Our very first wildlife sighting of the expedition were mum and calf harp seals — a species we hadn’t even expected to see. Even better, the conditions were absolutely magical. The sea was shrouded in a rare, thick mist, with the soft Arctic sun filtering through in hazy beams. My instinct is always to keep […]
Svalbard landscapes are a place of space, contrast, and silence. Mountains rise abruptly from the sea. Ice moves slowly, reshaping the coast over time. On still days, water mirrors the sky. On others, it disappears under a chaotic mosaic of floes. Svalbard is not a place of landmarks. It is a place of moods. Glaciers […]
This wasn’t just any Arctic cruise — we were part of an 8 night Svalbard photography expedition led by Joshua Holko, an award-winning wildlife photographer and polar specialist. The trip was designed specifically for photographers, with a small group, purpose-selected ship, and a flexible itinerary that allowed us to chase light and wildlife rather than […]
When we started researching things to do, a snowmobile trip to East Svalbard kept being mentioned. My first thought? It sounded like a very long day — about 10 hours. My second thought? I had zero experience driving a snowmobile. But let’s be honest — this was probably a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and would provide a […]
We were hoping to see some land-based Arctic wildlife before boarding the ship, so we booked a half-day semi-private Svalbard photography tour with SeeAndExplore. It was also our first real test of our winter gear. I layered up with a Smartwool base layer (top and bottom), fleece pants, rain/wind pants, wool socks and snow boots, […]
Svalbard is pretty easy to reach from Oslo — but if you’re coming from Australia, you are basically travelling to the opposite end of the planet. How to Get to Svalbard I honestly had no idea how to get to Svalbard. I didn’t even know what airport to search. From Melbourne, the most direct route […]
Every ten years, an Australian phenomenon occurs: the Easter holidays line up perfectly with Anzac Day, making it the ultimate opportunity to take a long break without using up a ton of annual leave. Our plan? A 9-day Svalbard photography expedition in search of Arctic wildlife in a country we’d never visited before — Norway. […]
As we left Kaikoura, the weather shifted back to windy and rainy conditions, setting the tone for our 3-hour scenic drive to Nelson. Nelson was a strategic stop for us: We planned to drop off our rental car and leave most of our luggage at the hotel, returning to collect it after our time […]
Though disappointed by the cancellation of the astrophotography workshop in Lake Tekapo, we remained optimistic about coming back at some point given New Zealand’s proximity to Sydney. The next leg of our journey was a drive estimated at about five hours to Kaikoura, with a planned stop in Christchurch to break up the trip. Christchurch […]
Checkout was at 10am, and we needed to squeeze in some laundry before heading to Lake Tekapo. I hadn’t seen any laundromats there, and when I messaged our Airbnb host, they confirmed, there is no laundry in Lake Tekapo. The closest option? Twizel, about an hour away. So, our plan was a morning of laundry […]