HIGHLIGHTS
- Skirt
rowdy beaches crowded with harems of New Zealand (Hooker’s)
sea lions to reach rātā forests where rare yellow-eyed penguins can be
found.
- Revel
in the richness of the unique Ross Sea ecosystem, part of the Ross Sea
Region Marine Protected Area and a Sylvia Earle Mission Blue
“Hope Spot”.
- Navigate
through gleaming pack ice alive with Weddell and leopard seals,
Adélie and emperor penguins and whales feeding in fathomless
leads.
- Reflect
on the remarkable achievements of the Heroic Age explorers as we
attempt to visit some of their beautifully preserved historic huts
(conditions permitting).
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Dec 11, 2025 | Jan 03, 2026 | 48,797 |
51,295 |
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Dec 11, 2025 | Jan 03, 2026 | 48,797 |
51,295 |
ITINERARY
Day
1 Arrive Dunedin
Arrive
in Dunedin, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora
Expeditions and transferred with your fellow expeditioners to your
assigned pre-voyage hotel. If you are already in Dunedin, we ask you to
make your way to your hotel. This afternoon, visit the Aurora
Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby to collect your luggage tags.
Please clearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number. Our
team will confirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any
questions and provide you with information on where to dine or purchase
last minute items.
That
evening, enjoy light refreshments as you meet your fellow expeditioners
at a Welcome Reception and Pre-Embarkation Briefing. Afterwards, enjoy
your evening in New Zealand’s southernmost city. You may like
to indulge in a meal at one of Dunedin’s fine restaurants, or
perhaps enjoy a leisurely stroll along the picturesque Otago harbour.
Assigned
accommodation: To be advised
Day 2 Embarkation
This
morning, enjoy breakfast and check-out. Please ensure your cabin
luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and
cabin number. By 11.00 am, take your cabin luggage to hotel reception,
prior to, or at check-out. Your luggage will be stored and transferred
directly to the port for clearance, to be placed in your cabin ahead of
your arrival on board. Please keep any valuables or personal items with
you throughout the day.
Your
morning is at leisure to explore Dunedin.
Settle
into your cabin, where each detail was designed with your comfort in
mind. This luxurious vessel is yours to explore! As we throw the lines
and set sail, join your expedition team on deck before tucking into a
delicious dinner, and toast to the voyage ahead.
Day
3 At Sea
On
an expedition such as this, the journey is as significant as the
destination. Sea days are a wonderful opportunity to relax, meet your
fellow travellers and learn about the history, environment and local
wildlife in this fascinating corner of the globe.
As
you acclimatise to life on board, your expedition team is available to
answer any questions you may have and offer pro-tips on photography and
birdwatching. With decades of collective experience in the region, they
love to share their expertise and enthusiasm with fellow travellers.
Join them in the lecture room for entertaining talks and presentations
to enrich your understanding of the wildlife, landscapes and historic
sites we hope to encounter.
You
may like to pamper yourself with a sauna, a visit to the Wellness
Centre, or work out at the onboard gym. While away the hours spotting
seabirds on deck, curl up with a book in our well-equipped polar
library, or chat with your fellow expeditioners at the bar.
Days 4-6 New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands
First
visited by M?ori navigators centuries ago, these islands are of great
significance to Ng?i 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.
Day
7 At Sea
As
Campbell Island slips over the horizon, keep watch for Campbell,
Salvins and white-capped albatross, which may follow the ship to bid us
farewell as we continue south.
Join
your expedition team in the lecture room to hear about the fascinating
human history of Macquarie Island, and how to identify the unique and
charismatic creatures we hope to see in the coming days.
Days
8-9 Macquarie Island
“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 (known
affectionately 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 no less than four species of
penguin! Alongside boisterous colonies of tuxedoed kings, charming
gentoos, robust rockhoppers and endemic royal penguins,
you’ll find three types of fur seals and a large proportion
of the world’s elephant seals. Layer up and head out on deck
to experience the sound, sight (and smell!) as you approach one of the
largest concentrations of life in the Southern
Ocean.
Remember
to keep an eye out for Macca’s kelp forests—these
remarkable underwater ecosystems are quite mesmerising 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 in Antarctic history. It was
here, in 1911, that five men disembarked Mawson’s Aurora and
established a radio relay station which would transmit the first
communication from Antarctica to the outside world.
