Cape Adare, East Antarctica

Cape Adare is the northeastern most peninsula in Victoria Land, East Antarctica. The cape separates the Ross Sea to the east from the Southern Ocean to the west, and is backed by the high Admiralty Mountains. Cape Adare was an important landing site and base camp during early Antarctic exploration.

The approach to Cape Adare is via Robertson Bay and the black, pebble-covered beach is home to one of the largest colonies of Adelies in the Ross Sea. During breeding season, almost a quarter of a million nesting pairs inhabit the huge expanse of beach and waves of penguins porpoise among the ice floes and traverse the currents as they travel to and from the rookery.

But here there is also another important historic site. It is the site of the first confirmed landing on the Antarctic mainland and the first building of a permanent structure by Carsten Borchgrevink in1899. Ongoing conservation work has restored the isolated and snow-damaged hut of the Borchgrevink expedition which now stands as a silent memorial on the vast beach.

Things to see and do

* Adelie Penguin Rookery
* Seals
* Sea birds

Cruise Season - Nov - April
Currency - Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Language - Norwegian
Land Area - 49 km²
Population - 0
Time - GMT plus one hour
International Country Telephone Code - nil

Port Location - For trips to the Ross region and Eastern Antarctica, commonly used ports are: Hobart (Australia), Auckland and Lyttelton-Christchurch (New Zealand).