Tue 31 Jan 2017: Mr Iceberg and the Whales

From about 6am we've been sailing south through pack ice. Hoping to find a way through to clear water above Ninnis (or Mertz?) Glacier. (I'm still wishing I had brought a real GPS. One that could tell me where I am.)

Eating a leisurely breakfast. There's an announcement: We'll stop for a zodiac trip to an iceberg. Finish breakfast in a hurry, get dressed for outdoors.

Previous outing, I wore two thick wool socks in wellies. By the time we finished, my feet were very cold. This time I'll try one pair thick socks, one a bit thinner, to leave room for insulating air in the boots. Plus, I'll try not be put my feet flat on the floor of the zodiac. My theory is, the floor is very, very cold.

Later: Sort of worked... My feet stayed warmer for longer. But were very cold by the time we returned. As well as multiple socks:

Today I wear two pairs of long johns. Thermal, shirt, thick wool jumper, puffy jacket, over-jacket. Plus the usual wool beanie, neck warmer, gloves and auto-inflating life vest. When we're moving I raise the puffy hood and am all over warm (except for the feet). At slow speeds I lower the hood -- so I can see -- and my ears get a bit cold. Gloves are good but light so I can operate the camera. Hands are very cool but not cold.

All this goes on in our cabin. Then we rush -- or waddle -- outside, before we boil.

There's a big rectangular iceberg on the horizon. Pack ice between the ship and the berg. We sail through the ice, looking for wildlife. There's an adelie penguin looking -- of course ! -- very cute :-) It moves towards us, up a small rise. Flaps his wings a lot.

Then there's a crabeater seal. We watch it for a while. It slides over to watch us. Or, possibly, to make sure we don't pinch the crabs that it buried in the snow. (For the fussy reader: It did dig round in the snow. I'm told that the name does not reflect what they eat.)

After some more circling amongst the ice, we head towards the berg.

It's a very big berg ! Compared to our rubber duckies, anyway. One estimate is almost 30m high. Lots longer and wider. A great lump of blue ice shading to white ice topped with pure white snow. Waves crashing into hollows below. A long narrow vertical split near one edge, looking ready to crack and fall, which convinces us that we do not want to approach too close.

We circle the berg. There's a wide area of clear water all round. Just small ice crumbs, no floes. Perhaps the berg melts and the melt-water keeps the area clear? Or the little floes are afraid to approach the big berg? I'll accept either answer.

As we round the berg... There's a large column of ice poking out the side. Attached at the top, a bit of a curve away from the berg, down to the water. Well, says a woman on the zodiac, At least we know that it's a male iceberg.

Back on the Shokalskiy and it's time for the "polar plunge": fifteen hardy souls walk down the gangway and -- deliberately jump into the sea ! Wow ! I'm happy to just watch. And I am most impressed :-)

We've been stopped for the zodiac trip and the plunge. (Oh, btw, the plungers did climb back onto the ship. In case you were wondering.) Now we start moving again -- back to the north. The ice is just too thick, no sign of an opening towards Antarctica.

Instead, we sail north then east then south, towards the Balleny Islands. No chance of landing on Antarctica. If (when ! ) we reach Balleny we will be at the Antarctic Circle. I'm sorry for the people who really wanted to get to Mawson's hut. This year's ice just did not cooperate. Pity :-(  For us, though, it's just the Antarctic landing that we miss.

A couple of people would have liked to stay amongst the pack ice. Lots of chances to see penguins, seals and other birds... for those with the patience to wait for hours on deck. For me, I'll be glad to stop circling.

Deb goes to a third (final?) talk on Mawson. I read, pace a bit, sleep. At dinner I sit at the end of the table, letting the conversation wash over me. I've reached my daily (possibly weekly) limit of dealing with people...

9pm: All hands on deck ! Hundreds of shearwaters feeding on the surface. And a few whales... I get the longer lens, stand on the rather chilly -- and exposed -- poop deck. There are more people on the lower front deck, but I'm not alone up top. Deb stands on the bridge. In the warmth.

There are whales, spouting in the distance ! I may have a photo of several spouts of mist, unless I missed. Then there are fins and bits of backs, closer. Fin and humpback whales, I'm told.

One humpback(?) does the dive and flip the tail in the air trick ! I manage to catch it in a photo. He does it a few times... More times than I need for photos, thanks :-)

Deb and I go back to our cabin. A humpback rests right outside our port window -- within range of the long lens -- and rolls, waving a fin at us ! I give up... get dressed again, get the long lens on the camera, get outside. Of course, he's gone by then.

All good fun, all very impressive :-) Just as well we left the pack ice.

Now (10:30pm) we're back on track, heading east. Open water all round.

====
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"Before your dreams can come true, you have to have those dreams" … Dr Joyce Brothers

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Mon 30 Jan 2017: into the ice... and again

Wake up at 1am. We are stopped. Looks like we won't be getting very far south today. Good news: no need to wake up for the Antarctic Circle celebration.

Wake up at 4am. Look out... everything is shaded green... beautiful ! Something to do with the sunlight and the water... I guess. I take a picture. Go back to sleep.

Woken up at 6am. Breakfast will be early, followed by a zodiac cruise through the ice floes. I dress quickly. Only to find that I mis-heard. Breakfast is not as early as I thought. When we do get to breakfast -- I have to rush my eating to catch the zodiac schedule. Sigh.

7:45am. We're all lined up for the zodiacs. Deb & I are in the last.

It's only a short trip till we're out again -- onto an ice floe! A big (40mx40m) floe. Flat, suitable for 50 people to mill around... And, occasionally, to sink to our knees in the snow.

I do try to make a snowman. The snow is so light and powdery that it doesn't work at all. We're all wandering round, enjoying the snow, enjoying sinking and sitting in the snow. One woman needs help pulling her boot out. Others fall right over, or just sit or lie in the snow. Great fun :-) And penguin signs: I take a photo of footprints and poo.

And then...

And then... Two penguins hop up and join us on the floe !!

They waddle, they slide. They look us over, approach within a couple of metres of some people. Wild adelie penguins, joining the visitors on their ice floe ! Magic !!

There's a complete hush. We're standing all across the floe. All looking in the same direction. Pointing cameras. Absolutely thrilled :-)

Aaaahhhh... :-)

Finally, we leave the floe. The penguins stay. We spot a seal on the way back. A flock of shearwaters. Ho hum. Five penguins do their popping-out-of-the-water trick onto another floe. Excellent :-) My camera batteries go flat. Doesn't matter. I have photos of two penguins on an ice floe :-)

Back to the ship. Now we're sailing east, hoping for an opening in the ice to the south. Deb says that we are not in Commonwealth Bay. Oh well. Wherever we are, we just saw a humpback whale -- just the top -- just ten metres from the ship. Deb saw it. I saw the pattern on the water after it had dived.

