[Sandy Hancock]

If you can afford it, do it. Soon.

I flew from Adelaide to Melbourne to join my travel partner, then to Buenos Aires via Auckland. We nicked up to Iguazu Falls for a couple of nights (highly recommended), then joined a Lindblad expedition which flew from BA to Ushuaia and then travelled by sea across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula. We spent the best part of a week there, visiting Half Moon Island, Neko Bay, the Lemaire Channel, the Gerlache Straight, the Weddell Sea and other places.

The trip back across the Drake Passage was into the teeth of a Beaufort 9 storm, which added some spice to the adventure.

It was the most most remarkable trip of my life.

Photo album HERE if you're keen.

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Last edited by Sandy Hancock; 08-21-2021 at 03:49 PM. Reason: Storm hyperbole

[aslyfox]

Someone has to ask. 7-3 =4. What is the fifth?

Pellucidar


[ oops ]

Waiting for the flames to fall...this is not going to be pretty!


Steve

Flames

[UncleVanya]

Pellucidar

Ahhh, The inner continent, yes I’ve always meant to visit there myself!

[aslyfox]

Ahhh, The inner continent, yes I’ve always meant to visit there myself!

not sure what covid 19 restrictions are in place there currently

____________________________

If you want to see penguins before they go extinct you should probably do it soon.

on our trip to Australia/New Zealand in 2014 we saw on a harbor tour [ can't remember the port but it must have been in New Zealand ] the world's smallest penguin species swimming along on the surface

" Blue " Penguins Eudyptula minor

Other names: Fairy penguin, little blue penguins, blue penguins, kororā (Maori)
Height: 13-15 in.
Weight: 1.75-3 lb. . . .

https://www.penguins-world.com/little-blue-penguin/

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Last edited by aslyfox; 08-21-2021 at 07:37 AM.

[UncleVanya]

not sure what covid 19 restrictions are in place there currently

Like New Zealand they have a strict quarantine in place.

[aslyfox]

. . . Photo album HERE . . .

do not, repeat, do not look at that photo album

it will trigger urges to go on an expensive trip which may be impossible to resist

excellent job Sandy

[SrMi]

I highly recommend a photography trip to Antarctica, and for even better wildlife, South Georgia and Falklands.
Go there as young as possible as it can be physically taxing. Try to get a smaller ship (100 or fewer passengers), so that you do not need to wait on the ship while others are on land. It is also better to get a photography-focused expedition than a general one.

[Jonathan Mac]

Someone has to ask. 7-3 =4. What is the fifth?

Europe
Asia
Africa
Australasia
Antarctica
N. America
S. America

Personally I'd like to visit Antarctica but I doubt my wife would feel the same way. I can't say that it's really high on my travel list either, but it's there - too many other places to visit.

I still think that anyone travelling to another country for something as simple as a holiday in 2021 is crazy. International travel is still really for necessities until this pandemic dies down.

[aslyfox]

. . .

I still think that anyone travelling to another country for something as simple as a holiday in 2021 is crazy. International travel is still really for necessities until this pandemic dies down.

who is thinking about 2021 ?

. . . so I am thinking about my 65th birthday next January . . .

any trip would be late 2022

And the issue of covid will be considered

[Sandy Hancock]

For the record (and at Allen's request), HERE is a link to my thread about my preparations for the trip.

[aslyfox]

For the record (and at Allen's request), HERE is a link to my thread about my preparations for the trip.

Yes, blame me, I did request the link

But beware that thread needs the same warning as his flickr album

[K2 to K50]

If you can afford it, do it. Soon.

I flew from Adelaide to Melbourne to join my travel partner, then to Buenos Aires via Auckland. We nicked up to Iguazu Falls for a couple of nights (highly recommended), then joined a Lindblad expedition which flew from BA to Ushuaia and then travelled by sea across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula. We spent the best part of a week there, visiting Half Moon Island, Neko Bay, the Lemaire Channel, the Gerlache Straight, the Weddell Sea and other places.

The trip back across the Drake Passage was into the teeth of a Beaufort 9 storm, which added some spice to the adventure.

It was the most most remarkable trip of my life.

Photo album HERE if you're keen.

Checked out your photo album, Sandy. I can see why you said that trip "was the most most (sic?) remarkable trip of my life". Beautiful photos, incredible scenes. The memories of that trip must be an absolute treasure to you!

[longbo]

If you can't get to Antarctica, then do go to South America.

So many stunning places - Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile and more. Landscape, wild-life and the people. Recommend Journey Latin America, if you don't want to organise it all yourself.

[ThorSanchez]

Personally I'd like to visit Antarctica but I doubt my wife would feel the same way.

Antarctica has always been very high on my list, but my wife has no interest in it at all. So if I ever go I'm not sure who I'll get to travel with me.

Also a bit (read: a lot) apprehensive about the horrible weather and sea states in the Drake Passage.

---------- Post added 08-24-21 at 12:02 PM ----------

If you can't get to Antarctica, then do go to South America.

So many stunning places - Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile and more. Landscape, wild-life and the people. Recommend Journey Latin America, 8f you don't want to organise it all yourself.

Also high on my list. But having trouble convincing the family that somewhere like Peru would be a great destination in the next few years. Flights to South America look pretty cheap compared to Europe or especially Asia, and not that long from the US east coast.

[stemked]

I had been pining and even planning for a trip to Antarctica myself, but have frankly been reconsidering because of the carbon footprint required to visit. If I were to go I feel that as a responsible traveler I would need to at least consider purchasing some sort of carbon tax to compensate for my travel. I have started to do this for my international travel anyway, which I've reduced over the last 5 years. I know it's not in everyone's wheelhouse but this is an issue for me. Like you, I really want to see every amazing place on this planet before I go, but that isn't what the planet needs right now.

It's just me. I'm not trying to discourage you. It will surely be an amazing place to visit.