Tag Archives: mv Plancius

January 2, 2017 · 10:59 pm

Neko Harbour, Almirante Brown and BBQ in Antarctica

2nd January 2017

I stayed in the lounge when we got back to Plancius from camping, didn’t think it would be nice to wake Marijke that early, so settled with a cuppa and book from the library until Andrew made his daily wake up call at 7am. “Good morning, good morning, it’s Monday 2nd January and the weather is clear with a slight breeze and the temperature is 3 degrees. Breakfast will be served in the dining room at 7:30 for those who want to join. I hope you all have a good day”. What a brilliant way to get us all up and going, better than an alarm any day!

Neko Harbour – 1st continental landing

Neko Harbour – one of the rather large lenses in the background

Friendly Neko Harbour penguin

This morning we landed at Neko Bay, our first landing on the continent of Antarctica, until now we’d been on the peninsular. A good snowshoe climb up the hill was the perfect excuse to sit in the snow and beautiful warm sun, watch penguins and look out over the bay at the glaciers, icebergs and of course Plancius. Also sketched for a while back near the shore and enjoyed a penguin visitor up close although by the time I realized and got my phone out for a photo he’d moved on to visit someone else.

Plancius dwarfed in Neko Harbour

Resting and penguin watching in the snow and sun

Penguins and snow

More penguin activity

The first polar plunge took place before we headed back for lunch. The doctor was on shore with his bag of tricks and zodiacs idled about 10 metres or so from the shore. I’d say about 20 people took the plunge, most only stayed in about half a minute, but one of the Chinese gents swam out past the zodiac and back. Lots of gasps and arm waving by the plungers and laughter and camera clicking by the onlookers. I was biding my time!

Neko Harbour plungers getting ready!

Polar plungers at Neko Harbour

Polar plunge onlookers

After lunch we had another split landing, half landed at Almirante Brown station first and the others took a long zodiac cruise around the bay. I was in Christophe’s zodiac and was awsestruck at the icebergs, the colours of the compressed ice was fascinating. I’ve seen lots of photos where the ice is a bright turquoise blue but there were also heaps with much deeper blues. They look like there’s lights shining through, and the colours under the water are every bit as gorgeous. The vast knowledge these guys have didn’t cease to amaze me the whole trip, and they are so enthusiastic it’s always entertaining to listen.

Coloured lichen near Almirante Brown station

More icebeergs

Lessons on ice during a zodiac ride

Not a shag on a rock, a shag on an iceberg!

Our turn at Almirante Brown station was another chance to climb a hill for gorgeous views and then a snow slide back down. I was a bit boring there, only went part of the way but enjoyed poking around the buildings and old infrastructure.

Hikers behind Almirante Brown Station

Penguin at Almirante Brown

Only one I saw like this

Dinner tonight was special, a BBQ on the back deck with free drinks and gluhwein. It was also Katie’s birthday but she had to stand out there serving up our meals. The weather was actually freezing cold and windy, not at all like we’ve had before, but more typically Antarctic according to the crew. They keep commenting on how lucky we’ve been with weather and they hope we get to experience ‘proper’ Antarctica before we leave. I wasn’t keen or silly enough and had my BBQ in the dining room with other softies. I keep finding days and events with no photos because of the lost SD card, really disappointed I don’t have any of the keen ones, outside in beanies, gloves and everything else warm they could find, eating their burgers.

The mountaineers had an eventful morning, with the young Australian guy, Adam, from Melbourne having a scary incident. Unfortunately the crevassing proved problematic on the way down with him falling in one which required both Cube and Mal’s assistance to get him out.Poor guy was quite shaken and everyone was really shocked.

Think my big night out camping was taking its toll, dinner and an early night for me.

And pretty icebergs

Icebergs galore

All shapes

One of the best

Kayaks waiting for kayakers

Plancius dwarfed in Neko Harbour

Massive block bergs

The weather turns cold in the zodiac!

Gorgeous blue ice shining in the shadows

Because I just couldn’t take enough!

Interesting shapes everywhere

Up close

So much to look at in one iceberg

More lights shining in the bergs!

Stunning Antarctica

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Filed under Antarctica, Mid-life travel, Solo female travel, Travel

Tagged as Almirante Brown station, Antarctica, Midlife Solo Travel, mv Plancius, Neko Habour, Oceanwide Expeditions, Polar Plunge

January 2, 2017 · 4:27 pm

Camping in Antarctica!

