Our day kicked off with a hearty buffet breakfast and a picture-perfect weather day for Queenstown. Following the instructions provided by Heritage, we checked out of our room and dropped our bags at the hotel reception by 9 AM. We had some time to spare, so we walked over to the gondola. Despite the steep […]
The centrepiece of our trip to New Zealand was a 10 night ‘Galapagos of the Southern Ocean‘ expedition. After being captivated by the documentary “Edge of Nowhere,” and having previously visited South Georgia for penguin watching, the NZ subantarctic islands, and Macquarie Island—a part of Tasmania—seemed like a closer, equally thrilling alternative. The expedition was […]
When booking our Airbnb in Te Anau, our host wisely advised us to schedule activities in advance due to the high season rush. He also recommended visiting Doubtful Sound and, if possible, staying overnight. Taking his advice, we adjusted our dates, even though this meant one less night in Te Anau. Doubtful Sound is less […]
The slight wine-induced haze from last night—yes, three glasses now count as a big night in my mid-life—made for a slow start to the morning. Andy fetched our coffee from the lobby, just as we got a text from our Airbnb host inviting us to check in early. Motivated by the prospect of settling in […]
New Zealand, a treasure trove of natural beauty basically in our backyard, often gets overlooked for more distant destinations. Our first roadtrip through New Zealand taught us the importance of pacing—we tried to cram too much into too little time so we barely scratched the surface. We thought a campervan would give us flexibility, but […]
Wild Alaska on the National Geographic Sea Lion with Lindblad Expditions Our six-day expedition started in Sitka and ended in Juneau, offering activities such as hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, and fly fishing. We planned to explore glaciers and fjords, and hope to spot wildlife including moose, bears, bald eagles, puffins, sea lions, orcas, otters, and humpbacks. […]
The Grand Finale In the afternoon, we made our way to Saunders Island. Another wet zodiac ride brought us ashore, where we encountered a massive gentoo penguin colony right at the landing site. Walking a bit farther, we discovered grazing sheep and Magellanic penguins burrowing into the hillside. The orange route markers made it resemble […]
The Unexpected Beauty of the Falklands When I mentioned our expedition was heading to the Falklands, most people gave me a puzzled look. Like many, my only association with the Falkland Islands was their role in the 1982 war—until we visited last year. The islands are bursting with diverse bird life, from penguins to albatross, […]
Two Days Tuns into Three To avoid the worst of the winds—what we affectionately called the “purples”—the ship changed course. This detour added another day to our already two-day journey between South Georgia and the Falklands. Honestly, I was perfectly content staying in the cabin. I spent hours looking through the images and video from […]
Not the Typical Beach Day In the afternoon, we had two options. The first was a 6km, one-way hike to Sandebugten, which was promoted as being even more difficult than the Shackleton walk, and promised no wildlife. The second option was a more relaxed walk along the beach, with the chance to explore a gentoo […]