====

Afternoon: In brief -- nothing much happens.

We sail east, looking for an opening in the ice to our south. I spot a penguin on the ice, Deb spots a seal on the ice. That's actually pretty exciting -- it's great to spot wildlife before someone else points it out :-)  Apart from that, the sea is calm, weather fine and sunny, nearly all the ice on the decks has melted.

I read a bit more of Mawson's Blizzard book. That's a mistake. It's the bit where they eat the dogs, his feet fall off and everyone else dies. Not what I want, this close to Antarctica.

Mid afternoon: We're all called to the front deck... It's a group photo shoot, followed by hot chocolate. Which is delicious, though some spoil theirs by adding a tot (or more) of rum. Why spoil a delicious drink?!

Two people are late for the photo shoot. They need to be called over the p.a. It's Ms X and Mr Y who were -- so they claim -- "preparing the hot chocolate". Shucks... :-)  I can almost hear David Attenborough's hushed tones, And here we see the courtship rituals of the local Kiwis...

I've almost completed my own photo collection, of the people on the ship. I have all passengers, all expedition crew, all first names. Just a few home cities missing. Quality is variable... some are definitely blurry -- but recognisable at thumbnail size. Which is all that I want.

Excitement for the evening: an expedition briefing...

At 9:15pm there is a briefing on plans for the next few days. Nathan and the captain have looked at winds, ice, maps, ice maps, to decide what is best.

Plan A: There is no Plan A. We will head south and -- if we can get to clear water -- we will make Plan A.

Plan B: In the likely event that we can't get through the ice -- or if it seems likely that going forward will mean that we can't get back -- then we return north, turn east, head for the Balleny Islands. (From a guide to Antarctica: "the shudder-inducing icebound coasts of the Balleny Islands".) Current weather at Balleny includes gales, zero visibility, but no ice.

My own priorities -- things that would be nice to do... if possible -- are: Get inside the Antarctic Circle; Set foot on Antarctica. If neither happen, no worries. Not after seeing this morning's penguins on the ice floe :-)

10:30pm: The ship has stopped. The captain is getting some sleep. Ready for an early start -- hopefully, heading south -- tomorrow morning.

Sun 29 Jan 2017: Nowhere near Mertz

We spend the early hours of this morning sailing towards Mertz Glacier.

We spend the rest of the morning sailing away from Mertz Glacier.

What the...? Well...

Having been ice-blocked out of Davis Bay, our next potential landing site -- or just sight -- is Mertz Glacier. I think that that's in Commonwealth Bay. Wherever it is, latest ice maps show that there may be enough clear water to get to the glacier.

There is not enough clear water to get to the glacier.

When the captain can see solid ice on either side -- perhaps 2km to either side -- he turns back. We sail back amongst pack ice -- with adelie penguins, minke whales, orca and seals -- back to clear water.

btw: All that wildlife? I do see some adelie. Plus lots of other -- flying -- birds. Daniel claims that there were twelve different species of birds plus whales and seals amongst the ice. An unusually large variety.

I stand on the poop deck for quite a while. Even Deb goes out on deck... for a while. I stand in the horizontal snow, enjoying the weather, till my toes start to cool. Fun... but I'm glad we can return to a warm cabin :-)

Lunchtime: I take photos of as many people as I can. Plus given name and home city. With my (total lack of) memory for names and faces, it may help me remember some of my fellow passengers. And if it comes to an exchange of photos, I'll provide people pictures.

Most of the photos look okay. All are taken in the dining room, with poor lighting. I set sensitivity to max, auto-shoot mode to portrait, hope for the best. Three people may want to try for a better expression.  Only one is clearly out of focus but it's still a good shot of him. I only intend to use them as thumbnails, so they are good enough.

We're still amongst pack ice but not enough to block us in. We've been drifting -- that is, staying roughly in place with engines switched off -- for hours. Waiting on a weather update. Then Nathan and the captain will decide what to try next.

After dinner, 8:30: Engines have been restarted. First, we cover 12nm (nautical miles) back to where we started to drift. Then we will try again, to get to Mertz.

The land forms a big open bay. There's clear water in the middle of the bay. The ice has moved across to block most of the open end of the bay... We could get in, then with a wind shift, can't get out... Captain and expedition leader will see what it all looks like, try to go south, turn back if necessary.

If we're lucky, we may cross the Antarctic Circle. Here's hoping :-)

Later, just after 10pm: I'm strolling round the outside decks. Out on our deck 5, up to 7, the poop deck. Round a couple of times to see if there's anything to see. Down to deck 4, a couple of times round the entire ship then up to the poop deck again. Always looking out for anything interesting. Usually, it's ice. Sometimes, it's birds.

I check on some icicles from this morning. They are still there.

I've done laps a few times today. Other people do the same though most stay on deck 4, the main outer deck. Some do it for exercise (150m per lap). I do it to stave off cabin fever. This evening I just do a brief couple of laps to make sure all is okay before I go to bed.

All is okay. I hope :-)

We're surrounded by pack ice. Every so often we crash into a lump and the ship shudders. Those are big lumps...

One smaller lump of ice is about 30m long, 10m across. A pure white top, sculpted like soft cream, into a couple of smaller mini-mountains, just a couple of metres high. Under the water the ice spreads out smoothly, beautiful pale blue.

Much of the ice is flat on top, just a metre or so above the water. Flat, with a few ridges sculpted up. Pure, soft white. Perhaps with bird tracks across it. Frozen fish -- bird dinners -- have been seen. At water level the ice is rough, sometimes undercut by the sea. White, shading to clear. The ice is often smoother under the water, shaded pale to deep blue, occasionally bright green. There are some patches of dirty brown: earth? penguin poo? And we've spotted small red patches. Scraped-off ship paint, Deb thought. Something alive, she found out later (moss? lichen? bacteria? I forget what she told me).

Then there are lumps of rough, clear ice. Smaller, from small car down to small coffee table. Broken off but not melting. Not with the temperature round zero.

If we manage to cross the Antarctic Circle there will be a celebration. We were going to sleep in thermals, ready to dress quickly to get outside and join in. Then... we realised that we can see the front deck from our window. I will get dressed and go out, probably to the poop deck so I can get a good view without being too involved. Deb will watch from our cabin. What a great cabin :-)

That will not be till 4:30am at the earliest. Several hours after sunset (1:30am-ish). 4:30am will still be light. The sun will possibly be up again... Tomorrow I'll tell you if we even made it to the Circle...

