We had a nice breakfast at the hotel before our 5:30am shuttle to the airport. We’re coming back to the same hotel so this time we pre-arranged a shuttle. We also left a bunch of cold-weather clothes and luggage at the front desk to be picked up after Easter Island.
Folks thought we gave it too much time before our 8:35am flight. But we were happy we gave ourselves extra time. There was another form we had to fill out before we could check in for Easter Island. We were so happy we had cell phones and it was an electronic form so we stood at the counter and filled it out. When we were finished, we realized we had already filled it out but had no record of it!
After checking in, we went to the customs line and there is a separate (slower) line for folks going to Rapi Nui(Easter Island) where they also asked for the form and we were happy we had it.
It’s was a 5 1/2 hour flight from Santiago to Easter Island but with the two hour time change we arrived about noon. This time our shuttle was there and waiting for us. We checked into our hotel(Hotel Manavai) and took a nap before our 4pm Crater Walk tour.
We are very happy that our shuttle was at the airport and they even gave us leisHotel Manavai entranceOur room at Hotel Manavai
Easter Island is a tiny volcanic island- 63 square miles. The maximum length is 15 miles and the maximum width is 12 miles
YoYo was our guide and we took a walk up to and along the eastern rim of the mile wide volcano crater of Rano Kau on the southwestern tip of Rapa Nui- it was pretty neat and we were happy to walk around a bit.
After the tour, we were thirsty so we went to the bar/restaurant a the hotel and had Pisco Sours, Beer and dinner.
We were happy our star-gazing tour was cancelled as we were pretty tired and went back to our room right after dinner.
Tibor at the Rano Kau CraterDinner and drinks at the restaurant at Hotel Manavai
Today was a long travel day as we go from Queenstown New Zealand to Santiago, Chile. The flight from Queenstown to Auckland was about 2 hours, there was about a 4 hour layover in Auckland and then the flight to Santiago was about 11 hours. We left our Queenstown hotel about 11 am and arrived our Santiago hotel about 5pm on the same day because we crossed the international date line.
Jennifer called an Uber and picked a ride that said 4 people plus luggage. The car that arrived was pretty tiny and we were going to send it back but figured we’d try to fit first- we managed to put all our luggage and us into the car. It was pretty packed and we had luggage on our laps but we weren’t worried since it was about 10 minutes to the airport.
We gave ourselves about 3 hours to get to the airport and go thru all the security. The Queenstown airport was very busy and crowded. It took awhile to figure out how to check in and check our bags. We purchased our flight from Latam but Air New Zealand was the carrier for the portion from Queenstown to Auckland and Jennifer’s app didn’t let her get a boarding pass to Auckland- it created one for Auckland to Santiago but not Queenstown to Auckland. We did figure it out and didn’t spend too much time in the wrong line. After a couple of small stuff bags were moved from Jennifer’s luggage to Tibor’s luggage, we were happy that our luggage wasn’t overweight.
As has been our experience this trip- at least one of our bags was called out of the security line for an extra check. So far every bag has been re-checked at least once on this trip.
We made it to the gate with about an hour to spare only to find out our flight was delayed about 30-40 minutes so the gate area was also crowded. It’s a smaller airport so the deplaning passengers walk right past the passengers that are ready to board making the gate area extra crowded when a plane arrives.
Nice flight to Auckland- we saw Mt. Cook from the air. Since we were delayed we didn’t have as much time for our layover in Auckland. We were enjoying the lounge and food and it was a good thing Jennifer reminded us it was time to go to the gate or we might have missed our flight to Santiago.
Mt Cook from the air on the way to Auckland
We went thru arrival customs/immigration in Santiago which took some time because Jennifer was the chosen one this time and the dog sniffer alerted on her bag with the chocolate. They didn’t take the chocolate so it was all good.
