Thu 9 Feb 2017: is this the Last Post ?!

I wake up(*) at 6am and can't get back to sleep. Today is Thursday. As I understand it we will be at Bluff tomorrow, Friday. Yet we are booked to fly out on Saturday !? Did I misunderstand the ship schedule? Did I book the wrong flights?!

Did I really type "17 Feb" in the subject line for yesterday's post ?! So many questions... So much doubt.

No way I can sleep.

I get up and look at the itinerary. Yes, we fly home on Saturday. I look at the expedition schedule. Yes, the expedition ends on Saturday. So what will happen to Friday ?!

I get dressed. Go downstairs to the bar for a cup of tea. Get speaking with Kevin... who has also been confused but now has the answer:

First, we may have been a day early to Campbell Island. Possibly, we had to be in and out before the NZ navy arrived.

Second, we will have an extra day on the way "home". An extra day just puttering round in the shelter of Stuart Island. Stuart almost connects with the NZ South Island so, once we reach it, it's sheltered water all the way home. And then we do, indeed, reach Bluff -- and Invercargill -- on Saturday.

Phew.

(*) When I say, "I wake up" I mean, Deb wakes up, crawls over me to get out of bed, I can't help but be woken up.

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We're rushing towards the relative shelter of Stuart Island because there's a low -- rough weather -- coming in from the west. There's a strong headwind slowing us down. The plan is, to reach the shelter then slow down. If we hurry we will reach the shelter just before the storm reaches us. Then we will have a final day at sea -- with farewells and celebrations and such -- in the calm water.

It was a moderately rough night and still bumpy into the morning. "One hand for yourself, one hand for the ship!"

 

Before breakfast we shove all dirty washing into a suitcase. Suitcase into a cupboard. Various other untidy items into cupboards. Because today... we have our Open House. Last night at dinner I invited everyone, table by table. This morning I put up a notice on the main deck 4 notice board. Doors open at 9:30am.

Luckily for Deb, there are two lectures this morning. Well, one lecture on Campbell Island plant life and two short videos about the island. So Deb has an excuse to not be here for some of the time. Of course, those are the quiet times...

I get a couple of people early. Sarah, whose husband could not travel with her. (Hello Peter! Sarah misses you.) One or two others. Then a rush after the first lecture.

Deb and the crowd go to the second lecture. People see Deb at the lecture and remember our invitation. So, another small rush after that.

All good fun. Exhausting but enjoyable. I'm glad we did it. And Deb is now speaking to me again :-)

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Afternoon. Deb is at a lecture, it's an ad for the Heritage expedition to northern (or eastern?) Russia. She's worried that the talk will convince her that we need to go. I say, just avoid paying a deposit during the talk.

Meanwhille, the clouds have cleared and the sun is shining. After 25 days I have finally stopped wearing the thermal longjohns. The sea is as calm as ever. It's another beautiful subantarctic day. I'm wondering if the storms and fog reported by Spirit of Enderby are just wild inventions.

Three or four albatrosses have spent the afternoon escorting the ship. Soaring to either side. From twenty metres up, to wingtip almost touching the water. We see them through our windows.

As usual, Deb & I are bringing fine weather & great sights to our holidays :-)

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And this may be my last post to this sub-Antarctic blog.

Standard email (eg my gmail) does not work. These posts are sent via ship's email -- which will be closed down at 9pm tonight. So there will be a definite break from that time. I'm posting this early, just to be sure. I may send a later post, either on the way or at home. Or maybe not.

In case this is indeed the Last Post:

I hope you have enjoyed this blog. Perhaps as much as Deb & I have enjoyed our holiday. Perhaps even as much as I have enjoyed writing each post.

To my three or four known readers... and any others:

Thanks for reading... And...

Bye !

For now :-)