A380 flies to Antarctica for New Year’s 2010

by Andrew Evans on

This New Year’s Eve, Qantas will be taking one of their super swank A380’s to Antarctica. Seats are for sale to the masses starting (checking watch) NOW. This special flight is the first time the double-decker jumbo jet has ever flown this far south, let alone to Antarctica. The plane will take off in Sydney and pick up in Melbourne before spending four hours doing low, figure-eight patterns over the icy, white expanses of the seventh continent. (That sounds really, really cool but also sounds kind of like landing at Heathrow in winter.) Passengers will get to greet the “dawn” of 2010 (remember, the sun doesn’t set) and revel in the rare and incredible view of the southern polar summer without packing a coat.

If you don’t catch the inaugural New Year’s flight, there will be a repeat A380 flight on January 24th or you can take your honey on a boring old split-level Boeing 747 for Valentine’s Day 2010.

One is loath to mention–but must–the doomed sightseeing Air New Zealand Flight 901 of two score and three days ago, which smashed into Antarctica’s highest mountain, leaving shattered champagne glasses icily scattered across the coldest place on earth. There, I mentioned it.

These one-time Qantas flights can be ticketed with their travel agency partners at Antarctica Sightseeing Tours.

Latest tourist attraction in New Zealand? Icebergs!

by Kraig Becker on

The waters off the southern coast of New Zealand have gotten very crowded lately, as dozens of icebergs have been spotted floating through the region. According to this story from the Daily Mail, the huge slabs of ice have broken off from the Antarctic shelf, and have been flowing north, into the Pacific Ocean, with increasing frequency. In the process, they have become popular tourist attractions, with curious travelers hoping to catch a glimpse of the white walls of ice.

According to the story, icebergs had been traditionally rare in and around New Zealand. In fact, prior to 2006, they hadn’t been seen there since 1931. But in the past few years, they’ve been showing up in large numbers, thanks to global warming causing more dramatic melting in Antarctica.

The exact number of icebergs off the Kiwi coast at the moment is unknown, but they do number in the hundreds. Many of those are quite massive in size. Earlier this week, one was spotted that measured 150 meters in length, while another was estimated to be over 30 meters in height. They are traveling north at a speed of about 16 miles per day, and could be potentially dangerous to shipping traffic, although ocean currents are expected to carry them east, harmlessly out into the ocean.

Meanwhile, the massive chunks of ice are expected to generate lots of interests amongst New Zealanders and visitors from abroad alike, with many taking to the high seas to get an up close and personal look at these gigantic invaders. Over the next few weeks, the icebergs will be another great, natural attraction in a country that seems to have an abundance of them.

Icebergs target New Zealand

by Andrew Evans on

Hundreds upon hundreds of menacing chunks of ice are headed straight for innocent New Zealand–a country that couldn’t hurt a fly even if it had flyswatters for hands. Shipping companies haven’t been this fretful since the pirate times of . . . this summer, while the Antarctic tourist industry is rubbing its palms like Mr. Burns.

But is it news? Probably not. It’s springtime for icebergs in Antarctica. Also, Icebergs happen. The real concern is that icebergs are evolving into a major tourist attraction, right up there with sharks and poor people. Every year, more and more tourists are pouring into the polar regions and getting stuck in the ice or struck by the ice. Which reminds me of this movie I saw once where the largest cruise ship in the world (at the time) ran into an iceberg right after dinner and the hot guy drowned. Consider yourself warned: if you play with ice, you’re gonna get burned cold sitting in a lifeboat waiting to be rescued.

Antarctic Travel Guide

by Kraig Becker on

In recent years, one of the most popular destinations for adventure travelers has been Antarctica. The lure of visiting one of the most remote, and rugged places on the planet is a strong one for travelers who have already trekked, paddled, and climbed their way across the other six continents. But for the less adventurous traveler, it can be difficult to understand why someone would even want to venture so far south, and spend their vacation in an arctic environment.

U.K. newspaper The Independent is here to help both kinds of travelers with their guide to Antarctica, which is a well written and comprehensive look at what it’s like to travel in and around the frozen continent, starting with the question “Why?”. The article notes that last year just 38,200 people made the trip, most aboard luxury cruise ships, and part of the draw is that so few people get the opportunity to experience the stunningly beautiful, but desolate landscapes that are the hallmark of the place.

The travel guide also discusses such topics as the best places to begin your Antarctic voyage, recommending New Zealand, although Chile is a popular starting point as well. Readers are also given an overview of the terrain and what they can expected while cruising the icy waters of the Southern Ocean. The Independent even addresses the issues with ships running aground in recent years, noting that while there have been some high profile incidences, they remain rare, and steps have been taken to ensure the safety of tourists in the region.

This is an excellent article for those who are interested in making the trip to the southern end of the world or for those that just want to know what that type of voyage entails. Be prepared however, as there are few bargains when it comes to traveling to Antarctica.

Auspicious start to Antarctic tourist season

by Kraig Becker on

November marks the beginning of the tourist season in the icy waters off the coast of Antarctica. It is mid-spring down south, and travelers with a sense of adventure, and plenty of cash, are heading to the frozen continent to get the opportunity to visit one of the last true frontiers on the planet, and possibly get a glimpse of Emperor Penguins while they’re in the neighborhood too.

The past few years have been challenging ones for Antarctic cruise ships. In 2007, the MS Explorer sunk after hitting an iceberg, and last year two more ships ran aground while maneuvering through the treacherous waters. Fortunately no one was hurt in those incidences, although the sinking of the Explorer did create an ecological disaster when tens of thousands of gallons of fuel were released into the water.

With the 2009 tourist season barely underway, there has already been in incident in the Weddell Sea, off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, where a Russian icebreaker called the Captain Khlebnikov became trapped by ice for the better part of two days. The ship, which carries roughly 100 passengers, found itself stuck behind large icebergs when winds shifted, causing the ice to close all access to open waters. While the boat was never in any real danger, it was unable to continue along its intended route, preventing those aboard from following their intended itinerary.
Late yesterday, the winds shifted once again, and the Captain Khlebnikov was allowed to return to its scheduled route. It is now estimated that it’ll be three to four days late getting back to port, but will make its appointed rounds, allowing the passengers to get their close encounter with the penguins after all.

Hopefully this will be the only incident in the Antarctic waters this season. In the greater scheme of things, it was a rather minor issue, but as ship traffic increases at the bottom of the world, and more people travel there, the chances of a true disaster striking, seems to be almost inevitable.