Mawson's Antarctica

Arrive in Hobart, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred with your fellowexpeditioners to your assigned pre-voyage hotel. If you are already in Hobart, we ask you to make your way to yourhotel. This afternoon, visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby to collect your luggage tags. Pleaseclearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number. Our team will confirm details regarding yourembarkation day, answer any questions and provide you with information on where to dine or purchase last minuteitems.That evening, enjoy light refreshments as you meet your fellow expeditioners at a Welcome Reception and Pre-Embarkation Briefing. Afterwards, enjoy your evening in Australia’s southernmost capital city. You may like toindulge in a sumptuous meal at one of Hobart’s celebrated restaurants, or perhaps enjoy a leisurely stroll along thehistoric waterfront.Assigned accommodation: To be advised

“Penguins were in thousands on the uprising cliffs, and from rookeries near and far came an incessant din . . .seabirds of many varieties gave warning of our near approach to their nests” Douglas Mawson, 1911.As they sailed towards Antarctica, Mawson and his men encountered ‘an exquisite scene’. Macquarie Island (knownaffectionately as Macca) rises steeply from the Southern Ocean in a series of emerald summits: a beautifully fierce,elemental landscape teeming with life.Keep your binoculars handy because this subantarctic refuge is home to 3.5 million breeding seabirds, including noless than four species of penguin! Alongside boisterous colonies of tuxedoed kings, charming gentoos, robustrockhoppers and endemic royal penguins, you’ll find three types of fur seals and a large proportion of the world’selephant seals. Layer up and head out on deck to experience the sound, sight (and smell!) as you approach one ofthe largest concentrations of life in the Southern Ocean.Remember to keep an eye out for Macca’s kelp forests—these remarkable underwater ecosystems are quitemesmerising as their fronds sway back and forth on the water’s surface.In addition to being a globally recognised and protected wildlife refuge, Macquarie Island played an important role inAntarctic history. It was here, in 1911, that five men disembarked Mawson’s Aurora and established a radio relaystation which would transmit the first communication from Antarctica to the outside world.

‘The tranquility of the water heightened the superb effects of this glacial world. Majestic tabular bergs, lofty spires,radiant turrets . . . illumined by pale green light within whose fairy labyrinths the water washed’. Douglas MawsonWhen Captain John King Davis skillfully steered the Aurora through heavy pack ice in 1912, the Australasian AntarcticExpedition became the first to chart this stretch of coastline. As you sail into these waters over a century later, youare entering one of the most inaccessible and seldom-visited parts of Antarctica.Find a spot on deck as the Captain navigates carefully through glittering fields of frozen ocean, or rug up for a Zodiaccruise through the pack, keeping watch for elegant emperor penguins, sweet-faced Weddell seals resting on ice, andthe unmistakable ‘pouf’ of an orca’s exhalation. Embrace the spirit of exploration as your expedition team designsyour voyage from day to day, bringing decades of experience to selecting the ideal sites based on the prevailingweather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities.

“Seals and penguins on magic gondolas were the silent denizens of this dreamy Venice. In the soft glamour of themidsummer midnight sun, we were possessed by a rapturous wonder—the rare thrill of unreality.” Douglas MawsonFor many expeditioners, approaching Commonwealth Bay evokes a profound sense of awe and humility. This iswhere Mawson and his men established their Main Base, on the shores of a ‘beautiful, miniature harbour’ at thefoot of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Imagine their dismay when they realised that their ice-free oasis lay directly in thepath of fierce katabatic winds, which rushed like rapids off the Polar Plateau! Despite its unfortunate position, MainBase housed eighteen expedition members for up to two years in this bay Mawson dubbed the ‘Home of theBlizzard’.Katabatic winds and ice permitting, we will make landfall on the storied shores of Cape Denison, where several ofthe huts of Mawson’s Main Base still stand. The Magnetograph House and the Main Hut, where the men lived andworked, remain largely intact despite over a century of exposure to the elements. Bleached pine cladding bearswitness to the passage of time, and ice drifts partially fill the huts, the past literally frozen in time. Scientificinstruments and scattered personal items provide an intimate glance into the austere daily lives of Mawson and hismen.In addition to being the site of Mawson’s huts, Cape Denison provides a rare ice-free refuge for Antarctic wildlife,including nesting Adélie penguins, snow petrels and Wilson’s storm petrels. Weddell, elephant and leopard sealsregularly haul out to rest on the rocky shores. You may like to wander along pebbly beaches, or perhaps ramble up asnow-covered ridge to a vantage point over this spectacularly monochrome landscape. Before leaving East Antarctica our Captain will attempt to manoeuvre us into position over the South Magnetic Pole.Spare a thought for Mawson who, accompanied by fellow Australian geologist T.W Edgeworth David and Scottishdoctor Alistair Mackay, undertook a gruelling three month march to become the first to stand in the vicinity of theSouth Magnetic Pole in January 1909. Conveniently for us, the Pole has since migrated out to sea, so we cancelebrate its attainment with a glass of bubbly in the comfort of the ship’s bar!

First visited by Māori navigators centuries ago, these islands are of great significance to Ngāi Tahu, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand’s South Island. Their natural beauty and astonishing biodiversity have now been recognised globally, but few have had the privilege to visit these far-flung shores, which are now yours to explore.Auckland Islands (Maungahuka / Motu Maha)Born of fire, scoured by ancient glaciers and shaped by the fierce hand of the Southern Ocean, there is an exquisite ruggedness to this group of weather-worn islands. This apparent bleakness belies the extraordinary abundance of life that thrives here. Roughly half of the world’s yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho), most of the world’s white-capped mollymawks, and the entire population of Auckland Islands wandering albatross find shelter on these shores. Embrace the spirit of exploration as your expedition team designs your voyage from day to day, bringing decades of experience to selecting ideal sites based on the prevailing conditions and wildlife opportunities.

Carnley Harbour offers superb Zodiac cruising through a landscape rich in human history. In 1864, five men became stranded here after their schooner, the Grafton, was wrecked, putting a sudden end to their sealing and tin prospecting ambitions. We hope to see the skeletal remnants of the Grafton, and the moss-covered remains of the Epigwaitt Hut, where they sheltered for 20 months.

Victoria Passage is a lively channel separating Auckland Island from the mountainous Adams Island to the south. We may Zodiac cruise these scenic waters, watching for sooty shearwaters, penguins and sea-lions frolicking in the pure waters.

Wind and weather permitting, we will Zodiac cruise sheltered harbours and coves in search of Campbell Island snipes and teals, yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho), and New Zealand (Hooker’s) sea lions (whakahao). We hope to land at Beeman Cove, Perseverance Harbour, where an old meteorological station stands vigil on the windswept shoreline. Follow a boardwalk through tussock and upland tundra, then enter an otherworldly landscape where large-leaved megaherbs abound. Wonder at the Ross Lily, Campbell Island Daisy and Campbell Island carrot, whose brilliant flowers would look more at home in the tropics than these southern climes. Continue towards the nesting grounds of majestic southern royal albatross, whose wingspans can exceed three metres (10 feet). It is truly humbling to be in the presence of these great wanderers of the southern seas. Find a spot to quietly observe these marvellous birds as they go about their daily duties, undisturbed by their human visitors.

After breakfast, farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys,hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights departing prior to 12.00 pm on the dayof disembarkation in case there are delays.