Antarctica South Georgia

BirdLife Australia & Aurora Expeditions present

November 2015

AUSTRALIA

18 November 2015 Australia > Santiago, ChileDepart Australia on your LAN Airlines flight to Santiago. On arrival you’ll

be transferred to your hotel.

Overnight: Atton El Bosque Santiago

19 November 2015 Santiago Enjoy a half-day panoramic sightseeing tour of Santiago, visiting some of

the city’s most important landmarks. The afternoon is at your leisure.

Overnight: Atton El Bosque Santiago (B)

20 November 2015Santiago Today your half-day Santiago winery tour will take you to one of Chile’s

most superb wine regions, boarding the Valley of the Maipo River. Taste

some of the country’s finest tipples before returning to your hotel in the

early afternoon.

Overnight: Atton El Bosque Santiago (B)

21 November 2015Santiago > Falkland Islands/MalvinasAfter breakfast proceed to the airport to check-in for your LAN flight to

the Falkland Islands. The flight will arrive in the Falklands early afternoon

where, after a short tour of the town, you’ll be transferred to Polar

Pioneer to commence your expedition to South Georgia & Antarctica.

(B,L,D)

22–23 November 2015Bound for South Georgia, escorted by albatrosses, giant petrels and tiny

Wilson’s storm petrels. Our naturalist and historian enliven the crossing

with informative talks and we keep a watchful eye for Shag Rocks. Our

expedition staff prepares us for our first landings with environmental and

Zodiac briefings.

24–28 November 2015 We have ample time to explore the island’s spectacular northern coast

as spring brings an explosion of life. We visit wildlife havens that include

the world’s largest king penguin rookeries, majestic albatross nests

and beaches cluttered with basking elephant seals, feisty fur seals and

penguins. Kayakers revel in paddling the coastline’s nooks and crannies,

accompanied by playful seal pups. As part of our Shackleton Centenary

celebrations, we hope to retrace his expedition’s final steps from Fortuna

Bay to Stromness. In Grytviken, we enjoy a guided tour of the fascinating

South Georgia Museum, and toast 'The Boss' and his right-hand man,

Frank Wild, at their graveside.

VOYAGE HIGHLIGHTS

✓ World’s largest king penguin colonies

✓ Fresh snowscapes & unsullied penguins

✓ Spectacular seabirds enhance our Drake Passage crossing

✓ Skuas & leopard seals patrol rookeries

✓ Step ashore on the Antarctic Continent

✓ Zodiac cruise past glaciers & icebergs

✓ Shackleton Centenary celebrations

ITINERARY

BIRDLIFE AUSTRALIA PACKAGE

'SCOTIA SEA SPRINGTIME' PACKAGE24 DAYSWe invite you to join us aboard our small expedition ship, Polar Pioneer, on an exclusive BirdLife Australia voyage to Antarctica & South Georgia. Enjoy

magnificent birdwatching from the ship’s observation decks and as we land ashore, where our expert guides, including a BirdLife Australia specialist,

identify and explain each species. From gentoo and king penguins to wandering albatrosses and Antarctic skuas, this is your chance to experience

some of the most unique and mesmerising birdlife on our planet.

Ushuaia

ARGENTINA

CHILE

Punta Arenas

KingGeorgeIsland

LemaireChannel

Falkland Islands/Malvinas

StanleyAtlanticOcean

South Georgia

South OrkneyIslands

ElephantIsland

ANTARCTICPENINSULA ANTARCTIC CIRCLE

South Shetland Islands

WeddellSea

Drake Passage

Puerto Williams

Cruising to the heart of nature

29–30 November 2015We cross the Scotia Sea, watch seabirds and great whales including blues,

fin and sei. We have time to reflect on our time in South Georgia and

prepare for Antarctica, searching for our first iceberg along the way. We’ll

see our second, third and many more as the Weddell Sea gyre spins big

bergs north.

1 December 2015We approach Point Wild, a bleak, rocky spit along Elephant Island’s

dramatic north coast. If conditions allow, we’ll Zodiac cruise, possibly

even step ashore, to pay tribute to Shackleton’s 22 men who survived

here for four months, living under upturned lifeboats.

2–5 December 2015After attempting to land in the South Shetland Islands, we sail down

Gerlache Strait and wake up to the drama of Antarctica. We may

encounter pack ice, and penguin rookeries alive with courtship, mating

and nest-building. Leopard seals and South Polar skuas are on the hunt,

while shy giant petrels incubate their eggs. With nearly 24 hours daylight,

we pack in as much as possible, visit historic sites, attempting to land on

the continent proper and Zodiac cruising amongst spectacular icebergs.

6–7 December 2015Heading north across the Drake Passage, we return to the realm of the

albatross and reflect on the adventures we’ve had.