1st January 2017

What a way to start the new year! Another landing a Damoy Point in the morning for more snow, ice and penguins where I had my first experience of show-showing. I was surprised at how easy snowshoes made the trek up the hill, although I needed a quick lesson on how to put them on, very easy as it turns out, with 3 straps over the front and one behind the heel, just like a pair of sandals. Sadly, I took my small camera this morning, then on the last night of the cruise stupidly removed the SD card to download something from the laptop on board and consequently lost it! So no photos from here, but can’t resist adding others from yesterday!

Little cuties leading the way

Dancing gentoos

Watched these two dancing for ages

I’m not sure if it’s the weather or I’m just layering extremely well but I keep having to take my big outer jacket off every time we land, even before I get to the top of a hill. The weather though is just beautiful, still around 4 degrees I think, but sunshine and no wind makes it feel much warmer.

This little guy looked like he was throwing a sad and leaving

One little guy making his way back to the shore

Penguin watching – as much fun as people watching

I must say though, as a group, we have vastly improved our lifejacketing skills!!!! Who’d have thought a few days ago it would be a simple 2 second task now, even grabbing the “tail”to bring up between your legs to clip in front – amazing creatures we are, lol.

Tag board on Plancius

Mind you, the tag system still has some way to go before we all remember to turn our cabin number over when we go off and on the boat! There’s always a call for the “card game” as they call it – these cabin numbers please go and turn your tag if you’re on-board, we won’t be moving until everyone is here!

Another fabulous lunch and it was off to our dual landing. After checking out the penguins for a while at Jougla Point I perched on a rock and sketched the view across the bay towards the buildings of Port Lockroy.

Whale bones I think at Jougla Pt

Port Lockroy sketch

Jougla Pt

Then the exciting visit to the old base where we could explore the museum, buy souvenirs and post mail! The base was used in WWII by the British but abandoned until 1966 when it was renovated and now researches the effect of tourism on penguins as well as serving us tourists.

Little chick under the penguin at front

There is a chick there!

Feeding the chick

Penguin Post at Port Lockroy in Antarctica

The penguins weren’t at all worried about us, there were so many of them with chicks it was just wonderful. Looking back I feel I didn’t take enough pics of the wildlife, but at the time I was so mesmerized by the landscape, they took second place. Of course, I took my passport to have it stamped, bought some souvenirs and postcards and posted them in the Penguin Post box.

At 9pm we got the call to head off for our night camping at Lefévre Point where there was a lone Adelie penguin waiting for us. He patrolled along a high ridge of snow just behind us all night and was still there to farewell us at 5 the next morning.

Well, what an experience, just getting from the zodiac on to dry land, or at least ice and snow, was a bit precarious and then sinking knee deep with some steps and finding hard ice with others was a tad challenging. Then the fun really began, find your spot and dig your little grave they said, it’ll be fun they said! Yeah right, I was having trouble keeping upright without trying to dig a bloody grave, lol. Nacho spent the night in the open like us but Christophe had a little tent; because he was camping 4 nights a week he wanted some luxury! These guys are amazing.

Christophe readying his bit of luxury

Our Adelie keeping watch

Camp site at Lefévre Point

One of the funniest sights was a porta-potty sitting on the ice in front of a lone rock near the shore, not much privacy there. No wonder the guides kept stressing the lack of facilities and importance of “going” before we left Plancius.

Our Adelie penguin and bathroom facilities while camping

Camping, my spot is the closest orange one

Camping in Antarctica

The ‘grave’ is really just a shallow one, enough so you’re laying below the rest of the snow around you as protection from the wind. Having heard from last night’s campers the difficulty they had filling them in the next morning, most of ours were pretty shallow. Looking back at photos now I realize mine was nothing like a grave, my top half may have had some protection, just, but the other half was well and truly out in the open. I doubt I had any chance of doing it right.

If you thought that was difficult, just imagine this. You’ve got a big waterproof bag with all your dry sleeping gear and a bivvy bag to organize and the instructions for what went where had gone in one ear and out the other what seemed like days ago.

