This expedition is a rare opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the early Antarctic explorers by stepping inside the historic bases under our care and learning directly from our expert team.
This once-in-a-lifetime voyage takes you from the picturesque landscapes of New Zealand’s Queenstown to the remote and pristine wilderness of the Ross Sea region. Along the way, you’ll explore the unique Subantarctic Islands, teeming with diverse wildlife, before venturing into the icy realm of Antarctica itself. This meticulously planned expedition combines breathtaking natural beauty, rich historical sites, and opportunities for personal growth, all while following in the footsteps of legendary explorers.
Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ Partners
View from the beach at Cape Evans with Inaccessible Island in the distance. 2008-09. © AHT/Anna Shepherd
Note: During the voyage, circumstances may make it necessary or desirable to deviate from the proposed itinerary. This can include poor weather and opportunities for making unplanned excursions. Your Expedition Leader will keep you fully informed. Landings at the Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand are by permit only as administered by the Government of New Zealand. No landings are permitted at The Snares.
Day 1: Queenstown
Arrive at Queenstown, New Zealand’s world-famous alpine resort town. The team will meet at our designated hotel where we will spend the first night of the expedition. In the evening there will be an informal get-together at the hotel for dinner; an excellent opportunity to meet fellow passengers on the voyage and some of the Heritage Expeditions team.
Day 2: Port of Bluff
Today we enjoy breakfast in the hotel restaurant and kick into the Inspiring Explorers™ programme before lunch at the hotel. Following lunch, we’ll depart for the Port of Bluff and embark on your ship. On board, you will have time to settle into your cabin, familiarise yourself with the ship and take part in a number of safety briefings.
Day 3: The Snares – North East Island
The closest Subantarctic Islands to New Zealand, they were appropriately called The Snares as they were once considered a hazard for sailing ships. Comprising of two main islands and a group of five islands called the Western Chain; they are uninhabited and enjoy the highest protection as Nature Reserves. It is claimed by some that these islands are home to more nesting seabirds than all of the British Isles together.
Heritage Expeditions plan to arrive in the morning, and as landings are not permitted, you will Zodiac cruise along the sheltered eastern side of the main island if the weather and sea conditions are suitable. In the sheltered bays, you should see the endemic Snares Crested Penguin, Snares Island Tomtit and Fernbirds. There are hundreds of thousands of Sooty Shearwaters nesting on The Snares; the actual number is much debated. Buller’s Albatross breed here from early January onwards. There will be opportunities to view the forests of large tree daisy Olearia lyallii which forms a canopy over much of the island group.
To learn more about The Snares: Snares Islands: New Zealand’s subantarctic islands (doc.govt.nz)
Day 4: Auckland Islands – Enderby Island
The Auckland Islands group was formed by two volcanoes which erupted some 10-25 million years ago. They have subsequently been eroded and dissected by glaciation creating the archipelago as we know it today. The northern most island in the archipelago, Enderby Island, is an outstanding wildlife and birding location and is relatively easy to land on and walk around.
The island was cleared of all introduced animals (pests) in 1994 and both birds and the vegetation, especially the herbaceous plants, are recovering both in numbers and diversity. Heritage Expeditions plan is to land at Sandy Bay, one of three breeding areas in the Auckland Islands for the Hooker’s or New Zealand Sea Lion, a rare member of the seal family. Beachmaster bulls gather on the beach, defending their harems from younger (ambitious) males, to mate with the cows shortly after they have given birth to a single pup. Hooker’s or New Zealand Sea Lion numbers are in a slow decline, for reasons which are not obvious but most probably connected with a nearby squid fishery.
During the day ashore there will be several options, some longer walks, some shorter walks and time to spend just sitting and enjoying the wildlife. The walking is relatively easy. A boardwalk traverses the island to the dramatic western cliffs, from there you can follow the coast and circumnavigate the island. Birds that we are likely to encounter include the following species: Southern Royal Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel, Auckland Island Shag, Auckland Island Flightless Teal, Auckland Island Banded Dotterel, Auckland Island Tomtit, Bellbird, Pipit, Red-crowned Parakeet, Yellow-eyed Penguin and Light-mantled Sooty Albatross. There is also a very good chance of seeing the Subantarctic Snipe.