Our special experience in Santiago was the ride from the airport to the hotel. There was supposed to be a shuttle available from the airport to the hotel but it turned out it had to be arranged ahead of time. It would have taken 2 hours to get the shuttle. Luckily(?) there was a greeter at the airport that helped us get a driver and ride to the hotel. We hopped into the car with our luggage and away we went. As we neared the hotel, the driver stopped along the road and another person ran over to the car with the card reader to take the $10 payment. We offered cash but they wanted a card payment. I pulled out my credit card and they tapped it but it failed because it required a PIN. Then I pulled out my debit card and entered the PIN (it showed up on the screen in the clear- very odd). Then they moved the card reader around because ‘there was no signal’ hmmmmm….Then I got an alert on my phone – there was a charge of $233.16!!! Oh Oh…then I got another alert on my phone- there was a charge of another $233.16. I grabbed my card from the card reader and we gave the driver $10 cash and he took us to the hotel. At the hotel I called and cancelled my debit card- they did show the charges for $233.16 but I caught it in time so they cancelled the transaction and we’re not out any money. I’m glad I had another card and am traveling with Tibor & Jennifer so we can pay for the rest of the trip.
We were dropped off along side the road by a closed gate with a security guard- at this point we were a bit worried when the car/driver sped off but the guard let us in since we had a reservation.
One charge for $233.16Cancelling a card and getting a new one
At the hotel, they didn’t seem surprised that we were scammed because the real charge should have been $20. We, of course, had no idea of what the correct charge should have been and we had been so happy to have a greeter/helper to help us. The greeter/helper even had a badge with his name so I thought he was from the tourist board. This is the first time in my travels that something like this has happened. I’m so happy I have a cell phone that works in Chile so I could cancel my card.
The hotel was nice and we were happy to be there. Immediately after dropping off the luggage in our room, I got a Pisco Sour and lunch at the hotel dining room. Jennifer and Tibor joined me.
We disembarked and were bused to our hotel in Queenstown. There were no flights to Santiago in the late afternoon so we need to spend the night here in Queenstown.
Before we could disembark we had to go thru ‘customs’ because we left Australia (our last island- Macquarie- was under control of Tasmania which is under Australia) and entered New Zealand (where the ship docked). We walked to the lounge and they had two stations setup- we showed our passport and answered a couple of questions at the first station and then did the same thing at the second station and that was it.
Tibor and I stayed in our room until they called our group for customs and then went back to our room until they called our group to disembark.
We walked off the ship with hugs from the staff/expedition team and hopped aboard our bus from Bluff to Queenstown. The bus ride was 3 or so hour plus the time for a potty stop. This time we weren’t under a time crunch like to ride to Bluff so the potty break was significantly more than 10 minutes! We arrived at our Queenstown hotel about noon and we were happy our room was ready and we could go to our room right away.
Jennifer and I collected laundry and went to the laundromat. We had lunch during the wash cycle and after the dry cycle it was time to repack and rest for our trip to Easter Island.
Tibor went to hike up a mountain and picked up beer and pizza. Which we enjoyed while watching Match of the Day.
Watching Match of the Day in Queenstown New Zealand
Another fun event filled day- Tibor did an all day hike to the top of Mt. Honey. I kayaked in the morning and went on the Col Lyell boardwalk hike.
The kayak was about 6 kilometers and we were out on the water about 3 hours.
Tibor’s hike was about 10 kilometers and he was out about 9 hours and had to take a lunch and poo bag with him. He hiked to the top of Mt. Honey- the highest point in the southern ocean. There were about 18 people in the group.
The Col Lyell boardwalk hike was about 5 miles. It was about 2 hours up with 700 feet of elevation gain on the way up and 1 1/2 hours and 700 feet of elevation drop on the way back. It was very windy at the top- it would have blown me over if I was a small person. There was a little rain squall on the way up and a few drops of rain on the way back but otherwise quite pleasant. I had to remove 3 layers of clothes since I thought it would be very cool and rainy.
Before dinner the ship cruised past Bull Rock where there is a colony of 27,000 Campbell Island Albatross nesting. Amazing- looked like the hill was frosted with snow.
Photos from the kayak trip:
Tibor heading out to hike to the top of Mt. HoneySea Lion checking out kayakLoneliest tree in the southern ocean- a single Sitka Spruce.