8 December 2015 Puerto Williams > Punta ArenasDawn greets us in the Beagle Channel. Arriving in the small port town

of Puerto Williams, the world’s southernmost settlement, enjoy a town

tour before boarding the short flight to Punta Arenas. On arrival you’ll be

transferred to your hotel.

Overnight: Cabo De Hornos Hotel (B)

9 December 2015 Punta Arenas > Santiago > AustraliaToday, you’ll enjoy the morning at leisure in Punta Arenas before being

transferred to the airport for your flight to Santiago, and your connecting

onward flight to Australia. (B)

10 December 2015Cross the International Date Line.

11 December 2015Arrival into Australia Your LAN Airlines flight will arrive into Australia early this morning.

Note: The expedition component of this itinerary is subject to weather

and sea conditions and is meant as a guide only.

Ask us about our package extensions including a Falkland Islands 7-day 'Island hopper' tour and a 10-day Patagonia nature trek.

• Economy Class airfares to South America

ex Sydney, including taxes

• Internal flights in South America

• 18 day, 17 night Scotia Sea Springtime voyage

on Polar Pioneer

• 3 nights’ in Santiago, including breakfast

• Santiago city tour and winery tour

• 1 night in Punta Arenas, including breakfast

• Airport transfers

• All meals on board during voyage

• Port charges & taxes

• Polar Expedition Jacket

• Souvenir Photo Book

• Free 12-month Birdlife Australia membership

Twin Cabin Shared Facilities AU$26,995

BirdLife Australia Special AU$26,395

Single Supplement AU$15,995 | Land Only Single Supplement AU$595

Twin Cabin Private Facilities AU$30,995

BirdLife Australia Special Twin AU$30,395

Single Supplement AU$18,595 | Land Only Single Supplement AU$595

Solo travellers willing to share a cabin are only required to pay

the land only single supplement.

PACKAGE INCLUSIONS PRICE

JOIN BIRDLIFE AUSTRALIA’S MICK RODERICK

Mick has been an avid birder ever since studying ecology at university. He has travelled the globe to fulfil his passion for birds, and for over a decade he has worked as an ecologist, managing programs on threatened species and conservation as well as guiding birding groups.

Mike is a self-confessed 'petrel-head' and joins Aurora Expeditions on this special BirdLife Australia voyage to share his knowledge of seabirds and the other birdlife we encounter along the way.

Mick is currently BirdLife Australia’s Project Coordinator of the Woodland Birds for Biodiversity project and is based in Newcastle, New South Wales.

Aurora Expeditions’ passion for nature and exploring wild places has span the last two decades. As the experts in small ship adventures, we carry just

54 passengers offering exciting, innovative itineraries. Less people means more solitude and greater flexibility if tides, currents, ice or weather dictate a

schedule change. And because we have less people to ferry ashore, we often make more landings.

Our expeditions offer unique opportunities to experience some of our planet’s most extraordinary and rare bird and wildlife. Each and every one of our

trips offers you the chance to join our expert naturalists as we actively search, high and low, for some of the most unique wildlife around. Our naturalist

will also provide detailed and entertaining talks so you can learn more about different species and varieties of animals that call our destinations home.

Polar Pioneer is our small and sturdy expedition ship. Built as an ice-strengthened research vessel, she provides a comfortable range of triple, twin and

suite cabin options (all with windows) for up to 54 expeditioners. She boasts spacious viewing platforms, two dining rooms, lounge bar, lecture theatre,

spacious decks, and a small fleet of Zodiacs to ferry us from ship to shore. Each expedition is accompanied by a full team of naturalists, historians and polar

specialists, as well as our expert Russian crew.

WHY TRAVEL WITH AURORA EXPEDITIONS?

OUR EXPEDITION SHIP

For more information on this special BirdLife Australia itinerary and package please contact Aurora Expeditions on

P: 1300 938 718 E: info@auroraexpeditions.com.au

W: www.auroraexpeditions.com.au

antarctica & south georgia | european arctic | alaska | kimberley coast | africa | ecuador & galapagos | patagonia | nepal | tibet | bhutan

AURORA EXPEDITIONS OFFER

✓ Small groups of 54 or less

✓ Expert guides and naturalists

✓ Up close wildlife encounters

✓ Large viewing platforms

✓ Multiple shore landings daily

✓ Flexibility and freedom

✓ Over 20 years’ experience

✓ Optional adventure activities

CELEBRATE THE SHACKLETON CENTENARY

This year Aurora Expeditions also pays tribute to one of Antarctica’s greatest explorers, Sir Ernest Shackleton to celebrate 100 years since the ill-fated 1914-1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

This voyage will also benefit from our program of Shackleton Centenary events which includes a unique floating exhibition of imagery taken by Shackleton’s Australian photographer, Frank Hurley, during the expedition. You’ll also enjoy a commemorative expeditionary dinner, a guided tour of the South Georgia museum, a special Shackleton memorial and tributes to other fascinating Antarctic explorers.

100 Years

END

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ITIO

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SHACKLETON