Sailing into Terra Nova Bay - on another beautiful sunny day. We are heading towards the Italian base station and have managed to catch a few hours sleep after our early morning Inexpressible Island hike. The Italians aren't quite ready for our visit yet, so let's fill in some time by parking in the sea ice and getting off to have a play! I hope this sea ice is nice and solid!! Sheesh - this water looks pretty darn cold doesn't it? The fact that the top is actually frozen over provides some clue! Our chef Tina, along with the intrepid ones Bill (our other chef), Sally (cruise director), and passengers Mark and Harley, are the only ones foolhardy enough to take a dip into this icy cold Antarctic water. Funnily enough they were pretty quick to jump out again!! We're not sure whether it was the icy cold water, the wonderfully fresh air or the beautiful scenery, but it inspired our friend Mark to propose to Trish. What a wonderful place to get engaged! A snap engagement party was organised by Sally and Rodney - and what could be more fun than a sleigh ride across the sea ice, drinking champagne with new found Antarctic friends?! Our Italian base scientists are now ready for our visit. After a very exciting ride in jeeps across the sea ice, we've reached the 'tourist' centre of the base - 'Penguinottos'. Apparently the best expresso on the continent is made here! A nice place to visit - would you want to live here? YES is the resounding cry. A hive of activity and bustle in the midst of the isolation. Hey, we're starting to feel like tourists now. Let's return to being intrepid expeditioners again. Aaah, this is the life! Just the three of us in this beautiful place. More engagement celebrations for Mark and Trish! Cath and Geoff brought me to dinner tonight for the party. It was fun. It's going to be hard to beat this for their wedding! Mmmmm, yum! Cath and Geoff let me do some videoing as well. Smile Trish! Iceberg alert!! What? This looks like the Ross Ice Shelf, but is in fact a rather large iceberg which has calved off from it. It is so big that my stomach would be red raw if I had to toboggan across it. Cape Byrd - the site of another Adelie penguin rookery. I love these little guys! Our late afternoon visit to this place is also enhanced by beautiful scenery once again - and getting to hobnob with the New Zealand scientists staying there. We are off on another intrepid expedition! I'm strapped down coz this may be a bumpy ride across the sea ice using the naiads as sleighs again (pulled by the argos). This time the destination is Cape Royds, site of the famous explorer Ernest Shackleton's hut. It's more than a little scary having to unload to walk across the tide cracks! Scary for us, but fascinating for these Adelie penguins who came running across the ice to see just what we were up to! We made it without falling through the ice. Here is Shackleton's hut in the background - being well preserved by the New Zealand Antarctic Division. Safe and warm inside the hut! Of course we had cleaned our boots scrupulously before entering. It looks like the explorers just up and left! There are still some uneaten biscuits - not to mention other canned delicacies. Here is a view of the hut from the other side with people queuing up to look inside. Only a few privileged people are allowed inside at any given time. The famous Mt Erebus in the background. Let's hope it doesn't blow its top just now!