HE Ross Sea 27A

in the footsteps of the great explorers

HE Ross Sea 27A is a 27 night itinerary aboard the MV Heritage Adventurer, which starts in Invercargill in southern New Zealand, sailing via The Snares, Auckland Islands and Macquarie Island, then across the great Southern Ocean, to reach the Ross Sea area of Antarctica. The return route visits Campbell Island, before ending back in Invercargill.

The journey is expeditionary in nature, with lots of opportunities for exploring by motorboat and on foot.

The more northerly islands in the Antipodes are renowned for their prodigious and unique wildlife, with an unusually wide range of penguins, seals and albatrosses topping the bill. Down in Antarctica there are more penguins and seals, as well as whales and dolphins.

A major feature of this trip is that it follows in the footsteps of the great polar explorers and includes visits to their ramshackle bases from the early 1900s.

The ship hosts up to 140 guests in medium-level comfort. The operation is renowned for the professional and welcoming atmosphere created by the crew, as well as their unique knowledge of these little-visited areas.

Please note that the operator name for this itinerary is In the Wake of Scott and Shackleton. We have been obliged to rename all cruises, as there are too many duplicated and inordinately long names.

Heritage Adventurer (formerly known as MS Hanseatic) is a medium-sized expedition ship, which was custom-built for Antarctic cruises back in 1991.

Critically the ship is rated ’Ice Class 1A Super’, the highest class for passenger vessels, which means that it is able to break through considerable sea ice. Without this rating, it would be virtually impossible to safely sail as far south as the Ross Sea.

The public areas are ranged across five decks and include the following features …

• Observation lounge
• Lecture theatre
• Dining room
• Small indoor and outdoor pools
• Modest gym and sauna
• Extensive viewing decks
• Motorboats : x14

Cabins

The ship has a maximum capacity of 140 guests, accommodated in eight categories of cabins …

• Main Deck Single : x12
• Main Deck Triple : x2
• Deck Four Superior : x24
• Deck Five Superior Single : x8
• Deck Five Superior Triple : x2
• Deck Five Superior : x22
• Deck Six Worsley Suite : x8
• Deck Six Heritage Suite : x4

Operator

Heritage Expeditions is a relatively small and very friendly operation.

It was founded in 1985 by Rodney Russ, a biologist working for the New Zealand Wildlife Service, who was working with endangered species in the Antipodes when he realised that he needed to bring them to a wider audience in order to ensure their protection.

Rodney was joined in the business by his wife, Shirley, with the two of them personally running operations for a couple of decades. It is now overseen by their two sons, Aaron and Nathan.

The company, which is based in Christchurch, usually operates 3-4 ships of various sizes and specifications, all with an expeditionary feel. You won’t find after-dinner musical shows and elegant hair salons, these are comfortable expedition vessels, staffed by enthusiastic and educated professional people, from top to bottom.

Because the season in this part of Antarctica is limited to only 4-6 weeks, the company is obliged to offer itineraries to other destinations, including New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the Russian Far East.

Guest profile

The guest profile is one of the most important aspects of a trip of this nature. It is really important that you choose a ship and an itinerary that will include lots of guests who are compatible with your expectations and desires.

The big negatives to look out for are ships that are dominated by large groups or languages that you do not speak.

Heritage Expeditions only operates English-speaking itineraries. This may seem rather unfair to speakers of other languages, but they have found that running trips where everything needs to be translated into multiple languages, or where guests have to be split up by language can be very negative to the overall experience.

