Port Pegasus/Pikihatiti, the southernmost sheltered harbour on the east coast of Stewart Island/Rakiura, offered us respite from the westerly seas if not the wind. The early departure from Campbell Island saw a daytime arrival for a Zodiac rendezvous with a helicopter to evacuate a casualty of the southern ocean swells.
The calm conditions allowed us back to the lecture room for some presentations and expedition recap while the crew managed the evacuation procedures. Another delicious dinner was followed by time on deck as the light faded. Some of the crew took the opportunity to fish for Blue Cod and their mood balanced ours. Their excitement at the approaching completion of a job well done lifting our sadness at an ending adventure. We envy their imminent departure for Antarctica, they no doubt, envy our extended sojourn on warm land.
A late retreat from the cold betrays a reluctance to close eyes on the final full day of our expedition. The approaching end prompts reflection and we deal with it in our own ways. For some socialising in the bar is the best medicine. For others time alone on deck is the preferred way of assimilating the emotions. I search for images to capture the feelings and find a brief consciousness of cloud floating free above the the heavy darkness of land before fading into the night.
These experiences are the quickest way of cutting through to what is really important. While there is no way of avoiding the reality of making a living and surviving in the world, experiencing these wild places washes away all the mess that goes with the rest of it, letting us temporarily believe in a haven. The memories will sustain us in the everyday.
Janet Houston
21 Aug 2016Nice photo of the albatross, however I think that it is an immature Salvin’s albatross. The head is too grey for a white capped albatross. The bill is very similar in the immature birds of both species.
tony
21 Aug 2016Thanks Janet. My daughter put me right on this too and I edited the caption this morning.
Kinsa Hays
22 Aug 2016Lovely Tony. The photo of the cloud at last light floating free above the land gave me a sense of peace just viewing it even with the sounds of housing development construction across the road. Nice one!
tony
22 Aug 2016Thanks, Kinsa. Glad you enjoyed my photo and that it managed to convey some feeling. Always hard to know what others feel when looking at images.