DAY 7 Just caught the end of an unbelievable sunrise! No time to take a photo so hopefully will repeat tomorrow. This morning we cruised by catamaran along the Beagle Channel dotted with many rocky island outcrops each supporting a huge range of wildlife. The trip was incredibly scenic & the weather very kind (sunny patches, about 14 deg., and a very slight tail wind. Our first stop was a safe haven for hundreds of resting cormorants and other seabirds. Next stop was a fur seal colony and finally a penguin island (magellanic & gantoo) and quite incredibly 2 king emperor penguins which are way outside their normal Antarctic environment. We cruised on to the Harberton Estancia (ranch) formally a famous working ranch in an area originally settled by Welsh sheep farmers. The farm is now ... read more

DAY 5 Much better sleep last night, hopefully our bodies have adjusted to the local timezone. Despite the amazing land based Eco systems we experienced yesterday, it's the unique marine environment and it's World Heritage listing that attracts visitors to the Valdes Peninsula. While Patagonia is remote in itself the Peninsula is further protected with all land access via a narrow Isthmus (7 Km's wide) which splits the waters of two gulfs. Being so close one would think that the Eco systems of these waters would be very similar however this is far from the case. The peninsula is the meeting place of warm waters moving south from Brazil with cold water moving north from Antarctica and they crash together dropping vast amounts of nutrients which attracts and sustains migrating whales (Southern Right), orcas, dolphins, elephant ... read more

Day 3 We always thought that a 3 month trip would be filled with highs and lows and hopefully not too many lows but unfortunately we met with our first scarey experience today when some people tried to rob/mug us. We had a another full day of walking, our B & B is surrounded by every shopping outlet brand name known to man & Ruth managed to pass them all without entry. We passed through the cosmopolitan Palermo area with lots of cafés and restaurants intending to reach the upmarket Recoleta area with the wealthiest streets in BA. After feeling very safe yesterday we were almost robbed today, we were down near the zoo entrance taking a photo when I thought a bird had done its business all over me. I felt & saw a greenish ... read more

Expect long day flying to start our trip. Early flight to Sydney then Qantas to Santiago with 3 hour stop before next flight to Buenos Aires. Expectations proved correct. Nearly 24 hrs from door to door. Kieran was up much earlier than normal (5.20 am) to take us to the airport. Thanks k. Arrived safely & not too tired after a few catnaps along the way. Pushed ourselves to stay up a little longer with a quick orientation around the B&B for a supermarket. A snack for dinner with complimentary mini bottles of wine from Qantas seemed to do the trick. Ruth was snoring as soon as head hit the pillow. Unusually I took longer but both had deep early sleeps. Jetlag not to bad. Off to explore BA.... read more