“If Antarctica were music it would be Mozart. Art, and it would be Michelangelo. Literature, and it would be Shakespeare. And yet it is something even greater; the only place on earth that is still as it should be” – Roald Amundsen
I am in Antarctica.
A reality which I can hardly comprehend despite the overwhelming evidence around me.
Sitting on my balcony as we sail through the Lemaire Channel, my eyes feast on snow drenched mountains, icebergs, and the hypnotic reflections rippling across the midnight blue water.
As I write, I am a little cold, a touch sunburned and in a state of such perpetual awe I am sure my heart has grown two sizes.
I’m not even halfway through my voyage with Aurora Expeditions and already every expectation I had for this trip has been met and far surpassed.
I cannot hope to capture the full reality of the experience in this short article but will endeavour to share a taste.
It has been a non-stop adventure from the moment my feet first touched down in Argentina.
It also began with a slight hiccup. While I was safely in Ushuaia … my luggage was not. So there was nothing to do but buy a change on clothes and forge ahead.
My first sight of the Sylvia Earle was one I will not forget.
The vivid blue of her hull, her size (dwarfed by the ships alongside) and the excitement at seeing our home for the next 11 days.
Designed for 130 passengers, she is the perfect size for expedition cruising and thoughtfully designed to enhance every aspect of the journey.
Everything feels slightly unreal, like I’ve stepped into a documentary and forgotten to leave.
It began with the long journey south, watching the land of the Beagle Channel drop away until there was nothing but ocean as far as the eye could see.
Our first two days onboard were filled with orientation briefings, meeting the expedition team and learning about the environment, wildlife and history of our incredible destination.
While the Drake Passage is somewhat notorious for its rough swell, we fared well, excitement mounting with every nautical mile.
And then, all of a sudden you look outside and see ice floating past the ship, small pieces at first, then towering icebergs that seem impossible in their size and colour.
Some are bright white; others streaked with electric blues and greens.
I am not too proud to admit that a few tears escaped as I stood on deck taking in the Seventh Continent. As land drew closer, the ship slows, and suddenly the world feels quieter, calmer, and full of possibilities.
Our first landing everything started to click into place.
We pulled on our layers (too many as it turns out), assembled in the muck room, stepped into a Zodiac, and bounced across icy water toward shore.
The air is shockingly clean and cold, the kind that fills your lungs and wakes up every sense. I will never forget that first step onto Lautaro Island.
When your boots hit the snow, it crunches, and you realise you’re standing somewhere most people will only ever see in pictures. Rather surreal.
Gentoo Penguins waddled past, occasionally stopping to stare but mostly completely unconcerned with our presence. Seabirds circled above. The sky is a vivid blue and I am in love.
We had a second incredible landing at Cuverville Island that afternoon, but the day was far from over.
Later that evening, we set off again, this time equipped with backpacks, sleeping bags and camping mats to experience something few would ever dream of – camping on Antarctica!
We dug our little nests, snuggled into bivvy bags and drifted off listening to penguin conversations with the pink and orange ceiling of an Antarctic twilight above.
Sleep was elusive – I was too enthralled watching the shifting light over the glaciated mountains and imaging myself in the footsteps of the early Polar adventures to actually fall asleep.
It is a memory I will treasure until the very end of my days.
Very quickly, life on the ship has become its own rhythm.
Days are filled with landings, lectures, and endless cups of tea.
Evenings bring stories from fellow passengers, photos compared, and that shared glow of having seen something extraordinary together.
There’s a quiet camaraderie that forms quickly when everyone is equally awed and equally bundled.
What has surprised me the most isn’t just the beauty (endlessly breathtaking as it is), but the feeling this place imbues.
There’s no rush, no noise, no distraction – just ice, water, wind, and light.
It reminds you that the world is vast, fragile, and still capable of humbling you in the best possible way.
This is a place so ruled by the elements that you become acutely aware of your insignificance.
The landscape is constantly rearranging itself, driven by forces on a scale so far beyond our comprehension.
I am so excited for what is still yet to come
Aurora are celebrating their 35th anniversary with savings of up to 35 per cent.
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