For those of you who know the book Sydney of the Antarctic, you will remember how Sydney used to sit on the blue chair and watch all the ships sail south, until they slipped over the horizon, swallowed up by the great Southern Ocean.  

I will be watching in the dawn light for the approach of the Kapitan Khlebnikov, with my binoculars near, hoping to spot a pair of red and white spotty ears.

They have just visited Macquarie Island, a speck in the Southern Ocean, a refuge to thousands of birds and seals.  As you can see from this photo, Sydney met with some King Penguins last time he was there… so perhaps this time he has met them again, and has a thousand tales to tell.

It may be hard for him to find them again in such a crowd, but toys have a way of finding each other and so do penguins.  I just hope he doesn’t lose himself in the crowd, if he’s there.

Or perhaps he has curled up around some of the island’s other residents?

I wonder if he is on the ship, if Yendys and Hobart did find him and are bringing him home?  

I know that I will just have to wait to see if Mr S and the others have any news for me… until then, I am dreaming of him and hoping.

We will know in a couple of days and will keep you posted.

Ahoy, Coral.

As the ship moves through the last of the ice and into the Southern Ocean it will pass by ice-covered mountains and into Cape Adare.

Perhaps the last of the penguins will be seen dwarfed by the landscape, on their way to adventures, like Sydney, Yendys and Hobart.

I can only hope that Sydney is snugly sleeping on board, or perhaps he’s doing some long forgotten domestic duties, like this old photo of him shows: resting after hanging out the washing in the cabin.

As they head north, the air will be getting warmer and the ocean will give up its cloak of white and the ship will start riding the great waves north.

Knowing Sydney, he may be keeping his rescue a secret and I suppose we’ll have to wait until the ship returns to port to find out what has happened… until then, I keep hoping we may get a message.  

Soon, they will be arriving at Macquarie Island, then home.

Keep those fingers crossed.

Ahoy,  Coral.

It was after I had taken that photo that I saw this dragon rock, perching like the skuas high above Skua Lake, defending or protecting its territory.  It took my attention away from Sydney… and, as they say, the rest is history.

I am hoping that Yendys and Hobart, knowing how well they have trained for this adventure, have climbed across the rocks to Skua Lake in their search fro Sydney and have snuffled in every corner of the hut for him.

We will all have to keep our fingers crossed.

Ahoy,  Coral.

Scott’s hut (left) and the ice heart of Antarctica.

Below them in the red-flowered Rata forests, parakeets dive through the mosses and tangled wood. A fern-lined creek where baby seals learn to swim without the current, runs to the sea through an open field, spongelike in depth, it makes everyone walk like they are on the moon.  Small watery grottos carved from the bases of volcanic columns sway with the weight of heavy kelp. Occasionally a Hooker sea lion emerges, but the yellow-eyed penguin keeps its distance.
Sometimes obscured by a frosty smoke rising from the ocean’s surface, Perserverance Harbour is a safe entry to Campbell Island, the second of New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands that our travellers have visited.  Its sides tower above the ship.  Sea lions come out to greet the vessel and follow those who go to shore.  Steep paths wind up sculptured valleys, high into the realm of the albatross. Grasslands of tussock rise between the mega herbs and ferns.  From here the ship leaves to navigate through the Great Southern Ocean and on to Antarctica.

With no land to stop the circling wind of the Earth, the ocean rises up to mountainous size and hurls itself against the ship. Rolling can be difficult for everyone, but our travellers have planned for their voyage well (often taking roller-coaster rides from one side of the couch to the other), so we can only assume that they will be faring well.

Hopefully, by now Neptune has called upon all on the ship to give his support to all on board, and our travellers are now initiated seadogs with salt in their veins.

Soon the sea will calm with the weight of ice crystals forming and the first iceberg will be seen. Then more and more: sentinels floating out north from the continent.  

The ocean will become white with ice, broken only by the flow of the ocean and the path of the ship. The light will stay all night and the continent will appear from the great barrier of ice that is the Ross Ice Shelf.

Soon the ship will arrive at Cape Evans, perhaps even on Christmas Day, so I can only hope that Sydney may come back to the hut for festivities… and will be found by Yendys, Hobart and Mr. S.

Keep your fingers crossed.  Have a great Christmas Day.

Ahoy,  Coral.

As it left Lyttelton harbour in New Zealand to speed southwards, it carried two passengers that visitors to this site will know well, Yendys and Hobart.

They have travelled a long way from the parallel world in their quest to find Sydney, and they were helped on their way by their human companion Mr. S.

Unfortunately, due to ill health, I have not been able to travel to find Sydney, but know that my dear companions, Yendys, Hobart and Mr. S. will do all they can, along with a ship full of passengers to search for him.

During the next few weeks I will keep you informed of their travels and hopefully their prize!

Ahoy, Coral.

Recent photographs show that the intrepid pair have been doing some icy training to prepare them for their trip to Antarctica.

I’m sure that they will be a great help in the search for Sydney, as it looks like they’ll be able to slip into the secret spaces that toys inhabit.

I’m so proud of them.  I’m just a little worried that perhaps they won’t want to come home either…

Hobart and I are getting into training ready for the Antarctic. While on board ship last week Hobart managed to damage his leg.

I came to the rescue with my first aid training. It was a really bad gash just on the ankle, I was not too squeamish although you could see all this cotton wool sticking out.

When we finally got home, our friend Steve had to put fifteen stitches into the ankle.
 
Will write giving more details of our time at sea once Hobart has fully recovered.

Love,

Yendys

Dear Coral

In our world we think it is very funny that you have someone that looks like me.  

From the photographs I have seen he does look a little older than me, and not so well kept.

My secret to looking so young and clean is that I eat lots of green vegetables, and always wash and do my teeth every night and morning.
 
One of the things I would really like to do while I am on a visit to your world is to go down to Antarctica and see where Sydney has been having all his wonderful adventures.

I did hear from a friend that you will be going back down to the ice in a few months’ time. Could I please come with you?

I will be no trouble and still have time to get all the right gear and pack my case. Please say “yes”.

He even has his own email address.  I will write and see what is happening.  Keep you posted soon.  

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