Capital of Argentinas Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible…

This cove, a natural harbour located in Salpêtrière Bay, was discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot. Named for the explorers father, famed neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot, this tip of Booth Island still holds vestiges of Charcots 1903-1905 anchoring aboard his ship, Le Français. A brisk walk through the snow will take you to the remains of Charcots stone cabin where he conducted studies on magnetism. Right nearby, youll notice a colony of gentoo penguins. If you continue on to the summit, youll pass by the remnants of a cairn and enjoy an unobstructed view of the vast field of icebergs scattered over the bay like white tombstones—an eerie, mystical site like none other.

The Balleny Islands are a series of uninhabited islands in the Southern Ocean extending from 66°15 to 67°35S and 162°30 to 165°00E. The group extends for about 160 km in a northwest-southeast direction. The islands are heavily glaciated and of volcanic origin. Glaciers project from their slopes into the sea.

Hobart, capital of Australias island state of Tasmania, sits on the River Derwent. At its fashionable Salamanca Place, old sandstone warehouses host galleries and cafes. Nearby is Battery Point, a historic district with narrow lanes and colonial-era cottages.