Antarctica - The Ross Sea Region

Itinerary

Day 1: Invercargill

Travel to the city of Invercargill, New Zealand's most hospitable cities. On arrival, please transfer to the Kelvin Hotel (dinner, bed, and breakfast are included). During dinner at the hotel tonight, you will meet other expedition members and some of the staff.

Day 2: Invercargill - board the Spirit of Enderby

Breakfast at your leisure in the dining room at the hotel. Your program will advise a time for bags out and then you will be transferred to the Southland Museum for the opportunity to view the special Sub Antarctic display before being transferred by coach to the Port of Bluff to board the Spirit of Enderby. Depart for Snares Island.

Day 3: Snares Island

The Snares is the first of the Sub Antarctic Islands that you will be visiting. It is an amazing island rich with seabirds around coast. You will arrive early morning; landings are not permitted so you will zodiac to the sheltered eastern side. The birds you’ll be seeing while cruising the sheltered bays: Snares Crested Penguins, Tomtits, Fernbirds, Cape Pigeons, Antarctic Terns, White-fronted Terns and Red-billed Gulls. There is an estimated 6 million Sooty Shearwaters nesting on the Snares Islands. Bullers Albatross breed here from early January onwards.

Days 4-5: Auckland Islands

The Auckland Islands is one of the largest Sub Antarctic Islands. During your stay, you will visit Carnley Harbour and spend a day ashore on beautiful Enderby Island. Forested by gnarled and windswept rata, it has a low plateau of scrubland and cushion bog, and is home to the rare Hookers sea lion. In the forest behind the beach you find Bellbirds, Red-crowned parakeets and the friendly Tomtits. Beyond the Rata forest you will find Royal albatross nesting and the endemic Auckland Island dotterel. There is a good chance that you will see the endemic Flightless Teal at Derrycastle Reef. In Carnley Harbor you have the opportunity to climb up to the SW Cape Shy Mollymawk or Albatross Colony, which provide spectacular views for great photo opportunities. For those who don't climb, there will be a zodiac excursion to explore parts of this magnificent harbor. You depart the Auckland Islands in the mid afternoon and head southwest to Macquarie Island.

Day 6: At Sea

At sea you will have a series of lectures of the biology and history of the Sub Antarctic Islands and the Southern Ocean. The closer you get to Macquarie Island, the more abundant the birds will become. You will be at sea all day, another opportunity to see pelagic species, including Wandering Albatross Species, Royal Albatross, Shy and White-capped Albatross, and Light-mantled Sooty Albatross, among others.

Days 7-8: Macquarie Island

Macquarie Island, Australia's prized Sub Antarctic possession, is a small but impressive sliver of land supporting one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in the southern hemisphere. Millions of penguins of four different species (King, Rockhopper, Gentoo and the endemic Royal) breed here. Spend about two days observing the best wildlife areas on the island and visit the Australian scientific base. The King penguin rookery at Lusitania Bay is spectacular. Porpoises surround the zodiacs as a quarter of a million King penguins stand at attention on shore. Large groups of Elephant seals slumber on the sandy beaches and in the tussock grass further inland. Other wildlife includes Fur seals, four species of nesting albatross - Wandering, Black browed, Grey headed and Light mantled sooty, among other birds. Macquarie Island is certainly the richest wildlife area on your voyage -- a superb experience!

Days 9-12: At Sea

Soaring Albatrosses and Petrels circle the vessel as you move through the Southern Ocean. Your lecture program will continue. Drifting icebergs are sighted, which are unique examples of natural sculpture. The captain will maneuver the ship close in for your first ice photography. There will be special celebrations as you pass the Antarctic Circle and into Antarctica's realm of 24-hour daylight!

