Mawson’s Antarctica

After your arrival in Hobart, transfer to the hotel, where you will receive your luggage tags and embarkation details in the afternoon. In the evening, a welcome reception takes place where you can meet your expedition colleagues. Use the rest of the evening to explore Hobart.

After breakfast, bring your luggage to the hotel reception by 11:00 am so it can be transported directly to the port. The morning is at your leisure to explore Hobart. After check-in on board, you can discover your cabin and the public areas of the luxurious ship. When departing, enjoy the panoramic view of Hobart and the Tasmanian Peninsula as the ship sets course southward.

Entertainment and relaxation on board.

Macquarie Island is home to 3.5 million breeding seabirds, including four penguin species such as king penguins and rockhopper penguins. Additionally, there are fur seals, elephant seals, and fascinating kelp forests. The protected nature reserve also played a role in Antarctic history when a relay station for the first communication from Antarctica was established here in 1911.

Entertainment and relaxation on board.

Find a spot on deck as the captain carefully navigates through the glittering fields of the frozen ocean, or set out on a Zodiac ride through the pack and keep an eye out for elegant emperor penguins, sweet-faced Weddell seals resting on the ice, and the unmistakable “puff” an orca makes when exhaling. Let yourself be inspired by the spirit of discovery as your expedition team reshapes your journey from day to day, using their decades of experience to select ideal locations based on weather conditions, ice conditions, and wildlife opportunities.

If katabatic winds and ice allow, a landing will be made on the historic coast of Cape Denison, where some of the huts from Mawson’s main base still stand. The Magnetograph House and the Main Hut are amazingly well preserved despite the extreme weather conditions. The huts are partly filled with ice, and personal belongings and scientific instruments provide insight into the simple life of the expedition. Cape Denison also offers an ice-free refuge for Adélie penguins, snow petrels, and seals. Before leaving East Antarctica, the captain might attempt to reach the position above the magnetic South Pole.

Entertainment and relaxation on board.

These islands, scattered across the Southern Ocean 465 kilometers (300 miles) south of New Zealand, have been visited by Polynesian and Māori navigators for centuries and are of great cultural and spiritual significance to the Ngāi Tahu, the indigenous people of New Zealand’s South Island. Here you have the opportunity to experience a finely tuned subantarctic ecosystem populated by unique endemic species such as the yellow-eyed penguin (Hoiho) and the Campbell Island teal.

Entertainment and relaxation on board.

After breakfast, say goodbye to your expedition team and fellow travelers as you continue your journey, hopefully enriched by a new understanding of the immense power of nature.