The idea
I found out about cruises from South America to the Antarctic Peninsula before I found out you could go on an Antarctica cruise from Australia. I was originally planning Galapagos Islands tours during my backpacking trip, but when I found out Antarctica tours were possible, I made it my mission to get there. My first stop was Brazil, and I slowly made my way down through Argentina to Tierra del Fuego, the end of the world, and the small town of Ushuaia.
Finding a ship
It was here that was told that ships for Antarctica tours left from November to March. It was the end of February, so I was cutting it tight. The cheapest ship I could find was the last of the season, but instead of the usual round trip, it was to finish in Buenos Aires, visiting South Georgia on the way back, home to hundreds of thousands of king penguins - I booked my spot.