South America and Antarctica
18-12-2025 to 10-01-2026
Ushuaia (Argentinia)
2nd January
Here we are back in the berth we had yesterday to drop off patients.
The ship next to us is the same one as yeaterday.
In front of her is the Roald Amundsen who we saw in Antarctica.
On our way to the national park we passed this monument to Pioneers and Early Settlers.
Once again out of the city the road was unpaved.
Gaston, our guide, took us off the tourist path to look for birds.
Austral Thrush.
Gaston and Jeremy on the other side of the rustic bridge.
White-Crested Elaenia.
Juvenile Austral Thrush.
Patagonian Sierra-Finch.
Thorn-Tailed Raydito.
Southern (Crested) Caracara.
Juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron.
Lake Roca.
Gaston, Jeremy and Colleen on the path by lake Roca.
Thorn Tailed Raydito.
Red Fox.
Southern Lapwing.
Southern Lapwing.
Austral Thrush.
End of the World Train.
A 7km journey on a vintage locomotive following the old prison convicts route.
Tufted Tit-Tyrant.
Fuegian Flightless Steamer Duck.
Dolphin Gulls.
Magellanic Snipe.
Cruising the Beagle channel.
Punta Arenas(Chile)
3rd January
Arriving in Punta Arenas.
We are the first ship of our size to dock at the wharf.
New dolphins have been installed to allow larger ships to dock.
Gingerly edging into the wharf.
The lines coming ashore at one of the Dolphins.
Being supervised by a seal.
Finally moored and gangway out.
It was quite a climb up and down.
No excursion for us today.
Jeremy has a Condor watching excursion.
We walked into town. This is one of the building opposite Central Square.
We came to visit this Maritime Museum.
There were very few English labels on the exhibits. But it was still very interesting.
Interestingly the Shackelton part of the museum was about the Chilean rescue of his men.
Another building opposite the square.
Looking into the square.
A memorial to Ferdinand Magellan.
Another Central Square building.
Chalet Milward.
The house where Shackelton stayed while planning the rescue of his men.
Two more buildings round the square.
A broken down pier. Perfect for roosting seagulls.
The last line being released.
And the seal returning when the men had gone.
A tug standing by as we pull away from the dock.
At Sea (Sarmiento Channel and Brujo Glacier)
4th January
Sailing the Sarmiento Channel.
The top of the Brujo Glacier.
We are sailing round to the see the terminus.
The Glacier has just Calved. The arrow points to the splash.
Ice from the glacier.
A final view of the glacier as we sail away.
My Port and Artisanal Cheese Selection.
After running up to the deck above between courses to take photographs.
At Sea (Chilean Fjords)
5th January
Sailing the Chilean Fjords.
Sailing out of the Fjords into the Pacific Ocean.
Puerto Chacabuco(Chile)
6th January
Puerto Chacabuco.
Looking out the stern window of the Main Dining Room at breakfast.
On the tender going ashore for a walk round.
It is not often the tender has few passengers.
The Captain of the tender.
Our ship in Puerto Chacabuco bay.
Some of the houses were a bit rough looking.
And others quite neat.
Two photos of the park in Puerto Chacabuco.
The Christmas tree is still up.
On the shore is this wreck of the Vina del Mar.
It was wrecked in 1963 but I can not find out why.
Colleen saw this bird on the way to the tender.
It is a juvenile Black-Crowned Night-Heron.
The view of Puerto Chacabuco Harbour from our deck.
Sailing away from Puerto Chacabuco.
Puerto Montt (Chile)
7th January
Puerto Montt.
This time a full tender.
Colleen's head Jeremy's back
Jeremy Neil and Colleen in front of the Orsono Volcano.
Inside the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park.
The Petrohue River waterfall.
The water can get up to the bridge.
Walking through the park.
After a walk in the park we went to Lake Todos los Santos.
This lake is the source of the river Petrohue.
Colleen waiting for us while we went for a walk along the sandy (Volcanic ash) shore.
Horse flies above our guide Carolina's head.
Horse flies are a annoying problem at the lake in December and January.
A Horse fly.
Orsono Volcano from the Chair Lift carpark.
The sumit was the final checkpoint for series2 of Celebrity Race Across the World in 2024.
Jeremy and Colleen at the cafe on the volcano.
Cheese Empanadas with coffee.
This is the path to walk up the volcano.
Carolina had to accompany me when I went for a walk along the path.
It is steep and slippery, so is not safe to do alone.
The path ahead.
And the path behind.
The path heads up and around.
This is as far as time allows.
We have to travel back to Puerto Montt before the 'All Aboard' time.
The view of Lake Llanquihue in southern Chile's lake district.
The central plaza of Puerto Varas.
On our way back to the ship we stopped in Puerto Varas, a port on lake Llanquihue.
Jeremy and I had a beer and Colleen had an ice cream at a cafe near by.
The Orsono Volcano from our deck.
San Antonio (Chile) - Auckland (NZ)
9th to 11th January
Our flight home does not leave till 01:25 tomorrow morning.
So we have booked a tour which will drop us at the airport hotel late in the afternoon.
The other passengers have evening flights or staying at the airport hotel.
While the transport was being loaded with our suitcases I saw these three seagull chicks on a nearby roof.
Our first stop was at Isla Negra (Black Island).
The area was named by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who had a house here, after the dark outcrop of rocks just offshore.
A mannequin of Pablo Neruda with a typewriter outside a restaurant.
Christmas decoration above a shop.
The Grinch stealing Christmas.
Next we went to El Membrillo wetland park.
The park runs down to the beach.
This is one end of the world's second largest swimming pool.
This San Alfonso del Mar pool held the Guinness World Record for size.
Looking down to the far end 1km away.
The pool is right on the beach.
A selfie of us sitting opposite the pool with the sea behind.
From the wetlands we went to Casas del Bosque winery in the Casablanca Valley for lunch.
Our lunch. Crusted tuna with parsley and pistachio sauce.
Lilly pond in the Emiliana Organic Vineyard.
This was the last stop before the drive to the airport.
On the way to the airport we stopped at a lookout over the Casablanca Valley wine region.
At last we are in the seats we originally booked.
Compare this with the flight over.
Our flight took off at 1:25am so many people wanted to sleep.
The cabin was in subdued lighting for the meal service.
These photos were taken with only the reading lighting.
Appetiser.
Thinly Sliced Chilean Abalone with Lemon and Potato Salad. Served with a Fresh Leaf Salad.
Main Course.
Signature Dish by Chef Cecilia Loncomilla: Salmon Concato with Native Chiloe Island Potatoes.
Dessert.
Selection of Cheeses.
This is the Breakfast we chose. There were cooked options.
Dawn on the 11th as we decend into Sydney.
For the flight from Sydney to Auckland we were back in economy.
With wooden cutlery for our second breakfast of the day. Frittata with sausages.