Rob Easther December 21st, 2011

Even with an hour of sleep lost, most of us were up early to enjoy our entrance to Perseverance Harbour,and what a spectacular entrance it was!  On approach we passed Jacquemart Island and rock stacks so delicate it seemed the ship’s wake would sweep them away. As we turned the corner, cloud wisped the peaks and sun broke through, highlighting patches of heath as it glowed from within.  As the anchor dropped, the buildings that house Campbell Island’s Met Station and DOCs Hostel sat invitingly on the near shore.

On shore we were welcomed by the throaty growl of fully-grown, magnificently maned sea lions.  One in particular had assigned himself as gatekeeper of the path ahead.  We slipped passed,eyes averted, heart rate on the rise before reaching the boardwalk that would lead us up to the Col-Lyle saddle.

And a very enjoyable path we thread.  Spectacular dwarf forest, fields of buttercup lookalikes, yellow bulbinella like exotic corn cobs and the very impressive Dradophyllum in full bloom.  A fantastic walk, complete and utter hobbitville, including plate mosses that adorned twisted bonsai trees, pincushion plants in full bloom and eventually, pillows of feathers that occasionally morphed into exquisite, sentient beings, Southern Royal albatross that lived up to their name, even with wings tucked beneath downy wing.  For those of us who continued to the ridge-line the view to the north was a cross between Scottish Highlands and gothic vampire coastline and the view to Dent Island.  No matter how brilliant the vegetation (Garden of Eden, not-so-hanging Gardens of Babylon, friggen amazing etc!!) It was the Alby’s that amazed us.  A great privilege to watch them at close range, as they clacked, preened and for some of us fortunate enough, stretched their awesome wings.

Our descent just got better as blue overtook the skies, Light mantled sooties soared and lunch awaited us.  No one made it back without running the gauntlet of playfully aggressive sea lions, who thought it good fun to pop out disconcertingly, with great snorts and sharp teeth bared.  All good fun!  Our first walk in nearly two weeks was gratefully appreciated, except for those with dodgy knees.

After a wholesome lunch it was back into our Zodiacs to explore Perseverance Harbour.  After the morning it seemed it would be relaxed, but insignificant.  We’d barely loaded up before we spotted a leopard seal on the first beach.  We’d barely reached there before it was Yellow-eyed penguins, Arctic terns nesting, sea lion harems, columnar jointing of ancient basalt flows, Light-mantled sooties on nest and on and on and on.

Then we received a message from the lead boat something about Royal albatross moving across the harbour.  We throttled north and arrived in time for squadrons of albatross returning to nests after a day out fishing.  Low flying, graceful, incredible!!!  It was one of those occasions that, although very unexpected, will remain in our memories forever.  We sat, engines off, in the swell of the harbour entrance, admiring these masters of flight as they glided and turned in the breeze only a few metres from the water.  A Campbell Island Teal enticed us as this small duck hopped along the shoreline rocks.  Antarctic terns flew overhead, Skuas patrolled seal colonies, Yellow-eyed penguins, New Zealand sea lions and light mantled sooty albatross graced us with their presence.  Not a bad a bad afternoon!

Position 2015

Latitude 52 33’ S

Longitude 169 09’ E

Speed Nil

Course At anchor

Barometer 771 hPa

Wind 12 knots NW

Air Temp 11C

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Rob Easther December 21st, 2011

A beautiful day today.  Views to the horizon round the compass as the sun broke through patches of a mottled grey sky.  A number of albatross joined us on our journey – Southern royals, light mantled sooties and Wanderers all made an appearance.   White headed petrels, Mottled petrels and one Sooty shearwater passed by too.

At 9.30am our NZ Department of Conservation representative introduced us to the New Zealand sub-Antarctic Islands.  It was a great overview of what to expect over the next week.  Excitement levels began to lift at the thought of getting off the ship and making some landings.  The talk was followed by a video about Campbell Island’s successful rat eradication program that took place on Campbell Island, our first stop.  It was inspiring to hear such a wonderful success story, especially learning of the recent eradication program that took place on Macquarie Island.

Afternoon naps were interrupted by the Expedition Leader’s (ED) announcement that dolphins were surfing the ship’s bow wave.  A mass exodus to the bow occurred with cameras in tow and enjoyed watching two very neat hourglass dolphins gliding gracefully at speed, picking up the energy of nearby swells and the water pushed aside by the ship.  A good show by the dolphins and everyone enjoying the sun.

As the excitement eased, the ED regaled us with stories of his involvement in the making of Happy Feet. He and the rest of his team made the most of capturing data clouds in Antarctica to be used for the basis of the animated film.  Pre-dinner, the bar was busy with people excited about the prospect of a chance to stretch their legs on a long walk after thirteen days at sea!

An apres dinner briefing by the ED and the NZ rep got the troops even more excited about loading up Zodiacs and exploring a new area.  The Kiwi Government rep reiterated what a privilege it is to visit the NZ sub-Antarctic islands and reminded us of the importance of protecting them.  He also gave some good tips about how to deal with the rather feisty New Zealand sea lions.

