And all of the crew and the captain of the ship made us feel really welcome," Taylor said. But it was a really, really lovely trip home.
"People were very, very nervous about what could've happened to us. The Aurora then took the Shokalskiy passengers back to Australia. Taylor said they used Milo tins to mark up a helipad on the ice next to the ship. The Xue Long used its helicopters to ferry passengers from the Shokalskiy to the Aurora since most of the passengers were Australian. And then right in the middle was this big red beacon of hope," he said. So there was this kind of orange hue cast all along this huge field of ice. It kind of dips below the horizon, but then comes up. When you're in Antarctica during the middle of the summer, the sun never really sets. "I can remember the moment that I saw the Aurora Australis. Journalist Taylor Fuller was one of the 74 passengers and crew on the Shokalskiy. We've got a task, let's get in and do it and do it safely and efficiently as we possibly can." said Leanne. "It's one of the unique things I think about going to Antarctica, everybody actually wants everyone to succeed so they will do their best to help. The Chinese icebreaker Xue Long and French vessel L'Astrolabe had also responded to the stuck ship. It was her first voyage on the icebreaker. Operations and shipping officer for the Australian Antarctic Division, Leanne Millhouse, was on board when the Aurora received the distress call. On Christmas morning 2013 the Aurora was called upon to help rescue the private Russian vessel the Akademik Shokalskiy which became stuck in ice. Since then "Orange Roughy" has made great strides and taken a lot of knocks becoming an important part of many people's lives - a second home, a scientific breakthrough, an adventure, a matchmaker and a life-saver. The ship was built at Carrington Slipways upriver from Newcastle and launched in 1989 to much fanfare in the harbour. POML has been approached by a number of interested parties from around the world," they said. "The decision-making process regarding the future of Aurora Australis is ongoing.
A POML spokesperson said they weren't able to comment on speculation and that no departure date had been confirmed. But this report could not be independently verified. It's reported the Aurora has now been gifted to the Argentine Antarctic program and will leave the country before the end of the year. But in August the ship's owner, P&O Maritime Logistics (POML), was granted the export permit needed for it to be taken from Australia. There was a push to see the decommissioned Aurora given heritage status and preserved as a floating museum in Hobart. The Aurora Australis helped Australia make its mark in Antarctica and facilitated advancements in oceanography, climate science, marine research, glaciology and conservation including the management of krill fisheries. During its service for the Australian Antarctic Division the ship conducted 150 research and supply voyages, ferrying 14,000 expeditioners. The RSV Aurora Australis was Australia's Antarctic flagship for 30 years. The only Australian-made icebreaker might soon leave our shores.