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Published: November 24th 2011
November 3rd 2011
To say the little man is excited this morning is an understatement. It is the first morning he has been out of bed before me since August 1st!!
We are finally onboard MS Fram for our trip to Antarctica.
They have confiscated everyones alcohol as apparently it is now against Norwegian law to bring aboard alcohol and drink it. Some people have really been upset about it, but we'll just drink ours when we get back to BA.
The ship is fantastic. The cabin isnt as dodgy as I thought it was going to be LOL.
Single beds (whats new!), a TV that actually shows TV and movies as well as ship info, and a decent size bathroom.
The expedition team look like they are going to be good fun. They all specialise in such things as marine biology, botany, geology etc and will be giving lectures throughout the trip. They are also multilingual....very smart people.
Lunch was a buffet. No more eating dessert at lunch time! Its hard work fighting off those greedy pensioners. Ive never seen people eat as much as some of them! And pushy!!! You'd think it was
their last ever meal!
We have found the gym and the table tennis table so we are hoping to be a bit disciplined and go there every day to exercise. Shane says he knows a better way to work off calories. I have no idea what he means. LOL
Have met some really friendly people already. There are 10 Australians onboard, and we are seated for evening meals with 4 of them. Robyn and David, and Kerry and Nigel who actually picked us out as Aussies earlier in the afternoon as Sixto had already changed into a pair of thongs.
I think we'll have a really good time with those two:-)
Shane says: They were the good thongs.
Day 4
Having a sensational trip so far. Not alot to see but we have had calm blue sea and clear blue skies since we left BA. This doesnt happen very often they say. We spotted several whale in the distance yesterday, and out of nowhere, a huge seal bobbed by on his back as happy as could be, 600 nautical miles from anywhere!
First drinks yesterday at 11. Cocktails all round!! Even Sixto
and Greenflash (aka Nigel) had a Margarita......spoiled girls!! LOL
Its a bit of a worry when you go back to the bar after lunch and the barman greets you by your first name.
We have been at sea 4 days now and I havent been as bored as I thought I would be. The food is spectacular and there is always an alternative main for Dinner if you dont like the set meal. And there is a great selection of desserts for the buffet lunches and a dessert for dinner which some people take full advantage of.
Bound to see some whales on board really soon.!
Have tried to follow the on board lecture series, however they are a bit basic. There is a gym on board that I have used once so far, as well as a table tennis table, but realistically I will probably be spending more time on deck or in the bar than in the gym.
We dock at 4pm tomorrow at so we will finally be able to walk on dry land.
Monday 7th November.
On dry land we are!! A short half hour over to the rookery
at New Island, and boy was it worth it. Over on the cliffs there are Rock Hopper penguins, Albatross and King Cormorant as far as we can see, all the way down the cliff to the ocean. It is simply amazing!!! We watch the constant battle of the penguins to keep there eggs from the Albatross, who believe they have the right to sit on the eggs as they have been laid on or near the Albatross nests. The Skua are also in constant search for penguin eggs, only they eat them. They are giant birds not unlike a large Gull.
There are literally a couple of thousand penguins and birds in this rookery alone. The noise is initially quite overwhelming, as is the smell!!
The Taiwanese contingent are ore than a bit annoying as noone elses photos are as important as their own. If I am pushed once more, there will be a bit of biff! lol
On the way back to the ship in the Polar Cirkel boat which carries 8 of us, we are joined by around 8 dolphins, who zoom along beside us, jumping and splashing us. Its as though we have become
small children again in the matter of a few minutes, and the sounds of our laughter and squeals reach the ship, and the spectators also share the fun.They have decided to give most of the polar cirkel boats the same treatment as well and we watch them from on board until they tire of their game and swim away.
Tuesday 8th November
We've had a wonderful day at Carcass Island today visiting a small group of Gentoo Penguins about 8 kms away on a small beach.
Our group is the 3rd group to leave today and we were still the first 4 people over to the beach. I suspect the other 80 odd all stopped at the island house and fed there faces with cake and tea, but we've learned that where there are big groups of people involved in tours, that if you snooze, you lose!
