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INTOTHE A seo expedition to the islonds of northern Norwoy is on exhiloroting odventure, writes RODERICK El ME, e cautiously exit the inf latable boat.

Ten at a time, we land on the pebbly beach, our guides already

well ahead of us, scouting for sightings of the world's largest terrestrial carnivore.

The island of Spitsbergen. north of Norway, is one of just a handful of the remaining polar bear hot spots in the world.

With a world population of this majestic mammal possibly as low as 20,000, there is a real urgency among adventure travellers to this creature in its native habitat.

see

the animal," says Sue Werner, deputy expedition leader of Aurora.

Clutching loaded rifles, our guides are 100 metres ahead of us making sure we don't surprise any unseen or sleeping beasts.

"lf a cur.ious animal approaches within 200 metres or so we f ire a f lare with a loud bang, but of course we never land if a bear

Regulations require guides to carry loaded rif les and f lare guns, but in over a decade of operation, Aurora's expedition staff have only ever fired two warning shots; a testament

is

sighted beforehand."

Our exped ition, Aurora's circumnavigation of Spitsbergen, is an outstanding success with almost 20 sightings so far; including three mother bears and cubs feeding on the last morsels of a whale carcass.

The wildlife sightings extend to Arctic fox,

to

good planning, careful observation and prompt action. "lf we sight a bear while we're on land, our first call isto get everyone back on the Zodiacs Iinf latable boats] while the guides monitor

walrus, reindeer, seals and a myriad seabirds wheeling and squealing overhead.

On one occasion, we entertain several thousand tiny guillemots gathered around us with whistles. lt's hilarious when the entire throng whistles back on cue.

Humpback, minke. fin and even blue whalel

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are regularly sighted in these f rigid waters.

During the closing stages of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, explorerstook balloons, airships and aircraft to Spitsbergen to

TH|N rGE:

take advantage ofthe high latitude to launch exoeditions to the North Pole.

Byrd, Amundsen and Nobile were among them and the f irst def inite attainment of the North Pole was made in 1926 by the airship Norge after it left the scientific outpost of Nylesund. the world's most northerly permanent

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settlement.

There is a little known Australian connection with Spitsbergen too.

In 1928, the Adelaide-born adventurer

After taking off f rom Barrow Alaska, 20 hours later the pair landed their singleengine Lockheed Vega amid a f ierce snowstorm near Green Harbour (Grnfjorden)

to the west of Longyearbyen.

For this feat and his previous work, he was knighted and known thereafter as Sir Hubert Wilkins.

Later that year, Wilkins and Eielson went south to conduct the first flights over the

Antarctic.

Spitsbergen (meaning "sharp peaks" in Dutch) is the largest island in the Svalbard

archipelago, 1800 kilometres north across the

Bears also occasionally

wander in when

slippery bearded or ringed seals are scarce on

the ice.

Our vessel, the 71 -metre Polar Pioneel may atthe smaller end of the world's growing

be

Sydney-based Aurora Expeditions (auroraexpeditions.com.au; 1800 637 688) operates voyages of between 1 1 and 14 days to Spitsbergen in July and August each year aboard the 54-passenger Polar Pioneer.

twin share.

I Thai Airways (thaiairways.com.au) flies 40 times a week from Australia to Bangkok including twice daily from Sydney. with daily non-stop connections to '13 major cities in Europe, including Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm.

ever trans-polar f light.

thanks to bird droppings beneath the towering cliffs.

Foxes scamper about feeding on the many chicks that topple from the crowded ledges.

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Fares start at $7650 a person,

Captain George Hubert Wilkins and US pilot Lieutenant Ben Eielson completed the first

Barents Sea f rom Norway.

At the dizzying latitude of 80 degrees Svalbard, by rights, should be encased in ice but the warm Gulf Strearn currents create an unusually temperate climate and summer air temperatures as high as 10 degrees are possible.

The landscape is bleak and rocky and characterised by vast glaciers, but embellished here and there with patches of rich green

No oroblem for the Polor Pioneer,

left, which is smoll enough to occess inlets where wolrus crowd or o mother polor beor ond cubs ploy,

expedition f leet, but she's

a

tough little

customer.

Although not an icebreaker in the strictest through light sheet ice

Larger ships impose higher demands on the patience of passengers, the environment and seldom offer such enriching enhancements as sea kayaking, extended hikes, camping or even scuba diving under the ice.

Yet 5pitsbergen is by no means the end or the beginning of Arctic adventure possibilities. lceland and Greenland also offer greater scope to extend your northern experience with exciting volcanic action and Inuit

sense, she's sliced

encou nter5.

beyond 81 degrees and bumped small bergs

By the time we return to Longyearbyen for the busy turnaround day, we have ticked off all but a couple of species of rare whale, and have made almost 20 polar bear sightings, some at less than 100 metres.

The terms "life changing" and "experiential" are all too often tossed about to describe

aside with ease.

Built in Finland for Russia in '1982, she's comfortable, capable and an ideal vessel

for

the task.

There are numerous ship operators venturing into this far north wildlife wonderland, but few as well equipped and capable as Aurora's Polar Pioneer.

Unlike some Antarctic oceans, the icy seas are not usually rough, so a vessel like this can capitalise on its smallfootprint and gain access to every nook and cranny around the coast, slicing through thin ice when required.

mediocre vacations.

The entrancing polar regions are where these voyages began and Spitsbergen is atthe heart of it.

AAP I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

The writer was a guest of Aurora Expeditions.

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