To learn more about the Auckland Islands: Auckland Islands: Places to go in the subantarctic islands, Southland (doc.govt.nz)
Day 5: At Sea
At sea, you’ll participate in a number of lectures and presentations from Heritage Expedition staff to learn more about the biology and history of the Subantarctic Islands and the Southern Ocean. This time will also be used to run the wider Inspiring Explorers™ programme which will involve group work sessions, individual growth, working on outreach and educating members of our team on the expertise you bring on our expedition (this may not have anything to do with Antarctica!).
We will be at sea all day, so it is also another opportunity to spot pelagic species, these are birds that spend a large portion of their lives on the open ocean, including the Wandering Albatross, Royal Albatross, Shy and White-capped Albatross, Light-mantled Sooty Albatross, Grey-headed Albatross and Black-browed Albatross, White-chinned Petrel, Mottled Petrel, White-headed Petrel, Cape Petrel, diving-petrel, Grey-backed and Black-bellied Storm-petrels. This is potentially some of the best pelagic ‘birding’ on the expedition.
Day 6-7: Macquarie Island
Described by legendary Australian heroic-era Antarctic explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson, as “One of the wonder spots of the world” this is the only place in the world where the beautiful Royal Penguin breeds. Three other species of penguins, the King, Gentoo and Rockhopper also breed here. You will never forget your first experience of a noisy ‘penguin city’, where the dapper inhabitants show no fear of their strange visitors and where you will be immersed in a tumult of chattering, feeding chicks; territorial disputes; petty pilfering and courtship displays. This all happens amongst the hundreds of Southern Elephant Seals relaxing on the beaches and dunes. On arrival we meet with scientists and Park Rangers based here who will accompany us on all our landings.
To learn more about Macquarie Island: Macquarie Island World Heritage Area | Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania
Day 8-10: At Sea
Soaring albatross and petrels circle the vessel as we steam south through the Southern Ocean. Lectures from Heritage Expedition staff now concentrate on the Ross Sea region and beyond the bow of the ship; drifting icebergs of extraordinary shapes begin to appear. Maneuvering in close for your first ice photographs we pass the Antarctic Circle and into the continent’s realm of 24-hour daylight. Here, our Inspiring Explorers™ programme will begin to really focus on our group outreach, ensuring we have all we need for your team to succeed in the goals you’ve set.
Day 11-22: Antarctica’s Ross Sea region
During our time in the Ross Sea region, we will visit the highlights of Antarctica’s most historic region.
Due to the unpredictable nature of ice, weather conditions, and other environmental factors, a day-by-day itinerary is not possible. The Captain and Expedition Leader will assess daily conditions and take advantage of every opportunity to make landings or send you out in the Zodiacs.
Heritage Expedition’s programme emphasises wildlife viewing, key scientific bases and historic sites, as well as the spectacular scenery of the coastal terrain, the glaciers and icebergs of the Ross Sea.
Whilst specific landings cannot be guaranteed, we hope to visit the following:
Cape Adare
A large flat spit of land, teeming with the staggering sight of Antarctica’s largest Adélie Penguin rookery: a tumult of chattering, feeding chicks, territorial disputes, petty pilfering and courtship displays. Curious penguins often come very close, offering superb photographic opportunities. Among the shifting mass of penguins we will find Carsten Borchgrevink’s Hut, the oldest in Antarctica, an overwintering shelter for the first expedition to the continent in 1899. This is one of the five historic huts the Trust cares for.
Click here to learn more about Cape Adare.
Cape Hallett
The enormous Admiralty Range heralds our arrival; wild and extraordinary, the mountains rear up towering out of the sea to over 4,000-metres high and are bounded by colossal glaciers. We make our landing at an abandoned base site, now home to large numbers of Adélie Penguins and Weddell Seals.
Franklin Island
Desolately beautiful and rugged, this is home to a large Adélie Penguin population and other nesting seabirds. We attempt a landing and explore the coastline.
