East Antarctica & Subantarctic Islands

Arrive independently in Invercargill and make your way to your included hotel for an overnight stay. Meet your fellow travellers and expedition team over dinner and prepare yourself for the adventures ahead.

The following morning you will have time to visit the interesting museum in town before transferring to the Port of Bluff, where you will board the Akademik Shokalskiy. Settle in to your cabin and explore your home for the next 23 nights and join your captain and expedition team at the welcome meeting.

Your first port of call will be North East Island, the largest of the Snares and home to more nesting seabirds than in all of the British Isles. Enjoy a Zodiac cruise around the coast to see Snares crested penguins, Cape petrel and Buller's albatross.

Today we will sail through an area known as “the furious fifties” towards Macquarie Island. Throughout all of your days at sea you can enjoy a series of informative and entertaining lectures on the history and biology of the Subantarctic Islands and the Southern Ocean, as well as attend briefings to prepare for the landings and explorations you will be taking on your voyage. As we cross the seas there are excellent bird watching opportunities so we recommend you spend some time on deck in search of sightings of various Albatross species, Northern and Southern Giant Petrels, Sooty and Little Shearwaters and perhaps even the Fairy Prion, Fulmar Prion and Antarctic Prion.

The remote UNESCO World Heritage Site of Macquarie Island supports one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in the Southern Hemisphere, with millions of breeding penguins including King, Rockhopper & Gentoo, large groups of Elephant Seals and other wildlife inhabiting the sandy beaches and the tussock grass. This is also the only place in the world where the beautiful Royal Penguin breeds. On this remarkable wildlife paradise you will visit two fascinating landing sites -Sandy Bay and Buckles Bay - to see bustling penguin metropolises and incredible birdlife. We also hope to Zodiac cruise around Lusitania Bay.

As well as exploring the island in search of wildlife encounters you can also visit the Australian Antarctic Base and meet with the park rangers to find out more about life on the island. Your historians will also introduce you to Mawson’s links with the area.

As we sail southward through the Southern Ocean the excitement will start to build even further as we sail towards Antarctica and drifting icebergs of extraordinary shapes and sizes begin to appear. As we pass the Antarctic Circle and into the continent’s realm of 24-hour daylight keep your cameras on hand for your first close-up ice photographs, and enjoy some fascinating lectures and presentations on the Antarctic region, including the history of Mawson’s expedition.

In true expedition style our exact route across the remote East Antarctica coastline will be dictated by ice and weather conditions, with your captain choosing each day the best areas to visit for exploration and wildlife encounters. The frozen eastern side of Antarctica features some of the coldest and driest conditions on the planet, with ice patches of up to 5 kilometres thick in some areas. Yet despite the harsh conditions, there is still a thriving wildlife population including Adelie and Emperor penguins, myriad seabirds and various seal species.

Our likely first stop will be Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay, home to Mawson’s Hut and other relics from the fateful 1911-14 expedition. Notoriously known as the ‘home of the blizzard’, these wild lands are also home to Adelie penguins and weather permitting we will explore the area by foot and on Zodiacs. West from Cape Denison is the French Research Base, Dumont D’Urville which, if permission is granted and ice conditions permit, we will visit, and there is also an Emperor Penguin colony nearby we will hope to explore. Other landings here could include Port Martin, an abandoned French Base, and the McKellar Islands.

Moving eastwards from Cape Denison we will follow the ice edge towards the mountains of King George V land where we will find the impressive Mertz Glacier where photo opportunities will be boundless.

Throughout your time here you can learn all about Mawson and other legendary explorer’s exploits, learn about the many different types of ice formations that make up the area, take exciting Zodiac cruises and of course witness a wide range of Antarctica’s wildlife.

After an exhilarating time on the white continent, the next few days will be spent at sea as we leave behind the icy waters and extensive daylight hours of the Antarctic and head towards the Auckland Islands. Your informative lecture programme will continue, with talks now focused on the regions ahead, and some time on deck should reward with sightings of Pelagic birds and cetaceans.

This morning we will arrive in Carnley Harbour on the Auckland Islands. These islands are rich in human history and have witnessed many a shipwreck in days gone by. The historians who will accompany you will introduce you to the tales of castaways, bullion and coastwatchers as well as an insight into the work carried out by the more recent scientific visitors of today.

Weather dependant, for those looking for an energetic stretch of the legs there will be a relatively strenuous hike available up to a Shy Albatross/Mollymawk colony on South West Cape, or for a more relaxing adventure there will be a Zodiac cruise through the pristine shores of Adams Island and Western Harbour.

One of the most beautiful islands in the group, Enderby Island is a great birding location. Exploring the island on foot and by Zodiac we hope to have the chance to see everything from the famous Southern Royal Albatross and Northern Giant Petrel to parakeets, Bellbirds and the endemic shag, teal and snipe. Sandy Bay on the island is also one of three breeding grounds on the Auckland Islands for the rare Hooker’s or New Zealand Sea Lion. We will also hope for some good observations of the Yellow-eyed Penguin, the rarest penguin in the world.

As your epic adventure comes to an end it’s time to head back towards mainland New Zealand. Enjoy a farewell dinner tonight with your crew and new-found friends and reflect upon the remarkable sights that you will have seen on your expedition.

As your fantastic wildlife, birding and history expedition comes to an end your ship will arrive at the Port of Bluff in the early morning, where after breakfast you will bid a fond farewell and join the included transfer to Invercargill Airport or to a downtown location.