FORWARDTRAVEL.COM.AU 1

CANADA’S HIGH ARCTIC ∙ NORTHERN LIGHTS ∙ GRIZZLY BEARS ∙ ORCAS ∙ VANCOUVER ISLANDTHE ARCTIC AND AURORAA journey to savour

SPECIAL ESCORTED GROUP

JUST 10 PLACES AVAILABLE

19 DAYS, 8 - 27 AUGUST, 2017 ESCORTED BY FORWARD TRAVEL DIRECTOR, ROSE TOOHEY

BOOK BY 31 OCTOBER AND SAVE $2,000 PER PERSON.

2 1300 738 168 FORWARDTRAVEL.COM.AU 3

08 AUG. VICTORIA AND BUTCHART GARDENSFly from Australia to Vancouver and connect to Victoria. Met upon arrival and transferred to our waterfront hotel. Time to freshen up before a walking tour around this really pretty city.

09 AUG. BUTCHART GARDENS (B)Morning visit to Butchart Gardens. Enjoy the breathtaking oasis of this 22 ha garden. Return to Victoria and the rest of the day is yours.

10 AUG. NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND (B) Travel 6hrs north to Telegraph Cove in Northern Vancouver Island, a small and historic fishing village full of natural attractions. Stop along the way to visit some of the villages and try the local seafood for lunch.

11 AUG. ORCA WATCHING (B) From July to October, the waters between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia are home to the magnificent Orca (Killer Whales). The protected waters provide an ideal location to view and listen to orcas and other marine mammals as they feed, socialise and raise their young.

12 AUG. GRIZZLY BEARS OF KNIGHT INLET (B) Enjoy the majesty of the coastal mountains as we explore spectacular Knight Inlet to find grizzly bears. As the snows melt, both black

19 DAYS

and grizzly bears emerge from their hibernation dens on the mountain slopes. Hungry bears make their way down to feed on the grasses in the river lowlands. The shallow draught of our flat bottom boats gets us close to the action.

13 AUG. FLY TO EDMONTON (B) Transfer to the airport and fly to Edmonton and be taken to the beautiful Fairmont hotel.

14 AUG. ARCTIC - RESOLUTE (BLD)Our charter flight takes us to Resolute, a remote outpost above the Arctic Circle, where our fantastic ship will be waiting. Meet our expedition team and start with a zodiac ride to the ship. After a welcome cocktail, we weigh anchor and depart in the early evening.

15 AUG. BEECHEY ISLAND (BLD) Beechey Island holds great historic importance in the story of the Northwest Passage. It is here that Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated expedition spent winter in 1845 before disappearing into the icy vastness, sparking an incredible series of search expeditions. The mystery of what happened to Franklin was partially solved in September 2014, when a joint expedition found the lead ship, HMS Erebus, with One Ocean Expeditions playing a vital role in the discovery. A visit the grave markers on a remote windswept beach is a perfect and chilling start

Nature thrives in Canada and I’ve planned this trip to capture some of its best, from the sea to the land to the soaring sky. Whales of all sizes, loom in the waters, while bears of all colours roam the shore. Birds in their thousands fill the sky, and hopefully we’ll see the Aurora dance above it. From West to North to high Above, I have personally chosen the best places, best companies and best guides to give us the best opportunity to capture all we hope to see, with some surprises along the way. This is a shared journey more than a tour. Think of it as a group of ‘like-minded’ people travelling together. There’s plenty of leisure time to tailor as you wish, and all the leg work and planning has been done. I’ll be there too, to ensure this trip is a spectacular journey like no other. There’s only 10 places so don’t delay in booking yours.

to our own expedition. We visit the towering bird cliffs of Prince Leopold Island, an important migratory bird sanctuary, home to several hundred thousand birds. It is one of the most significant bird sanctuaries in the whole of the Canadian Arctic and makes for fantastic zodiac cruising. The sea ice around Prince Leopold Island is a great place for spotting seals, which usually means we could find polar bears.

