News

EXPEDITION LEADER HENRIK LOVENDAHL TELLS US WHY HIS HEART LIES IN NORWAY Having led expeditions to the Arctic for over 10 years, Henrik Lovendahl shares his insights into why the Norwegian Coastline and Spitsbergen are simply unmissable! Our roving reporter/sales consultant Mael Ressos asks why? ....read more

THE WONDERS OF WILD SCOTLAND ACCORDING TO ROBYN MUNDY Assistant expedition leader, polar researcher and author Robyn Mundy tells us what makes 'Wild Scotland' one of her favourite voyages. For a sneek preview of the highlights of this voyage, the incredible wildlife and the captivating culture of the Scottish nation....read more

HAPPY NEW YEAR....AURORA STYLE! We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy New Year and the very best for 2010. Lets face it, if we could choose anywhere in the world to see in the new decade, it would be in Antarctica! For a lucky group of passengers aboard Polar Pioneer, that was just what they did. Here is an excerpt from the ship's daily newsletter on New Year's Day. ....read more

'BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND' - SCOTTISH HISTORIAN CAROL KNOTT 'Carol was incredible, she literally brought Scotland's rich and fascinating history to life everywhere we went!. We cant wait to go back next year when you visit the Faroe Isles!" This guest comment from our last trip to the remote islands of Scotland says it all. We are delighted to announce that Carol will be bringing her inimitable style back as resident historian on our 'Wild Scotland' voyage in June 2010 and we will at last be visiting the gloriously remote Faroe Islands.....read more

CHANNEL 9 GETS A TASTE OF THE REAL PNG - AS YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE View Channel 9's Sorrel Wilby as she explores the remotest parts of Papua New Guinea with Aurora Expeditions. If you missed the shows, it couldn't be easier - just follow the link and watch them now....read more

STAFF PROFILE - TASHI TENZING - MOUNTAIN GUIDE With successful expeditions to the summit of Everest under his belt, one could be forgiven for thinking world renowned mountaineer Tashi Tenzing rarely comes back down to earth; but this inspiring individual is just as happy on an Aurora Voyage following in Shackleton's footsteps.......read more

STAFF PROFILE - SANTIAGO IMBERTI - NATURALIST Santiago is resident naturalist on board our 12 day 'Across the Circle' Antarctic Peninsula voyage departing 5th February 2010. An ornithologist, photographer and writer, Santiago was born and raised in southern Patagonia, Argentina.....read more

BLUE WHALES & POLAR BEARS SPOTTED - POLAR PIONEER UPDATE FROM THE ARCTIC Lucky passengers aboard our Spitsbergen voyage were spellbound by their encounter with a rare blue whale this week. Here is a copy of the ship's daily newsletter (13th July, 2009) by assistant expedition leader Sue Werner........read more

ENOUGH BOOKS TO FILL A SCHOOL LIBRARY On our recent expedition to Papua New Guinea, Aurora co-ordinated the donation of hundreds of school books to a secondary school on Karkar Island. Passengers and staff were treated to the magnificent spectacle of a colourful sing sing and feast in a stunning tropical location....read more

MEL FLIES THE FLAG FOR CYSTIC FIBROSIS Last November, Aurora were delighted to assist Melissa Middleton in becoming the first person with Cystic Fibrosis to visit Antarctica. “Everybody has dreams, Antarctica was mine. I did this for all the families that have been affected by Cystic Fibrosis,” said Melissa. ....read more

GOURMET TRAVELLER AWARDS NOMINATION 2009 Aurora are delighted to have been nominated in the 'Best Adventure Tourism' category of this year's prestigious Gourmet Traveller Awards.......read more

STAFF PROFILE - SUE WERNER Sue has worked as assistant expedition leader on Aurora's Antarctic and Arctic voyages for over a decade and brings a wealth of expertise to every trip.....read more

UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST Few places remain such a closely guarded secret as the Russian Far East. Behind this former iron curtain, nature has flourished, resulting in a vast and pristine wilderness described by Lonely Planet as 'one of the world's most beautiful regions'. ....read more

SO, WHAT’S PAPUA NEW GUINEA LIKE? Ever since we have returned from our very first expeditions to PNG this year, we are often asked what it’s like to travel there. During any Aurora voyage, passengers contribute daily notes, pictures and illustrations toward a voyage log that is sent to them upon their return home. Aurora passenger Di Minuskin reflects on our visit to Lababia Wildlife Sanctuary on the east coast of New Guinea. ....read more

DEAR DIARY ~ Ross Sea February voyage In February 2009 Marina Svetaeva was heading back to the Ross Sea region of Antarctica once again. To get a glimpse of life on board this expedition read on for some diary snippets....read more

Icebergs & Emperors - Inside Mawson’s Hut It is said that more people have stood atop of Everest than have been inside Mawson's Hut in Antarctica. Our Business Manager David Mannix was lucky enough to be among the privileged few when Aurora last visited the hut.......read more