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Sat 28 Jan 2017: sailing East

It's about quarter past one -- a.m. -- and I get lucky. I wake up (for the usual reasons) and realise that...

No? What! Double entendre!? Not that I noticed. Anyway:

I wake up, see the time and realise, 1am is when Samuel said would be the best time for photos. An hour or so before the sun sets. I'd better look out the window.

Nothing to be seen... Well, I can see the front of the ship. And a whole lot of water, still quite calm. Nothing worth photographing, good light or not. I shift the curtain away from a side window. And...

There is a magnificent -- pink!! -- iceberg! Just catching the setting sun. Long and flat. Glowing pink. Beautiful ! I grab my camera and take a photo. Through the murky porthole. The berg is distant, I wonder if it will be more than a blurry pink line?

What the heck... Pull my pants over my pyjamas. Pull on the puffy jacket. Get out on deck with my camera...

From our cabin it's one corridor and a weather-proof door to the nearest deck...

And the berg is now grey-blue, as the sun sets.

I have one photo of the glowing pink iceberg. On the laptop screen, it looks quite good. I got lucky! And I suspect I was the only passenger who was even awake to see it. Lucky indeed :-)

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8:15 am. The dulcet tones of Agnes announcing the day's program:

Guuuud morning ever-ee-one, guud morning :-) (Yes, you can  almost hear the smile.) After announcing breakfast (at its usual 8:30), Agnes announces the major entertainment for the morning. It will be a talk on Two-Glass Mawson.

Two-Glass Mawson? Was he an easy drunk? Honestly, that's what I hear Agnes say. It takes me a while to work out that she means, Douglas Mawson. After the disappointment of reality, I skip the lecture.

Deb is at the lecture. I walk the decks.

My nails need cutting, I decide to do it up on deck. After one quick walk I return, to add waterproof pants to my outfit: underpants, extra-heavy wool long johns, jeans, plastic pants. On top it's heavy-weight thermal, t-shirt, heavy wool jumper, puffy jacket. Plus neck warmer, wooly beanie, jacket hood pulled up, gloves, thick socks, solid hiking boots.

I could probably do without the water-proof pants -- except that there is sleet. In sheltered spots it looks like very fine snow, blowing like mist. At the front of the boat it blows hard... it stings my eyes if I look forward. I consider wearing sunglasses but worry that the sleet could scratch the lens.

I stand on the poop deck and cut my nails. Decide not to remove boots and socks to cut toe-nails. I enjoy the brisk weather -- and keep my back to the wind-driven sleet.

There's one other person out on deck, an older sailor (my age "older", perhaps). He's often up on deck, doing many laps of the poop deck. (aside: I used to think that my wooly beanie was thick. Until I saw -- and felt -- a Russian sailor's beanie.) Today the sailor stays in relative shelter on the deck below.

I do a few careful laps of the poop deck, sometimes leaning into the wind. Luckily the sea is quite calm. Then I lap each of the lower decks... Careful on the sheltered side of deck 3, there's slippery icy sleet on the deck. I wave at the idlers watching from the bridge.

We may not have landed in Antarctica but I'm getting some of the Antarctic experience :-)

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Afternoon: Deb is at a video viewing, part one of Amundsen's race to the pole. Part one of seven. I've been reading and relaxing. It may be time for another stroll around the decks.

====

And a bit later: In the morning, my strolls round the poop deck involved holding metal rails -- and watching frost being knocked off. Most of the frost is gone. Must be warmer :-) There are still a few icicles. The plastic pants would be a good idea.

I visit the bridge. Wind speed is 14.7 somethings. Plus our 10 to 12 knots, and occasional ice/snow flurries. It's still an exciting Antarctic experience out there. And I'm still the only passenger who prefers the outside to the bar or bridge.

As I had guessed, Amundsen part 1 of 7 did not even reach Antarctica. Deb thinks the video was okay. I'm not sure that she wants to watch the remaining six. At dinner, one person says part one was boring. Another said the acting was terrible.

We're still sailing east. Following the coast (though out of sight of the coast). Hoping that tomorrow we will be able to land somewhere. Or get south of the Antarctic Circle. Or something... It all depends on what we find.

Could be another good day for reading and walking in the very fresh air.

Fri 27 Jan 2017: Davis Bay

Friday -- today -- starts early...

At about half past twelve -- half past midnight, that is -- we sail over the magnetic south pole. (Let's call it the MSP.) There's a p.a. announcement fifteen minutes before. I went to bed half dressed, just need to wake up, finish dressing, get out on deck. Deb decides to sleep through it all.

I go to my favourite deck, 7, the poop deck. A few of us are up there. Most -- perhaps twenty of the passengers -- are on the bow deck. I think it's deck 4. There's a sign with the lat/long of the pole and an arrow to say, we are here.

So what is "here"? Sea...

I believe that Mawson reached the MSP in 1911... or some other year. (Though he may have been off by a bit.) Back then, the MSP was over land. Now it's moved out over the sea. So we can sail right over it. And see... sea.

The people on deck have a countdown. Then -- when we are really there -- the ship blows its horn... I believe Deb wakes up... She certainly wakes up at the second blast :-)

Photos, cheers, back to sleep.

Oh, and the sun is still up.

====

We're sailing to Davis Bay, to see if we can land. That will give a bit more time for the ice to -- hopefully -- clear, by the time we have sailed to Mawson's base.

Most of this morning is watching pack ice. (Is that what it's called?) Lots of floating ice. From little lumps. Up to lumps of ice as big as a house. Bigger lumps -- proper bergs -- a bit further away.

Every so often the ship thumps, as we push aside a lump of ice.

There are a couple of penguins on one lump of ice...  Ahhh, the cliche :-)  We see a seal on another lump. Deb sees a whale, we may have seen a whale under water but close to the surface. A talk on icebergs is delayed, so we can watch the ice.

Our cabin has windows, fore and port. (That's front and left side, ye lubbers.) We can sit in comfort and still see lots of outside. We sit in comfort and look outside. And read. (I'm into a terrible book. I skim most of it.)

We do go outside, me more than Deb. Up to the poop deck again. There's a bit of ice on the deck. Icicles hang on ropes and rails. Temperature just before breakfast is one degree in the water and one degree in the air. Plus (or rather, minus) a brisk wind. We now wear thermals, puffy jacket, Antarctic over-jacket. (Finally, the passenger in shorts has changed to jeans. The NZ woman appears in shorts... that's okay, she's a Kiwi.)

The iceberg lecture happens at 3pm. Deb goes. I finish skimming the awful book.

I wander up on deck. The sun is shining. The icicles are still there.

The ship stops.

