The 46 passengers gathered in the Kelvin Hotel in the centre of Invercargill on the evening of 20 November to have dinner with most of the Expedition Team and to stay there overnight. Many had been travelling around New Zealand immediately before this, and all had been impressed by the country and its friendly, helpful people - not to mention its very special birds and mammals.

Next day, in heavy rain, everyone came aboard in the late morning and the Shokalskiy sailed on the tide soon after midday. Leaving Bluff Harbour with its Spotted and Stewart Island Shags, we had our first penguins, Little Blues, and outside the harbour we encountered the first albatrosses, White-capped, with Snares Cape Petrels and Common Diving Petrels. These set the scene for the whole trip, during which there was scarcely an hour without seabirds around the ship.

We headed south down the east coast of Stewart Island, just a hazy shape through the rain and wind. A solitary pale morph South Polar Skua and two Brown Skuas passed the ship, Sooty Shearwaters increased in number to several hundreds, and more albatrosses appeared - a Black-browed, half a dozen Salvin’s, and two Southern Royals. We were now into petrels, with two bulky Northern Giants, five of the small, slim Cook’s and 18 striking Mottled, with their wild impetuous flight. In the evening we pulled into Port Pegasus at the southern end of the island to seek sheltered waters while we had our first dinner on board, where we were rewarded with two Fjordland Penguins close to the ship, the only ones among the penguins in the bay close enough for us to see the distinctive face pattern. Here we also saw the only Pied Shag of the whole trip. As we retired to bed after dinner, the Shokalskiy headed back out into the open sea and on south again towards the Snares Islands.

An unforgettable morning was spent on 22nd cruising in the Naiads (metal-hulled inflatables like Zodiacs) along the sheltered shore and bays of these low, wooded islands, where landing is not permitted. The weather was cool but with warmer sunny periods, and photographic opportunities were excellent. The highlight was the 2,000-plus Snares Penguins, with their heavy red bills and straight narrow yellow head plumes, all along the shore and under the trees below which they nest. Antarctic Terns, Red-billed Gulls, Common Diving Petrels, Fairy Prions and predatory Brown Skuas were all around us, and from the water we had good close views of the endemic Snares Tomtits and Snares Fernbirds on the rocks and in the trees. It seemed strange to also see Blackbirds and Song Thrushes above the rocks on which reposed Hooker’s Sea Lions and New Zealand Fur Seals.

As we rejoined the ship and made our way back out to sea, we ran through huge numbers of seabirds which breed on the islands and which had gathered offshore. Some 5,000 Sooty Shearwaters, 2,000 Snares Cape Petrels, 1,250 Fairy Prions, 100-plus Salvin’s Albatrosses and 100-plus Common Diving Petrels made an impressive sight as we departed. Two Buller’s Albatrosses were seen briefly among them, returning early to their breeding islands.

The voyage southwards towards our next island group, the Aukland Islands, was noteworthy for the procession of seabirds throughout the day. More of the previous species, with also up to 50 White-capped Albatrosses together, Northern and Southern Giant Petrels, White-chinned and Mottled Petrels, the first few Antarctic Prions and Black-bellied Storm-petrels, and a Campbell Albatross (the Black-browed with the honey-coloured eye) kept us all busy in developing our identification skills. Towards the end of the afternoon, in gale-force winds, heavy rain squalls and poor visibility, we watched with incredulity as a distant fishing boat crossed ahead of our track followed by at least 10,000 seabirds in its wake. Of these some 1,500 were White-chinned Petrels, 1,300 were Black-bellied Storm-petrels and 450 were White-capped Albatrosses - an amazing sight, and unfortunately in such poor weather conditions and at such a distance that we could not properly see all the birds.

Enderby Island at dawn on 23 November, and our first landing. We spent all day on this marvellous rodent- and cat-free island, full of birds whose tameness was extraordinary. We walked right round the perimeter on a very blustery day with regular heavy downpours and occasional sunny periods. There were so many highlights - the Southern Royal Albatrosses breeding on top of the island, the elegant Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses on the cliffs, the Aukland Island Shag colonies, the conspicuous Double-banded Plovers and skulking New Zealand Snipe, the shy Yellow-eyed Penguins, Aukland Island Flightless Teal, Aukland Island Tomtits, Red-crowned Parakeets, Aukland Island Pipits, and a single New Zealand Falcon - it was almost overwhelming. With Bar-tailed Godwits and Turnstone, Blackbirds and Song Thrushes, and Starlings and Redpolls, one could be forgiven for thinking one was at home in Britain - until a Bellbird or a Tui appeared and sang loudly from the dense tree cover. This remarkable day on such an exceptional island helped us to appreciate the importance of eliminating predators from remote islands, an unqualified conservation success in work in which New Zealand leads the world. We headed off into the gathering dusk exhausted but exhilarated.

Another dawn, another island - in this case two islands, Adams Island to the south and Auckland Island to the north of our position in Carnley Harbour. Usually sheltered, the harbour was battered by the continuing gale-force winds and we had to abandon the plan to climb to South West Cape to see the breeding White-capped Albatrosses, a great disappointment. We even had difficulty finding a sheltered anchorage, and when we did, we managed no more than a Naiad excursion for a few hardy passengers along the heavily wooded shores, and a brief landing. A startled feral pig, running wild down by the shore, and a few skulking Tuis, Bellbirds and Blackbirds, were the sum total of our efforts. Before breakfast some early risers had seen the first White-headed Petrels of the trip, and from the bridge later in the morning we watched Light-mantled Sooties riding the winds along the snow-dusted mountain ridges.

We left after lunch, battling our windy way out of Carnley Harbour between the high cliffs at the entrance and out into the turbulent open sea. Multitudes of seabirds accompanied us, mostly Sooty Shearwaters and White-capped Albatrosses, with later a total of over 100 White-headed Petrels and the first Grey-backed Storm-petrel and Antarctic Fulmar. At sea all through the next day, we continued this selection, with the addition of the first Grey-headed Albatross, Soft-plumaged and Blue Petrels as we headed south towards Macquarie Island and our next landfall.

This remote inhospitable island is about 18 miles long and three miles wide, windblown and wild. Just north of the Antarctic Convergence, where the icy cold Antarctic waters meet the more temperate Southern Ocean, it is Australian territory and home to a scientific base which we visited. Our first attempt at landing, on 26th at Sandy Cove, was aborted as the swell hitting the shore was too high for safety. A compensation was the sighting of three Orcas passing the ship. We returned north to Anare Station where we were able to go ashore for the afternoon and walk along beaches covered with Southern Elephant Seals and King and Gentoo Penguins. We watched Southern Rockhopper Penguins and Macquarie Island Shags, Brown Skuas and Antarctic Terns, and the incongruous sight of Rabbits hopping along the hillsides above the shore and Starlings and Redpolls flying over. The Elephant Seals dominated the scene, with huge bulls prostrate on the beach after the rigours of the mating season; groups of Giant Petrels feeding on the carcasses of those which had expired in their efforts; and endearing pups gazing at us with their huge soulful eyes as we gingerly edged past them. We enjoyed the warm hospitality of the Australian scientists at the base before returning to the ship for an overnight stay just offshore.

Next day was less windy and we were able to land at Sandy Bay for an unforgettable morning. Surrounded by teeming wildlife of unbelievable tameness, we wandered through thousands of Royal and King Penguins, and visited their breeding colonies, a cacophony of noise and activity. We met hundreds of young Elephant Seals all along the beach, moving them off our lifejackets which they seemed to find comfortable to lie on. Even a telescope and tripod appealed to them as a bed! All too soon it was time to drag ourselves away, return the four rangers from the base, who had escorted us around, to the Anare Station at Buckle Bay, and start our long journey northwards - next stop, Campbell Island...

Before then, though, we had a day and a half at sea to enjoy. The weather continued to be what could euphemistically be called unsettled; that is, gale-force winds and huge seas, although luckily the mountainous waves were following us and helped to push us along. The mix of species continued as before, with the addition of the first Wilson’s Storm-petrels and Gibson’s Wandering Albatross.

