This journey started in the Falkland Islands where we got a brief glimpse of a very remote and isolated island and where we saw the marked minefields reminded us of a war fought here not that long ago.
But our mission was more peaceful and we were glad to see our ship waiting for us offshore in Stanley. A quick Zodiac trip complete with a dolphin display brought us to the Russian icebreaker, the Kapitan Khlebnikov, which was to be our home for the next five weeks as we made our way around the distant and icy shores of Antarctica's rarely seen Far Side.
Our first stops were in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (see separate sections for these islands) and then it was time to make our way to the icy continent. Whoever thought of that name sure was on track. There was lots of ice! Some days we made little progress and often the itinerary had to be re-written. But there was magic everywhere if you could take the time to see it. Meringue-like ice, azure blue water, towering tabular bergs, and sunsets and sunrises that blended together around 2am. There were whales gliding by the ship and magical walks through Emperor Penguin colonies where these birds sit in their isolation throughout their long dark winter. Our visits to these colonies were, thankfully, on marvelously clear, crisp Austral summer days.

It was great dropping in on the Australian research stations at Davis and Mawson where the teams welcomed us warmly: the first vistors in eighteen months!
Then, five weeks after we began this expedition, we disembarked in Freemantle in Australia, with more than a hint of sadness. Many of us had become good friends as we travelled together around the remotest region on the globe and we knew that we had shared a remarkable journey.

(Read the story of this journey under "Articles.")