I go to the bridge. No-one knows why we are stopped. No-one who speaks English, anyway. I see Mikhail, the Russian passenger, ask him to ask the crew.

The good news: We are stopped to have a zodiac trip around the ice. The bad news: We are stopped because the ice has shifted and we will not be able to get into Davis Bay. Or, possibly, anywhere else on Antarctica. (But that's a problem for later.)

I hear mechanical noises on deck, go out to watch two Russian sailors lowering the gangway. It's complex! The gangway is mostly metal but there are handrails made of ropes. The sailors are debating where to tie the ropes. I stand and watch, to give them encouragement and support. We exchange a few comments, me in English, them in Russian. Cheerful incomprehension.

There's a small lump of ice floating below. The younger sailor leans out... snots once, twice... Two bullseyes!

====

We're out in zodiacs, eight or ten per boat. Weaving in and out amongst the ice.

We spot an emperor penguin on a lump of ice! All five zodiacs creep up. The penguin watches carefully but stays put. We nudge his ice, five metres from the bird. Take photos. Admire the penguin. Aaaahhh shucks :-)

We see two seals on ice. Four more emperors. Two little adelies.

We also see whales! Well, just a quick flash of fin as a whale surfaces then submerges. We see several of these fins, never close.

We're out for over an hour and a half, it seems like half an hour... Great fun! Our toes are very cold, next time it's *three* pairs of socks. The rest is warm enough.

====

10pm: After dinner.

We're now amongst some tabular icebergs -- long and flat-topped. Pushed off a glacier, over the sea, then snapped off. (Deb went to the iceberg talk.) I may put on several jackets and take some photos. We're told that the best light will be at about 1am...

Aside: We have a porthole in our "bedroom". I call it the sunrise/sunset window. As the ship sways, the curtain sways out -- and daylight shines directly onto my face. Then the ship sways the other way -- and it's sunset again.

Later: Enough iceberg photography!

Though it's now so warm that some of the icicles have fallen off the metal structure outside our window.

Time to call it a day. After emailing this post. And reviewing that terrible book. Luckily, I have plenty more books to read...

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Thu 26 Jan 2017: Australia Day

We're woken by the usual NZ voice... followed by a dinki-di Aussie with lots of Aussie references. Yes, it's Australia Day. And some people -- passengers and crew -- think that we need to celebrate.

Nice, really. I say, Our ygoinmay torriite? The German couple look confused.

Every announcement has some Australian accent and Aus music to support it. The chefs do rather well... Not that "Aussie cuisine" exists but they took advice.

Lunch is hamburger, close enough to a barbeque. Salads are grated carrot, grated cheese, sliced tomato, beetroot. With mayonaisse (proper tinned stuff, not fancy egg stuff) and tomato... relish. Close enough. I demonstrate the correct style: eat salad first, take out the slippery lettuce leaf, eat the hamburger then wipe hands. Finish with a few leaves of lettuce -- to clean the hands and face. It's all about the correct sequence.

Deb is in the cabin, I'm on deck. A passenger sticks his head in the cabin door -- it is open -- just to check out the biggest cabin. He's surprised to see Deb still inside. I'm thinking, we may have to organise an "open day". I know that I would like to see the biggest cabin on the ship. (If we weren't already in it.)

We have a compulsory briefing on Antarctica. Reminders of what to do and not do. For example: We're now south of the 60th parallel, so no dropping *anything*, either in the sea or in the ice.

Deb goes to a documentary on the Antarctic treaty, its creation and the results. Interesting, Deb says. I read a bit in an Antarctic guide book. Interesting enough.

I'm expecting today to be booooring. But ! Just when I've finished another book... and Deb is at her documentary... We spot our first iceberg !

Everything goes on pause while we all ogle the iceberg. It's amazing :-) The Captain circles it a couple of times. We all take photos. Then it's back to a book and a documentary.

One of the passengers -- a travel agent -- organises some sort of Aus-themed entertainment in the usual pre-dinner bar gathering. Deb & I play rummy in our cabin.

Another delicious dinner. (Though: The lunch salads were particularly attractive (to me) because they were plain. Most ship salads -- and all the meals -- are "complete", with dressing already added. The fresh salads were particularly enticing *because* they were fresh and plain. Just for a change.)

Dinner ends, there's another iceberg sighting. Further out, a big flat one, and with the sun behind it. Not such a rush to view it, it's not "the first".

A brief flurry of very light snow! Well, very very very light... but snow :-) Temperature on deck is a few degrees above zero. Very chilly when the wind blows. Definite hat and gloves and puffy jacket weather. Except for one passenger who is still wearing short shorts. Hmmm.

And the extra good news... We've had fine weather since leaving Macquarie Island. We've gained a day on our schedule, so an extra day to putter along the edge of Antarctica. We'll start to the west, then back east, this *may* give time for the ice to clear towards Mawson's base.

Minor good news: The gps tracker has been up on deck a couple of times. So it *may* have mapped our position.

And a bit more: I've have details of email costs so far. These blog posts are not *too* expensive. So I will no longer send just a short version. Good for me, less effort, and [good or bad, you decide] for any blog readers :-)

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Wed 25 Jan 2017: still sailing

A full day of sailing south. I guess that it's south. I wish that I'd packed a gps that works... and that shows current position.

The Spot tracker flashes lights to say that it's working fine. Reports from the other end say that it's doing nothing. From this end there's no information, just flashing lights. Apparently, meaningless lights. But perhaps it really is working! I can't tell till I get home.

I wish I'd packed a *real* gps device.

Anyway...

Still calm seas, very little wind. A few birds fly by, sometimes.

Obviously I picked the correct time for our first iceberg sighting but no-one saw my iceberg. So of all the people who guessed correctly -- that has to be me or Deb :-)  -- we wait till tomorrow to see Deb's iceberg.

Deb goes to watch the second half of the movie. Goes to a talk on exploration history. I finish a really good book. I start a really bad book. I stroll round the decks but it is too crowded... four or five other people are up there. A sailor whitewashes one area. I admire his work.

We buy a few souvenirs... Sorry, no teatowels... just T shirts for ourselves.

Eat, read, sleep...

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Tue 24 Jan 2017: at sea

Sea calm with occasional rocking. Windy. A pleasant day at sea.

Deb goes to a talk on penguins. Nothing new, except that we have yet to see an adele penguin. They live on the ice.

Deb goes to a movie, Longitude. They show just the first half. It's about the first clock that allowed accurate calculation of longitude.

I finish reading Wuthering Heights. Then read a lighter book. I'm less ready than ever to sit in a small room with 48 other people.

