# Travel >> Destinations >> Other Destinations

Antarctica Tours From New Zealand

An increasing number of people are deciding to visit Antarctica, mostly as a part of organized expeditions and cruises. Usually guided by experts in ice or wildlife as well as seasoned seafarers. The tours take place during the Antarctic summer, November to March, when winter pack ice is melting at ice-free coastal zones. Tourists witness, among other things, penguin courtship rituals, elephant and fur seals lying about on the ice, wildflowers and whale sightings.

East Antarctica Cruise
- Ice cave
  
  The East Antarctica Cruise starts from Invercargill, New Zealand's southernmost city, with stops along the way on sub-antarctic Islands such as the Snares, Enderby Island, the Auckland Islands, and Macquarie Island. Four days at sea take you across the vast Southern Ocean to Cape Denison Commonwealth Bay in East Antarctica, "Home of the Blizzard". Tourists will witness wildlife such as snow and Wilson's storm petrels and at Dumont d'Urville find Emperor Penguins. The sailing is toward Magnetic South, viewing icebergs and sea ice.
  
  Heritage Expeditions New Zealand Ltd
  
  Antarctic House
  
  53B Montreal Street, PO Box 7218
  
  Christchurch , New Zealand
  
  011-64-3-365-3500
  
  heritage-expeditions.com
Mawson's Antarctica
- The Mawson's Antarctica - Commonwealth Bay tour starts at Dunedin, New Zealand. Its highlight is a voyage to Cape Denison, where Australian explorer Sir Douglas Mawson's hut from 1911-1913 remains, one of the most exclusive places on earth. The tours also visits Port Martin, the site of 100 grounded icebergs and Dumont d'Urville, the French base renowned for colonies of Adelie and Emperor penguins.
  
  Orion Expedition Cruises Pty Limited
  
  Level 2, 8 West Street
  
  North Sydney N.S.W. 2060
  
  Australia
  
  011-61-2-9033-8700
  
  orionexpeditions.com
South to Antarctica
- Antarctic ice
  
  The South to Antartica cruise starts at Invercargill, New Zealand. The tour includes the sub-antarctic Islands of New Zealand such as Snares Islands, Auckland Islands and Campbell Island as well as Macquarie Island. Spend ten days in the Ross Sea with ashore time to investigate the scenery, wildlife and history.
  
  Hiking New Zealand
  
  PO Box 93
  
  Lyttelton 8841
  
  New Zealand
  
  011-64-3-384-3706
  
  hikingnewzealand.com
Centennial Voyage
- Antarctic skua
  
  The Ross Sea Cenntennial Voyage to commemorate Sir Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen's race to the pole 100 years earlier, was due to leave from Christchurch, New Zealand in November 2011. The 29-day cruise visit Emperor Penguin rookeries in the Ross Sea as well as far-flung Southern Ocean islands such as the Snares, Auckland and Campbell. The tour will also include the historic huts built by Ernest Shackleton and Scott.
  
  Quark Expeditions
  
  93 Pilgrim Park, Suite 1
  
  Waterbury, VT 05676
  
  888-892-0334
  
  quarkexpeditions.com