5 minute read
Cutting Edge in the Icy Arctic
A great name in Australian exploration returns to the Arctic in high-tech form.
WORDS: RODERICK EIME
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When today’s prominent adventure cruise lines were still studying cocktail recipes and rehearsing stage shows, Aurora Expeditions was forging new paths for explorers in the world’s polar regions. Back in 1992, Aurora Expeditions was making pioneering cruises to Antarctica and beyond, years before the journey occurred to most of today’s travellers.
Founders Greg and Margaret Mortimer were explorers and adventurers in the truest sense. Sydney-born Greg is one of Australia’s most accomplished mountaineers, having conquered Annapurna II in 1983, Mount Everest in 1984—without oxygen, Mount Minto in Antarctica in 1988, K2 in 1990 and Manaslu in 2002. He has been awarded the Order of Australia (OAM) and three Australian Geographic Society medals. Such was the genesis of Aurora Expeditions, setting in stone the ethos and spirit of true expedition cruising.
Mortimer sold Aurora Expeditions in late 2008, but has continued to consult both governments and the private sector on Antarctic policy.
Like Greg Mortimer himself, Aurora Expeditions has been the quiet achiever of Australian small-group travel and expedition cruising; only recently has the company sought to substantially elevate its position in the market, with the announcement of a brand-new ship, appropriately named Greg Mortimer.
Not your average expedition ship, the environmentally friendly Greg Mortimer will employ the latest in maritime technology. Its hull will utilise the revolutionary patented X-BOW ® design, which has been proven to greatly reduce the impact of rough seas such as those encountered frequently in the Drake Passage, en route to the Antarctic Peninsula.
Other innovative inclusions are the retractable observation platforms for exceptional wildlife and scenic viewing, and a custom-designed transom for effortless deployment of kayaks and other watercraft.
Given Aurora Expeditions’ 25-plus years of small-ship experience in the polar regions, it is not surprising that the 104-metre Greg Mortimer will begin its program in Antarctica, with its maiden voyage departing Ushuaia, Argentina on October 31, 2019.
Plying the pristine waters around Spitsbergen and Svalbard, Greg Mortimer will venture amid the towering spires of this magnificent Arctic wonderland in search of polar bears, walrus, whales and innumerable species of seabirds. Like some scene from Game of Thrones, this enigmatic archipelago way above the Arctic Circle is also a land full of history and folklore. Many daring missions to the North Pole began from here, including those of Umberto Nobile, Richard E Byrd and even our own unsung hero, South Australian-born Sir Hubert Wilkins, who led the first submarine expedition to the Arctic in 1931.
Guests will be on the lookout for rare sea-life sightings
Aiming to quench even the most ardent thirst for Arctic adventure, Aurora has constructed one of the most comprehensive polar-region itineraries ever for the new Greg Mortimer. Appropriately titled ‘Arctic Complete’, this fulsome voyage will explore Svalbard, East Greenland and Iceland over more than three weeks from August 9, 2020.
Beginning in Iceland’s historic port of Reykjavik, Greg Mortimer will sail along the ragged eastern coast of Greenland in search of whales, with sightings of rare fin and blue whales possible. Pods of orcas are frequently observed in these waters, as is the world’s favourite whale: the mighty humpback. Along the Blosseville Coast and through Rømer Fjord, musk oxen can often be seen on the rocky slopes and narwhal close to shore.
It’s important to note that this area of Greenland also hosts Scoresby Sund, the largest fjord system on the planet, with massive icebergs the size of city buildings calving off the glaciers and into the ocean.
FACT FILE
Cruise line: Aurora Expeditions Ship: Greg Mortimer Max. guest capacity: 160 (100+ kayakers and divers for Antarctica; 140 for the Arctic, except for ‘Inuit Arctic & Beyond’, which can take 160) Facilities: Jacuzzis/plunge pools, dining room, bars, observation deck/lounge, lecture theatre, sauna/ wellness centre, photography/art room, external hydraulic viewing platforms, Zodiacs, library, gym.
ITINERARY
On August 9, 2020, Aurora Expeditions’ Greg Mortimer will depart Reykjavik on a 22-night cruise through the Denmark Strait en route to Scoresby Sund, King Oskar Fjord and Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, before exploring Svalbard and Longyearbyen. Arctic Complete cruise fares, including Pick your Polar Perk* savings of $1550 per person, now start from AU$16,950 per person, twin share in a Balcony Stateroom. *Valid for new bookings made by October 31, 2018; subject to availability at time of booking.
In Greenland, shore excursions include visits to traditional Inuit communities still living subsistence lifestyles in the harsh Arctic environment. Watch demonstrations of kayaking skills and sealskin preparation as well as beautiful graphic arts, handicrafts and sculpture. You may even get to taste some of the unique cuisine of the Inuit, particularly the palate-challenging muktuk, made from cured whale skin and blubber.
This amazing odyssey continues on to Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, where the earnest quest for polar-bear sightings begins. Greg Mortimer will sail as far north as possible in search of these mighty creatures, with a latitude of 80 degrees N entirely likely.
At Spitsbergen, Zodiac excursions will take place beneath the dizzying cliffs, amid the cacophonous squawks of millions of nesting seabirds—a sight (and smell!) you’ll likely never forget.
The journey will wrap up in Longyearbyen, where fascinating repositories of history such as the Airship Museum, North Pole Museum and Svalbard Museum can easily occupy the hours before your flight out from the worlds most northerly commercial airport.
With the superbly modern and comfortable facilities of Greg Mortimer as your refuge, this immersive expedition organised by one of Australia’s most experienced Arctic tour companies is sure to satisfy anyone’s Northern-polarregion cravings.
Balconies feature in 80 per cent of staterooms
Houses in Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost town
