Visit Antarctica with Travel Editor Stephen Scourfield
Antarctica. The great, white wilderness. It has to be seen to be believed.
And I will be seeing it again, feeling that shiver of excitement, on our Travel Club Tour Antarctica. It’s the experience of a lifetime.
It is a place to be close to wildlife and the extremes of human endeavour. It’s a raw, beautiful place that touches me with its strength and frailty.
I’ve experienced it all sorts of ways, from expedition cruise ships to research ships and even on a Patagonian toothfishing boat.
I’ve led a group there before. I can’t wait to do it again.
After time in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires, which I know well, we’ll head south to Ushuaia, at the southern tip of South America. It’s one of my favourite places, with its “end of the world” feel.
Then we’ll board a great expedition ship and cross the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula.
The Drake — that “pinch point” in the great rotation of the great oceans. I love being on deck watching the wandering albatrosses and perhaps seeing whales pass and penguins speed past like wind-up toys ... dozens of them flying in little arcs over the water, vanishing underneath, then back again.
Once we have arrived on the continent, there will be penguins, of course.
They’re brilliant, and there are some 300,000 breeding pairs of gentoos.
There will be crabeater and Weddell seals and, quite possibly, an encounter with a leopard sea. They swim like a torpedo.
We will be out and about in Zodiacs, among the icebergs and brash ice and landing on the Peninsula.
Of course, a great part of an Antarctic voyage for many is photography.
I’ll run two sessions before we go — one general event to prepare people for the journey and a specific photography workshop for those who want to prepare their skills.
We’ll be aboard a fantastic ship — the National Geographic Explorer — and accompanied by some of the world’s best Antarctic experts, who will be keen to share their knowledge and experiences.
And I will be there, every step of the way, enjoying the great, white continent.
ABOUT THE TRIP
Journey to Antarctica: The White Continent is in partnership with Collette.
I will be with the group throughout.
The whole journey includes Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, Drake Passage, authentic expedition ship, Zodiac forays, penguin colony close-ups, summit hike, kayak excursions, photography guidance and on-board information sessions.
After flying to Buenos Aires (day 1), we will stay in the Alvear Art Hotel (days 2-3), continuing to Ushuaia to join the National Geographic Explorer (days 4 to 13) and returning to Buenos Aires (day 14).
Antarctica is a once-in-a- lifetime experience, and this is a fully stabilised, very comfortable expedition ship with world-class experts, and fresh and varied cuisine. With a maximum of 148 passengers, it is a great base.
The 15-day trip includes flights, 36 meals, one of the world’s best expedition cruise ships and an expert team. The all-inclusive fare is from $24,395 per person, twin share.
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails