BirdLife Australia & Aurora Expeditions present & South Georgia NOVEMBER 2016

LIMITED TIME OFFER PARTNERS FLY FREE* See inside for details JOIN US IN ANTARCTICA

We invite you to join us aboard our small expedition ship, Polar Pioneer, for an exclusive BirdLife Australia voyage to Antarctica & South Georgia. Enjoy magnificent birdwatching from the ship’s observation decks and as we land ashore, where our expert guides, including a BirdLife Australia specialist, identify and explain each species. From gentoo and king penguins to wandering albatrosses and Antarctic skuas, this is your chance to experience some of the most unique and mesmerising birdlife on our planet.

Be mesmerised by albatrosses as they wheel in our wake. 24 DAYS BIRDLIFE AUSTRALIA PACKAGE

FEATURING ANTARCTICA & SOUTH GEORGIA EXPEDITION AND BONUS SANTIAGO BIRD TOUR. This exclusive BirdLife Australia package also features international flights, accommodation, city tour and more!

ITINERARY 16 November 2016 | Australia > Santiago, Yellow-finch, Magellanic Tapaculo, Scale-throated Earthcreeper, Andean Depart Australia on your LAN Airlines flight to Santiago. On arrival you’ll Condor, Mountain Caracara, may be spotted during the day. (B) be transferred to your hotel. 19 November 2016 | Santiago > Falkland Islands/Malvinas Overnight: Atton El Bosque Santiago After breakfast proceed to the airport to check-in for your LAN flight to 17 November 2016 | Santiago City Tour the Falkland Islands. The flight will arrive in the Falklands early afternoon Enjoy a half-day panoramic sightseeing tour of Santiago, visiting some of where, after a short tour of the town, you’ll be transferred to Polar the city’s most important landmarks. The afternoon is at your leisure. Pioneer to commence your expedition to South Georgia & Antarctica. Overnight: Atton El Bosque Santiago (B) (B,D)

18 November 2016 | Santiago Bird Tour 20–21 November 2016 | Bound for South Georgia Today you’ll depart Santiago for the foothills and mountains of the Bound for South Georgia, escorted by albatrosses, giant petrels and tiny Andes Ranges on your guided birding expedition. Sightings may include Wilson’s storm petrels. Our naturalist and historian enliven the crossing seven of the eight central Chile endemics: Chilean Tinamou, Crag Chilia, with informative talks and we keep a watchful eye for Shag Rocks. Our Dusky-tailed Canastero, Moustached Turca, White-throated Tapaculo, expedition staff prepares us for our first landings with environmental and Dusky Tapaculo and Chilean Mockingbird, as you stop at several different Zodiac briefings. altitudes en-route. Many other wonderful birds like Striped Woodpecker, 22–26 November 2016 | South Georgia Island Chilean Flicker, Austral Pygmy-owl, Giant Hummingbird, White-sided We have ample time to explore the island’s spectacular northern coast Hillstar, Creamy-rumped Miner, Black-fronted Ground-tyrant, Greater as spring brings an explosion of life. We visit wildlife havens that include

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Weddell Sea Lemaire ANTARCTIC Channel PENINSULA AN TARCTIC CIRCLE

Zodiac cruising past a Macaroni penguin rookery in South Georgia. EXPEDITION HIGHLIGHTS

✓ World’s largest king penguin colonies ✓ Fresh snowscapes & unsullied penguins ✓ Spectacular seabirds enhance our Drake Passage crossing ✓ Skuas & leopard seals patrol rookeries ✓ Step ashore on the Antarctic continent ✓ Free photography workshops ✓ BirdLife Australia Guest Lecturer

Dedicated photography workshops will help you capture the king penguin rookeries.

the world’s largest king penguin rookeries, majestic albatross nests we pack in as much as possible, visit historic sites, attempting to land on and beaches cluttered with basking elephant seals, feisty fur seals and the continent proper and Zodiac cruising amongst spectacular icebergs. penguins. Kayakers revel in paddling the coastline’s nooks and crannies, 3–5 December 2016 | Drake Passage accompanied by playful seal pups. As part of our Shackleton Centenary Heading north across the Drake Passage, we return to the realm of the celebrations, we hope to retrace his expedition’s final steps from Fortuna albatross and reflect on the adventures we’ve had. Bay to Stromness. In Grytviken, we enjoy a guided tour of the fascinating South Georgia Museum, and toast 'The Boss' and his right-hand man, 6 December 2016 | Puerto Williams > Punta Arenas Frank Wild, at their graveside. Dawn greets us in the . Arriving in the small port town of Puerto Williams, the world’s southernmost settlement, enjoy a town 27–28 November 2016 | Across the Scotia Sea tour before boarding the short flight to Punta Arenas. On arrival you’ll be We cross the Scotia Sea, watch seabirds and great whales including blues, transferred to your hotel. fin and sei. We have time to reflect on our time in South Georgia and Overnight: Cabo De Hornos Hotel prepare for Antarctica, searching for our first iceberg along the way. We’ll see our second, third and many more as the Weddell Sea gyre spins big 7 December 2016 | Punta Arenas > Santiago > Australia bergs north. Today, you’ll enjoy the morning at leisure in Punta Arenas before being transferred to the airport for your flight to Santiago, and your connecting 29 November 2016 | onward flight to Australia. (B) We approach Point Wild, a bleak, rocky spit along Elephant Island’s dramatic north coast. If conditions allow, we’ll Zodiac cruise, possibly 8 December 2016 even step ashore, to pay tribute to Shackleton’s 22 men who survived Cross the International Date Line. here for four months, living under upturned lifeboats. 9 December 2016 | Arrival into Australia 30 November – 2 December 2016 | Your LAN Airlines flight will arrive into Australia early this morning. After attempting to land in the South Shetland Islands, we sail down Note: The expedition component of this itinerary is subject to weather Gerlache Strait and wake up to the drama of Antarctica. We may and sea conditions and is meant as a guide only. encounter pack ice, and penguin rookeries alive with courtship, mating and nest-building. Leopard seals and South Polar skuas are on the hunt, while shy giant petrels incubate their eggs. With nearly 24 hours daylight,

PARTNERS FLY FREE * PACKAGE INCLUSIONS LIMITED TIME ONLY

Aurora Expeditions has prepared this package • 18-day Antarctica & South Georgia voyage, • FREE Santiago Birding Tour itinerary exclusively for BirdLife Australia including FREE photography workshops • 1 night in Punta Arenas, including breakfast members and supporters. Featuring flights • Economy Class airfares to South America ex Sydney, • Airport transfers to South America, accommodation and your including taxes expedition to Antarctica, this is the perfect, • All meals on board during voyage no-fuss way to book your trip of a lifetime. • Internal flights in South America • Polar Expedition Jacket • 3 nights’ in Santiago, including breakfast PLUS book onto our BirdLife Australia • Souvenir Photo Book package before 30 June 2016 and your • Santiago city tour • Free 12-month Birdlife Australia membership partner will FLY FREE to South America - a saving of $2,475 per couple!* PRICES*

For full details contact us on 1300 938 718 or Twin Cabin, Shared Bathroom First Person $28,195 Second Person $25,720 Please contact us for email us at [email protected] sole traveller rates. and quote "BirdLife Australia". Twin Cabin, Private Bathroom First Person $33,295 Second Person $30,820

TERMS & CONDITIONS Partners Fly Free package price is in AU dollars and is based on two people travelling together and sharing the same cabin. Offer is subject to availability and may change without notice. Package offer only valid in twin public and twin private cabin categories on the following departure: ASG66 departing 19 November 2016. A non-refundable deposit of AU$5,000 per person is required at time of booking. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer. Quote ‘BirdLife Australia’ when booking. Offer ends 30 June 2016. Other conditions may apply. Blue-eyed cormorants breed along the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia. EXTEND YOUR ADVENTURE With over 20 years’ experience we know that many of our expeditioners like to make the most of their time in South America whilst travelling for their Antarctic expedition. With its natural beauty and contrasts, diverse culture, rich traditions, fascinating history and scenic splendours, there is really no excuse not too! Below is a small selection of our extension tours that you may like to add to your adventure for an even more in-depth birding experience. If you have something else in mind, our team of experts would be happy to tailor-make an itinerary just for you. Email [email protected] or call 02 9252 1033 to discuss your travel options with one of our Expedition Experts.

Falkland Islands Hopper | 7 Nights Experience the Falkland Islands and its rich variety of wildlife. Enjoy a scenic flight to Sea Lion Island, the smallest island of the archipelago, and stay at the Sea Lion Lodge, the only purpose-built lodge in the Falkland Islands. Discover the unique landscapes of Pebble Island, its moorland, sandy beaches and rocky cliffs. Enjoy bird watching including Chiloe Wigeon, Grebes, Black-necked swans and more. Also explore Carcass Island and its picturesque environment with the option of taking a guided excursion. Finish your Falkland adventure by visiting the islands' capital, Stanley and its history along with its famous colony of Magellanic penguins at Gypsy Cove! Option available before your expedition

Patagonia Discovery Trek | 9 Nights Patagonia is located in the southern reaches of Chile and Argentina and offers intrepid travellers a world of adventure. Its wind-swept plains, glaciated mountain ranges and turquoise lakes stretch for thousands of miles, and despite its desolation, it holds a wealth of unique flora and fauna. On our On our Patagonia Discovery Trek, day walks into Los Glaciares National Park and Torres del Paine National Park lead us through unique temperate rainforests to some of the world’s most spectacular alpine regions. Each night we return to our comfortable lodge or hotel to unwind. Available after your expedition.

Iguazu Falls | 3 Nights In the northeast of Argentina, the Iguazu River joins the Parana River to create a natural border with Brazil and Paraguay. It is here that the most spectacular waterfalls in the world, the ‘Cataratas del Iguazu’ plunge into a gorge of over 275 falls along three kilometres with an average height of 70 metres. Higher than Niagara Falls and wider than Victoria Falls, Iguazu are more beautiful than any photograph can capture. The majority of the falls lie in the Argentinian side, giving you the best perspective, whilst the Brazilian side offers grand panoramic views. CELEBRATE THE SHACKLETON CENTENARY

This year Aurora Expeditions also pays tribute to one of Antarctica’s greatest explorers, Sir to celebrate 100 years since the ill-fated 1914-1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. This voyage will also benefit from our program of Shackleton Centenary events which includes a unique floating exhibition of imagery taken by Shackleton’s

Australian photographer, Frank Hurley, during the expedition. E E NC XP A ED R I T You’ll also enjoy a commemorative expeditionary dinner, a U

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guided tour of the South Georgia museum, a special Shackleton E CKLETO memorial and tributes to other fascinating Antarctic explorers. SHA N 10 s 0 Year

OUR EXPEDITION SHIP Polar Pioneer is our small and sturdy expedition ship. Built as an ice-strengthened research vessel, she provides a comfortable range of triple, twin and suite cabin options (all with windows) for up to 54 expeditioners. She boasts spacious viewing platforms, two dining rooms, lounge bar, lecture theatre, spacious decks, and a small fleet of Zodiacs to ferry us from ship to shore. Each expedition is accompanied by a full team of naturalists, historians and polar specialists, as well as our expert Russian crew.

WHY TRAVEL WITH AURORA EXPEDITIONS? Aurora Expeditions’ passion for nature and exploring wild places has span the last two decades. As the experts in small ship adventures, we carry just 54 passengers offering exciting, innovative itineraries. Less people means more solitude and greater flexibility if tides, currents, ice or weather dictate a schedule change. And because we have less people to ferry ashore, we often make more landings.

Our expeditions offer unique opportunities to experience some of our planet’s most extraordinary and rare bird and wildlife. Each and every one of our trips offers you the chance to join our expert naturalists as we actively search, high and low, for some of the most unique wildlife around. Our naturalists will also provide detailed and entertaining talks so you can learn more about different species and varieties of animals that call our destinations home.

TRAVEL WITH US & ENJOY:

✓ Small groups of 54 or less ✓ Expert guides and naturalists ✓ Up-close wildlife encounters ✓ Large viewing platforms ✓ Multiple shore landings daily ✓ Flexibility and freedom ✓ Over 20 years’ experience ✓ Optional adventure activities

For more information on this special BirdLife Australia itinerary and package please contact Aurora Expeditions on P: 1300 938 718 E: [email protected] W: www.auroraexpeditions.com.au

antarctica & south georgia | european arctic | scotland | alaska’s inside passage | kimberley coast | ecuador & galapagos | patagonia