We paddled on and tempted
fate by manoeuvring under the
towering faces of ice cliffs at the
base of the glistening Allardyce
Range, which is studded with gla-
ciers and snowy plateaus. The
constant flow from the glaciers
creates swathes of brash ice, a gen-
tly moving carpet that pops and
crackles as it releases air bubbles
trapped for thousands of years.
In three 13-hour paddling days
we covered 200km and had a
dream run along one of the
world’s most dramatic coastlines.
But then with just 30km to go, our good luck broke and condi-
tions turned rugged. Wind magnified the ocean’s movements
and we were soon flying down large waves, playing Russian
roulette with shallow reefs and creamy-topped swells.
Exhilaration turned to concern as waves bounced back at us
from Cape Disappointment’s imposing cliffs, and, on the edge
of control, I back-paddled to stop my kayak burying its nose
and wrestled my sail down. I steered towards a narrow gap that
satellite images had shown was between the cape and Green
Island, but for now all I could see was a wave-lashed rock wall.
Icebergs loomed nearby and the wind increased, whipping
up confused seas that drove me
towards the surf zone. Then, just
in time, the gap in the cliffs
appeared and I crossed into a
sheltered sanctum. Relief washed
over me as I glided to John and
the others. Sea kayaking doesn’t
get much more exciting but we
had completed the crux of our trip
down the forbidding south coast.B
Y THE TIME WE returned to King Edward Cove we
had been on the water for 13 days, and had completed
our circumnavigation six days faster than anyone before
us. It meant we had time to retrace Shackleton’s land traverse
of South Georgia to complete a unique double achieved by none
of our predecessors.
Equipped with maps, GPS and the latest camping gear, we
felt for Shackleton and his team as we followed the path they
took during their desperate march 100 years previously.
They were lucky to have clear conditions and a full moon, but86 Australian Geographic
White wilderness. Huge icebergs are a
hazard in Drygalski Fjord, which reaches
15km into the island’s interior. It is a narrow
passage cutting a spectacular swathe
through the mountains, with steep walls of
glacial ice and tumbling waterfalls.White wilderness. Huge icebergs are a
hazard in Drygalski Fjord, which reaches
15km into the island’s interior. It is a narrow
passage cutting a spectacular swathe
through the mountains, with steep walls of
glacial ice and tumbling waterfalls.White wilderness. Huge icebergs are a
hazard in Drygalski Fjord, which reaches
15km into the island’s interior. It is a narrow
passage cutting a spectacular swathe
through the mountains, with steep walls of
glacial ice and tumbling waterfalls.Extreme dimorphism. Female
southern elephant seals can weigh as
little as 300kg, just a tenth of the size
of their largest 3t male counterparts.Mirounga leonina