Fares are from A$12,570 per person twin-share or A$15,999 for solo travellers and include air travel from major cities in Australia, a night’s accommodation and breakfast in Christchurch, transfers to L’Austral, transfers from Milford Sound to Queenstown and a night’s accommodation with breakfast in Queenstown before the return flight to Australia.
The mega-yacht which has 132 cabins will visit Macquarie Island, the Campbell Islands, the Antipodes Islands, Bounty Islands and The Snares, all UNESCO World Heritage Sites before arriving at Dusky, Doubtful and Milford Sounds in New Zealand’s Heritage Listed Fiordland National Park.
Mumby, whose CruiseAlong is an affiliate of US-based Cruise Holidays, said almost half of the world’s albatross and penguin species reside in these off-the-beaten-track Australian and New Zealand sub-Antarctic regions.
He said The Snares, for example, has more nesting seabirds than the entire realm of the British Isles.
Ponant’s manager marine and operations planning Asia Pacific will be on board as expedition team leader.
L’Austral made Ponant’s maiden voyage to Sydney in January 2015. Sister ship Le Soleal arrives in Sydney on February 13.
