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.
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