Antarctica has always carried curiosity for me. I think as an Australian, it was comforting to know there was a land further South than our own, albeit a perceived wild and desolate Continent. These descriptors are in part true, but I was struck by the untouched nature, prevalence of wildlife and the diversity of landscapes it shared on the journey.

My jaw was on the floor more often than not. I found myself constantly drawn to the outdoor areas of the ship, rain, snow or shine and often with a camera in hand. With nearly 24 hours of daylight, sleep was a secondary thought and I was addicted to taking in the scenery before me, which seemed to change on a whim. Rolling swells, ethereal mist, small icebergs hitch-hiked upon by loner penguins, sometimes with penguin pals, tabular icebergs larger than suburbs. We had it all, I was wowed by it all and have done my best in this book to capture and share just some of the experience.

As a youngster I had learned of the feats of the legendary South Polar explorers, Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton, who personified resilience and endurance. I do wonder what Shackleton would think 100 years on from his feats to know that Antarctica now has a thriving tourist economy.

But it definitely still was an expedition. Our itinerary wasn't fixed and this provided the ability to alter our time on the Antarctic Peninsula based on weather and knowledge of our expedition team, resulting in some truly memorable moments. Like sailing up to the fast ice shelf in the Ross Sea and sailing through the majestic Antarctic Sound and into the Weddell Sea, something few boats had done this season.