Position 2130

Latitude 53 d 40’ S

Longitude 167 30’ E

Course 45 NNE

Winds 14 Knots SW

Speed 11 knots

Barometer 767 hPa

Air temp 10 C

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Rob Easther December 21st, 2011

Ah, bliss!  The seas were kind to us last night, in fact so slight was the roll, we barely felt we were at sea.  The conditions persisted throughout the day, creating the atmosphere to get things done.  There were lectures to attend, doors to decorate, an engine room to tour and clothing to vacuum in preparation for our visit to Campbell Island.  Christmas spirit pervaded the hallways, bar and dinning rooms, a panoply of tinsel, Santas and penguins adorning the ship.

I fired up the morning crowd with a talk about Mawson’s Western Party led by Frank Wild, who would later play a part in Shackletons’ Endurance expedition, and its incredible explorations of East Antarctica.  Later in the morning we had a rare glimpse into the world of longline fishing and the poignant tragedy of seabird by-catch.

Super suction awaited us after lunch as we gathered the clothing and backpacks  we’ll take ashore on the NZ sub-Antarctic Islands.  Scrutinised by the NZ Department of Conservation observer who has travelled with us, under his watchful eye we reduced the possibility of transferring any living organism from Macquarie Island to its NZ Kiwi counterpart, Campbell Island.  This coincided with engine room tours for the mechanically deprived.  Chief Engineer Oleg kindly led us through the noise to reveal the working parts that drive us so consistently across the Southern Ocean.

We soon regrouped in the lecture room to be taken deeper into the world of long line fishing and seabird by-catch.  The multi-billion dollar fishing industry has been slow to change, but recently introduced methods have proved successful in reducing high seabird mortality rates.  The challenge is now to get them implemented globally to ensure a healthy future for seabird populations.

The bar filed in the evening for a recap of our trip so far.  Mawson’s Huts Expeditioner, Pete McCabe, did a brilliant job goading us to recall the wonderful days that we’ve shared, the awesome sights we’ve seen and our amazing animal encounters.

Tomorrow we approach the New Zealand sub-Antarctic Islands and enjoy the last day of sea travel before some busy days ahead on Campbell and Auckland islands.

Position 2130

Latitude 57 d 00’ S

Longitude 161 d 42’ E

Speed 9.7 knots

Course 45 d

Barometer 764 hPa

Wind 16 knots SW

Air Temp 5 C

G&A

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Rob Easther December 19th, 2011

Much to our delight, a calmer morning greeted us today, with most of us making it down to breakfast!  Even before that, the early birds on the bridge had already seen two humpback whales carrying on reasonably close to the ship.

Expedition Leader, Howard, kicked off our morning talk, regaling us with the evolution of Antarctic adventure.  He covered exploits dating from Captain Cook’s circumnavigation in 1775-6 right up to the crazy expeditions taking place today.  There’s no doubt it takes a special breed of people to cross the tempestuous Southern Ocean in search of an experience few others have had.  We should know as we are all on board!

After a short break The March of the Penguins captivated with extraordinary footage of the breeding cycle of Emperor penguins in some of the harshest weather on earth.  We were lucky to see these birds ourselves.

As yesterday progressed, the ship took on a more festive look as decorations sprang up in the dining room and bar.  Simultaneously, the competition to decorate cabin doors has begun and the opening salvos have been impressive.

Those on the bridge throughout the day were rewarded with sightings of light-mantled sooty albatross, a range of prions and some beautiful petrels.  We were joined by a lone black-brow, the first of many big, black and white birdies to come.  Two sperm whales made their appearance later in the day.

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Rob Easther December 18th, 2011

Blowing snow and low cloud greeted us this morning as we peered out of port holes or made our way to the bridge.  Our aim for the day was to find wildlife and many a keen eye was plastered as we watched with keen eyes and many pairs of binoculars.  As the wind increased with poor visibility Zodiac operations were cancelled.  Instead we watched and hoped from the bridge, but wildlife proved to be elusive for the first part of the morning.  Instead the snow fell and danced in the wind.

Suddenly, two Emperor penguins appeared in the water off the port side.  We raced outside and they surfaced and call for a couple of minutes before diving back into the sea.  Just as I was about to begin another history lecture to an eager crowd it was announced that two more Emperors had been spotted on a floe to the starboard.  They obliged staying around long enough for most of us to see them and capture their antics on memory cards.  After posing they jumped in the water for a dip, then reappeared again and again on different ice patches.  A pretty neat sight!  We were grateful that they graced us with their presence.  My talk was further delayed as more and more people gathered on the bridge, keen to spot more wildlife.

Lunch was a quick interval before we returned to our binocular posts.  Crabeater seals turned up and we marveled at their beautiful coats and inquisitive stares.  Another couple of Emperors appeared and then a Leopard seal.  We snapped a few more shots as we continued past and before long we could see the amazingly distinctive edge of the pack ice.

At last I gave my talk on Mawson’s sledging forays (uninterrupted this time by any pesky wildlife) the swell began to build.  The trend of days as sea began as most of us retreated to cabins to lie down (some to take sea sickness tablets) and to read and sleep – the remainder retreated to ride out the waves on the bridge or for a quiet tipple in the bar.

Position 2115
Latitude 63 d 30’ S
Longitude 148 d 28’ E
Speed 11 knots
Course 47 d
Barometer 738 hPa
Wind 24 knots E
Air Temp 0 C

Regards

G&A

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