16 AUG. SOMERSET ISLAND (BLD) Named for the British naval vessel abandoned in 1825. Her crew unloaded provisions to the beach. Four years later this cache saved the starving Ross expedition on its return from the North Pole in 1829. This is an exciting location for history buffs and for many it will be the defining moment of our expedition.

17 AUG. FORT ROSS – BELLOT STRAIT (BLD) The historic site of Fort Ross is a former Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading outpost, and fascinating archaeological sites tell a story of more than a thousand years of habitation by the Inuit and their predecessors. A transit of the narrow Bellot Strait is a thrilling experience as the currents roar through channel. We are now in the heart of the Northwest Passage, and the stirring waters provide abundant food for many marine mammals, including harp and bearded seals, narwhals ad whales. The Captain and Officers skills are on full display during this exciting day of Arctic navigation.

18 AUG. CONNINGHAM BAY (BLD) We cross the Franklin Strait and arrive at Conningham Bay on the shore of Prince of Wales Island. This is a known hotspot for polar bears, that come to feast on beluga whales, often caught in the rocky shallows. It’ common to find the shoreline littered with whale skeletons – and very healthy looking polar bears!

19 AUG. SIR JOHN FRANKLIN (BLD) Enter Franklin territory in Victoria Strait where history surrounds us. On Victory Point a lifeboat left abandoned, pieces of copper and scattered iron tell a story of a desperate race in a search for a rescue that never came. We pass very near the location of the wreck of HMS Erebus.

20 AUG. PASELY BAY (BLD)This bay, on the Boothia Peninsula is where the St. Roch spent a winter in 1942 frozen into the sea ice. The ship was the first Canadian vessel to ever transit the Northwest Passage.

21 AUG. FRANKLIN STRAIT, PEEL SOUND (BLD) We’ll track north through the Franklin Strait and into Peel Sound, known for its heavy sea ice so all eyes will be looking for bears.

22 AUG. ASTON BAY (BLD) We explore in the zodiacs and hope to go ashore searching for wildlife. This evening, the Captain joins us for dinner and the chance to reflect on what has been a superb 10 days of exploration in this pristine Arctic wilderness.

23 AUG. DISEMBARK - EDMONTON (B)We make our way ashore by zodiac for the charter flight to return us to Edmonton where we will be transferred to the hotel.

24 AUG. YELLOWKNIFE - AURORA (BD)Morning flight to Yellowknife where we will be met upon arrival and taken to the hotel. Dreams of gold began in Yellowknife in 1934 when a couple of prospectors discovered the precious metal. Have a walk around town this afternoon and we’ll have dinner at the famous Bullocks restaurant. After dinner we’ll depart on our first Aurora evening.

25 AUG. CAMERON FALLS – AURORA (B) After a sleep in, we’ll take a trip to Cameron Falls, where short walk through the forest takes us to the falls. We’ll stop along the way at Giant Mine to hear about the Yellowknife River Legend. Return to town for a rest before another night of Aurora viewing.

26 AUG YELLOWKNIFE - AURORA (B)Optional activities. Meet local artists, go traditional fishing with locals, cruise the harbour, or just relax and enjoy the town. This evening we’ll take our final Aurora viewing trip.

27 AUG YELLOWKNIFE – FAREWELL (B)Transfer to the airport for onward flights, or stay another night.

CONNIGHAM BAY

PORT LEOPOLD

BEECHEY ISLAND

YELLOWKNIFE

FIND THE MAGIC OF NORTHERN CANADA ...with an entree of gardens, grizzly bears and kil ler whales

VICTORIA

GRIZZLY BEARS IN KNIGHT INLET

MEET ROSE

I recently discovered the wonders of

Canada and the High Arctic. I was blown

away with the scenery, history, wildlife

and wilderness. Seeing polar bears and

belugas was a thrill. But I still can’t quite

believe the amazing experience of seeing

the Aurora Borealis dancing in the sky

above me. I’d love to have you experience

it with me in 2017.

