I’m onboard the final Qantas Antarctic flight for the 2020/2021 season. Our Antarctic professional tells us the ocean ice can prolong as much as 400km from the landmass of Antarctica.
It’s arduous to wrap your head across the scale of this continent, even for Australians who’re used to travelling lengthy distances.
Our flight will spend 4 hours over the ice, and but we will solely cowl a tiny sliver of Antarctica. It’s simply that large.
The southernmost continent is the coldest and windiest place on the earth. And even if it holds 90 per cent of the world’s water, it’s truly labeled as a desert as a result of so little moisture falls from the sky.
Antarctic Flights has 19 totally different flight patterns to select from, relying on the climate. We’re headed in the direction of the Ross Sea and the Transantarctic Mountains.
This area, straight under Australia is just not accessible by cruise ship.
“It’s too tough and would take far too lengthy,” considered one of our Antarctic flights guides tells me.
“By the point you lastly crossed that ocean, you’ll be sick.”
One of the simplest ways, and maybe the one approach, for normal Australians to see this unbelievable a part of the continent is on considered one of these “Antarctica in a day” flights.
I had anticipated to be wowed by the white suggestions of icebergs dunked into the cool blue ocean. But it surely was, the truth is, Antarctica’s rugged alpine area that left the largest mark.
Wave after wave of steep snowy mountains go by the airplane window; the peaks reminding me of whipped meringue.
Huge glacial tributaries ooze between them becoming a member of an immense movement of ice carving out valleys on its method to the ocean.
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In the event you look intently, you may see cracks within the ice, tinged with blue. We’re advised these are crevasses, big holes created by the creaking and pushing of the ice. A few of these crevasses will be as deep as 3km, a harmful impediment to any Antarctic explorer on land.
Fortunately we’re secure up within the sky, consuming champagne in climate-controlled consolation.
As we go Mount Melbourne, the airplane circles each methods to provide everybody ample viewing time.
The cone volcano has an analogous form to Mount Fuji, however far fewer worshipers.
On the day we fly previous, a low cloud obscures the bottom. Solely the highest juts out above, reaching for the sky.
The 1km large caldera on high of the volcano is full of snow and the mountain surrounding it’s lined with everlasting ice, which extends all the best way to the coast.
Whereas we’re too excessive as much as see penguins, you may simply make out the tops of the buildings of a Chinese language Antarctic Base. Our captain tells us the Italian base is shut, however it’s underneath cloud cowl.
Because the airplane swoops over the tongue of the Campbell Glacier, I’m awestruck watching big plumes of snow blowing off the sting of the ice shelf and into the ocean. This actually is a continent of extremes.
On board the flight, few individuals keep of their seats. You’re free to wander across the cabin, gazing on the view from the gallies or any spare window.
Those that do have window seats, graciously let others peak by.
Midway by the journey over the ice, passengers conduct a covid-safe seat swap. We meticulously wipe our seats, tray tables and TV screens down earlier than these with the home windows, swap their seats for the aisles.
Because the airplane turns round and heads again in the direction of Australia, I discover a number of individuals sigh. They don’t need to depart. This Qantas Antarctica flight actually is a as soon as in a life-time expertise that can depart you wanting extra.
In-flight eating on the Qantas Antarctica flight
My seat was in premium financial system, 23J and 23K.
We had been equipped a snack pack with a bottle of water, chocolate, crackers, nuts, Mentos and a cookie.
Qantas does serve breakfast, dinner and a snack on the flight.
The precise meal depends upon catering on the day.
How a lot does the Qantas Antarctica flight price?
Costs begin from $1,199 per individual for financial system over the wing.
The perfect enterprise class deluxe seats will set you again $7,999 per individual.
Antarctica Flights will run journeys from Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney in 2021 and 2022.
You can too board a particular New Yr’s Eve flight over Antarctica from Sydney, the place you’ll be one of many first individuals on earth to welcome the brand new 12 months, in broad daylight.
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