Days
10-12 At Sea
As
Macquarie Island slips over the horizon, keep watch for wandering,
grey-headed, black-browed and light-mantled albatross, which may follow
the ship to bid you farewell as you continue south.
Close
observers may notice a subtle change in the character of the sea as we
cross the Antarctic Convergence. Beyond this belt where the waters of
the north and south mix, the sea surface temperature drops by about
4°C (39°F), signalling our entry into the Antarctic.
This transition zone is known for its nutrient-rich waters, so keep
watch for porpoising penguins, flocks of fluttering Antarctic petrels,
or perhaps the more solitary snow petrel. You’re not far from
the Antarctic Circle, so your first iceberg can’t be far
away!
Sea
days are a great opportunity for some R & R as you digest your
subantarctic experiences and prepare for the next phase of your voyage.
Relax and unwind your way, perhaps meeting newfound friends at the bar,
treating yourself to a sauna, or editing some images in the comfort of
your cabin. And join your expedition team in the lecture room for
presentations on the charismatic wildlife and extraordinary adventures
that took place along the epic Antarctic coastline you are about to
experience.
Days
13-18 Ross Sea
It’s
almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in this storied,
ice-bound sector of Antarctica. Stepping outside and taking a deep
breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience
to cherish forever.
The
Ross Sea region is a globally significant wildlife sanctuary. Its
nutrient-rich waters support an astonishing array of uniquely adapted
Antarctic species, including Ross Sea orcas, Antarctic petrels and
South Pacific Weddell seals. It is also home to Antarctica’s
largest Adélie penguin colony, and many of the largest
emperor penguin colonies. The unique biodiversity of the Ross Sea has
been protected within the world’s largest marine protected
area since 2016.
The
human heritage of the Ross Sea coast is equally impressive. Since James
Clark Ross discovered the region in 1841, countless expeditions have
built base camps on scattered ice-free slivers of land, using them as
staging posts for bold forays across the polar plateau. Many of them
departed in a hurry, leaving artefacts, scientific equipment and
sometimes entire huts behind. Today these sites are preserved as
open-air museums and protected under the Antarctic Treaty System.
Embrace
the spirit of exploration as your expedition team designs your voyage
from day to day, bringing decades of experience to selecting the ideal
sites based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlife
opportunities.
Days 19-26 Expedition Cruising
As
you reach the halfway mark of your voyage, these days at sea offer time
and space to reflect on the emotions and special moments
you’ve experienced so far. You may like to make some notes in
a journal, reminisce with newfound friends at the bar or start editing
a backlog of amazing photos.
For
the next week, find your rhythm and settle into life at sea. Your
expedition team will offer a daily program of educational activities,
entertainment and citizen science programs, which you are welcome to
attend. Join them for lectures and daily recaps of your progress,
weather and trajectory. Take advantage of the many shared spaces on
board: relax in the sauna, work out in the gym or grab a cuppa and
peruse the library shelves as the ice shelves guarding the West
Antarctic coast slide by.
There
is plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the Southern Ocean and the life
that calls it home - especially as you gain a day by crossing the
international date line! As always, the best place on the ship is out
on deck, where Antarctic prions, snow petrels and great whales await -
as long as the seas permit!
As
you skirt the forbidding ice cliffs guarding the Antarctic ice sheet,
spare a thought for British explorer James Cook, whose historic
circumnavigation of Antarctica in the late 18th century encountered
nothing but treacherous ‘ice islands’ and perilous
winds that threatened to blow their wooden sailboat into the sea ice.
Cook left the region firm in the belief that no Antarctic continent
could exist, and if it did it “that the world will derive no
benefit from it”. The search for Antarctica, which had been
going for hundreds of years, ground to a halt, only resuming when a
merchant sailor named William Smith chanced upon the South Shetland
Islands in 1819. This discovery sparked visits from the sealers,
whalers and scientists who would define the earliest eras of Antarctic
exploration.
Your
voyage continues west past the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas,
towards the southern extremity of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Days
27-31 Antarctic Peninsula
While
on the Peninsula we generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice
a day. Rug up and join a Zodiac cruise to view spectacular ice cliffs
or explore grounded icebergs, keeping an eye out for whales, seals and
penguins, which frequently travel and feed in these waters. Zodiacs
will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit
penguin rookeries, discover historic sites and explore some of our
favourite spots along the Peninsula.