He was so cute I wanted to reach out and pat him...

4 1300 738 168

FORWARD TRAVEL15 Randle Street Surry Hills

(Just 2 min walk from Central Stn) Sydney NSW 2010, Australia

Toll free: 1300 738 168

Ph: (02) 8021 6680 Fx: (02) 8572 9906

CALL THE KITCHEN: 1300 738 168EMAIL: thekitchen@forwardtravel.com.au

ABN: 33 164 700 832© Forward Travel 160929

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FLIGHTS ARE NOT INCLUDED: We don’t include them because we know everyone wants to do something slightly different. Call us for the best options.

LOCATION HOTEL

Victoria Inn at Laurel Point

Telegraph Cove Telegraph Cove

Edmonton Fairmont Macdonald

Yellowknife Explorer or Nova

TRIP INCLUSIONS:

BELUGAS IN CONNIGHAM BAY

∙10 DAY ONE OCEAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION∙3NIGHTSAURORABOREALISVIEWING∙FULLDAYGRIZZLYBEARVIEWINGINKNIGHTINLET∙ORCAVIEWINGAFTERNOONCRUISE∙3NIGHTSINTELEGRAPHCOVE,ONEOFCANADA’S

MOST PICTURESQUE VILLAGES∙BUTCHARTGARDENS∙SERVICESOFTOURESCORT,ROSETOOHEY.∙GUIDEDSIGHTSEEINGINVICTORIA∙GUIDEDSIGHTSEEINGINYELLOWKNIFE∙35MEALS,BREAKFASTDAILY,8LUNCH,9DINNERS∙QUALITYACCOMMODATION∙TRANSFERSFROMAIRPORT-HOTELVV∙EXCELLENTLYLOCATED,GOODQUALITYHOTELS∙LIMITEDTOJUST10TRAVELLERS

SEASON /DATES: 08-27AUGUST2017

ARRIVAL DEPARTURE CITIES: IN-VICTORIA OUT-EDMONTON ARCTIC SHIP: AKADEMIK SERGEY VAVILOV

P lease cal l or email me anytime with any questions about the trip, or anything about Canada, Aurora, or The Arctic. I’m always happy to chat and share my enthusiasm. I look Forward to talking to you soon, and hopeful ly seeing you in Canada in August.. Cheers, Rose e: rose@forwardtravel.com.au

VICTORIA

TELEGRAPH COVE

EDMONTON

RESOLUTE

YELLOWKNIFE

TO BOOK:Please call or email to hold your place on this trip. A 30% deposit is due 10 days after booking to confirm your place on our journey.

CABIN/SUITE TWIN SHARE SIN-SHARE*

EARLYBIRDPRICES-BOOKBY30OCTOBER

Triple $13,780 $14,980

Semi Private $14,980 $16,380

Twin Private $16,980 $18,380

Superior $17,980 $19,280

Shackleton $19,680 NA

One Ocean $21,680 NA

Charter flights Edmonton-Resolute return.INCLUDED IF BOOKED BY 30 OCTOBER.ADD $2,000 FOR BOOKINGS AFTER 30 OCTOBER Price is based on USD so may change due to exchange rate

Kayaking $950

*SIN-SHARESOLEUSEINHOTELSANDTWIN/TRIPLESHARE WITH ANOTHER TRAVELLER ON THE CRUISE

PRICING - DETERMINED BY CABIN TYPE. SEE OUR SEPARATE SHIP INFORMATION BOOKLET

ONE OCEAN EXPEDITIONS’ PAST PASSENGERS RECEIVE A FURTHER

5% CRUISE DISCOUNT, ANDABONUSCABINUPGRADE*

*SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. ASK US FOR DETAILSBELUGAS IN CONNINGHAM BAY