As a result, the guest profile is dominated by English-speaking countries …

• USA and Canada : 25%
• UK : 20%
• Australia and New Zealand : 40%
• Other countries : 15%

The fact that polar itineraries out of New Zealand are inherently about a month long, means that the age profile tends to be rather higher, since younger people are mostly in the workforce and not easily able to afford the time and/or the money …

• 15-30 years : 10%
• 31-49 years : 15%
• 50-64 years : 30%
• 65-74 years : 40%
• 75-85 years : 5%

Since these trips are considered to be expeditions, there are no dress codes and no formal occasions. Some guests may choose to dress for dinner, but others will wear their outdoorsy clothes throughout the trip.

a relatively large ice-breaking ship

a diverse itinerary via the ‘Southern Galapagos’

Here is a quick day-to-day overview of the approximate itinerary for this trip …

Day 1 : Invercargill

A representative from Heritage Expeditions will meet you on arrival at Invercargill Airport (IVC) and transfer you to your hotel.

In the evening there is the chance to get together with other passengers at an informal dinner.

Day 2 : Embarkation

After breakfast, there will be time to get out and explore the town a little, before being driven around 20 km (12 miles) south to the port of Bluff, to board the ship and settle into our cabins, before joining the expedition team and the captain for welcome drinks, followed by dinner.

Day 3 : The Snares

Sailing south, in the morning we arrive at The Snares, where we will undertake various trips by motorboat around the shoreline, observing the rich local wildlife. Landings are not permitted.

Day 4 : Auckland Islands

Continuing south, we next arrive at the Auckland Islands, where we spend the day exploring the areas around Enderby Island, both by motorboat and on foot. Conditions permitting, we will also put ashore at Carnley Harbour.

Day 5 : At sea

Today is spent at sea, with the chance to join various informal lectures on the biology and history of these islands and the tempestuous Southern Ocean. There may well be good sightings of sea birds during this passage.

Day 6 : Macquarie Island

Today we arrive at the dramatic rocky cliffs of Macquarie Island, where we make landings to visit some of the enormous penguin and elephant seal colonies, in the company of the local Australian rangers.

Days 9-12 : At sea

The next four days we spend at sea, travelling relentlessly south. We start to encounter icebergs in increasing numbers and celebrate the crossing of the Antarctic Circle. Lectures now focus on the Ross Sea and surrounding areas. Our first sight of land is most likely the Balleny Islands, with the main body of Antarctica a few hours later.

Days 13-21 : Ross Sea

We spend over a week in the Ross Sea, on a flexible itinerary that takes into account the prevailing weather conditions and, most importantly, the ice conditions. We should be able to explore the Ross Ice Shelf, Ross Island, Terra Nova and various other landing locations, visiting a number of stations, both ancient and modern, as well as encountering wildlife, both on land and at sea.

Days 22-25 : At sea

The journey north tends to be very relaxed, with time to absorb the experiences of the previous days, take in some more detailed lectures and generally enjoy the hospitality.

Days 26-27 : Campbell Island

We spend at least a full day moored in the sheltered Perseverance Harbour, exploring the island on foot, taking in the renowned vegetation and impressive albatross roosts.

Days 27 : At sea

We continue north, appreciating the milder weather and enjoying a farewell dinner.

Day 28 : Invercargill

We arrive back into port in the morning, disembark and are transferred to the airport for our onward connections.

Activities

It is important to realise that landing sites in the Antipodes and Antarctica are subject to strict regulations. Most importantly, a ship is usually only permitted to land up to 100 passengers at any one time. On larger ships, this can be extremely restrictive, as guests are obliged to wait their turn, or may not be able to join activities at every location.

Heritage Adventurer is a mid-sized vessel with 140 guests, so there may be some minor impact of restrictions on certain landings, but usually all the people who want to can go ashore for the full duration.

Landings

There are no additional fees associated with landings and their associated exploration on foot, all of which are open to all guests.

Hiking

At a few of the landing sites, there are optional opportunities to undertake longer and more adventurous hikes into the mountainous interior.

Motorboat safaris

There is no restriction or additional fees associated with joining motorboat safaris. The boats are often referred to as ‘Zodiacs’, which is a brand name for the type of rigid inflatable boats that are used.

Kayaking

Unfortunately, kayaking is not offered on this ship.