Terra Nova Bay with Mt Melbourne to our north glistening white in the afternoon sunshine. In calm, glassy water we headed towards Inexpressible Island with the hope of doing an evening landing. Following dinner we donned our polar outer wear and prepared for a trip ashore to visit the site where Scott's northern party were forced to winter over in a snow cave when the Terra Nova failed to return for them due to difficult ice conditions. It was a truly remarkable feat for the six men to survive this ordeal, living off seals and penguins, while enduring extremely harsh and crowded living conditions. We spent the evening in sunshine amongst the granite boulders observing the seals relaxing on the ice edge. After visiting the plaque locating the site of the ice cave, many climbed the surrounding ridgelines for views inland and along the ice edge. After a couple of hours ashore the wind began to strengthen, giving us a taste of how quickly conditions can change here. A rapid departure was now effected as the ships horn hurried us back to the ship.

Tuesday 31^st January 2012: Terra Nova Bay

Early this morning we passed the Italian base, Terra Nova, but weren't able to visit, as the 'Italica' which we had seen previously was in the bay and the station crew were busy packing up for the trip home. Nestled low down on the slope, the bright blue coloured station commands an impressive view out over Terra Nova Bay to Mt Melbourne in the north. We came closer to the shore to get good views of the ice cliffs of the Campbell Glacier as we worked our way along the bay.

On the northern side of Terra Nova Bay is the little German summer base of 'Gondwana'. The base hadn't been used this summer, so we decided to make a landing and explore the area. We piled into the zodiacs and landed in a beautiful bay north of the station buildings. Again the geology stood out as we wandered around the rocky terrain. We enjoyed great views out to sea from the ridgelines and a few seals on shore near the landing kept many occupied. It was a great morning ashore for our last landing in Antarctica.

As the ship cruised north we watched another episode of 'Life in the Freezer' followed by '90 Degrees' and Ponting's original footage and account of Scott's expedition to the South Pole.

After dinner the crowd gathered for the inaugural performance of the Spirit of Enderby Choir. The performers arrived looking very fetching in sparkles and bow ties. They started with an acapella version of 'My Bonny Lies over the Ocean' to warm up. They then launched into a cleverly crafted tune especially written for the voyage entitled 'In the Land of the Adelie'. The performance ended with an old ABBA favourite, 'The Winner Takes it All'. Enthusiastic calls for an encore were rewarded when everyone joined in on a reprise of the new voyage song. This set the tone for a fairly late and high spirited night in the bar.

Wednesday 1^st February 2012: At Sea

Breakfast today was a sedate affair. This could have been due to people catching up on some rest after the hectic expedition pace of the last few days or to the enthusiastic celebrations following the choir's first performance the night before. Either way we eased gently into the day with another episode of 'Life in the Freezer'. This was followed by a lecture from Rodney on "Pelagic Whaling in the Ross Sea" where he covered the early history of whaling in this area and reflected on the current situation with the exploitation of Tooth Fish today.

After lunch we viewed an episode of the Blue Planet series called 'Frozen Seas' where the frozen worlds of the Arctic and Antarctic are compared. In these environments the annual freeze and retreat of the sea ice governs the pace of life. Later in the afternoon we attended a lecture on the "Ethics of Whaling" where the arguments and counter arguments often used in the debate were presented. This sparked some lively conversations which continued on into the evening.

Thursday 2^nd February 2012: Back into the Pack Ice.

The morning found us picking our way delicately through the pack ice once again. Fortunately there were some good open leads so we made good progress. After breakfast we started to watch the first episode of 'Longitude', a two part dramatization of how the first reliable measurement of longitude was determined changing navigation in the seas forever. The lecture was paused after 20 minutes however as there was an announcement on the intercom offering a zodiac cruise amongst the ice bergs.

Three zodiacs were launched and half the group set off towards the icebergs. With the sun out, the magnificent range of blue colours against the stark white was magical. Flat topped tablular bergs with cracks and caves rolled in the steady swell. A broken down berg with a sharp pointed pinnacle looked very reminiscent of Bruce's birthday cake. We wove our way through the ice flows getting another few hundred photos. Then it was back to the ship to pick up the second group for their turn. The ice had now moved around a bit but we could still manoeuvre through. A Leopard Seal was spotted up on an ice flow so we motored over to have a closer look. Alert and watchful, he tolerated the visit and another large number of photos were taken. We completed the trip and returned to the ship just in time for lunch. What a grand last look at Antarctica before heading out of the pack ice!

After lunch Episode One of 'Longitude' was shown in its entirety, leaving people looking forward to the next instalment. Sea conditions were quite calm, so everyone looked forward to a restful night.

Friday 3^rd February 2012: At Sea

As day dawned the ship had begun a steady roll, but it wasn't too bad. We just needed to hang on while moving around. Most people had adapted to the movement, so there were very few who still suffered from sea sickness. After breakfast we watched the conclusion of 'Longitude', and then had a recap of the time spent in the Ross Sea. It was good to go over what we had achieved in the twelve busy days spent in Antarctica. There was so much history to ponder, and lots of images of wildlife and amazing scenery to take away with us. Rodney suggested some good books for further reading which will enhance our understanding of the historical sites that we have visited and the people who spent time there.