We get issued with our Antarctic jackets. Not as nice as some we were lent -- but we ran out of room when packing. (Thanks, but sorry :-(

We eat dinner at a table with a man who likes to talk. (No, not me.) He's interesting but does go on a bit. (Told you, it's not me.) I launch into a counter-offensive: battle of the snappy repartee. Certainly brightens up the conversation :-)

I spend some time on deck, learning to use the binoculars. I manage to almost focus on a bird but can then still see less than with the naked eye.

I do believe that I see some fins... Small whales?

Oh, and the Spot tracker appears to have failed. Again. Flashing all the right green lights. Just not actually working. Oh well, another bit of technological junk.

Betting has opened on the first iceberg sighting. I'm betting on lunch-time tomorrow, Deb is betting on 24 hours after that.

====
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"Before your dreams can come true, you have to have those dreams" … Dr Joyce Brothers

Mon 23 Jan 2017: Macquarie Island Base

We're woken at 6am to see Lusitania Bay. But... it's too rough to go in a zodiac.

We stand on the Shokalskiy deck. We know what we are seeing: 100,000 penguins on the beach, above the beach, coming and going to and from the beach. From the ship it's not much more than spots on the beach.

We try the binoculars. I see black shadows, blocking my vision from various angles. I try to focus. For a few seconds the view is slightly larger and less clear than with my naked eyes... Then the black shadows are back.

Next stop, the research base.

As I step from gangway to ducky -- the ducky drops a metre. I hold tight -- one foot dropping low -- till it rises again. Continue stepping on, no worries.

There's an Antarctic fur seal in the water as we land. It follows us ashore. Sniffs Deb's leg. Moves on to sniff the staff guide. It's a small and cute seal :-) Till it bites the guide.

Phil of Tasmanian Parks guides us round. He's interesting, the base is interesting. We go to a lookout, then back via the western beach. There are penguins near the water. The place is also littered with elephant seals lying, sleeping, snorting, everywhere.

We watch the launch of the daily weather balloon. It's about 30 seconds from appearance to disappearance, a white balloon vanishing into the grey clouds. Brilliant! I've heard and read about weather balloons and at last I've seen one :-)

Final stop is the mess, for scones and tea. And a chance to warm up... The temperature is no worse than usual. The wind is strong. The base is exposed. We're both warm in our gear. It's still nice to relax inside a warm building.

And there's souvenirs for sale ! We bought something for the boys... Guess what?!

It's now a rush to leave the island! The wind has picked up and changed direction. Nathan (expedition leader) is nervous. Mind you, he's often nervous, it goes with the job and the passengers.

A few of us are back on the ship -- when the zodiac drops alarmingly relative to the ship. Nathan undoes all ropes, pulls away. I'm on the ship, Deb is on the zodiac.

The water calms down, the zodiac moves back. Everyone else disembarks. Phew!

Now we're back on the Academic Schokalskiy. Which is, since last year, thought of as the Stuckiniceski...

Deb is at a talk on history.

I'm sitting at the desk in our cabin. One hand typing, the other holding the tablet. Every so often, the tablet slides away... as the ship rocks from side to side. Or from end to end. My chair slides... then rocks back, to push me against the side wall.

Yes, we're at sea. About an hour south of the shelter of Macquarie Island. In the open ocean. Heading south -- to Antarctica.

Time to stop typing and stare outside :-)

Sun 22 Jan 2017: Macquarie Island

Sunday. Macquarie Island. Moored off Sandy Beach. The weather is a bit iffy, a storm to the north. Today is a free wander along the beach. Five Macquarie workers are on board. They work with the usual team to look after us on the island.

Lunch early at 11:30, pumpkin risotto. Dinner is a choice, for mains, of fillet steak or southern codfish. At lunch we select our dinner main course. That allows the cooks to prepare the correct number of mains. I select the steak.

Ship food is very good. A bit heavy (in my opinion)... heavy in oil or butter, that is. Though that is less noticeable as my stomach settles :-) Most meals are quite low on carbohydrates. Much of the meat is a bit chewy, it sticks in my teeth. But then, so does any food. I had pork last night, a square of pork belly. The edges were a bit tough, the skin was too tough to cut. It was all delicious.

After lunch: by rubber ducky to the beach.

We land next to four elephant seals, sleeping in a heap. They occasionally open an eye, or roll over, or belch. There are piles of these seals all over the beach.

And there are penguins :-)

To the north is a King Penguin colony. It had a thousand chicks last year. An enormous mass of penguins ! The beach is covered with penguins! The chicks are just starting to hatch. We manage to spot one egg being carried on an adult's feet. We can hear the high cheeping of chicks already hatched, from out of sight in the middle of the flock.

To the south and up the hill is a Royal Penguin colony. Their chicks have hatched and the colony is very, very noisy. And smelly. Very smelly.

Penguins are constantly walking to and from the beach. There's a "penguin highway" between the royal colony and the ocean. We are allowed to cross the highway, but not stop in it.

There are penguins just sitting and standing, on the beach. Plenty of them still have some -- or a lot -- of their baby fluff. These ones will be last year's chicks who are still dependent on their parents.

Some penguins stare at us. Some come a bit closer. Seals occasionally open an eye at us. The most active seal waddles down the beach and into the sea.

Absolutely brilliant! Like every image or description of being with penguins. Except so much better to really *be* there :-)

And then it's rubber ducky back to the ship. For coffee. And rest.

Sat 21 Jan 2017: at sea

Oh bother. Email timed out and lost today's blog post. Oh dear. Start again...

Spot tracker is now working... Follow the link from earlier. The problem: It has to be watched for up to *ten minutes*. Any red flash in that time -- failure :-(

Today... we are at sea. A full day -- plus some -- to get to Macquarie island.

Morning: Deb goes to a bird lecture. She learns that there are a lot of bird species. And they are hard to remember or to distinguish.

I sort out the tracker. Read a book. Wander round a bit. Feel good, but restless.

We buy a couple of postcards, to be posted from Macquarie Island. Typical post office queue, I'm behind the woman who wants to buy a dozen or more cards and can't decide which ones.

Mid afternoon. Deb is at a talk on Hooker (snigger:-) seals. I am interested but not ready to sit in a room with 40 other people.

Time to describe the ship. All descriptions are from memory. They may be correct. Or not. This is the brief version, search the web for more:

Akademik Shokalskiy is small. Smaller than I imagined. Not exactly tiny but, well, small.

There's a bar / social area. Tea, coffee, biscuits 24x7. Two dining rooms with kitchen in between. An auditorium. (A square room with whiteboard and projector.) Sauna. I've not tried the sauna.

We're allowed to visit the bridge whenever we want. Five zodiaks (zodiacs?). Stairs and steps to go up and down. Plus vertical metal ladders -- real sailor stuff -- but chained off.

