LOOKING for something completely different? How about a day trip to Antarctica?
A visit to the frozen continent is easily done nowadays thanks to a new series of overflights offered by Chimu Adventures Antarctica.
Unlike a ship-based expedition, the Great Southern Flights program is an opportunity to appreciate the vast scale of Antarctica.
Depending on their departure city, travellers make a 13,500-km round trip on the South Pole Flight accompanied by a team of experts to help explain the landscapes and history of the continent.
Generally it takes about three hours' flying time before scattered icebergs come into view. Soon after, those on board usually see the continent itself.
Weather permitting, what follows is an airborne vista of dramatic mountains, glaciers and frozen landscapes.
For regular Antarctica flights, about three to four hours are spent flying over Antarctica, ideally with the flying altitude reduced to about 20,000 feet to give improved viewing of some areas.
The South Pole Expedition Flight will spend significantly longer over Antarctica, mostly at cruising altitude as it aims to reach the South Pole.
On each departure, Chimu considers factors including weather, cloud cover and ice conditions to help provide the best viewing experience on the day.
Working with Qantas, Chimu has 20 potential flight paths to choose from, all of which have a variety of interesting features to see.
Antarctica Day Flights: Priced from $1195 per person, these depart Sydney (December 4), Brisbane (January 23, 2022) and Perth (January 29, 2022)
The Southern Lights by Flight: Led by astrophysicist Dr Ian Griffin, these journeys leave mid-evening in pursuit of the southern lights. Departing from Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Hobart, travellers will see constellations, stars and planets as they have never witnessed them before.
Astronomers will provide information en route about how an aurora is created and point out their favourite night sky objects.
They will instruct on how to photograph an aurora and a photographer will be on board to help.
With different booking classes and a seat-swapping structure in place to share the best view of this amazing natural display from the large Dreamliner windows, there is an option for everyone.
Priced from $1295. There are several 2021/22 dates for each destination. Click HERE for dates and details.
South Pole Expedition Flight: Weather and time permitting, this flight from Melbourne on November 27 aims to follow Captain Robert Falcon Scott's route to the South Pole on the outward journey.
The flight will endeavour to pass over Ross Island, which Scott used as his base for his attempts on the South Pole.
From there it will seek his route south across the Ross Ice Shelf towards the Transantarctic mountains.
It's then on to the South Pole and hopefully a view of the South Pole Station, manned year-round by a team of international scientists.
If time allows, the flight will return via Roald Amundsen's South Pole route, travelling south to the Axel Heiberg Glacier and across Ross Ice Shelf to the Bay of Whales to where the Norwegian moored his ship.
New Year's Eve Flight: Departing in the evening, this flight will have travellers celebrating at dizzying heights, with live music, lashings of bubbly and the landscapes of Antarctica sparkling below.
This flight leaves Melbourne in the late afternoon and returns the following year (13 hours later). Along the way, experts will help explain the landscapes and history of the continent.
Details of all flights HERE or phone Chimu Adventures on 1300-720-564.
