Wide, open roads, perfect weather, and gorgeous landscapes come together to make Australia the perfect destination for a road trip. There’s a reason tourists and foreigners prefer touring this country on four wheels. Once you grab a car and set off on the road, it just feels like the country was meant to be explored this way. Here are the five most adventurous road trips you can take down under. Tasmanian Loop Tasmania is a small … [Read more...]
Lets Go Climbing – Where Are We?!
"Do not start climbing over there - that seal is in the way". Were we mountain climbing or clambering over cliffs at some sunny beach in California somewhere? I've done a bit of mountain climbing around the world but have never heard a seal referenced as we are about to start a climb! The reason for this, is we are mountaineering in Antarctica as part of an Oceanwide Expedition Antarctica cruise. Climbing here is surreal - the amount of ice … [Read more...]
Visit Antarctica – September 2016
Antarctica is a unique experience. Natives have never called this continent home and the land is not owned by any one country. A visit here can be life changing; the experiences are truly unique and so is the visually stunning scenery. Very few people live here year round - they are in some of the bases operated by various countries around the continent. One tour operator, Oceanwide Expeditions offers several trips a year to Antarctica. Their … [Read more...]
A Few Notes about Basecamp Ortelius, Oceanwide Expeditions Antarctica Trip
What an incredible trip so far. Tonight we enjoyed a BBQ in a snowstorm on the helicopter deck on the "H", where the helicopter lands. Large ribs, chicken, and steaks were all being grilled. Every meal we have significant appetites because we are exercising so much during the day. We passed through the *amazing* and very narrow Lemaire Channel yesterday - with massive and jagged mountains providing the visuals on both sides as our ship broke … [Read more...]
A Coal Mine and Rock Climbing, Exploring Wales
Wales is built for outdoor and adventure enthusiasts; the region has participated historically in adventure exploration involving some of the most extreme corners of the planet. One has to look no further then Cardiff Bay where Captain Scott sailed out in the Terra Nova (expedition to Antarctica) or the challenging mountain and glacier terrain of Snowdonia synonymous with well known mountaineering names such as Mallory, Irvine, Hillary and … [Read more...]
The Unique Beauty of Antarctica
The cruise director on the Basecamp Ortelius on our Antarctica cruise with Oceanwide Expeditions said something that perked my interest, "Antarctica is a feeling" and I immediately wondered what type of feeling it would induce in me once I arrived. It turns out it is not just one feeling but rather many. What you see in front of you evokes numerous feelings and reactions including awe, the grandeur and magnitude of your surroundings gives you … [Read more...]
Basecamp Ortelius, Ushuaia to Antarctica Cruise with Oceanwide Expeditions
Oceanwide Expeditions is a pioneer in cruise-based exploration of both Antarctica and the Arctic regions. Based in the Netherlands and with an office in Houston - their focus is on small ship Antarctica & Arctic cruise adventures to parts of the world that see relatively few visitors. Many of the staff on board have been with the company for years. In an environment where there is an extremely thin line for survival, safety is paramount; in … [Read more...]
Notes from Basecamp Ortelius, Drake’s Passage
Upon boarding the Basecamp Ortelius in anticipation of our Antarctica cruise (the ice breaker ship we will be on for the next 13 days) I immediately noticed a few of the staff wearing shorts. Remarking to one of them that it is awfully cold for that kind of apparel, they quickly replied with, "if you think it is cold now, just wait until we get to Antarctica!" Nonetheless, the wind was bone chilling as we pulled out of lovely Ushuaia - the … [Read more...]
Upcoming Antarctica Trip, Ortelius Basecamp – Oceanwide Expeditions
Antarctica has been on my list of remote places to visit for years - I never have done so because of a variety of reasons, one has to cross the Drake Passage (supposedly one of the world's most treacherous waters - I get very bad sea sickness at times) and the cost of getting there - which as demand grows to visit the costs seem to have gone down (just a cursory observation). I randomly met Dan and Audrey of the travel site, Uncornered Market … [Read more...]
Oceanwide Expeditions announces new departures to the Ross Sea in Antarctica
Vlissingen, the Netherlands - After successful exploration runs in 2013 and 2015 the Dutch polar cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions has announced two new expeditions to the Ross Sea in 2017. The ice-strengthened vessel “Ortelius” will be accommodated with helicopters for the two Antarctica cruises, sailing from the South-American continent to the Antarctic Peninsula, crossing the Polar Circle, further west to Peter I Island, sailing in the … [Read more...]