Dunedin our next adventure begins

We board the ship at 4.30, life-jacket drill, unpack and dinner. We leave Dunedin at 7pm. After dinner we decline the entertainment and chose deck 6. As Bob was on this ship just 6 weeks ago he knows many of the crew. Our young bartender says to Bob 'would Sir like a cup of tea and a cognac?' he remembers, very funny. We both have cognac and reflect how comfortable it feels to be back on board.

Christmas Eve we drop anchor close to Ulva island near Stewart Island. It's a national park and in close to pristine condition. Zodiac rides are always fun. Short ride to the island. It's a tranquil place and our 2k walk is on tracks through the bush. We see interesting fauna and flora. What really struck me were the sounds of so many birds, of course unfamiliar. Impossible to see as they blend in so well. We hear bellbirds and lots of Tui which are a slender black bird with what looks like a pom pom on its front. We did see an endangered Robin, nothing like our Robins. A grey, fluffy bird about the size of a Thrush. It was unperturbed by our presence. Our guide saw a nesting hollow and said if we wait quietly we will see the bird return to feed the chicks (yellow head mohua) and we did. I overdressed and was hot by the end. Need to sort out clothing, this is not the Artic, conditions are warmer.

A highlight of these trips are always the lectures and have 15 naturalists this trip. Many French but many more Australian or New Zealand. They cover a wide range of specialist areas including geology, birds, of course and one was a vet. We also have someone from the Tasmanian wildlife conservation department and another person from the equivalent in New Zealand. Their presence on the ship is mandatory to ensure bio security requirements.

Our first briefing is an overview of what to expect on the trip, particularly bio security which includes mandatory vacuuming of all outer garments. The expedition leader tells us that more than a thousand people this year will reach the summit of Mount Everest, but fewer than a thousand people will go to but not always land on Macquarie Island. We do hope to be fortunate enough to be able to land.Read more