After lunch, we watched the film 'Endurance' which details the journey of Shackleton and his men in their failed attempt to cross the Antarctic continent. This was yet another chapter of amazing endurance during the early exploration of these southern climes. Later that afternoon there was a talk on the Seabirds of the Southern Ocean. It was a timely introduction to the bird rich zone we were about to enter in the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands and had the keen birders out on deck straight afterwards. The ship continued to rock quite a bit, so drinks and dinner required a bit more coordination than we had needed for a while, but the motion was not unpleasant and lulled everyone to sleep.

Saturday 4^th February 2012: At Sea

The wind and seas abated overnight and our ride became much calmer. We have crossed the Antarctic Circle again and so officially have left the frozen continent behind us. As we journeyed north both the water and air temperature were rising. Our Expedition Leader Nathan, gave a talk about ship operations, where he explained various design and mechanical aspects of the ship, catering, food and medical supplies as well as many other features that people have asked him about during the voyage.

After lunch we watched a documentary called 'Encounters at the end of the World' which follows a group of scientists working and living in Antarctica. Later in the afternoon for something completely different, Rodney talked to us about the Russian Far East. He painted a very appealing picture of this remote region and no doubt some future travel plans were hatched after seeing some the amazing sights this unique area has to offer. Over dinner that night we counted ourselves fortunate in having had yet another great day sailing on the Southern Ocean. We retired to our cabins wondering how long our luck would last.

Sunday 5^th February 2012: At Sea

The new day found us all feeling "ship shape". Following a delicious breakfast, the sea shop was opened to give everyone an opportunity to buy mementos such as books and fluffy toys as enduring reminders of our trip. Later we headed down to the lecture theatre for the final episode of 'Life in the Freezer'.

After lunch Nathan gave an introduction to Campbell Island in which he highlighted the many different things we were likely to see there. After so many days at sea we were very keen just to see land again, let alone walk on it! Later in the afternoon we watched a documentary detailing the rat eradication programme on Campbell Island. All the rats were finally eradicated from the island in 2001 after being there in massive numbers for close to 200 years. At the time this was the most difficult pest eradication programme ever attempted worldwide.

Monday 6^th February 2012: Campbell Island

Directly after breakfast we watched a short documentary 'The Impossible Dream' which tells the story of the finding and steps towards the recovery of the Campbell Island Teal which was presumed extinct from the island. Rodney, being the one who first rediscovered the Teal on Dent Island, gave a first hand introduction and more background to the film.

As midday approached, all eyes scanned the horizon waiting for our first view of Campbell Island. Finally we saw it, wrapped in fog, so we couldn't fully appreciate its charms as we approached Perseverance Harbour. Once we started travelling down the harbour the swell dropped away and we were treated to glimpses of seals and penguins in the water and seabirds in the air. We dropped anchor just off shore from the old Met station which includes a collection of buildings and a little wharf area. We saw researchers on island and radio contact was made.

After lunch we landed at the wharf where we briefly met the seal biologist, and then started up the Col-Lyall boardwalk. A trip to the island wouldn't be complete without a few Sea Lion interactions on the way. Everyone took their time and enjoyed the slow assent to Col-Lyall Saddle taking photos of the vegetation as it changed on the way up. The ever present Pipet was very welcoming and seemed to particularly like being the centre of attention. The island's megaherbs were lush and showed few signs of the impact of sheep grazing in the past. Pleurophyllum speciosum still had many purple flowers on display as we approached the saddle along with other species such as: Bulbinella rossii, Anisotome latifolia, Pleurophyllum criniferum, Pleurophyllum hookeri, Hebe benthami and Gentianella cerina which were at various stages of flowering and seed delivery. The real highlight up on Col-Lyall was the colony of Southern Royal Albatross where everyone had ample time to sit with birds that were incubating their eggs. As the day wore on, some younger birds came in from sea and landed on the island in small groups to participate in their elaborate and beautiful dances. Eventually we tore ourselves away, as many of us could have sat for hours, but the aroma of dinner cooking lured us back to the Spirit of Enderby. On the way back down, a few Yellow-eyed Penguins were spotted in amongst the vegetation and down at the wharf a pair of Campbell Island Teal were spotted at the water's edge. Many spent the last hour on the island watching the teal foraging along the shoreline. It was an incredible day on an incredible island. That evening we entertained the three grateful seal biologists who came aboard for a nice hot shower and a dinner far better than they had enjoyed in ages.

Tuesday 7^th February 2012: Mount Honey and Tuckers Cove, Campbell Island

For ten fit and energetic people there was an early wakeup call at 5:30am so they could get an early start on the climb up Mt Honey, the highest peak on the island at 569 metres. They were deposited by zodiac on the shores of Garden Cove and Rodney led the troupe on their ascent through the thick vegetation while Arend brought up the rear.