The day of the albatross - Southern Royal, to be precise. Dozens of these were on nests up on the hills in the centre of the island, white dots visible from miles away, and accessible from what must be the longest boardwalk in the world, about two miles from the landing place up to the main colony. Their serene and dignified demeanour contrasted with the dreadful weather, with low cloud, heavy drizzle, hailstones and very gusty winds dominating the early morning. Miraculously (for Rodney surely must have friends in very high places) it all changed in mid-morning as the wind swung round to the north-west and the sun came out for brief periods. Most passengers made their way up the boardwalk, several spending the whole day in the company of the magnificent, huge, docile albatrosses. A smaller, more energetic, group went on an eight-hour march for miles across the island, through wet and dry, across low and high, forests and hills, returning exhausted at the end of the afternoon.

The combined bird list included Campbell Island Shags, Brown Skuas, Antarctic Terns, the inevitable Redpolls, and, of all things, several Dunnocks. We did wonder how such a typical British garden bird could survive on this wild, open, untamed and spectacular island. The recent eradication of rats must have helped all the breeding species to survive and thrive. We were shown a video of this successful operation, which used half a dozen helicopters dropping poison pellets across the whole island with great precision to eliminate the rodents.

We left Campbell Island with that by-now familiar feeling that we had been privileged to land there and to see such magnificent wildlife at first hand in such a superb setting. We enjoyed another day at sea on 30th, when our by-now regular seabirds were joined by over 200 ‘Honeyeyes’ (Campbell Black-browed Albatrosses) and 40 Grey-backed Storm-petrels, the latter voted ‘bird of the day’. Five more Wandering Albatrosses included one probable Snowy and four perhaps Gibson’s or Antipodean - they are not easy!

As we approached the main island on 1 December, another windy, damp, cold day, the first Little Shearwaters of the trip (of the Subantarctic race elegans) were spotted and we had our first sighting of our ninth and final species of penguin, the Erect-crested. We anchored close in under the cliffs at the north-east end of the island and took to the Naiads for two-hour cruises below the cliffs where it was relatively sheltered. We had excellent views of an estimated 2,700 Erect-cresteds, some with tiny chicks, and with some 50 Rockhoppers among them. Hundreds of prions were flying about over the sea and the scree slopes and rocky areas above the tideline, and we had a trying time separating Fairy from Fulmar Prions. More frustration was caused looking through the Antipodes Red-crowned Parakeets high above us on the slopes as we tried to pick out the larger, greener Antipodes Parakeet. Only one was seen, and that by only half the group. Along the rocky shores were some 20 Antipodes Island Pipits while above us Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses were calling and displaying above the cliff ledges.

Before we left in the late afternoon, Rodney organised a ‘chumming’ session, throwing pieces of squid over the stern of the ship. After a slow start, the word got round the seabird community, and we were soon besieged by dozens of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters fighting over the scraps. Five Antipodean Wandering Albatrosses, which of course breed here, a Southern Royal, 15 Black-browed, a Campbell and a White-capped were water-skiing in and diving for the squid. Among the many White-chinned Petrels were several Soft-plumaged and White-headed with one Grey Petrel coming in quite close at times. Sooty and Little Shearwaters joined in the feast. As the sun set spectacularly behind North Cape, it was time to go. Another wonderful island, more vivid experiences and indelible memories. Not to mention the thousands of photographs taken...

A rough sea and headwind slowed us down, and it was mid-morning on 2 December before we were sailing in among these extraordinarily bare and barren rocks. Thousands upon thousands of Salvin’s Albatrosses circled over the breeding islands, with smaller numbers of Erect-crested Penguins, Snares Cape Petrels, Fulmar Prions, and New Zealand Fur Seals on shore or in or over the sea. Bounty Island Shag was another endemic one for the list. It was too choppy to lower the Naiads, so our fearless Captain and Expedition Leader took us in as close to the islands as we could safely go. At least we saw the islands - the last visit two years ago was shrouded in fog and no-one even saw any land! We headed on ever-northwards in the afternoon, when the only new trip tick was White-faced Storm-petrel. Next stop the long-awaited Chatham Islands...