Days 13-22: Antarctica's Ross Sea Region

At the Ross Sea region, you visit the highlights of Antarctica's most historic region. Due to the unpredictable nature of ice and weather conditions, the Captain and Expedition Leader will assess daily conditions and take advantage of every opportunity to make landings or Zodiac sightseeing tours. Your program will emphasize wildlife viewing, key scientific bases and historic sites, as well as the spectacular scenery of the coastal terrain, glaciers and icebergs in the Ross Sea. Zodiacs and/or your amphibious all terrain vehicles will be used for landings and sightseeing on a regular basis. You will hope to visit the following, as well as explore for new, perhaps previously unvisited areas: Cape Adare Views of the Admiralty Range herald your arrival (subject to local ice conditions) at Cape Adare, at the tip of the Ross Sea, the site of the largest Adelie penguin rookery in Antarctica. Blanketing the large flat spit that forms the cape is the huge rookery—an absolutely staggering sight. Surrounded by a sea of penguins, you will find Borchgrevink's Hut, built during the first expedition to winter over on the Antarctic continent in 1899. It is a fascinating relic of the "Heroic Age" of Antarctic exploration and you are able to inspect the interior - containing artifacts of the early explorers.Cape Hallett The enormous Admiralty Range heralds your arrival at Cape Hallett, near the head of the Ross Sea. The scenery here is wild and spectacular. Giant glaciers course their way down from the interior to discharge their icy load. You land next to an abandoned American-New Zealand base, home to large numbers of Adelie penguins and Weddell seals. Terra Nova Bay Surrounded by the spectacular Society Ranges is Baia Terr Nova, one of the most modern and attractive Italian summer research stations in Antarctica. The scientists and support staff here are always most hospitable and show you around their lonely but beautiful home. The Italians conduct many streams of scientific research and also claim to have the best 'caffe' expresso in Antarctica! Franklin Island This rugged island is gouged by numerous glaciers and is home to a large Adelie penguin population. You’ll attempt a Zodiac landing near a rookery as well as explore the coastline. If a landing is achieved there will be an opportunity for those who are feeling fit to climb to the summit of the island. McMurdo Sound – McMurdo Station / Discovery Hut / Scott Base The U.S. Antarctic Base, McMurdo Station is located at the foot of Ross Island in McMurdo Sound, nearly within 780 miles of the South Pole! McMurdo is the largest research center in Antarctica, and the site of Scott's Discovery Expedition hut. At Scott Base, the friendly New Zealanders take you on a tour including Discovery Hut to show some of their scientific work and a souvenir shop. A hike up to the memorial cross to Scott at the peak of Observation Hill offers magnificent views over the sound and the vast Ross Ice Shelf. Ross Island – Mt. Erebus / Cape Bird / Shackleton’s Hut / Scott’s Hut At the base of the Ross Sea you arrive at Ross Island, dominated by the 13,000-foot high volcano, Mt Erebus. At Cape Bird, the New Zealand Antarctica program maintains a field station where scientists study the Natural History of the region. At Cape Royds, you visit Sir Ernest Shackleton's hut; built during the Nimrod polar attempt. Though the legendary explorers are long gone, the hut is far from deserted. Reclaimed by the original inhabitants of the area, Adelie penguins, it is the world's southern most penguin rookery. Also on Ross Island is Cape Evans, the historic site of Captain Scott's second hut erected in 1911 and preserved by the staff at New Zealand's Scott Base. Ross Ice Shelf This is the largest ice shelf in Antarctica, and the world's largest body of floating ice. This daunting spectacle prevented many early Antarctic explorers from venturing toward the South Pole. A natural ice barrier, it creates hazardous weather conditions. From Ross Island, you cruise eastward along the shelf front, with its 30-meter high ice cliffs continuing to the horizon. Imposing tabular icebergs sometimes calve from the ice shelf. Possession Islands These small, rugged islands lay offshore Cape Hallett and have only been rarely visited. An Adelie penguin rookery, numbering tens of thousands of birds, blankets Foyn Island. Here are further enjoyable opportunities to observe their busy activities, with the superb backdrop of the Admiralty Mountains across the water. Using zodiacs you can explore the unusual rock formations and caves around the coast.

Days 23-26: En-route to Campbell Island

At sea en-route to Campbell Island, you will see a similar range of species as you saw en-route to Macquarie Island from the Auckland Islands. There will be a series of lectures preparing you for your visit to Campbell Island.

Days 27-28: Campbell Island

You arrive at Campbell Island, a place of rugged scenery, unique flora and abundant wildlife. At Perseverance Harbour, there is a now abandoned New Zealand meteorological station. The highlight of your visit is a walk to the hilltop breeding sites of Royal albatross. These magnificent birds have the largest wingspan in the world and are very approachable, making superb photographic subjects. The wildflowers, which have made a dramatic recovery since the removal of sheep, should also be in full flower.

Day 29: At Sea

At sea en-route to the Port of Bluff. A chance to relax and reflect on what will have been an amazing experience. Lecturers will take the opportunity to recap the highlights of the Expedition and you will enjoy a farewell dinner tonight as you cross the last few miles of your journey.

Day 30: Bluff

You arrive at the Port of Bluff. After breakfast and customs formalities have been completed you will disembark. A coach will transfer you and your gear to the central city of Invercargill or to Invercargill Airport.