On Wednesday morning we were down in the lobby by 7-45 in preparation for our trip to Rottnest Island. We were supposed to leave by 8-15, however, the bus was late due to heavy traffic, so were on our way about 8-45. This still gave us plenty of time to drive to Hillary''s boat harbour to catch the ferry to Rotto. It was a sunny but chilly morning which developed into a beautiful, warm sunny day. The ferry trip took about 40 minutes and we arrived at Thompson's Bay about 10-45am. A short walk and we were at the local bus depot ready for our round island trip. The bus company is Quokka tours and, apart from hiring a bike is the only way to see the whole island.Our driver, John, had plenty of jokes and ... read more

On Wednesday evening we took the tram to Kew where we went to India at Q by DD's kitchen. I had booked to eat there as Daman , the chef, is the Baillie of La Chaines in Victoria. We were greeted warmly by our host who then proceeded to suggest a menu which sounded great.Our first amuse bouche was pastry shells containing spices and topped by a selection of various toppings. then the entree, Chicken Tikka was brought out and flambed by the chef. This was probably the best dish of the night as the chicken was so tender and the spices excellent. For main courses we had a prawn dish and then a Lamb Biryani which had a pastry shell. Both were very tasty but also very filling. During the meal Daman's daughter came out ... read more

Our last stop in Antarctica was at Telefon Bay. This is actually a caldera as the surrounding land is called Deception Island.which is an active volcano. Fortunately while we were anchored there there was no eruption. It was a very windy day and again we were told there was doubt anyone could get ashore. But the weather improved somewhat and the sun was shining. The island was spectacular, with the black of the granite showing through the snow. There were tanks and sheds ashore which were remnants of a former whaling station. To enter the caldera we sailed through the narrow entrance known as Neptune's Bellows because it is very windy. We successfully anchored in the bay and the expedition team went ashore. An hour or so later we were told that groups could go ashore ... read more

We spent Sunday sailing across Drake's passage. The seas were rough and stormy, with waves reaching 6-8 metres at times. There were not many activities and it was difficult moving around. We organised and orientated ourselves to our new environment. We purchased the premium drinks package as this gave us a better choice of wine and drinks at the bar. We also made friends with Poy, the head barman in the only bar, The Explorer's Lounge on the 10th floor. This has panoramic views and very comfortable seats from which to view the scenery. We found out we were in the Black-Browed Albatross group for our excursions and in the afternoon we were issued with our rubber boots. These are large and heavy and essential for when we go out onto the land. We had already ... read more

Having been to the six major continents there is only one more to add. Antarctica!!! A year ago I saw a great deal on Trip A Deal to join a trip on the Norwegian shipping line, Hurtigruten, to Antarctica at half the price usually charged. Fletcher and I couldn't resist. Now we are on the voyage south, having left Adelaide yesterday for the long, four stage plane trip to Argentina to start our journey. We were up at 3-30am and left home about 4. I had prebooked our car into the long-term car park at the Adelaide airport so we did not have to rely on taxis. At the airport the QR code didn't work but we had a contact number and were soon let in and parked. The check-in and security was made simpler with ... read more