Cabins are on decks 3, 4 and 5. Crew are somewhere else. Our cabin is port side, forward, the largest passenger cabin. We're next door to Captain Igor. (Really.)

In our cabin...

There's an enclosed bedroom with double bed. (Most cabins have bunks.) The bedroom is a quarter of our area.

The rest is entry, sitting and meeting areas. The meeting space can fit eight people in crowded comfort. Sitting room has a couch / folding bed. (I discover the folding bit when I lean on it and it starts to unfold.) Plus a desk & chair.

Three portholes forward, two to the side. Plenty of storage cupboards. Which reminds me: I packed all on the clothing checklist, all the cold-weather gear that we would need. It didn't mention things like shirts... I packed two identical  shirts and a t-shirt. I'm prepared for shore excursions. A bit under-prepared for looking neat around the ship.

Bathroom is compact. Toilet, handbasin, shower. The toilet does have water but does not so much flush, as suck... Like a toilet in a plane. And the pipes are narrow. Nothing but "human waste" to be flushed. Used toilet paper goes in a bin next to the toilet.

In most cabins you would need the bar area to get some space to sit and enjoy. Our cabin is spacious. Very nice. Very private. We are very comfortable.

 

Fri 20 Jan 2017: Auckland and at sea

Crack of Dawn: the settlement

We're woken up at 6:15 by the p.a. Up, dress, line up for the rubber duckies by 6:30. Time for a trip to the historic settlement of... Hardwicke? It was oversold with a fancy prospectus, proved to be non-viable. When the European settlers abandoned the settlement, the Maori -- who had been well settled when the Europeans arrived -- decided that they, too, would rather leave.

Zodiaks are fun. We're all getting better at getting in and out.

We walk to the cemetery.  A small fenced area, half a dozen crosses and stones. Then to the "Victoria tree", with carved details of the ship Victoria, which had landed here well after the settlement. Most of the lettering is missing; the tree has rotted away. According to the tour team, a lot has gone missing in just five years.

Back to the ship for breakfast. We're in calm water, the appetite is good.

Mid-Morning: wartime watch station

Another shore excursion to another part of Ross Harbour. It's a hut and a lookout where NZers watched out for enemy shipping in WWII. The temperature is possibly up to ten degrees, the sun is shining, it's a long, hot walk up.

The lookouts were scientists. Too old to fight in the war, they volunteered for the post.  And researched the area while they were there. A plum post for a research scientist!

Afternoon: sailing again. South, towards Macquarie Island.

I attend a lecture on ice maps, which show percent of ice on the water. We are hoping to get to Mawson's hut. The Shokalskiy is ice-toughened. We can sail amongst ice but not break through it. At the moment -- no way to the hut. Still, it's another week till we get close enough to try.

Now we've sailed out of the shelter of the Aucklands. We're in open sea and it's a bit up and down. A lecture on birds has been cancelled or delayed. Sitting facing across the ship, I'm fine. While I'm typing I'm facing forward -- and on the edge of queasy.

A quiet afternoon and evening. Dinner. Read a book. Go to bed.

Thu 19 Jan 2017: The Auckland Islands

It's full waterproof gear for a trip in the zodiaks. We're off for the day, walking on Enderby Island.

First, we have our gear vacuumed. All alien seeds must be removed from everything that we will bring ashore. Then we wash and scrub our boots. We pick up packed lunches and a poo bag. Just in case.

On Enderby: Deb changes from wellies to hiking boots. My wellies are fine for walking -- and waterproof.

From our landing site we walk through tussocks of grass. There may be a track, it's not visible. We walk behind a seal beach. Hookers seals. Maybe a couple of hundred, sleeping, fighting and breeding on the beach. As Deb says, more sex and violence on this beach than in all the rest of NZ.

Past a section where yellow eyed penguins stroll between nest and beach. There's a research station just beyond here. We turn off, onto a boardwalk through the rata forest. From what I've read -- and am now seeing -- rata is generally impenetrable. The cleared path is essential.

The forest fades away. It's short and boggy grass on either side. Small patches of very small flowers. Occasional albatrosses, near and far, brown and white, different breeds.

On the open grass area, the constant wind can be felt. Temperature is possibly in the low teens. Weather is fine and cloudy, occasional patches of sunshine, some very light rain later on.

We walk round the island.  "Keep the sea on your left."

We see seals and sealions. Lots of birds, albatri of some sort, I don't know their names. A scattering of penguins. The yellow eyed penguins are solitary, so no huge penguin flocks on this island.

We stop for lunch in a bit of shelter. The wind is still blowing but the sun is shining. We're looking out over grass and rocks to the sea. Seal/ions in the rocks. One starts at the top of the hill and gradually moves closer to us. (Oh no! It's the cows, all over again!) But he stops, thirty metres away. A few scratches and stretches and he sleeps. With one eye on us.

Very small birds hop round at ground level. They hop within a metre or two of us, not worried by us.

I take some photos, nothing great. The wildlife is not scared of us but still stays beyond the range of a good shot with my standard lens. Some people have giant lenses on big cameras. I would have lens envy -- but I know how heavy they are.

One seal decides that he doesn't like the look of us. He runs at us -- not too fast, not too close -- and shows his teeth. I spread my arms, show my size. He decides to allow us to pass.

The walk takes about six hours. The terrain is "flat" -- not much climb. The ground is uneven and occasionally boggy, occasionally overgrown with lumpy tussocks of grass. Quite heavy walking. By the end, we are glad to see the end.

Now we collapse back to the peace and quiet of our cabin. It's great to have a space just to ourselves :-)

full Thu 19 Jan 2017 #2: Spot Tracker absolute fail

Yesterday I sent an expensive email to ask, are any locations being transmitted by the Spot Tracker? Answer: none at all.

So... Before this trip, I bought an expensive "Spot Gen 3" GPS tracker. Paid triple the advertised price to send and record locations -- triple the advertised price "because I'm in Australia". Yes, I should have looked at the fine print on the hard-to-find web page. Tested it at home, fine. Turn it on overseas -- and it absolutely fails to work.

Absolute rip-off.

Please ignore the link I sent earlier. It was based on the assumption that an overpriced and overhyped piece of junk would work as advertised.

----
Sent via Satellite Phone using RedPort Email

Wed 18 Jan 2017: at sea

What. A. Night !

Okay, according to a second-hand report from Agnes (pronounced Anyas, she's French) last night was not too bad. Our first night at sea. It was bad enough :-)

aside: We have three portholes facing forwards. As well as a couple looking to port. It's the best and biggest cabin... I decided, if we're spending a second mortgage on a holiday, we may as well spend a relatively small amount extra to get our own space.

and Gaye: I know it was you that started us thinking of going to Antarctica. Don't feel too bad, even though we have a spare folding bed in the cabin. It was definitely not available for an extra passenger. I asked.