Photos from the Col Lyell Boardwalk hike:
Campbell Island TealSaw Jennifer coming down as I was coming upSea Lion on boardwalk- closeupSea Lion on boardwalkBoardwalk pathBoardwalk pathviews along Boardwalk pathviews along Boardwalk pathPippet looking at person on boardwalkPippet on bush MegaherbMegaherbdaisy?boardwalk path with megaherbsSouthern Royal Albatross on nestviewing the Southern Royal Albatross on nestSouthern Royal Albatross ready for landingSouthern Royal Albatross juvenile groupCamera trained on Southern Royal Albatross on it’s nestfield of Megaherbs near the topView from the top- was almost knocked over by the windview on the way back downbaby seal on the boardwalk on the way down
Photos from Bull Rock:
Bull Rock with colony of Campbell Island AlbatrossClose up of Bull Rock with colony of Campbell Island Albatross
Today we are at sea. We’re fortunate the ship isn’t rocking as much as we expected. We have 4 meter or so swells and since they are following us the ship feels more stable than it did with the 2 meter swells we had on the way to Macquarie Island.
So far we have seen 7 species of penguins on this trip- we don’t expect to see another species but you never know. We’ve seen:
Little Blue Penguin (Dunedin and on way to Heritage Adventurer ship)
Yellow Eyed Penguin (Dunedin in recovery center, Auckland Island)
Eastern Rockhopper Penguin (Auckland Island, Macquarie Island)
Snares Crested Penguin (Snares Island)
Gentoo Penguin (Macquarie Island)
King Penguin (Macquarie Island)
Royal Penguin (Macquarie Island)
Jennifer and I were excited to see that we would have an afternoon tea today. We really enjoyed them on our other cruises.
Afternoon tea- Diane’s plate- I had a light lunch in preparation for afternoon tea
We anchored overnight at Macquarie Island and in the morning we did another zodiac landing at Sandy Beach to enjoy the penguins and seals.
After returning and having lunch, the ship cruised down the lee side of Macquarie Island and we enjoyed the views and the swimming/porpoising penguins. It was especially interesting to see the penguins swimming under the water- the water was so clear you could see them from the ship.
Photos from the zodiac landing at Sandy Beach:
King penguin removing molting featherrsThe penguin feathers are all around and provide significant nutrients to the landKing PenguinKing PenguinKing and Royal Penguins(smaller with big bills and crazy hair)Royal PenguinsThe Royal Penguins love to stand on the rocksKing penguin warming up his feetGiant petrelIt’s itchy work to moltThese are young adult males that are play-fighting to practice for when they are adultsElephant Seals like to lay next to or on top of each other. They always look a little crabby when another seal comes to join the group but they soon settle down.
Views and swimming/porpoising penguins on the ship cruise:
Lots and lots of penguinsClose up of the penguin colonyanother penguin colony on same islandporpoising penguinsporpoising penguinspenguins cleaning their featherslots of penguins in the waterWhen penguins dive they compress the air out of their feathers making a bubble trailPenguins playing and preening. You can see them below the surface the water is so clear
What a day today- so many penguins, so many different species of penguins, so much activity, such an amazing time.
This will be a photo rich entry as the morning adventure was as good as a full day and the afternoon adventure was as good as another full day!
In the morning we went on a zodiac landing at The Istmus. It’s part of the Macquarie Island World Heritage Site. We had a nice walk to see the Gentoo Penguins, the Elephant Seals, a few Royal penguins and a walk up the hill for a great view.
In the afternoon we went on a kayak, or at least we tried to go on a kayak. About half the group loaded onto their kayaks and started paddling. One went off to the left and Kate, the guide, kept calling to them to head towards the beach. One went off to the right and Kate kept calling to them to head towards the beach. Tibor and I headed out to the ocean and Kate kept calling to us to head to the beach. At that point Kate called everyone back to the zodiac and cancelled the rest of the kayak. The wind was pushing us all over and could have pushed us past the point into rocks.
After we got back to the ship and changed clothes we went on a short zodiac cruise to see the Eastern Rockhopper colony and then landed at Sandy Bay to see the King and Royal penguins as well as Skuas, Giant Petrals, a Megaherb bloom and Elephant Seals.
