We said goodbye to Sydney with a visit to the Sydney Tower (Sydney's answer to the CN Tower in Toronto) and a walk around the Rocks, before taking a bus to the airport for the long flight home. Once at the airport we were glad that we were able to use one of the private lounges to wait in comfort before being called to board the plane. The flight was uneventful, and quite comfortable since we were in business class. We got off the plane in Bangkok for a little walk around but once again it didn't seem any different from any other airport so we can't say we have experienced anything of Asia.
Once we had landed we quickly collected our baggage and passed through customs. We then caught the BR bus to Reading and took a train back home. As on the way out we hardly suffered at all from jet lag. The next week or so was of course spent telling all our friends and colleagues all about the holiday.
Although we are of course disappointed that we didn't get to the Antarctic continent we did get almost to the Antarctic Circle (much further south than the trips on the other side of Antarctica go) and we did see all 12 species of penguin that we set out to see (if in smaller numbers than we had hoped in some cases). However, we really did enjoy our holiday; it was the best holiday either of us ever have had, or are likely to have. We did so many things it is impossible to pick out any one best moment. I shall always remember the moment I first saw a penguin in the wild; a Fiordland swimming in the sea. The sight sound and smell of the penguin colonies on Macquarie Island will be another lasting memory as will the albatross colonies on Campbell and Auckland Islands. The icebergs and the pack ice with the seals and penguins were more sights that are indescribable and unforgettable.
We have decided that we shall continue to save in the penguin fund for further trips. We still need to go to the Galapagos to see Galapagos Penguins, we want to go to South Africa in 1996 to the Penguin Conference. We will definitely go back to New Zealand and the sub Antarctic Islands some time in the future. We will also make sure we do eventually get to Antarctica, although it may well be to the Peninsula and not the Ross Sea.
In any event we will be back.