We spent around 40 mins getting close to the penguins, who were very shy, and then visited a colony nearby who were nesting.
As we left, the rest of the ship seemed to arrive, and moving too quickly and too close, they frightened the majority of penguins in to the
water.
Nigel and Shane then took of over the hills on their own personal journey to see whatever there was to see, and came across another colony at the top of the hill.
On the way back to the Polar Cirkels. Kerry and I listen to whinging old people complaining about how far it is to walk. They seem to think the ship should have picked up anchor and meet them over the other side so that they didnt have to make the walk back. Lots of those whingers didnt even make it to the beach. If they hadnt spent so much time feeding their faces on cake, they would have had plenty of time.LOL
Wednesday 9th November
Port Stanley
Took a trip to Bluff Cove today in a 4WD. There was another group of Gentoo penguins here as well as a small group of King Penguins. We were lucky enough to see 2 of last years King Penguin chicks, who are just beginning to lose their fluffy brown fur.
Off in the distance there are a group of around 6 King Pengiuns. Its a fascinating watch. They meddle around going this way and that, stopping
at short intervals to chat it seems. Then a couple of them start slapping at each other and they walk off again as if in a huff, until one from the back slaps the back of the head of the one in front. Its like watching a circus. Apparently they are sorting out who will pair up for the season.
After a quick lunch on board Fram, we head in to Stanley look about town. Its a peaceful little village with brightly coloured roofs and the locals are really friendly.
Nigel and Kerry were lucky enough to be shown a fur seal and her cub on a secluded dock in
town, and in turn we were lucky that they were still there later this afternoon when Nigel and Kerry took us to see them.
We werent able to get too close as the mother was quite protective but she was happy enough if we kept our distance.
Nigel and Shane have had several pints at the Globe Tavern.
On the way back to the boat I have of course stopped in at the town cemetery for a wander.
The view across the bay from here is
dreamy, and I cant understand why there is no one else about!
Thursday 10th November
Day at Sea
Friday 11th November
Another day at sea
Saturday 12th November
Yep, yet another bloody day at sea. Many Bloody Marys have been consumed over the last few days :-)
Sunday 13th November
We have finally arrived in South Georgia. Stunningly beautiful and rugged, this island wildlife sanctuary, once visited, is not easily forgotten. Its snow covered peaks, blue glacier ice and emerald green bays, are breathtaking sights.
It is a real "oasis" in the supposedly stormy southern oceans and is home to sea and land birds, seals and reindeer. The seas have been very calm really and I cant imagine it is ever anything but perfect.
We have docked at Fortuna Bay, and a group of us have opted to walk in the footsteps of Ernest Shackelton this afternoon- or at least the last 5 and a half kms, up and over and down the hills in to Stromness Whaling Station.
This morning though we meet a huge colony of King penguins and their chicks from last year. Incredible and hilarious. The approach us
without too much hesitationc if we lie or sit still. They are extremely inquisitive unlike the nesting colonies we have seen so far. The landing site is covered with grumpy fur seals fighting for their own territory. These things can be really scary, and can out run us if they want to attack us, so we steer clear.
After a quick break back on board we disembark for our walk to Stromness. The ship will meet us there in about 4 hours.
Its quite a walk to the top as its very steep but the views of frozen lakes, and snow and the intense gales coming and going make it all worthwhile. Meanwhile, back at the ship, they had "anchor" problems, and they get word to us that we have to head back, as the weather could close in at Stromness before the ship can actually get around there. Disappointed, we begin to climb up through the snow and back to the ship. Sixto is particulary disappointed as he deeply admires Shackelton and has been talking about doing this walk since we booked the trip. I am also gutted. Now I have to walk back further than we had
to walk to get to Stromness!!! GRRR!!
As if by a miracle, we receive word that we can continue on. Its all downhill from here....woo hoo!
There are reindeer all over the island with their new born calves, but its impossible to approach them very closely. They just run away.
As we come to a large peak, we are amazed by the view of Stromness Bay. It must have been pure joy for Shackelton and his men to finally find human beings. He and his men had long been thought dead, so when he walked into the hut and said "My name is Shackelton", the people were filled with jubilation as this was nothing short of a miracle. He certainly was a great leader of men.
