Ross Island

Gateway to the world's greatest ice shelf

Ross Island — Historic explorations and Antarctic science

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Scott Base Research base

Tour New Zealand's Antarctic research station with modern facilities and polar heritage.

Best time: Nov–Feb — Summer season marks the operational period when bases welcome visitors and staff.

Things to do:

• Tour New Zealand research station
• Meet base personnel
• Learn Antarctic research
• Photograph station operations

Shackleton's Hut, Cape Royds Historic site

Explore the preserved 1908 Nimrod expedition hut where Shackleton's team overwintered.

Best time: Nov–Feb — The historic site is accessible only during austral summer when expeditions operate.

Things to do:

• Enter historic explorer shelter
• View preserved interior
• Learn expedition details
• Photograph artifacts

Cape Royds Adélie Colony Wildlife colony

Visit the world's southernmost Adélie penguin colony, studied continuously for decades.

Best time: Dec–Feb — Peak breeding season provides maximum nesting activity and reliable colony access.

Things to do:

• Observe Adelie penguin rookery
• Photograph nesting birds
• Count breeding population
• Watch chick development

Observation Hill Viewpoint

Climb the volcanic hill above McMurdo to Scott's memorial cross and sweeping views of the sound.

Best time: Dec–Jan — Peak summer conditions offer the most stable weather and longest daylight for the climb.

Things to do:

• Hike to hilltop viewpoint
• View surrounding landscape
• Photograph panoramic vista
• Observe weather formations

Ross Island Adelie Penguin Rookeries Park

Ancient breeding colonies of Adelie penguins on ice-free rocky peninsulas.

Best time: Nov–Mar — Long-term research sites tracking climate change impacts on polar penguin populations.

Things to do:

• Observe large adelie penguin colonies
• Photograph chicks and parenting behavior
• Count birds for scientific monitoring

From the notebook

Mount Erebus smoked faintly against a sky scrubbed clean of clouds, its plume the only moving thing for miles. I walked out near Hut Point where Scott's old shelter still stands, boards silvered by a century of wind, and felt how thin the line is here between exploration and simple endurance.

Arriving

• Fly into CHC · Christchurch, New Zealand — Fly or cruise from Christchurch across the Southern Ocean.
• SIM NZ SIM/eSIM before departure; no signal in the Ross Sea.
• Money Carry NZ dollars and USD; onboard costs are prepaid.