Yellow-Eyed Penguins on Enderby Island in the New Zealand Sub-Island

Rata Trees and brush

Caves, Rock composed of compressed volcanic ash

Rock Hopper Penguin, New Zealand Sub-Arctic Islands

Fur Seal, near Dunedin, New Zealand

Fur Seal, near Dunedin, New Zealand

Rata Forest, Enerby Island, Sub-Arctic New Zealand Islands

Flowers, Enerby Island, Sub-Arctic New Zealand Islands

Nesting Royal Albatross, Enerby Island, Sub-Arctic New Zealand Islands

Cormorant on Rocks with Kelp, Enerby Island, Sub-Arctic New Zealand Islands

Flightless Ducks, near caves, Enerby Island, Sub-Arctic New Zealand Islands

Penguin, Enerby Island, Sub-Arctic New Zealand Islands

Grave of a mariner who died from starvation, Enerby Island, Sub-Arctic New Zealand Islands

Returning from a walk on Campbell Island, New Zealand Sub-Arctic Islands

Gray Headed Albatross, off Campbell Island, New Zealand Sub-Arctic Islands

Sea Stack, off Campbell Island, New Zealand Sub-Arctic Islands

Thousands of Nesting Albatross pairs, Campbell Island, New Zealand Sub-Arctic Islands

Rare Crested Penguin, Campbell Island, New Zealand Sub-Arctic Islands

Colorful Rock Formations, Campbell Island, New Zealand Sub-Arctic Islands

January 10, 2026 – I boarded American Flight 2441 from Laguardia to Dallas.

We departed onetime, but after taxiing about short distance, we returned to the gate because of an acrid smell on the plane.

After spending over an hour switching to another plane, we took off and flew for about 20 minutes. The plane became unbearably hot and the captain diverted the plane to Philadelphia airport. He said that this was horrendous and that in all his years as a pilot, this had never happened to him before.

The bright spot was that I was rebooked in Premier class on a nonstop flight from JFK to Auckland. It was really comfortable. I had to purchase a new ticked on Air New Zealand and I was quickly on my way to Dunedin on the South Island.

Unfortunately, my suitcase didn’t make it to Dunedin. It sat at DFW for four days and at AKL for four days.

As I was going to the Antarctic, I had to purchase new clothing and gear, which I found at an outdoor store in Dunedin.

Saturday, January 17, 2026

We departed from Dunedin on the MV Douglas Mawson at about six pm and started our long journey to the Ross Sea and McMurdo Sound in Antarctica.

We departed from Dunedin on the MV Douglas Mawson at about six pm and started our long journey to the Ross Sea and McMurdo Sound in Antarctica.