Antarctica with Aurora Expeditions

Aurora Expeditions is offering an original cruise with their fully inclusive Antarctica package!

Unlike any other part of the world visited by cruise ships and cruise lines these days, and cruise lines are all looking for something new for cruise enthusiasts, there is nothing quite like Antarctica.

"Spring in Antarctica is an explosion of life," the experts at Aurora Expeditions tell us  "Penguin rookeries bustle with nest building, courtship and egg laying. Flourishing plankton attracts krill, fish, seals and whales. The icebergs sparkle and the soaring peaks and rocky shores are dusted white from freshly fallen snow. The midnight sun powers all with life and energy."

Now offering special packages from $10,000 per person, Aurora Expeditions cruise packages include Antarctic expedition, international and domestic flights, accommodation and transfers.

Packages available on selected departures below.

Antarctic Peninsula (EAP25)
26 November to 6 December 2012
Ushuaia to Ushuaia
Kayaking, Photography, Climbing, Camping

Antarctic Peninsula - Sail/Fly (ANP85)
6 December to 14 December 2012
Ushuaia to Punta Arenas
Kayaking, Photography, Camping

Antarctic Peninsula - Fly/Sail (ANP86)
14 December to 22 December 2012
Punta Arenas to Ushuaia
Kayaking, Camping


For more information visit : http://www.auroraexpeditions.com.au

Aurora Expeditions in Papua New Guinea

Aurora Expeditions have started the new year off with a bang, taking up to 15% off their 2012 expeditions to Papua New Guinea, Australia's closest neighbour. This could mean savings of up to AU$1500 per person!

Papua New Guinea Cruise highlights include:

• Colorful displays of the traditional dance and costume of tghe many diverse cultures of the region

• Glimpses of real, daily life with welcoming local villagers.

• Snorkeling and swimming

• Sea kayak expeditions and explorations

• Local guides showing off the forests and natural wildlife

• Markets full of exquisitely carved souvenirs.

If you happen to be based in Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne, Aurora Expeditions are also holding information evenings in early February, highlighting their exciting destinations and voyages.

For more information about Aurora Expeditions take a look at the profile about them at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine - Aurora Expeditions or visit their website at www.auroraexpeditions.com.au/

Secrets of The White Sea

The first Russian voyage in 2011 with Aurora Expeditions isn’t called ‘Secrets of the White Sea’ for nothing!

The White Sea is an area with a long history that is mostly unknown to the West. The Russian navy was established in the port of Arkhangelsk by Peter the Great; in the Middle Ages the city became Russia’s gateway to commerce with northern Europe; and, in the last century, a long line of explorers departed from here on many famous polar expeditions.

The Solovetskiy Archipelago played a major role in Russian religious and political history. In the early 15th century, a small monastery founded on Bolshoy Solovetsky Island by hermit monks. By the 17th century, the monastery had spread across several islands, with a network canals to connect buildings and to transport fresh water from the interior lakes. What began as a remote hermitage developed into a strategic defense post and grew into an important political force in the White Sea region.

Between the late 18th century and the Russian Revolution in 1917, the monastery fought brutal battles with invading Swedes, Germans, and Finns who sought to raid the island coffers, art treasures, and vast library collection that had been amassed there. In the early 1920's, the Bolsheviks under Stalin closed the monastery, killed most of the clergy, and turned the buildings into the Solovki Camp of Special Designation—a concentration camp for their ideological enemies: teachers, writers, artists, men of the church, etc.

The 'Gulag Archipelago', as the Solovetskys came to be known, was the first of a Russia-wide system of labor camps where millions of Russians were imprisoned and killed. The conditions at Solovki were unspeakable and thousands of prisoners died here before the camp was finally closed in 1938.

The 10-day 'Secrets of the White Sea' voyage departs Murmansk on 17 July 2011 and finishes in Arkhangelsk. Voyage prices start from US$6,90, and include overnight accommodation and a city highlights tour in Murmansk, plus group transfers in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk.

For an overview of Aurora Expeditions take a look at the brand new Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine profile for Aurora Expeditions, or visit the official web site at http://www.auroraexpeditions.com.au