Antarctic Continent - Ross Sea

During the peak of the southern hemisphere summer, Orion offers travellers a unique opportunity to venture to the continent of Antarctica. A veteran of two Antarctic seasons already, sailing from South America to the Antarctic Peninsula, Orion’s next expeditions set sail from Australia and New Zealand, crossing the Antarctic Circle to places redolent with history and adventure.

In 1911 Australian explorer Sir Douglas Mawson led his Australasian Antarctica Expedition, establishing the base camp at Cape Denison in Commonwealth Bay. The huts remain today, providing a fascinating insight into the hardships intrepid explorers faced on this last frontier. Further south, sailing into the Ross Sea to Cape Evans and Cape Royds, you’ll tread in the footsteps of men Robert Falcon Scott, and Ernest Shackleton.

Along the way the wildlife will astound you. The Australian sub-Antarctic island of Macquarie is home to 3 million penguins including Royal, King, Rock Hopper and Gentoo Penguins. The beaches are crowded with Giant Southern Petrels, Great Skuas, King Shag and White Headed Petrels and sadly the island is now home to just 9 breeding pairs of Wandering Albatross.

These expeditions are led by husband and wife team Don and Margie McIntyre. In 1995 the McIntyres spent a year living at Cape Denison, close to the location selected by Mawson who dubbed the area the ‘kingdom of blizzards’. Along with their experienced expedition team, you’ll be sailing to Antarctica with this fascinating couple.

Itinerary:

Day 1 Bluff (Invercargill), New Zealand
The largest urban centre in New Zealand's Southland is Invercargill, a city of 49,000 people. Visitors come to admire the elegant Victorian and Edwardian buildings, gardens and landscaped parks. The fishing port of Bluff is a half hour drive south from Invercargill and is home to the famous Bluff oyster and a lively annual seafood festival. From Bluff, visitors can catch a ferry to Stewart Island - a haven for native bird life and the only place in New Zealand where you can readily see kiwi in their natural habitat. On days of embarkation or disembarkation transfers will operate between Bluff and Invercargill Airport.

Day 2 Enderby Island, Auckland Islands
Orion's guests will cruise in Zodiacs in Sandy Bay on Enderby Island at the northern end of Auckland Island, to view a large Hooker Sea Lion colony with pups all jostling for position. If we are fortunate, we may see the rare Yellow-Eyed Penguin as they move to and from their nests in the forests beyond the beach.

Day 3 at Sea

Day 4 Macquarie Island
Often described as one of the "wonder spots" of the world, the sub-Antarctic island of Macquarie has been said to rival South Georgia in its magnificence, scenic diversity and prolific wildlife. Designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1933 and a World Heritage Site in 1977, Macquarie now operates a full-time manned station where biological and meteorological research is conducted. The station, located on the isthmus at Buckles Bay, is from where we will collect the Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife rangers who will be our guides.

Sandy Bay, situated halfway down the island's eastern seaboard, is our planned landing site. The Zodiacs will traverse breakwaters of giant kelp before reaching rocky beaches where landing conditions can best be described as "wet and challenging". Once ashore you'll find the bay, with its rugged backdrop of mountains and tussockcovered headlands, is home to 20,000 breeding pair of royal penguins, king penguins, rock hopper penguins, gentoo penguins and elephant seals. This profusion of wildlife wasn't always so protected, the rusting remains of machinery used by whalers being stark reminders of the exploitation which took place on the island during its early history.

Day 5-8 - At Sea

Day 9 Cape Adare, Ross Sea Region
Cape Adare marks the entrance to the historic Ross Sea area with views of the spectacular Admiralty Ranges visible well before Orion's arrival. Cape Adare was discovered by Captain James Ross in 1841. We plan to visit Borchgrevink's Hut from the British Southern Cross Expedition, the first to ever spend winter in the Antarctic in 1899. Up to 1,000,000 Adelie Penguins have reclaimed the site, which is spectacular, surrounded by black volcanic hills. High above the huts is the lonely grave and cross of Borchgrevink's biologist.

Day 10-14 - Ross Sea Region
This southernmost expanse of the Pacific Ocean was named after James Calrk Ross who first explored the area in 1841 with two ships, Erebus and Terror.

As seas go, this one is quite shallow and is bounded in the east by the coastal mountains of Victoria Land and in the south by the Ross Ice Shelf. The shelf is a flat topped body of snow covered glacial ice about the size of France which largely floats except along the coastlines. The southern part of the Ross Sea is not navigable for some 9 months of the year and over the summer season between January and March very few ships venture here, and those that do principally supply the various scientific stations.

The Ross Sea coast extends from the ice shelf northwards until it reaches the very tip of Victoria Land and Cape Adare. During our time in the Ross Sea Region we will attempt a variety of opportunistic landings, subject to weather conditions. These may include -
This southernmost expanse of the Pacific Ocean was named after James Calrk Ross who first explored the area in 1841 with two ships, Erebus and Terror.

As seas go, this one is quite shallow and is bounded in the east by the coastal mountains of Victoria Land and in the south by the Ross Ice Shelf. The shelf is a flat topped body of snow covered glacial ice about the size of France which largely floats except along the coastlines. The southern part of the Ross Sea is not navigable for some 9 months of the year and over the summer season between January and March very few ships venture here, and those that do principally supply the various scientific stations.

Day 15-18 - At Sea

Day 19 Campbell Island
Campbell Island was first discovered in January 1810 by Captain Frederick Hasselburg, master of the sealing brig, Perseverance. He named the island after his employers Robert Campbell and Co. of Sydney and sadly drowned later that year after a boat capsized in Perseverance Harbour. Campbell is a volcanic island with fascinating rock formations. 50 years ago, between 2 and 3 million Rock Hopper Penguins were nesting on the island but since then 90% have been decimated by bacterial infection. Erect Crested Penguins are found here in small numbers and less than 20 pairs of Wandering Albatross nest. Approximately 8,500 pairs of Royal Albatross and about 74,000 pairs of Black Browed Mollymawk also call the island home. Over 40 other breeds of birds including the Southern Royal Albatross have also been observed on Campbell Island.

Day 20 at Sea

Day 21 Bluff (Invercargill), New Zealand
Transfer from Bluff to Invercargill Airport.

What's Included:

Accommodations as booked, cruise transportation, all meals on board, 24-hour room service, entertainment and educational programmes, use of the ship's sporting equipment and facilities, port & handling charges, Zodiac transfers, access to the ship's library of DVDs, Government fees and taxes. Fares also include the services of an experienced cruise staff.

What's Not Included:

Items of a personal nature including, but not limited to, travel & medical insurance, laundry/pressing charges, shopping onboard, bar expenses, hairdressing and massage treatments, optional shoreside expeditions, medical treatments, telephone and internet charges.

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