First you lay your bivvy bag in the grave and open it up, then a base mat, then blow up your next mat and lay it down, then lay down one sleeping bag, then another sleeping bag (hoping you have them in the correct order) and you’re done! Except, I kept walking, or more correctly falling, on things because of the soft snow and awkwardness of it all – and they’d done an amazing job of scaring me silly again about how if things got wet you’d end up freezing cold. But then you had to somehow get your knee high waterproof boots, outer jacket and waterproof pants off and get into this nest without getting anything wet, – and keep them dry too, and put them safely away in the big waterproof bag.I also had little packet hand-warmers to put between my 2 layers of socks and inside my gloves, I managed the feet ones then couldn’t find the hand ones, gave up looking as I was just getting more twisted. OMG it was so hilarious watching other people, I just can’t imagine how bad I looked, but it really was immense fun.

I eventually managed to plop myself down in the middle of my bed and was vainly struggling to straighten everything so I could get into it all when one of the young Swiss girls came along and asked if I wanted her to help tuck me in, must have looked pretty hopeless! She was lovely though, I said I’d be right but we both laughed and she helped with all the zips. By the time I’d got that far I was boiling; mind you, I had 2 pairs of socks, thermals top and bottom, windproof long pants, light merino top and down jacket on, so it’s really no wonder I didn’t feel the cold.

Panorama of our camp site

Lots of activity getting ready to camp

I’d lost my glasses case with the hand warmers so slept with glasses on all night, all the better to peek out with every now and then. Was just settling in when I felt drips on my face. What the? Pulled my bivvy bag further up over my face. Next thing was pitter patter on the bivvy bag, pulled it back for another peek and, guess what? It was snowing!!!! How exciting – what more could I ask for? It was just perfect, not too much, just a little every now and then.

I tried rolling on to my side a couple of times but kept getting twisted in my sleeping bags so slept like a board most of the night. By about 2 though my butt was so sore I persevered and got on to my side, next thing I knew, Nacho, one of our camping guides was waking us up – 4:30 had arrived and we had to pack up and leave.

So, it was all done in reverse, not quite as difficult or hilarious but entertaining all the same. Thankfully the ice wasn’t rock hard and filling in the graves didn’t take long or too much effort at all. A sad goodbye to our campground and Adelie penguin, quick trip back to Plancius in the zodiac and it was all just a memory – but what a memory, camping on the ice in Antarctica, with falling snow and patrolling penguin thrown in for good measure. Priceless!

Snowshoers heading up the hill at 1st landing

Couple of impressive icebergs

1st day penguins

1st day landing

More colourful icebergs

Rookery at Port Lockroy

Kayakers in the bay

Lots of mums and just born chicks under the huts at Port Lockroy

Kitchen of museum at Port Lockroy

Penguins through the window at Port Lockroy

Old radio room at Port Lockroy

Old research machine at Port Lockroy

Boats and Penguin through the window at Port Lockroy

Port Lockroy museum in Antarctica

More mountainous than I expected!

Ice banks near Damoy Pt

Damoy Pt huts coming into sight

Damoy Pt Antarctica

Another panorama

Port Lockroy

Panorama from Plancius top deck

from Plancius at Damoy Pt

Panorama at Jougla Pt

from Jougla Pt to Port Lockroy

Arriving at Port Lockroy

Port Lockroy and private boats

Port Lockroy

from Port Lockroy

Remnants of the old days at Port Lockroy

Leaving Port Lockroy, Andre driving

leaving Port Lockroy sketch

Camping in Antarctica sketch

Crossing Drake Passage for the first time!

29th and 30th December 2016

Dr Jelte’s patch kept any sickness at bay for the crossing, but made me incredibly sleepy. I didn’t make it to even one meal on the first day and only briefly to lunch and dinner on the second, although I only ate a few bites before heading off again. Poor Marijke told me later she was getting quite worried that I’d never get going. She was really lovely, checking on me and even brought in chamomile tea and biscuits on the first day. I did get up briefly, but really the first day was a write-off. I wasn’t the only one though, the ship was almost deserted apparently and the dining room seemed vast with only a few hardy souls showing up for meals.