Possession Islands
Rarely-visited, small and rugged, these rocks support tens of thousands of penguins. Observe the birds’ busy and humorous activity, with the Admiralty Mountains forming a superb backdrop across the water.
Ross Ice Shelf
The world’s largest body of floating ice and a natural barrier, at times creating hazardous weather, with sheets of snow blown at gale force by winds off the polar ice cap. Just 800 miles from the South Pole, this daunting spectacle prevented many early explorers from venturing further south. We cruise along its dizzying 30-metre high ice cliffs, confronted with its monumental scale.
Ross Island
Ross Island is the center of activity in the Ross Sea region, both historically and today. The landscape is dominated by Mount Erebus, a massive active volcano.
The carefully preserved historic huts of the heroic-era, which the Trust cares for on behalf of the global community, help make the history of Antarctic exploration come alive. We hope to visit:
- Scott’s Discovery hut, at Hut Point
- Scott’s Terra Nova hut, at Cape Evans
- Shackleton’s Nimrod hut at Cape Royds.
Click here to learn more about the historic huts on Ross Island.
If we can reach the United States and New Zealand scientific bases, we will get a modern perspective on Antarctic Research. Visits to scientific field stations, New Zealand’s Scott Base (also home to Hillary’s TAE/IGY hut that the Trust cares for) and the American Antarctic research station, McMurdo Station, are high on Heritage Expeditions’ wish list but ice, weather and station operational requirements often make them inaccessible.
Terra Nova Bay
Visit an Italian research station where the scientists are always hospitable and enjoy showing us around their lonely but beautiful home. They share with us their scientific research and also, perhaps, the best ‘espresso’ in Antarctica! Nearby is the German base, Gondwana Station, which is used occasionally and the South Korean station, Jang Bogo and on Inexpressible Island, China is building its fifth Antarctic base.
Day 23-25: At Sea
Enroute to Campbell Island, take part in a series of lectures from Heritage Expedition crew designed to prepare you for our visit tomorrow. This will also be a time of reflection and to start a long process of reviewing some of the work we have already done on outreach projects as well as reflecting on our experiences so far. Above all, take the time to rest and enjoy shipboard life after the excitement of the Antarctic.
Day 26: Campbell Island – Perseverance Harbour
New Zealand’s southernmost Subantarctic territory, the Campbell Island group lies approximately 660-kilometres south of Bluff. We visit Campbell Island, the main island in the group, and spend the day exploring the island on foot from Perseverance Harbour, a long inlet cutting into the undulating landscape.
Campbell Island is a truly magnificent place of rugged scenery, unique flora and abundant wildlife. Perseverance Harbour where we drop anchor is an occasional refuge for Southern Right Whales who come here to calve. Here we will find a now abandoned New Zealand meteorological station as well as Campbell Island Shags, penguins, fur seals and rare Hooker’s Sea Lions. The highlight of our visit is a walk to the hilltop breeding sites of Southern Royal Albatross, over six thousand pairs of which breed on Campbell Island. These magnificent birds, close relations to, and the same size as, the Wandering Albatross, have the largest wingspan in the world and are very approachable, making superb photographic subjects.
To learn more about Campbell Island: Campbell Island: Places to go in the subantarctic islands, Southland (doc.govt.nz)
Day 27: At Sea
At sea enroute to the Port of Bluff, take the opportunity to relax and reflect on an amazing experience. This is a good opportunity to download and edit any remaining photos while they are fresh in your mind and you have the experience of our expedition team on board for questions. Whilst you’ll be keen to keep working on outreach, we will encourage you to reflect on our shared experience and take in the final day on board with the Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ team. We will recap the highlights of our expedition and enjoy a farewell dinner tonight as we sail to our final port.
Day 28: Queenstown
Early this morning we will arrive in the Port of Bluff. After a final breakfast we bid farewell to our fellow voyagers and take a coach back Queenstown for a final night with our Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ team. During the evening we’ll share our initial reflections and set ourselves up for the de-brief session in April. Flights will depart Queenstown the following day and take you home to your loved ones to share pictures, stories and experiences from your expedition.
