off, instead accentuating the positive
while organising a visit to Damoy Hut
in Dorian Bay at Wiencke Island. e
shack, established in 1975 to support
the airstrip at Damoy Point, was last
occupied in 1993 and is now a time
capsule of Antarctic history. Inside, cans
of food stacked neatly on shelves and
clothes laid out in the bunkroom give the
impression someone left just minutes ago.
Nearby at Port Lockroy is the only post
office in Antarctica, staffed this year by
four women chosen by the UK Antarctic
Heritage Trust.
Finally, there is a plan. Day nine is
our last chance, and we will take it. is
morning I am part of a Zodiac armada
funnelling guests on to the shore in a
military-style operation that will allow
everyone to step on to the mainland and
have the photo to prove it. e exercise
starts at dawn; crew have shovelled out a
platform in the snow at the shoreline near
Base Brown, Argentina's research base on
the peninsula, to allow everyone a brief
moment on land. When I say "moment"
I mean 30 seconds. My Zodiac carrying
10 passengers turns around our landing
in five minutes and five seconds, pictures
done and heading back to the ship. e
weather window is incredibly tight. We
need to get out of here and run ahead
of the storm moving into the notorious
Drake Passage. We had the "Drake lake"
on the way down; now for the "Drake
shake", with 7m-8m swells.
Yes, I get seasick. But after the wonders
of medicine I am well enough to go for
breakfast in Mamsen's, where there are
traditional waffles, porridge, cinnamon
buns and Norwegian treats. Did I
mention the buffet at the World Cafe,
the sublime Italian food at Manfredi's,
the steaks at the grill, and the sushi? And
while we were waiting for the weather
to improve, I submitted to a comforting
Hygge massage in the spa. en there's
the ship's library of 5,000 carefully chosen
books, plus the science and history
lectures in the Aula. And the citizen
science projects, such as sampling water
for microplastics.
My mind is filled with memories: the
five fin whales spotted off the bow; the
morning that snowy sheathbills peered
through the lecture hall windows; the day
we spotted at least five humpback whales
spouting at the front – no, the back – no
the side – of the ship, and; the petrels
flanking us as we sailed back to port.
Back in Ushuaia, in the shadow of the
Andes, I would happily go back for more.
My red parka is at the ready.
is article was originally published
in e Australian on Saturday
30 September 2023.
viking.com
59
Half Moon Island
Brown Blu
Whalers Bay
Cuverville Island
Antarctic Peninsula
Neko Harbor
Damoy Point
Petermann Island
ANTARCTICA
D r ake Pas s a g e
We d d e ll
S ea
L e m aire
C h a n n e l
ARGENTINA
Ushuaia
C ap e
H o r n
Buenos Aires
At lant i c
O cean
B ea gl e
C h a n n e l
–
C r ui s e
•
–
•
C har te r e d Flight
•• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••
E xamp l e e x p e di tio n d e s tination s
GETTING THERE: The 13-day Antarctic Explorer expedition from Buenos
Aires to Ushuaia to Buenos Aires starts from $18,195pp in a Nordic
Balcony Stateroom
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