While we were having dinner, there was a sighting of an Orca. Everyone jumped up from their dinner table and rushed to the windows. It was pretty dinner to see everyone run from side to side and outside to see if they could see it. I just caught a glimpse of a fin- not the best view.
Photos from morning adventure at the ithmus:
Macquarie IslandGentoo Penguin by Elephant SealsElephant SealsPenguin boiler- they used to boil penguins and seals to get oilThe large leaf and small ‘moss’ are closely relatedGentoo PenguinGentoo Penguinmolting elephant sealElephant SealKing PenguinKing penguins- the one in back is moltingporpoising penguinsThe elephant seal is not chasing the penguins. The penguins are running away so they don’t get squished by the elephant seal
Photos from kayaking:
Zodiac carrying KayaksLoved seeing the swimming penguins from the kayak Tibor is happy on the zodiac- our guide (Kate) is leaning out to collect the kayaks
Photos from the afternoon cruise:
Macquarie Island Shag (Comorant)Eastern Rockhopper Penguin
Photos from the afternoon landing:
King penguin(large) and Royal Penguin (small with ‘bad hair’)King penguin(large) and Royal Penguin (small with ‘bad hair’)Royal PenguinKing PenguinKing Penguin with eggMolting KingPenguinRoyal Penguin Front & BackLine of King PenguinsMegaherbs in bloom with penguin colony on hillRoyal Penguin with no worries amid Elephant SealsKing Penguin ColonyPenguins on the beach and entering/exiting the waterDiane with PenguinsTibor and guide photographing Penguin
Back on ship- photo taken during dinner:
Orca sighting at dinner- I just barely saw the fin between the folks in front of me and the window grid.
Today we got to rest and learn. It was a sea day so no excursions. Instead we had a number of presentations and got to watch the albatross and birds flying on the open ocean. It’s 300 nautical miles to our next stop- Macquarie Island.
Random info from presentations:
Frigate birds can fly for months without landing- they napp in the air and can shut down half their brain at a time
King penguins can dive 500+ meters deep and they can hold their breath for 20+ minutes
One penguin can turn off it’s stomach processing so it can bring back unprocessed food for their chicks
Today we past south into Australian territory
2-3 million penguins were boiled/killed and rendered into oil between 1810 and 1918. 2000 penguins a day could be ‘processed’ and with better equipment up to 3500 per day could be processed
Tibor went kayaking today but I was so tired from yesterday’s kayaking that I did a zodiac cruise. Originally the kayakers were going to leave at 7am and return at noon. They ended up going from 8:30 to 11:30- a much shorter time and distance than yesterday. I was still glad I took the zodiac cruise to Musgrave Inlet because I saw and photographed many Eastern Rockhopper penguins and the endemic Auckland Island shag. We also took the zodiac into a dark cave and an open lava tube.
Tibor kayakingAuckland Island Shag(Cormorant)chicksDiane with Eastern Rockhopper PenguinsDiane on zodiac in front of our shipEastern Rockhopper PenguinEastern Rockhopper PenguinEastern Rockhopper Penguin coming out of the forestInside a collapsed lava tubeold lava tube
After lunch and after the ship repositioned to Carnley Harbour, Tibor and I went on a zodiac ride. It was the first time we had typical Southern Ocean weather- it was a bit windy, chilly and rainy. We were happy we went on the zodiac ride except that Tibor’s video camera stopped working- it no longer even powers on.
rainy cloudy zodiac ridenotice how the tree line reflects the wind direction and topographyunderbrush damaged by wild pigsunderbrush on predator free islandLight-mantled sooty albatrossyoung Gibson albatrossAntarctica tern
Afterwards the ship did a short cruise up to Figure Eight Island to see the historic ship wreck sites. The book “Islands of the Lost” was recommended. It’s the true story of the shipwreck of the schooners Grafton and Invercauld. Captian Musgrave’s crew (Grafton) built tools, a cabin, and escaped, while the Invercauld crew collapsed into chaos and cannibalism and only three survived.