The trip down the hills is rather treacherous and yet so hilarious. Let me set this up first.
We have a group of Tawainese on the ship. One of the ladies in particular wears stupid hats. The one she likes the most is a tiger hat. The hat is woolly tiger print, and has ears and all you can see is her face.
On this particular day, she is putting
most of us to shame as she is almost 70, and she is yet again wearing THAT hat.
As we come across land a little, there is a small glacier heading downward that we have to walk across. Shane goes tearing across it to the other side and continues on without me. No problem Sixto!
A couple of the expedition team have climbed further up to slide down it for fun. No problems here either.
I am already half way down, and Robyn and I are walking across when we both fall flat on our arses and start sliding...down.... but we need to go across. By some small miracle, we manouvre our bodies down and over to the rocks. As we hit the rocks, the Taiwanese lady tears past me on the snow on her butt, but she keeps going.
When we are finally off the snow, we look around and what we see is two arms and two legs poking out of a hole in the ice. Its not very deep but it would be really scary and the persons head might be under water!!! The expedition team jump to help the victim and what next appears
out of he ice, is the head of a toy tiger!
We are wetting ourselves laughing! Poor lady was drenched and a bit frightened, but she went on her way as if nothing had happened and with good humour. It entertained me for hours just recalling it LOL
The side of this mountain is all shale and very steep....and so slippery as its moving with every step. Finally on flat ground we head to the whaling station. Lots of fur seals here, and the males as usual are quite aggressive so we keep our distance and wait for the Fram to collect us.
It was an incredible walk and I needed the exercise after being cooped up on the that ship for 3 days.
Monday 14th November
Shane says:
Arrived early this morning in Grytviken, a Norwegian whaling station from the late 19th century to the early 20th century which is now a part of Britain. This is the resting place of my hero Ernest Shackleton. Sharls and I arrived on the island and hot foot it up to the post office to buy a bottle of scotch, to pay our respects to this great man,
polar explorer and most of all a leader so admired for the way he treated all the men under his command. When disaster struck this expedition his ship, Endurance, was trapped in pack ice and slowly crushed, before the shore parties could be landed. There followed a sequence of exploits, and an ultimate escape with no lives lost, that would eventually assure Shackleton's heroic status.
Sharls and I paid our respects with a single malt and had a moment of reflection. We had the place all to ourselves which made it all the more special.
Sharls says: That bloody bottle of scotch was $28 for 375 ml and he tipped a quarter of it out on the grave site as part of some tradition!!!!!!!
My perfume may be expensive but I never spill a drop!
After leaving Grytviken andwe are headed for the South Shetland islands in Antarctica.
Tuesday 15th November
Another day at Sea
Wednesday 16th
You get the picture................
Thursday 17th November
We arrived at Half Moon Island (South Shetland Islands), its a minor Antarctic island, lying 1.35 km (0.84 mi) north of Burgas Peninsula, Livingston Island in the
Antarctic Peninsula region.
Half Moon Island has a sizable rookery of chinstrap penguins as well as nesting Antarctic terns and kelp gulls. Whales are often seen patrolling the shores, and this small island offers stunning views of surrounding mountains.We see one Adelie penguin amongst the thousands of chinstraps.
After leaving Half Moon Island we head for Deception Island which is a real treat as you can only enter this volcano when the seas are calm. Deception Island is an island in South Shetland off the Antarctic Peninsula, which has one of the safest harbours in Antarctica. The island is the caldera of an active volcano, which caused serious damage to the local scientific stations in 1967 and 1969. The island previously held a whaling station; it is now a tourist destination and scientific outpost, with research bases being run by Argentina and Spain.
Friday 18th November 2011
Throughout last night we sailed across the Bransfield Strait towards the Antarctic peninsula. It was a quiet night on the ship which meant there was little wind outside - a rare thing for Antarctica! This morning we found ourselves in the Gerlache Strait with the Antarctic mainland to
our port side. The scenery and light were spectacular with
mountains on all side of us seemingly covered in white meringue!