Mawson's great-granddaughter joins our expedition Explore Mawson's Huts with Emma McEwin, Sir Douglas Mawson's great-granddaughter, as she sets sail with Aurora in December en route to experience her families heritage for the first time.....read more

Last chance for High Arctic! Aurora has a host of thrilling voyages set to depart in the Arctic summer through July, August and September. Our most comprehensive and exciting Arctic season yet, we still have some berths available on our voyages. ....read more

KAMCHATKA REVEALED After recently returning from our inaugural voyage to Kamchatka, Aurora passenger Roger Balch published a feature story in the Australian Financial Review about his experiences. Below is an extract from Roger’s article:....read more

Travels to the ends of the Earth Our good friend and frequent Aurora traveller Kester Brown has released an inspirational new book of paintings, poems, photographs and short historical stories about the polar regions.....read more

Charles Lindall's new model ~ The Nansen Sledge Aurora passenger Charles Lindall has returned once again from Antarctica with an impressive model from the Heroic age of Antarctic exploration. After building a replica of Mawson’s Hut on his 2005 journey to Commonwealth Bay onboard Marina Svetaeva, Charles ventured to the Ross Sea with us in 2007 and this time produced an astounding model of Nansen’s sledge.....read more

Dear Diary ~ Kamchatka & The Commander Is. After such a successful maiden voyage in the Russian Far East, expeditioners on our second voyage to the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Commander Islands are looking forward to being dazzled by this remarkable lands natural splendour. ....read more

Dear diary ~ Kuril Islands to Kamchatka Our maiden Kuril Islands to Kamchatka voyage was fare-welled last week by a traditional Japanese drum ceremony, in the port town of Kushiro. Marina Svetaeva is now riding the Ring of Fire north, whilst the Kuril Islands spoil our expeditioners with amazing landscapes and a wealth of animal life, including brown bears, sea birds and orca's. ....read more

Unveiling our new online Video Gallery We are excited to bring you videos of our expeditions live to your lounge room. Each of our new videos has been filmed by our passengers and staff onboard our expeditions. Follow the link below to watch any one of our four fantastic new videos. Aurora video gallery

Arctic Kayaking on top of the world Imagine kayaking in the midnight sun among massive icebergs and alongside active glacier fronts, while seeking out polar bears, walrus and seals. We still have some kayaking spots left for our 2007 High Arctic voyages.....read more

Happy Feet movie brings Antarctica to life This moving story about Mumbles, a young Emperor penguin, is set to bring even more attention to the Antarctic continent. Aurora Expeditions is proud to have been involved in many aspects of the movie’s production, from choosing locations that form the backdrop of the film, to setting the environmental message of the movie....read more

Aurora's Money Goddess goes wild Our beloved accountant Elaine Balsdon is finally living her dream, embarking on her very first Antarctic journey - our 'South Georgia & Antarctic Peninsula' voyage departing on November 10th. Here, she recounts her experiences onboard Polar Pioneer.......read more

Ross Sea Antarctic Diary Marina Svetaeva is heading back to the Ross Sea region of Antarctica once again. To get a glimpse of life on board an expedition to this mesmerising region, sneek a peak at Margaret Werner's diary from our last Ross Sea trip.....read more

Our fearless leader checks in from Greenland Aurora Expeditions founder Greg Mortimer has embarked upon a private rock climbing expedition to the remote coast of Greenland. Along with two close friends, Greg will be aiming to scale a number of unclimbed rock faces over the coming weeks. ....read more

‘Trip of the Year’ award for Aurora One of America’s most prestigious lifestyle and adventure travel magazines has awarded Aurora Expeditions 1st place in the ‘Trip of the Year - Polar Category' for our Antarctic Climbers and Photographers voyage. ....read more

Arctic Impressions Best known for it's unique wildlife that includes polar bears and walrus, the Arctic islands of Greenland and Spitsbergen offer a surprising variety of experiences in one of the world's most picturesque regions. ....read more

Kimberley Dreaming Visiting the wilds of Australia's Kimberley Coast appeal to those with a true sense of adventure. Remote, pristine and and a rich source of Aboriginal culture, the rewards are plentiful for those who take the time to dig deep into the Kimberley's character. Our Sales Manager, Chantelle Argent, was lucky enough to hop on board our ship Coral Princess and take a journey 40,000 years back in time.....read more

Commonwealth Bay Antarctic Diary Aurora Expeditions first ever voyage with our new ship Marina Svetaeva has finished and what a successful expedition it was. On board, David Mannix sent us regular updates for our web diary. If you’ve ever wondered what travelling to East Antarctica from Australia is like, read on and enjoy the adventure… ....read more

A Natural High in the Arctic Armed with little more than images of polar bears and ice, we sent our Marketing Manager David Mannix aboard Polar Pioneer where he discovered there's a lot more to the High Arctic than just the cliches.....read more

Staff Profile – Henrik Lovendahl Henrik’s adventurous spirit and love of travel caused him to leave his native Denmark some ten years ago. Henrik has worked in the diving industry for many years as an instructor, as an educational consultant for PADI Asia Pacific and most recently as Aurora's dive master. ....read more