While
ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or
perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains
towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an
optional activity, you will have the option to do that whenever
conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the
chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions
permitting!
In
addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise
some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from
the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to marvel at sculptural icebergs
and photograph spectacular scenery. This is a great time to enjoy
panoramic views from the observation lounge or make your way to the
bridge (open at the Captain’s discretion) for uninterrupted
views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Keep an ear out for the creak
and deep rumble of glaciers as they break off, calving into the sea.
Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of this incredible white
continent.
Days
32-33 At Sea
The
South Shetland Islands is a volcanic island group around a
day’s sail from the Antarctic Peninsula. We aim to land or
Zodiac cruise at one of the many appealing coves, bays and beaches,
with the opportunity to see chinstrap and gentoo penguin colonies, fur
and elephant seals, and the historic remnants of the sealing and
whaling age.
In
the afternoon, begin your transit north across the Drake Passage.
As
your journey draws to a close, take some time to reflect on the
experiences of the past few weeks. Perhaps you’d like to
organise your photos, jot some more notes in your journal or simply
relax and soak up the ambiance on board as you farewell your travel
mates . . . until next time!
We
hope you become ambassadors for the great Southern Ocean, advocating
for its conservation and preservation, and share your experiences with
your loved ones, so they might visit and become ambassadors themselves.
Day 34 Disembark in Ushuaia
During
the early morning, we cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly
slipping into dock in Ushuaia, where we will be free to disembark
around 8.00 am. 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.
Upon
disembarkation, for those continuing their travels in the region,
transportation to the hotel will be arranged exclusively for guests who
have booked their accommodations through Aurora or for those staying in
downtown areas near the port. Expeditioners departing on flights prior
to 12:30 pm will be directly transferred to Ushuaia Airport, those with
flights after 12:30 pm will have the opportunity to explore Ushuaia
before an afternoon airport transfer, and the transfer procedures and
details will be communicated onboard before
disembarkation.
Note:
At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights
departing Ushuaia prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in
case there are delays.
Douglas Mawson (Luxury Expedition, 154-guests)
The Douglas Mawson features a host of amenities to help you connect with like-minded travellers and elevate your time onboard our floating base camp for adventure. After a long day of exploring, head to the back deck to swim in the heated outdoor swimming pool, find a sun bed to read on, or soak in one of two Jacuzzis. Work up a sweat in the gym before unwinding in the sauna, resolve to learn something new in the Citizen Science Centre, then enjoy a delicious meal with new and old friends in one of two restaurants. Or, with multiple observation areas throughout the ship, simply relax in comfort while you keep watch for wildlife or incredible landscapes unfold before you.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- All airport transfers mentioned in the itinerary.
- One night’s hotel accommodation including
breakfast, in Dunedin on Day 1.
- Onboard accommodation during voyage, including daily cabin
service.
- All meals, snacks, tea and coffee during voyage.
- Beer, house wine and soft drinks with dinner.
- Captain’s Farewell reception including
four-course dinner, house cocktails, house beer and wine, non-alcoholic
beverages.
- All shore excursions and Zodiac cruises.
- Educational lectures and guiding services provided by
Expedition Team.
- Complimentary access to onboard expedition doctor and
medical clinic (initial consultation).
- One 3-in-1 waterproof, polar expedition jacket.
- Complimentary use of Muck Boots during the
voyage.
- Comprehensive pre-departure information.
- Port surcharges, permits and landing fees.
- Wi-Fi*.
- Please note we travel to remote regions and therefore the
connection can be unreliable.
Excluded
from this voyage :
- International or domestic flights – unless
specified in the itinerary.
- Transfers – unless specified in the itinerary.
- Airport arrival or departure taxes.
- Passport, visa, reciprocity and vaccination fees and
charges.
- Travel insurance or emergency evacuation charges.
- Hotel accommodation and meals – unless specified
in the itinerary.
- Optional excursions and optional activity surcharges.
- All items of a personal nature, including but not limited
to alcoholic beverages and soft drinks (outside of dinner service),
gratuities, laundry services, personal clothing, medical expenses or
phone charges.
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS
Add-on
Activities
Included
Activities
- Bird watching
- Lectures on wildlife, our environment, history and
destinations
- Near shore cruises
- Photography
- Polar plunge
- Trips ashore
- Walking
- Whale and mammal spotting
- Zodiac cruises