Second day was slightly better, we had to attend a mandatory IAATO briefing in the morning on dos and don’ts of Antarctica followed by a visit to the boot room to collect our high waterproof boots. Later in the day was vacuuming, yes vacuuming! We had to take all our outer clothing to the lounge and vacuum it all. This is to minimize the risk of introducing foreign plant and pest material in an attempt to keep Antarctica as free from our contamination as possible. After seeing this place for myself, I was more than happy to do whatever was required to keep it safe.

One lonely photo of first Drake Crossing

I missed some great talks during these 2 days, from Andrew on the Antarctic convergence, Bruce the photography guy and Louise the kayaking guide who are also very knowledgable on birds, Mal, one of the mountaineers, and Marijke on penguins. The biggest disappointment was to find I’d missed some really great whale action as well. There were around 30 whales, maybe more, spread out across the ocean; for about 45 minutes they were bubble net feeding, showing their tail flukes and even half-breaching. Such a shame, but I’m sure there’ll be more as the days go by.

My lack of photos on these 2 days tell the story better than anything else, only one taken for 2 days!!!

Ready and waiting to go to Antarctica!

28th December 2016

Ushuaia, looking towards port

Well, it’s finally here, embarkation day! We can’t present for boarding until 4pm and I had to leave the comfort of Hosteria Patagonia Jarke by 10 in the morning. Oh well, I got to see lots of Ushuaia’s streets and cafes and found gifts for family and friends, if nothing else. I was heading to the museum but a heavy downpour and having left my jacket at the drop-off point put an end to that plan, so back to more coffee and sketching until it was time to go.

Heading to Plancius, Ushuaia port

I met my first fellow passenger at the port, a lovely English woman travelling with her husband and 3 adult children. They have lived in the US for the last 18 years and were a lovely family, we caught up often the boat.

At the gangway, the expedition staff were waiting to greet us and I met my roommate, Marijke, who is a marine mammal specialist. Apparently it’s quite unusual for staff and guides to share, however, the numbers and gender mix colluded to give me this lovely present. We were sent to meet the hotel manager and his assistant, Johnny and Katie, given our cabin allocation, and shown the way by one of the house staff, lovely Filipino girls.

Home for 12 nights!

A little while later it was time for the first of many briefings in the lounge area on Deck 5, safety and lifeboat briefing first. Next we head back to our cabins to don warm clothes and take our life jackets back with us to try and get them on and secure. Just more than 100 newbies every trip, we must make the staff laugh, an absolute shamozzle, with arms and life jackets going in every direction while we work it out. After we were safely jacketed, it was roll call, which again, hopefully we can perform better if there is a real need. The fact we have a group of 50 Chinese passengers, most of whom don’t speak English, was an added bonus to the hilarity. Poor Dutch Johnny did his best but some of the names really had him in a twist at times.

Lifeboat on Plancius

Off outside to the lifeboat deck next where one of the ships officers, Gavin, with a great Scottish accent, scared the pants off us with graphic descriptions of what would happen if we had to abandon ship to the lifeboats. 63 people per lifeboat, the need to sit on your defined black strip so we could all fit, no food or drink for 24 hours and mandatory seasickness medication was just the tip of the iceberg. All I could think was, it’s a good thing the mv Plancius is a nice dependable ship! A quick look inside the bright orange life saving vessels and we could escape the howling cold wind and go back to our cabins to untangle ourselves from the life jackets and extra warm clothes then head back to the lounge.

Johnny then gave us a rundown of life on board from his perspective, meal and bar times, internet access, all the usual things. Andrew Bishop, our Australian expedition leader was up next to introduce the expedition staff and give an insight to our daily program during the voyage. The ship’s doctor, Jelte from the Netherlands, had his turn next and advised he would set up shop in the bar after dinner to dispense the famous ‘behind the ear patch’ or tablets to those who thought they might need them. Then the most important man on the boat, Captain Evgeny Levakov joined us for an introduction and a toast with Proseco to a good trip.

Leaving Ushuaia behind

Dinner followed all this activity in the dining room on Deck 3, wow, the food was delicious, the staff were fantastic and conversations that started off quietly this night got louder every night after. Rather than risk being seasick I headed up to the bar and bought one of the patches, had a chat for a while, wandered outside for a few pics and went to bed before we entered the dreaded Drake Passage. During the night though, I started sliding up and down the length of my bed, the weirdest feeling ever. Apparently, the waves were coming from the side of the ship so she was rolling from side to side more than up and down.