At around 0700 we encountered some sea ice in the Gerlache and although our ship has an ice strengthened hull, our captain doesnt want to hit any ice if he can avoid it. The result is that we travel as though floating and navigate around it if possible. Its an eerie sound to hear nothing but the cracking of the thick layers of ice as we crawl along, and the sounds of the wild life far off on the distance.
It is truly mesmerizing!
This afternoon we actually set foot on the continent for the first time.
The ice, wind and weather dictate life in Antarctica as well as our route. It wasnt possible to stop on Neko Harbour this morning due to ice conditions but we have docked in Paradise Bay this afternoon and set ashore.
Shane is so excited. He has now set foot on all the continents of the globe and he couldnt be happier.
As usual, the penguins provide our entertainment, although for variety today, one of the germans fell into
the water whilst getting in to one of the polar cirkel boats, so that was a hoot :-)
There are two beautiful penguins here that are light brown in colour. It is a pigmentation thing as they are still Gentoo, but they are just beautiful. To be honest, we start looking for the odd penguins out now.
Oh, and I wonder if we are the first people ever to "plank" in Paradise Bay. It was too funny,and the Scandinavians just looked at us as though we were retards! LOL
Saturday 19th November.
This is our last landing for the trip and then we sail for the next 2 nights to Ushaia. I am most definitely not looking forward to the Drake Passage crossing. It is notoriously the roughest sea on the planet.
We disembarked the Polar Cirkel boat at about 10am. Port Lochroy, on Goudier Island, is one of Antarcticas most historic locations and is only open during the Antarctic Summer.
During WW2, the British Govt dispatched a secret mission, code named Operation Tabarin. Several small bases were established on the Antarctic Peninsula to report on enemy activities and provide weather reports. Base A, Port Lochroy, was
built on Goudier Island in 1944.
The commander of the base, James Marr, first visited Antarctica as a young boy scout under the leadership of Ernest Shackelton.
See its not what you know, its who you know!! :-)
These days the conservation of the building and museum operation is made possible by the proceeds of the small gift shop. Its so bloody expensive, I'm surprised the whole thing hasnt fallen down!
Gentoo penguins are the main inhabitants of this island and we witnessed a bit of penguin lovin' again today :-)
The Drake passage was hideous last night. I had a quick dinner and went back to the room. The waves at their highest were about 10 metres, but mostly around 5-6 metres. Apparently last year they got caught on waves up to 25 meters. Its scary looking out of my little porthole looking at a wall of ocean coming towards you, and then as you drop to the bottom ofthe wave the water hits the window and you feel as though you are a little toy boat in a giant front loader. All you can see is water!
Another day at sea, but much calmer thank goodness.
They have auctioned of the ships sea chart today, which went for $650.
They have also auctioned off the dirty old Hurtigruten flag, which was sold to a Taiwanese gentleman. Seriously, they will by anything....and he paid $600 for it!
November 21st 2011
We arrive in Ushuaia this morning. Ushuaia is the world’s southernmost city and the capital of the province of Tierra del Fuego.
Its a charming little town and to top it off, it is snowing!!! A first for both of us.
Our Antarctic voyage has come to an end, and the journey back continues with our charter flight to Buenos Aires.
Shane says: Back in BA and out for a last dinner with Nigel and Kerry. A really good night was had. Two bottles of red and the girls had a bottle of Chandon. I ate half a cow, as has become a habit when I eat out in BA. haha
Sharls says: Mmmmm, some things need to change when we get home...no more cow for you! LOL
Wednesday 23 November
We have an apartment here in Recoletta in Buenos Aires for the next 4 nights, and
then we head home on Saturday.
Looking forward to my King size bed and the other creature comforts of home on Monday, as well as catching up with family and friends that we love and have missed :-)
Also looking forward to all of those 'maintenance' appointments I have booked from Monday to Wednesday!
So after 18mths of anticipation, 60000 kms, thousands of photos, and a million laughs with the one I love, this journey is almost at an end.
Its been a hoot, and if this little blog has inspired just one person to want to experience the same, then the hours toiling over it, labouriously (lol), were well worth it!
Ciao Chicas!!
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