Hi all,

well the 2005/06 season provided plenty of thrills, new places & above all a lot of fun for everyone involved. South Georgia proved to be very inspirational for the group of artists onboard 'Australis' during December 05, as they returned to Melbourne and recently held an exhibition of their work. The Father & son trips in the Chilean Channels/Patagonia were a great success, with the groups bonding and exploring together. Also, this season it was brought to our attention that we had sighted endangered Chilean dolphins, which was exciting for all onboard as this rarely occurs.

There have been several additions to 'Australis' over the past year, most notably the new diesel heating system throughout the boat & the addition of 3 new sea kayaks, but..

Most importantly..due to a cancellation by a company that booked 'Australis' for November & December 2006 we are now proposing 2 trips, one to Cape Horn & the glacier region of the Patagonian fiords & the other to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Regards, Ben.

Antarctic Peninsula 2006.
• A 21 day trip from Ushuaia in southern Argentina to the Antarctic peninsula & return to Ushuaia. The sea travel time is about 3 days going over & 3 days returning so we have about 15 days to enjoy & explore Antarctica in the spring.
Proposed date: 29/11/06 to 19/12/06
Cost per person: AUD $7,287
9 berths available.

Patagonia, Glaciers & Cape Horn 2006.
• Cape Horn & the Chilean fiords in southern Patagonia trips will be running year round. With clear still nights & beautiful days, this region with it's snow capped mountains rising to 7000 feet, spectacular glaciers, great hiking, photography, walking, mountaineering & bird watching. Nestled in a different & safe anchorage every night. Include a visit to Cape Horn to soak up all the mystique & aura that goes with this historic place.

Bulk bookings are preferable with a maximum of 9.

Ocean Facts + Figures.
• Many people think that Mount Everest, at 8,848m, is the tallest mountain on Earth. However, Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano off the island of Hawaii, is actually taller. Although only 4,205m (13,800ft) of Mauna Kea stands above sea level, it is in fact over 10,000m (6.2 miles) tall if measured from the ocean floor to its summit. (bbc - Blue Planet)

Find out more...

Underwater Ice Photography.
• During the past Antarctic season I was working on an Underwater Ice Photography project aimed at producing a series of limited run Fine Art prints.
I only have one image in the gallery so far but this is the entrée of what is to come when I have a show of my own later this year.
If you are around Sydney & have the time, drop into the Underwater Australia gallery in Surry Hills, where the work is a part of the permanent collection.

Ben.

Find out more...

New members.
• If you know of anyone who is interested in traveling to out of the way places why not send their email address (with their permission) to ben@ocean-expeditions.com so that they can keep in touch.

Bookings for 2006/07. Check out the itinerary page for details

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