It was on the morning of 3 December when we sighted Pyramid Rock 24 miles and three hours ahead of us. The number and variety of tubenoses increased as we steadily approached, and included several Grey-faced Petrels, two Broad-billed Prions, a Pacific Albatross and our first beautiful Chatham Albatrosses. We reached The Pyramid in mid-afternoon and encircled it, marvelling at the thousands of Chatham Albatrosses on their only breeding island in the world - how vulnerable they are. To our surprise, we saw two figures on a wide ledge, with a couple of tents; scientists studying and counting the albatrosses. The Captain stopped the ship and Rodney did some more chumming. This was instantly successful, and we enjoyed spectacularly close encounters with the albatrosses, joined by an Indian Yellow-nosed (found trying to breed on the rock two years ago).

Reluctantly we left Pyramid Rock, but very happy that we had been so close to this world-famous stack and its equally famous inhabitants. We headed now for South East Island for an overnight stop. At the end of the day from the ship, anchored close to the shore, a few people saw some 50 Little Blue Penguins and a similar number of Pitt Island Shags in the water, and on the shore three Chatham Island Pied Oystercatchers. White-fronted Terns were fishing in the bay and at dusk thousands of Sooty Shearwaters were gathering ready to come ashore to their nests after dark, to avoid the many Brown Skuas. After dinner a White-faced Storm-petrel and a Common Diving Petrel were found out on the deck, probably dazzled by the ship’s lights, so most of these were turned off.

Before breakfast on 4 December we were out in the Naiads, cruising along the shore looking for the three endemics - Pitt Island Shag, Chatham Island Pied Oystercatcher and New Zealand Shore Plover. We managed to find them all for everybody, although one Naiad in the second group found the Oystercatcher only after a nail-biting delay. The Shore Plovers were particularly attractive and appealing. From the Naiads we also succeeded in spotting Chatham Island Red-crowned Parakeets, Tomtit, Tui, Warbler and Pipit. Three Pacific Albatrosses stayed around the ship, attracted no doubt by the fishing success of the crew. Few of us had ever seen so many fish caught so easily!

After lunch we sailed away from South East Island and headed up the east coast and along the top of Pitt Island, where 30 Chatham Island Shags completed our list of endemic shags. Crossing the Pitt Strait we paused for another chumming session, using cod heads, and although they were too big and sank too quickly, they pulled in 40 birds in 20 minutes, including five species of albatross, in perfect light and conditions for photography. We anchored for the night off the south-west coast of Chatham Island, hoping to see a Magenta Petrel or Taiko, whose tiny population (no more than 150 birds, it is thought) breeds in a forested valley there. But no luck!

The morning of 5 December found us off Waitangi and soon ashore for the morning. A coach and various other vehicles took us to one of the forested valleys, Tuku Nature Reserve, where we saw the success of fencing off certain areas and systematically removing predators. Here we had success in seeing the huge and impressive Chatham Island Pigeon and the tiny Chatham Island Warbler, plus various Silvereyes, Fantails, and nearby more European birds including Goldfinch, Skylark, Starling, Chaffinch, Redpoll, Yellowhammer and House Sparrow. A couple of Wekas were seen, half a dozen Australian Harriers and two White-faced Herons, 12 Spur-winged Plovers and six Welcome Swallows.

We sailed after lunch on the last leg of the journey back to South Island, a two-and-a-half day voyage to Dunedin. We enjoyed some very good seawatching, with Buller’s Shearwaters and Black (Parkinson’s) Petrel being new for the trip. A final chumming session four hours to the west of Chatham Island on 5th attracted 65 albatrosses of five species in just 15 minutes! The last day at sea, 7th, was sunny and more settled, with a great variety of seabirds to end with. Highlight of the day was the sighting, albeit brief, of three Gray’s Beaked Whales seen by a few lucky people. Rodney checked the records and found to his amazement that some were seen on the last trip, two years ago, in almost exactly the same stretch of sea and on the same date! Five Dusky Dolphins came alongside the ship for a brief period.

Monday 8 December dawned clear and still, and we travelled past Taiaroa Head, with its Northern Royal Albatross colony, and into Otago Harbour, on the most perfect of mornings. Soon we had docked, the coach arrived, farewells were said to friends old and new, and suddenly it was all over. Yesterday numerous tributes had been paid, formally and informally, to our Captain and crew, to Rodney Russ our Expedition Leader and his team, and to all who had made this voyage such a resounding success. We had all visited a very special part of the world with exceptional wildlife, and our expectations had been well and truly exceeded. No-one could ask for more.