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14 Night Subantarctic Discovery and Land Tour

From Dunedin to Port Chalmers
  • Douglas Mawson
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Douglas Mawson

Aurora Expeditions
4 Stars
  • Cruise #: 13951333
  • Departs: Fri, Jan 2, 2026
  • Returns: Fri, Jan 16, 2026
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    Rates

    Includes

    Other Dates

    Oceanview $12,236
    Balcony $13,276
    Suite $21,196
    *Prices are per person based on double occupancy
    Includes taxes & fees
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    Itinerary Summary

    Day by Day Details

    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Friday - Jan 2, 2026
    Day
    1
    Dunedin, New Zealand
    • Dunedin, New Zealand
    Arrive in Dunedin, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred with your fellow expeditioners to your assigned pre-voyage hotel. If you are already in Dunedin, please make your way to your hotel. This afternoon, visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby to collect your luggage tags. Please clearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number. The expedition team will confirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any questions, and provide you with information on where to dine or purchase last-minute items. That evening, enjoy light refreshments as you meet your fellow expeditioners at a Welcome Reception and Pre-Embarkation Briefing. Afterwards, enjoy your evening in New Zealand's southernmost city. You may like to indulge in a meal at one of Dunedin's fine restaurants, or perhaps enjoy a leisurely stroll along the picturesque Otago Harbour. Assigned accommodation: To be advised ...
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    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Saturday - Jan 3, 2026
    Day
    2
    Dunedin, New Zealand
    • Dunedin, New Zealand