Meanwhile back on the ship most got up at the usual time for breakfast. It was a clear day in Perseverance Harbour and we could make out a lot more of the surrounding landscape. The wind had picked up a bit from yesterday with some strong gusts channelling down through the harbour. This was not enough to deter us from the trip ashore however, so we again boarded the zodiacs and landed at the wharf. Nathan then led the way across to Tuckers Cove and up the creek line to the old coast watchers huts. Across the cove we could see where the homestead once stood during the days when sheep were farmed on the island. It was slow going with the dense tussock growth and occasional surprise encounters with Sea Lions, but a good stretch of the legs and opportunity to see a bit more of the island. For those who were happy to brave the wind and spray, we then took the zodiacs up to Camp Cove to have a quick look at the 'World's Loneliest Tree'.

After our jaunt to Camp Cove the zodiacs were dispatched to collect the Mt Honey climbers who were patiently waiting back at Garden Cove. No doubt most were secretly grateful to be sitting down for a rest after such a challenging climb. Their trek up towards the peak started off on a narrow track through the Dracophyllum which opened out into thick tussock. There were a few muddy bogs to negotiate along the way and a few ups and downs, but they were rewarded as they climbed higher with great views over the island. As they got higher, the ground was covered with brilliant megaherbs most of which had just finished flowering, though some still had beautiful and strange looking flowers.

Up here they found more colonies of Southern Royal Albatross who sat patiently on their nests while others took to the sky. A few were engaged in beautiful courtship dances and displays. The climbers sat for a short time watching this rare and fascinating behaviour. Then they looked skyward at the peak and could delay the final assault no longer. Up they went, scrambling, clambering and slipping until they reached the summit. Once there, the wind made it difficult to stand up, but at least it kept the cloud at bay so they could enjoy the wonderful views. The descent was a much quicker affair and all made it safely back to Garden Cove.

As soon as everyone was back on board we weighed anchor and set out for the Snares Islands. Lots of sea birds escorted the ship away from the ruggedly beautiful coast of Campbell Island. The swell had picked up, so we were rocking and rolling once again, but it had now become so familiar everyone took it in their stride.

Wednesday 8^th February 2012: Snares Islands

The rolling swell had stayed with us all night and made it slightly challenging as we packed some of our gear in preparation of arrival back in Bluff. Before lunch Nathan ran through the procedures for disembarkation once we arrive in Bluff and this brought home to us that our expedition is drawing to a close. Accounts were settled after lunch as we bounced our way towards the Snares Islands. Late in the afternoon their rocky cliffs were spotted jutting out above the horizon. The air was full of Bullers Albatross and Cape Petrels wheeling around the ship. A big swell was running making the rocky outcrops look pretty dramatic.

Three zodiacs were launched for a quick cruise around the southern end of the island. We quickly learned that the gangway was no place for indecision as the first groups were loaded. The boats bounced across the surface towards a cove around corner, where the cliffs were lined with nesting Bullers Albatross. Snares Crested Penguins could be seen high up on the rock face and a few New Zealand Fur Seals were spotted lounging around on the steep lower slope. The kelp was reminiscent of a grass skirt swaying along the bottom of the rock face to the rhythm of the swell.

We then followed the coast back around to the south, investigating some more secluded coves and caves before returning the first group back to the ship. The swell was still quite lively as we changed over to the second group, but now most knew the drill and quickly got aboard the bobbing zodiacs. After the second group were safely aboard, the ship headed up the east coast of the islands. Everyone agreed that it had been an invigorating end to our day. There was a lively atmosphere in the bar and dining room as we shared our last delicious dinner together. Good food and good company - a fitting finale to an incredible journey.

Thursday 9^th February 2012: Bluff

Our 4,300 nautical mile journey ended on our return to the Port of Bluff, New Zealand. After breakfast and immigration formalities, we bade farewell to the Spirit of Enderby and boarded the bus to start the journey home. It was time for farewells as the group dispersed and headed off in different directions. The trip has been a great success. We are some of the lucky few to have journeyed so far south and experienced so many incredible places. May our memories linger, and our stories and photographs encourage others to help preserve this very special part of the world.

THE LAND OF THE ADÉLIE

Verse 1

Penguins they waddle and Ele seals sleep

Albatross fly over oceans so deep

From the Aucklands to Macquarie where the rookeries are

And the light mantled sooties come from afar;

From Campbell to the Snares we set gumboots down

On the pebbles where the sealers stepped

Digesters were engines for boiling down penguins

The sealers took seals and the whalers the rest.

Chorus

We'll tell you a whale of a tale

Of how we set sail

On the Spirit of Enderby

With the Russ's and Co

Ever southward we go

To the land of the Adélie

Verse 2

When you're a seal it's a pretty tough life

You'll fight like an ogre to win you a wife

A penguin is cute and they have a good deal

Would you rather be the penguin or the Leopard seal?

We boarded the zodiacs like heroes will

And luckily nobody took a spill

If the rocking ship was hard to take

The ice shelf will be a thrill.

Chorus

Verse 3

Here's to the beer and the Pinot Gris

Here's to the finest of company

Just lie in your bunk or look out your door

It feels like heaven or more;

Now many things are lost at sea

I lost my breakfast, I lost my tea

I lost my Antarctic virginity

Aboard the Spirit of Enderby.

Chorus x 2