Heritage Expeditions Returns to Commonwealth Bay and Mawson’s Hut for Christmas Day

Christchurch, New Zealand 5 September 2019: As a result of East Antarctica’s first ice-free summer in eight years, pioneering adventure cruise company, Heritage Expeditions, will be returning to the region on a 25-day voyage in the footsteps of legendary Australian explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson.

The ‘In The Wake of Mawson’ voyage from 15th December 2019 to 8th January 2020, includes plans to visit historic Mawson’s Hut at Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay, on Christmas Day.

The hut’s location was chosen by the explorer as it was one of very few readily accessible, ice-free areas along the East Antarctic coastline. However, that all changed in 2010 when a 97-kilometre-long iceberg struck the Mertz Glacier ‘Tongue’, causing a 78-kilometre section to break off, blocking the annual movement of sea ice, effectively isolating the region.

Close monitoring of the area and an ice-free summer in 2018 indicated that there are opportunities to return once again to explore this previously off-limits majestic location.

Heritage Expeditions has timed its voyage to maximise the opportunity to land at Commonwealth Bay on Christmas Day and explore Sir Douglas Mawson’s Hut – established for the 1911-1914 Australasian Antarctic Expedition.

Other sites of interest nearby include the Memorial Cross to explorers Ninnis and Mertz who perished during the infamous three-man ‘Far Eastern Party’ sledging trip (which Mawson himself barely survived), as well as the nesting grounds of substantial numbers of Adélie Penguin and Wilson’s Storm-Petrel.

As with all expeditions to remote, rugged and seldom-visited destinations, access to the region – notoriously known as the ‘home of the blizzard’ due to the strong Katabatic winds that frequently blow here – will, ultimately, be determined by the conditions encountered during the voyage.

Prices for this authentic expedition cruise of discovery, which will also include time exploring the Subantarctic Islands, such as wildlife haven Macquarie Island, whale watching from the deck and Zodiac cruises alongside penguin colonies and gigantic ice shelves, start from US$17,000pp based on twin share. The price includes pre/post cruise transfers, one night hotel accommodation, all onboard ship accommodation, meals and all expedition shore excursions. Landing fees are an additional US$880 per person.

For further information visit: https://www.heritage-expeditions.com/trip/east-antarctica-wake-mawson-15-dec-2019/

For enquiries call: +64 3 365 3500

For images visit: https://bit.ly/2k12mTh

For video visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmqdrLChVHk

For media enquiries please contact Debra Taylor, debra@toucanmoon.com, +44 7956 852197.

About Heritage Expeditions

For more than 30 years New Zealand-based Heritage Expeditions has been a pioneer in environmentally-responsible, conservation-focused voyages to some of the world’s least-explored, wild and biologically-rich regions.

The family-owned and operated company, which spans two hemispheres from Antarctica’s Ross Sea to the Russian Far East more than 16,000 kilometres north, specialises in taking small groups of up to 50 intrepid wildlife and wilderness enthusiasts on comfortable adventures to some of the most unique, far-flung locations on earth.

Travelling on board one of two expedition ships designed for polar research – Spirit of Enderby and Akademik Shokalskiy – on voyages ranging from eight to 31 days, passengers visit remote, indigenous communities and rarely-visited sites such as the sub-Antarctic island of Macquarie and Russia’s Wrangel Island, accompanied by expert botanists, ornithologists and naturalists.

Each expedition is meticulously planned and led, ensuring passengers maximise every opportunity to learn, discover and experience as much as possible, while minimising the impact of their visit.

www.heritage-expeditions.com