    Cruise Segment of Itinerary

    Day 2 - Saturday - Jan 3, 2026
    Day
    2
    Cruise Begins
    • Cruise Begins
    • Port Chalmers, New Zealand
    This morning, enjoy breakfast and check-out. Please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labeled with your name and cabin number. By 11 am, take your cabin luggage to hotel reception, prior to, or at check-out. Your luggage will be stored and transferred directly to the port for clearance, to be placed in your cabin ahead of your arrival onboard. Please keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day. Your morning is at leisure to explore Dunedin. Settle into your cabin, where each detail was designed with your comfort in mind. This luxurious vessel is yours to explore! As we throw the lines and set sail, join your expedition team on deck before tucking into a delicious dinner, and toast to the voyage ahead. ...
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    Sunday - Jan 4, 2026
    Day
    3
    • Oban, New Zealand
    • Ulva Island, New Zealand
    "Have a care for this island. Sanctuaries such as these are imperative. There is no song of Bellbird or Tui on the moon". - Olga Sansom (curator at the Southland Museum and Stewart Islander), 1970. Stewart Island (Rakiura) is the northernmost of the New Zealand subantarctic islands and a sanctuary for many rare and endemic species. We plan to visit the quaint fishing village of Oban, the southernmost settlement in New Zealand, where humans are outnumbered by brown kiwis (southern tokoeka). As you wander along the beach, keep an eye out for blue penguins (korora) and yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho) waddling along the rocky coast, and New Zealand white-capped albatross soaring overhead. In the afternoon, land on Ulva Island to experience New Zealand as it may have been centuries ago, before humans arrived. A series of successful pest eradication programs have made the island a sanctuary for endangered and endemic birds, including some 18 natives. Meander through cool forests of ferns, mosses, and ancient conifers, where birdsong abounds. Scan the understory for the elusive endemic South Island rifleman (titipounamu), yellowhead (mohua), and South Island saddleback (tieke). ...
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    Monday - Jan 5, 2026
    Day
    4
    • Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
    Delight in the company of inquisitive cetaceans as you cruise the deep glacial sounds of Fiordland. Rug up and find a spot on deck as we wend our way through the many uninhabited islands scattered across the area. Bottlenose dolphins, playful fur seals, and humpback whales are frequent visitors, and keen observers may be rewarded with a rare sighting of the Fiordland crested penguin (tawaki). ...
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    Tuesday - Jan 6, 2026
    Day
    5
    • Snares Islands, New Zealand
    The cluster of craggy islands and islets that make up the Snares is the most untouched of the antipodean subantarctic groups. Despite their relative proximity to New Zealand's South Island, the Snares have remained free from introduced land predators, making them an invaluable sanctuary for millions of shearwaters, petrels, and other seabirds. Rug up, hop into a Zodiac, and experience the bustling coastline of the Snares from sea level. Keep watch for endemic Snares crested penguins and Buller's albatross (toroa) with their distinctive black-and-yellow beaks. You may spot sea lions dozing in grassy glades, or perhaps catch a glimpse of the tiny Snares Island tomtit flitting amongst tree daisies. Embrace the spirit of exploration as your expedition team designs your voyage from day to day, bringing decades of experience to selecting the ideal sites based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions, and wildlife opportunities. ...
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    Wednesday - Jan 7, 2026
    Day
    6
    At Sea
    • At Sea
    After several busy days of subantarctic exploration, relax and unwind your way, perhaps meeting newfound friends at the bar, treating yourself to a sauna, or editing some images in the comfort of your cabin. Join your expedition team in the lecture room to hear about the fascinating human history of Macquarie Island and learn how to identify the unique and charismatic creatures that call it home. Of course, the best place onboard is out on deck, in the company of petrels and albatross soaring effortlessly with the wind. ...
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    Thursday - Jan 8, 2026
    Day
    7
    At Sea
    • At Sea
    Friday - Jan 9, 2026
    Day
    8
    • Macquarie Island, Australia
    "Penguins were in thousands on the uprising cliffs, and from rookeries near and far came an incessant din ... seabirds of many varieties gave warning of our near approach to their nests" Douglas Mawson, 1911. As they sailed towards Antarctica, Mawson and his men encountered 'an exquisite scene'. Macquarie Island (known affectionately as Macca) rises steeply from the Southern Ocean in a series of emerald summits: a beautifully fierce, elemental landscape teeming with life. Keep your binoculars handy because this subantarctic refuge is home to 3.5 million breeding seabirds, including no less than four species of penguin! Alongside boisterous colonies of tuxedoed kings, charming gentoos, robust rockhoppers, and endemic royal penguins, you'll find three types of fur seals and a large proportion of the world's elephant seals. Layer up and head out on deck to experience the sound and sight (and smell!) as you approach one of the largest concentrations of life in the Southern Ocean. Remember to keep an eye out for Macca's kelp forests-these remarkable underwater ecosystems are quite mesmerizing as their fronds sway back and forth on the water's surface. In addition to being a globally recognized and protected wildlife refuge, Macquarie Island played an important role in Antarctic history. It was here, in 1911, that five men disembarked Mawson's Aurora and established a radio relay station which would transmit the first communication from Antarctica to the outside world. ...
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    Saturday - Jan 10, 2026
    Day
    9
    • Macquarie Island, Australia
    Sunday - Jan 11, 2026
    Day
    10
    At Sea
    • At Sea
    We leave the grandeur of Macquarie Island - and our southernmost destination - behind, but our voyage is far from over. There's still plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the Southern Ocean and the seabirds that call it home. Grab a cuppa and duck into the lecture room to learn about the unique wildlife and historic sites ahead and meet your new travel mates in the bar to reminisce on your experiences so far. As you approach Campbell Island it's worth heading out on deck to watch for the rare Campbell, Salvin's, and white-capped albatross, which may accompany us as we sail their home waters. ...
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    Monday - Jan 12, 2026
    Day
    11
    • New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, New Zealand
    First visited by Maori navigators centuries ago, these islands are of great significance to Ngai Tahu, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand's South Island. Their natural beauty and astonishing biodiversity have now been recognized globally, but few have had the privilege to visit these far-flung shores, which are now yours to explore. ...
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    Tuesday - Jan 13, 2026
    Day
    12
    • New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, New Zealand
    Wednesday - Jan 14, 2026
    Day
    13
    • New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, New Zealand
    Thursday - Jan 15, 2026
    Day
    14
    At Sea
    • At Sea
    As your journey draws to a close, take some time to reflect on the experiences of the past two weeks. You may like to review your photos, jot some notes in your journal, or simply relax and soak up the ambiance onboard as you farewell your travel mates ... until next time! Become ambassadors for the great Southern Ocean, advocating for its conservation and preservation, and share your experiences with your loved ones, so they might visit and become ambassadors themselves. ...
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    Friday - Jan 16, 2026
    Day
    15
    • Port Chalmers, New Zealand
    After breakfast, farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature. Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, booking flights departing prior to 12 pm on the day of disembarkation is not recommended in case there are delays. ...
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