Now we're moored at The Snares. And lucky that the weather allows us to get into Zodiaks. According to the boat driver, only two of his five visits to The Snares have been calm enough to allow a visit. And Wow!

From the ship, The Snares is a large lump of rock, with trees. Close up, we see birds, swimming, flying, standing. Plenty of penguins! Standing, swimming, jumping in and out of the ocean. We've seen penguins -- hundreds of them !  I'm satisfied. We can go home now :-)

A brilliant expedition !

Deb reports that the doctor has treated 20 of the 50 passengers for sea sickness. (This includes Deb.) A difficult start to the voyage ! But we'll be right by tomorrow... :-)

The ship is still rolling, consistently, from side to side. If you sit facing forward or backward, you tend to fall off the chair.

Tue 17 Jan 2017: departure

We have boarded our ship !

explanation: Now we have shipboard email, sent via satellite. Charged by the word and very, very expensive! For the rest of this voyage I shall be posting very very brief accounts. Sorry :-( I will write my usual War & Peace -- and post a summary. Either that, or the cost of this trip could easily double :-)

So where are we now? This should show you: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=09XGihbkW0buf71zL6xAnH4ScMu7yzrGW

9pm: That was fun :-)

We are out on deck to watch the ship leave. Gangplank raised and stowed. Various ropes unhitched. The boat pushes itself away from the wharf, swinging round on the final, stern rope. That rope is cast off -- and we're sailing.

The pilot boat moves closer, almost touching the Shokalskiy. The pilot appears... steps easily from one boat to the other... A round of applause... and we're on our own: clear of the port and sailing under the Captain's orders.

A man coming down outside steps slips, falls. Shaken but unharmed. Warning noted and heeded.

Dinner. Sitting opposite the Department of Conservation rep. He makes sure that we follow all the rules. He's glad to be here. He also has to take back a photo of his son's (toy) penguin "visiting his relatives".

Other people at our table include the Russian who works in Japan. What do you do there? someone asks. Work, he replies. Not sure if that's a cagey answer, or due to his limited English. Next to Deb is a man who likes to explain things. (No, not me.) There are two men over 70 y.o. And a man who sits at the end, too far away for me to be able to hear anything that he says.

By about 1am, we will be out of the shelter of Stewart Island. If the sea is rough, that's where we will first notice it.

"If"...

----
Sent via Satellite Phone using RedPort Email

Tue 17 Jan 2017: a quick update

At least it's not raining.

Early morning. Ten degrees. Strong wind blowing. Thick cloud cover. Otherwise fine.

Our "sister ship", Spirit of Enderby, is half way between here and Antarctica. She is battling 25 knot winds. Struggling to make 5 knots headway.

Today, we set sail.

From the ship, email access will be limited. So far, it's an unknown. There may be a gap in posting to the journal... No need to check the shipping reports... I'll post when I can, when the technology allows. I hope that that will be, before we get home again!

<Pause>

====
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"Before your dreams can come true, you have to have those dreams" … Dr Joyce Brothers
   

Mon 16 Jan 2017: Invercargill

The third, final, smallest plane took us to Invercargill.

First plane had seats arranged as three-four-three, two aisles. Second plane had one aisle, with three seats either side. This plane was two-and-two. We sat in the very front row. With a very good view and a quick biscuit as snack.

Invercargill is a nice, small terminal. Across the tarmac, in the door, turn left, there's the baggage pickup. A couple of taxis outside and a shuttle bus. We took the bus, its only passengers. Stopped at their office to get the credit card payment device.

The driver -- a cheerful woman, just back at work after her Christmas holiday -- told us that Queens Park is worth a visit. It's just down the road, visible from our hotel.

We check in at the Kelvin Hotel.

Room 501. A great view across the town. Pleasant but nothing very exciting. It's a few streets of oldish buildings with a few new, larger buildings. Queens Park is visible at the end of Kelvin Street.

Our room is... quite large. Two rooms. Three, if you count the large -- with spa -- bathroom. Judging by the bare concrete room down the corridor -- and the sounds of hammering and drilling and thumping -- the hotel is being renovated, room by room. With good results, to judge by our room.

Soon, we set out to look for lunch.

The sign across the road tells us that it's 12:20 and 16 degrees. There's a strong wind blowing. No cafes in the direction we walk... Luckily I remember that the shuttle bus driver mentioned a wee cafe at the park.

The park is in "formal English" style. Trees, garden beds, lawns and paths. We follow a sign, follow a path, find a big white pyramid... It's museum, art gallery and cafe. We eat, then check out the museum.

We check out just a couple of displays: tuaturas (or some such) and various bits of history. The tuaturas look like, well, very small crocodiles. Sort of. Thirty or forty cm long. While we are watching, they... stand very still. They are ancient animals, the last of some prehistoric grouping of animals.

Then we look at the old stuff... Feeling more and more... tired.

Decide it is time to walk home. Look at the rain and decide we have time to sit inside for a few minutes. A few minutes later we walk home, through the sprinkling of rain.

Interesting idea with the pedestrian lights at traffic lights. When we approach, they are blank, no light. Only when we press the button, the red man appears, then the green.

Back at the hotel, there's an itinerary for the next couple of days. Dinner tonight with the group. Tomorrow morning -- a visit to the Queen's Park museum... Ah well. There's an Antarctic flora display. Tomorrow, we'll check it out.

We sleep, rest, try the spa. Never quite understood the attraction of a spa, or even a bath. Not for getting clean, anyway. But it's a pleasant way to relax. Though it takes us quite a while to work out how to let the water out.

Now we're watching TV -- no worse than at home -- and waiting for dinner.

====

After dinner:

We've met our fellow passengers. A varied bunch. We sat at a table with farmer/environmentalists from York. Dance teacher & her husband from Canberra. Worried woman from Hobart. Tour leader from France. All very interesting.

Meal was good, I ate plenty.

It's been raining on and off. Still light outside but getting dim, it's almost ten o'clock. Temperature now nine degrees. Weather forecast is for gales as we head south. Conversation covered sea sickness and the importance of not falling over.

Tomorrow is an optional talk on tuaturas at the museum. If it's fine weather, we'd like to see the "stumpery", sculptures made of tree stumps. I went downstairs, asked where it is. It's in Queens Park, which is a large park. We'll check the weather :-)

So far, so good...

