Fata Morgana and the Legend of Ultima Thule

 

Giant ice castles floating in mid-air, vast forests in the midst of ice floes and grotesque hairy dwarfs are among the many wonders to be found in the land of Ultima Thule – that is if you ask any of the 15th-century explorers who returned with these fantastic tales.

Easter Island: Let Sleeping Moai Lie

Some mysteries are better left unsolved.

Galapagos Au Go Go

Get amongst it on some of the wildest islands you can imagine.

Wrangel Island: Isolation, Desolation and Tragedy

- the latest 'must-see' polar travel destination.

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Grab Facts:

Location: N71 o W180o - approximately 500 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle above Siberia.

Sovereignty: Russia

Area: 4,507 km2 - about twice the size of the ACT

Nominal Capital: Ushakovskoye

Permanent Population: about 100

Major Wildlife: Polar bears, Pacific Walrus, Arctic Fox, Snow Geese, seals, lemmings.

Highest Point: Mt. Sovetskaya (1096m)

Outta The Way – It’s B15a!

Sounding more like a World War Two bomber than an age-old natural phenomenon, Iceberg B15a is nonetheless set on a course of destruction deep in the Antarctic.

Unlike their more creative meteorological colleagues, the (US) National Ice Center name bergs based on their geographical origin rather than use popular Christian names like, say, Gloria or Tracy. Anyway, what do you call an iceberg big enough to attract territorial claims? Goliath? Otto? Ymir? Or just Mr Big?

Michael Palin Goes the Dzong in Bhutan

“If the fabled Shangri-La exists beyond the legend, this is it.” – Michael Palin

English comic and now celebrated travel documentary maker, Michael Palin, is currently enthralling television audiences with his enriching odyssey, Himalaya.

Lone Father Starves For Months in Freezing Conditions While Raising Young

As politicians and union officials debate the many facets of parental leave, Australia’s longest-established tour operator to Antarctica, Expedition Cruise Specialists, reminds us of some exemplary behaviour already existing in the natural kingdom.

Bhutan: A Place for Travellers and Magicians

Few people could answer even the most basic trivia questions on the isolated mountain kingdom of Bhutan. And for centuries, that’s exactly the way the deeply religious Bhutanese have liked it.