====
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"Before your dreams can come true, you have to have those dreams" … Dr Joyce Brothers
   

Sunday 15 January 2017: in the air

Day One, Test One: failed

We're off! Took off half an hour ago. We are now flying to New Zealand. But first, what about that "failed" heading line?

First day of this holiday. I'm overloaded with portable electronic devices. I'm typing on a touch screen tablet running Android. It's a "Swype" keyboard, so there will be occasional really weird words. I also have an Apple MacBook Air. It's one a son has finished with. It has a proper keyboard.

I started typing on the Mac...

This blog is my travel journal. When I get home, I merge it with photos, print it, there's a hardcopy to read when we're in our dotage. Each post is typed, then emailed to the blog when there's a connection to the internet... Well...

First, I can't find "flight mode" on the Mac. Maybe that creates a problem? Perhaps it's because I'm running Chrome on a Mac? Whatever the reason -- I type, I can't save to draft, what I typed is lost :-(  So it's back to the Android tablet with its strange Swype keyboard. Ah! the technology :-)

btw: For those who are new to this blog... Yes, I am verbose. And today is "introduction". Future posts will -- hopefully -- have a lot more about ships, and wildlife, and Antarctica.

And now, it's back to our regular journal...

Day One: up, up and away

We're in a plane, heading to New Zealand. The first day of our latest holiday. For those who came in late: We will spend four weeks on a ship, sailing to Antarctica. Note 1: By "sailing" I mean, traveling in a boat with an engine. An early, preferred option (preferred only by me) involved an actual sail boat, crew of three, six passengers. But that was just an option... Note 2: to Antarctica via islands, spend a few days there, then back to NZ again.

Monday we meet the Heritage Expeditions staff and our fellow travelers (all 48 of them). Tuesday we set sail, in the... whatever its name is... Russian ship. Part time "expedition" ship, part time arctic research vessel. Then we spend four weeks sailing to Antarctica -- via several sub-Antarctic islands -- and back again. We may get to see Mawson's hut...

The expedition is centred round Mawson and his hut. Great for fans of Antarctic explorers and exploration. We want to see ice and snow -- and penguins. Well, any wildlife will do, though I don't get too excited by birds... Except penguins. So why choose this particular expedition? Several reasons...

It's a small boat. Fifty passengers. It's on the less touristy eastern side of Antarctica. (Though there may be a good reason for that "less touristy" aspect.) Mostly -- we sail from NZ.

South America to Antarctica -- best flights I could find to SA would be 35 hours in transit. We'll be in NZ in less than six. When I saw, "NZ to Antarctica to Hobart" -- brilliant! And it's still a good option, even with the finish shifted back to NZ.

We will sail to and from Invercargill, at the southern tip of NZ. (Actually, from Port Bluff, just south of Invercargill.) And a month later than planned. Our booking was to sail through Christmas and New Year (and, incidentally, through our wedding anniversary; I had ensured there would be chocolate on that day). It's been delayed in the hope that some major ice will shift and we will actually be able to get to Mawson's hut.

When I realised we were about to go all historical, I started to read Mawson's book of his own expedition. It was amazing... Oh, and the book is called, In the Land of the Blizzard. Tell me again, Why are we going?! Anyway, I stopped reading. All very well to follow history. But when people are falling out of sight down crevasses -- and we are about to visit that same area -- it's time to stop reading.

So, where was I?!

We're in the plane. Just finished dinner. Flying Air NZ. Which has an interesting offer on upgrades...

I bought our tickets. Three planes to get there, two to get back. The next day, there's an email from Air NZ. It's an invitation to "make an offer" on an upgrade. So I did. I offered $10. Which, no surprise, was not accepted.

A week before we fly, the same invitation. This time, there's a slide dial of how much we can offer. At the minimum order we could pay $175 for an upgrade. Per person, per leg... Total, $700 to upgrade each of us on the legs where an upgrade is possible. If it were "accepted".

At the top of the slide dial, we could offer $1,400. Per person, per leg. I checked the Air NZ website. The first leg -- at the upgraded level -- is on sale for $1,100. So I could offer $1,400 -- on top of the price already paid -- to upgrade. To a seat which I could buy for $1,100!? I sent an email asking, is this a mistake? No reply.

So Here We Are...

We're in the emergency exit row. Plenty of legroom. Great view of the toilets. Deb has her preferred window seat, though the window is a bit behind. She can still see out of it. I can see... inside the plane.

Another three hours till we land. With the time difference it will then be morning.

I may just snooze for a couple of hours...

====

So I snoozed. Deb had to tell me about the little girl who was sick. Sick on herself, sick on her mother, sick on her father. With a large plastic bag for the sicked on blanket. We offer sympathetic thoughts to the family. Later, off the plane, we avoid walking in front of the little girl. Just in case.

We're now at Auckland Airport. Through Customs, no worries. Through biosecurity, show the hiking boots. Deb was wearing hers and was asked to step across a weed killer mat. Now we're at the next boarding gate. Waiting.

It was a bus ride from international to domestic terminal. Luckily Deb knew what to do: we checked our bags at the international. So it's just backpacks (not too big) to carry with us. We've now had coffee and shared a scone, so that's breakfast.

Back a bit...

As we checked in -- the first time -- we were asked, Do we mind being in the emergency exit row. No worries, said Deb, We've done it before. Sat in that row, I said, Not managed an emergency exit.

It was great to be able to slump in my seat and stretch out my legs. The only downside was that our screens folded out -- and had to be folded away for takeoff and landing. Which could have been a worry, if I had switched mine on. Deb listened to music... while failing to sleep.

An easy flight, not too long. (Our last flights were to and from Europe. Many, many hours of sitting.) The cabin temperature on this Air NZ flight must have been set to local. Very, very chilly! Better get used to the chill, I guess.

Now that we've started, I'm relaxed about the trip. We seem to have brought what we need for traveling. If we've forgotten anything -- it's too late to worry.

We're still a bit uncertain about four weeks on a boat...

====

I tried to connect to the free (?), open, airport wifi. Rather than going to a login screen, Google "unexpectedly closed". I'll try again. And post this... whenever I can.

Minutes later: failed to connect, again. The signal claims to be strong. But then disappears. Oh well.

Several hours later: We're now at Christchurch Airport. Waiting for our final connection to Invercargill. Same problem with Google -- but other websites are fine. Connected to the airport wifi.

The flight from Auckland to Christchurch was easy. An hour and a half, small snack, another emergency exit row -- with room to stretch my legs.

Waiting for our flight. I went to the toilet. Standing, deep in thought, a woman's voice says, Cleaner. I'm not thinking fast... A minute later the cleaner and I exchange glances, look away... Oops.

Time to post...

====
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"Before your dreams can come true, you have to have those dreams" … Dr Joyce Brothers